In brief
As conditions in Sudan deteriorate due to ongoing conflict, the band Aswat Almadina, scattered across various countries, stands firm on their mission to use music as a source of inspiration. Co-founders Timon and Ibrahem Mahmoud reflect on their journey, how their music fuels a message for peace, and their dedication to reuniting as a band in the future. Their latest song, 'Sudan,' encapsulates both the beauty and pain of their homeland.
Members of one of Sudan's most influential bands, Aswat Almadina, are scattered across the world, clinging to the hope that their music will be an inspiration for peace in a nation ravaged by war.
Timon was among the six members of the band who left Sudan two months after the conflict started in 2023, traumatized by the sight of dead bodies, destroyed buildings, and burnt-out cars in the streets of the capital, Khartoum.
It was like something out of a zombie movie, Timon tells the BBC Focus on Africa podcast.
More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
Timon - whose real name is Mohammed Almustafa - was among the founding members of Aswat Almadina, meaning Sounds of the City, in 2014. Their music blends Middle Eastern folk influences with urban pop and vibrant jazz, creating a distinctive and compelling sound from a once-peaceful city.
Our music comes from the atmosphere in Khartoum, the natural sounds of the city, the sounds of the people, the sounds of the streets, says Timon.
They quickly built a devoted following, especially among Sudanese youth, and became the first Sudanese band to tour the country.
I remember one time we were performing, and we saw one lady holding a sign that said: 'Your music saved my life,' says Ibrahem Mahmoud, the co-founder and lead vocalist.
I always keep that memory with me - it means that our music has a big responsibility. Their lyrics, addressing social justice, corruption, and the everyday struggles of young people, earned them recognition as UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors in 2017.
For Ibrahem, music was always intertwined with activism. Before the uprising that saw longtime leader Omar al-Bashir ousted in 2019, he was repeatedly arrested for songs critical of the political system.
I got arrested a lot by national security because of what I was doing - singing the truth. Thank God I'm still alive, he shares.
Today, Timon sits in a softly lit studio, looking at a photograph from one of their final concerts in Khartoum. It was a month before the war. When you look at this, there was a Khartoum. There were very lovely nights in Sudan, he reflects.
Despite the ongoing battles, Timon and Ibrahem continue to communicate and collaborate on music. Their new song, Sudan, sets out to resonate with their listeners at this tumultuous time, echoing themes of beauty and resilience amidst decay.
The arts have a power, insists Ibrahem. It carries a lot of emotion for people. Aswat Almadina may be apart physically, but the ties that bind them through music remain strong, reminding us of their enduring dream to reunite and spread messages of peace and love.
