Wafir

Wafir Shekeldin Gibril is an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist musician from Sudan who is currently based in Spain. He is a master of the accordion, the oud, and the violin and creates compositions based on the Nile's river culture. He was born in Kordofan in central Sudan and studied music at the Superior Conservatory in the country's capital, Khartoum. His first forays into playing the accordion on a professional level led him to playing with the bands of prominent musicians such as Almubarak Abdul Aziz, Mohammad Al Amin and Abdul Karm Al Kably.
Wafir is known for his reputation as being an easy collaborator, and his extensive work with different musicians is a testament to that. He once was a key member of the group Radio Tarifa, a Spanish-based ensemble with Arab, jazz and classical influences. He also used to head the group Kambala -- an ensemble showcasing popular and traditional Sudanese music – that produced the album "Salamat Khartoum" in 1996. Wafir also has collaborated with his sister Rasha on her CD "Rasha - Sudaniyat," which was produced in 1997. Currently, Wafir is a member of La Banda Negra, a Madrid-based band.
Wafir's roots are with the Nubians of the Sudan, which is often reflected in his music. He notes in his CD liner notes: "One of the greatest African civilizations was created on the riverbanks of the Nile from its agriculture, natives and nomads. It was a culture that strove against Pharaonic Egypt in power and wisdom, when Europe was still walking in loin cloths, and through whose mysterious corners we were transported by Sudanese rhythms from Wafir."

Thanks for listening to Kemet Music Radio

-- by Fanan Chiahemen
-- Edited by Pianki

Discography

Album: Nilo Azul
Label: Nube Negra
Year: 2002