Black Music Matters

In light of the multiple events that have swept the globe this year, DanDana team decided to reflect on some of the music that matters. As protests highlighting the importance of black lives after the brutal killings of George Floyd and Brayonna Taylor and the rise of the decentralized Black Lives Matter movement, we felt the urge to shine a light on the rich musical heritage of black people in the region from Andalusia to Mongolia and from Yemen to Anatolia.

We dig into the musical heritage of the region, and discuss worls of prominent figures on the music scenes like Ali Hassan Kuban or Sitti Bent Saad, to more forgotten names like Asmar Omar and Aster Aweke.

All of these wonderful singers and musicians captured parts of their struggle and the oppression they underwent in their melodies and lyrics. From Ethiopia to Djibouti, Zanzibar to Bahrain, these works stand as an acoustic testimony to injustices past and present, that we all listen to for inspiration and reflection.

Playing tracks by Sitti Bent Saad, Maalouma, Hamza El Din, Aisha Al Marta, Aster Aweke and more.

Tracklist:

• Sitti Bent Saad – Ashee Regea Swahili
• Maalouma – Khayala
• Hamza El Din – Shortunga (The Spirits)
• Aisha Al Marta – Ya Leil Dana
• Aster Aweke – Y’Shebellu
• Khojali Osman – Malo Law Safeetna Inta
• Amira Khair – Manaok (Forbidden)
• Ali Hassan Kuban – Habibi
• Tsehaytu Beraki – Atzmtom Keskisom (Tigrigna)
• Dahi Ben Elwalid – Ya Man Hawah
• Alnubia Band – Koban
• Asma Omar – Buuraha U Dheer (The Highest Mountains)