A tsunami swept through Views Millions of views on YouTube and TikTok platforms, and melodies that transcend borders to become global trends; this is the state of Sudanese music today.
According to news reports that discussed the matter, songs ranging from “We Walk Nile Street” by Shukrallah Ezz El-Din, to “You Have Pink Now” by Abdel Rahman Mohamed, and “I Am a Realistic One” by the artist Taghreed (Tuta), have strongly imposed themselves on the scene, opening wide doors of controversy between a generation that sees them as a “renewal revolution” and critics who warn of “eroding public taste.”.
The secret of the digital explosion
Analysts believe that this sweeping spread is not a coincidence, but is linked to geopolitical and technological shifts. Some experts have confirmed that the lifting of US sanctions on Sudan in 2017 and 2019 enabled Sudanese people to “profit digitally” through social media.
This transformation allowed artists to break down the barriers of isolation that had surrounded Sudanese music for decades, and to turn displacement and refuge into a platform for creating creative content that transcends geographical boundaries, especially given the desire of the Arab public to show artistic solidarity with Sudan during times of crisis.
A blend of Zar and Afro-global music
Before the current “trend” wave, “Zanq” songs had paved the way with their loud rhythms that blend Western and African music and employ the traditional “Zar” rhythm in an amazing way.
This type of singing is characterized by simplicity and directness, and it has found its niche on short video platforms, as these songs rely on what are called “catchy” (attractive) lyrics and melodies that stick in the memory, making them the favorite material of TikTok and Instagram users.
Star support
Reports indicated that the success of these songs was no longer confined to the Sudanese interior, as they had received unprecedented support from top-tier female stars in the Arab world.
The audience reacted widely to videos of artist Balqees Fathi and star Amy Samir Ghanem performing dance moves to the tune of the song “I am a realistic one”.
This cross-border support has transformed Sudanese music from a “local art” into a “social phenomenon” consumed by Arab audiences from the Atlantic to the Gulf, thus enhancing the status of the Sudanese female dancer as a new icon in the digital space.
