Slideshow: A Celebration of Sudanese Music
Oudist and singer Abu Araki, father of Berklee student Mohamed Araki, opened the show. A grand figure of Sudanese music, the elder Araki is an example of artistic resistance during one of the most oppressive periods in Sudan’s history. Once banned and arrested for strong social content in his lyrics, he went on to become a largely popular recording artist.
Kelly Davidson
Berklee student keyboardist and concert director Mohamed Araki, a native of Sudan, in action with his synthesizer.
Kelly Davidson
Sudanese tribal folk singer Asim Gorashi performed with a Berklee orchestra conducted by student Eren Başbuğ. Gorashi, who considers music to be ladder that takes him to the highest level of spirituality, combines Sudanese tribal folk music, sacred Sufi melodies and chants, and whistling.
Kelly Davidson
Hip-hop artist and activist Emmanuel Jal performed Run-D.M.C's “We Want Peace.” Jal was born into the life of a child soldier and overcame unbelievable struggles to become an artist with a message of peace and reconciliation. His life was documented in the film "Warchild," which has won a dozen international film festival awards.
Kelly Davidson
The spirit of dancing was a huge part of the night’s music; near the end of the concert, attendees swarmed the front of the stage to feel the music.
Kelly Davidson
Emcee and actress Tamador Gibreel dances with an audience member on stage.
Kelly Davidson
The orchestra’s string section was crucial in interpreting student arrangements and compositions, providing a solid backbone for the music throughout the concert.
Kelly Davidson
Italian Guitarist Daniele Truocchio was one of many students who performed at the show.
Kelly Davidson
The spirit of Sudan’s music brought the Berklee Performance Center to life with song and dance.
Kelly Davidson
Concert director and producer Mohamed Araki and guest artists bowed before the audience.
Kelly Davidson
As part of Berklee’s 2015 Signature Series, the Berklee Performance Center held a concert celebrating music from every region of Sudan, one of the oldest civilizations known to humanity. The show featured student compositions and arrangements as well as many guest artists, including singer Abu Araki, internationally acclaimed hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal, and multi-instrumentalist Asim Gorashi.
The concert, named Al-Murtaja—which can be translated from Arabic as “the thing or person people are waiting for”—was very much a project that show producer and director Mohamed Araki, a Berklee student from Sudan, had “waited [his] entire life” to present.