Since its inception more than 25 years ago in the Egyptian city of Luxor, the musical group The Musicians of the Nile, have been creating music and performing all over the world and sharing the vocal traditions of Egyptian gypsy clans and families.
The Musicians of the Nile shot to fame after ethno-musicologist Alain Weber was introduced to them. Weber in 1975 signed on as manager for the group and helped it complete a European tour. The group has played in such cities as Paris, New York, Berlin, Stockholm, London and Montreal. The musicians also have performed at the at 1991's Gypsy Festival of Florence and 1995's Gypsy Festival of Lucerne, as well as at the original WOMAD in 1983, a performance that helped bring about a collaboration on Peter Gabriel’s “Passion” album.
The Musicians of the Nile depict the nomadic existence through their music, which they create using traditional instruments. For example, on their last album, “Charcoal Gypsies,” the musicians use the traditional Egyptian oboe known as the mizmar; the arghul, or the Egyptian double clarinet; the tablah; and the tabl baladi, the double-membraned drum.
The members of Musicians of the Nile have included descendants of the famous Mataqil clan of musicians who originally are from Sudan and who for more than 40 years have been joining forces with gypsy families that specialise in singing.
The Musicians of the Nile include Metqal Qenawi Metqal, Shamandi Tewfiq Metqal and Yussef Bakash. Metqal, the lead singer of the band spent his formative years in the gypsy neighbourhood of Abu Djud in the village of Kanak. He showed exceptional musical talent at a young age and his music soon became very popular in the Arab world. He leads the group on the Rababah, an instrument made with strings of horsehair and a sound-box made of coconut shells and fish skin which creates waves of eerily, mystical violin-like sounds. Shamandi Tewfiq Metqal derives his technique from traditional singing with its epic, poetic forms that are morally inspired. His songs such as “Ya Farawle” and “El Balass” were hits with children and used for traditional baladi dance numbers. Metqal also is featured on the Nubian CD compilation, Salamat, which was released in November 1995.
- Written By Fanen Chiahemen
- Edited By Pianki
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Discography:
Album: From Luxor to Isna
Label: Virgin Records
Year: 1989
Album: Charcoal Gypsies
Label: Real World
Year: 1997
Album: Ensemble Mizmar Baladi
Label: Ocora
Year: 2001
Album: Down By The River
Label: Long Distance
Year: 2006
The members of the band Guinea C may come from varied backgrounds – members include a dance teacher, a former football player, an avid cook and four kin of a famous griot family – but they all share a deep love for their native country. So much so that they named their band after it, and the "C' stands for Conakry which was added to further distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea Bissau. That is not to say that they have overlooked the support they have gained in their adopted country of Gambia. Formed in 2004, their first album, Bakadaji, released in 2007 is named for the hotel that they call their home base and where they often rehearse their songs. It was with the help of the manager of Hotel Bakadaji, along with some tourist friends, that Guinea C was able to produce its first album, recorded by Wole Rendall at AFG studio, in the Gambian city of Serrekunda. 
Asnaqetch Werqu was born an orphan who went on to become the first actress to appear on the Ethiopian stage. However, her musical talent garnered her attention that outshone her acting career in the National Theatre. Reportedly, she initially worked as an actress and dancer in the Haile Sellassie I theatre troupe and was actually the first woman to be part of this troupe. At an early age Asnaqetch taught herself to play the krar and eventually went on to become famous as a master of the krar (lyre) and a singer who was considered to be the last great storyteller to engage in the tradition of poetic jousting, following in the traditions of the Azmaris or artist caste.
As a musical director, Mahmoud Fadl contributed to a four album project called "Salamat", released on Piranha records, which focussed on the music of the legendary and suppressed Nubian culture. He has four albums released under his own name and on one of them pays a Nubian homage to deceased pan-Arabian diva Umm Kalthoum, showcasing the voice of Salwa Abou Greisha from the famous Greisha family of Nubian musicians, with accompaniment from the Cairo Opera. Mahmoud's album "Drummers of the Nile", features ancient music from along the nile, and he collaborates with fellow drummers Gaafar Hargal and Hamdi Matoul, Nubian wedding diva Salma and many more musicians. He has also collaborated with The Klezmatics (New York), Orientalist piano player Maurice El Medioni (Marseille/Oran) and the famous gypsy saxophone player Ferus Mustafov (Skopje). Mahmoud also introduced western audiences to the distinguished grandmaster of oriental trumpet, Samy El Bably, on an alluring album called "Love Letters from King Tut-Ank Amen."
The mbira has a very comforting sound, and at times can be reminiscent of running water. It is considered a sacred instrument and traditionally has been played at religious ceremonies (bira) and at social events (mapira) as well as within the royal Shona Courts. It is often used to communicate with ancestor spirits as well as for healing, guidance and success in battle. In the 'bira' ceremonies, the mbira is combined with the hosho (gourd rattles), singing and sometimes with the ngona (drum). Before the independence of Zimbabwe, Stella would attend these 'secret' ceremonies at night in colonial Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and go to work as a maid during the day.
Faytinga, one of Eritrea's best known singers, is a member of the Kunama tribe. Her mother was of Blen descent (a Cushitic speaking people) from the highlands, while her father was a member of the Semitic speaking Tigrinya peoples. She was born in 1964, and was involved in Eiretrea's struggle for independence from Ethiopia since she was 14 years of age. Faytinga's father, Faïïd Tinga, was a war hero and was already a part Eritrea's 30 year liberation struggle at Faytinga's birth.
The Egyptian Nefer, a musical instrument from Pharaonic times, is the predecessor to the Oud. It was built and carved from one piece of wood and, like the Oud, is classified as a chordaphone. On ceremonial and religious occasions the nefer (lute) could be accompanied by the harp, lyre and sacred sistrum. Sometimes a small group would accompany the music with hand claps.
It was due to a dispute with his mentor and teacher Ishak, that caused Ziryab to leave North Africa for the Spanish city of Al-Andalus, where after writing an introductory letter to Al Hakam I, the current ruler of Spain, he was invited to Cordova in 822 AD. Ziryab also found favour with and his son and sucessor, Adbur-Rahman II. Ziryab became a very distinguished and wealthy singer in the social circles of Moorish Spain and was well-known outside Moorish Spain's borders. Ziryab founded the first music conservatory in Cordova, invented a plectum made of eagle quill instead of the commonly used wooden ones, and he added a fifth string to the Oud greatly improving its harmony. It was in fact in Moorish Spain that the Oud acquired much of its current characteristics. The Moors constructed many types of Ouds of different tones with varying number of strings.
One thousand years ago,Mapungubwe (present day South Africa) in Limpopo province was the centre of the largest kingdom in the subcontinent, where a highly sophisticated people traded gold and ivory with China, India and Egypt. The Golden Rhinoceros has a single horn, a physical trait of the Asian Rhinoceros, which gives further evidence of the peoples' trade with the East.
Excavations revealed a court sheltered in a natural amphitheatre at the bottom of the hill, and at the top of the hill, a graveyard reserved for members of the social elite – with a spectacular view of the region. It was also discovered that the population kept domesticated animals like cattle, sheep, goats and dogs and were generally prosperous. Millet, sorghum and cotton were cultivated as well, as evidenced by the charred remains of storage huts that were found.
Doubma was born in Mafele, near the border with the Ivory Coast. She was raised by her grandmother, her mother having died shortly having given birth to her. But before she died, Doumbia's mother predicted that her daughter would be a singer — this was a little surprising, since she didn't come from the jeli caste, the hereditary singers. It was something her grandparents tried to fight, but it seemed as if the prediction was correct. 
After some experimentation with Western sounds on "Didadi", Nahawa collaborated with African musicians including members of Salif Keita's band, to created a more authentic African sound. This was reflected on "Magoni" produced in 1993. However, on the album "Yaknaw" in 1997, Nahawa produced a true Wassoulou sound, that was often compared to to that of Oumou Sangare. Nahawa sings of social themes, choosing to focus on issues like the position of women in Malian society, the rights of women and children, and the difficulties facing African immigrants in Europe, she also speaks out against polygamy.
Ali Ibrahim "Farka" Toure.. (October 31, 1939 - March 6, 2006) was born in 1939 in Gourmararusse (in the Timbuktu region), Mali, into the noble Sonhai family. Ali, was the tenth son of his mother but the only one to survive past infancy. He was descended from the ancient military force known as the Arma, and was ethnically related to the Songrai (Songhai) and Peul peoples of northern Mali.
During a visit to Bamako in the late 1960's, artists such as Ray Charles, Otis Redding and most importantly John Lee Hooker introduced Ali Farka Toure to African-American music. At first, he thought that Hooker was playing Malian music, but then realized that this music coming from America had deep African roots. Ali Farka Toure was also inspired by Hooker's strength as a performer and began to incorporate elements into his own playing. During those years Ali Farka Toure composed, sang and performed with the famous Troupe 117, a group created by the Malian government after the country's independence.
