the living library
Zammanik documents Sudan's musical golden era, spanning the 1960s to the 1980s and beyond. An ongoing and ever growing resource dedicated to making this history accessible in one place, follow along as the archive expands.
oud player + the arab world's first female composer
asma hamza
"Asma's journey to becoming an accomplished musician is a tale of passion and perseverance. During her formative years, she nurtured dreams of becoming a singer. However, she faced a hurdle with her vocal cords, which couldn't safely support her singing aspirations. Determined to pursue her musical passion, Asma ingeniously switched to whistling tunes, capturing the beauty of melodies in her unique way. It was this melodic gift that caught her father's attention, prompting him to lend her an oud." - Disha Talreja
About Her
Video
musician
mohammed wardi
"In 1994, Wardi won a prize that anointed him the best singer in Africa. Politically, he fought for the ideas of his day: social justice, decolonization, redistribution of wealth, pan-Africanism. His relentless activism resulted in detention and eventually exile. His passing in 2012 was mourned from Mauritania to Djibouti.
In 1997, in exile, Wardi released a cassette called Al Mursal (The Messenger). It was a song that he sang first in 1974. Sudan went crazy. This was the highest selling Sudanese album ever, until now, because he was the singer of the Sudanese people—the left and the right, the educated and the illiterate, the laborer, the farmer, everybody [loved it].
Mohammed Wardi was a representative of the people. He was their voice; their civilization. He summarizes the spirit of the Sudanese people when he sings.” - Vik Sohonie
Okay Africa
Video
musician
mohamed elamin
Mohamed Elamin was born in 1943 in Wad Medani, Sudan. The musician was near-blind and mastered the oud by age 12. He participated in music festivals across the Arab world, the United States and Europe. A known revolutionary as can be heard in his song “The Anthem of October 21”, Elamin references the October 1964 Revolution in Sudan which brought the end of a military government ruling. Elamin continued to be outspoken and was jailed in the 70s for opposing the regime at the time. He left Sudan but eventually returned in the 90s. Elamin received many awards and honors during his lifetime. One of Sudan’s most prolific musicians, he passed away in 2023 but his music and legacy lives on.
legend of sudanese blues
Abd Al-Aziz Mohammed Daoud
“Abd Al-Aziz Mohammed Daoud was born in 1922, in a village in the Bahri town of Sudan. Bahri sits on the eastern shore of the river Nile and his small neighbourhood is called Hallat Addanaklah.
Daoud sang earlier on in al-kabritah style, or 'matchbox' music (أغاني الكبريتة: the singer gets out a matchbox and sings shaking it the same way old blues masters did in the [American] South), and he excelled at this rare, ur-blues style.
Egyptian master and the soul of Arabic classical music, Mohammed Abdel-Wahab, once said that "a golden singer's throat cannot be found except within Wadeh Asafi in Lebanon, and Abd Al-Aziz Daoud in Sudan." Abu Daoud played with Arab singers like Wadeh Asafi, Fahd Ballan, and African ones like the South African Meriam Makimba.”
The Audiotopia
Video
musical group
igd al jalad
Igd al Jalad is a Sudanese music collective formed in 1984, celebrated for their rich vocal harmonies and innovative blend of modern instrumentation with Sudanese folk rhythms. Drawing on Sudanese and Arab poetry, their songs weave together beauty, heritage, and social commentary. Their name, meaning “the necklace of al-Jalād,” connects them to tradition, while their melodious harmonies and layered lyrics have made them a cultural touchstone for Sudanese audiences at home and abroad.
Arab Lit
Video
Musician
ahmed al mustafa
Ahmed al Mustafa was born in 1922 in village east of khartoum. He was a famous singer, traveling across Sudan and the Arab world showcasing his unique musical style. he performed his song “Rahmak Ya Malak” in 1968 on a tv special in Lebanon which was intended to teach audiences about sudanese music and culture. He was joined by two other famous artists, Saied Khalifa and Abdel Karim Alkabli on this special. Famous Lebanese singer, Sabah, also loved Al Mustafa’s song and they collaborated on a version of the song.
Ahmed Al Mustafa
Ahmed al Mustafa + Sabah