Cairo —
As the performers took to the stage and the sound of traditional drums gained momentum, Sudanese refugees sitting in the audience were moved to tears. Hadia Moussa said the melody reminded her of her family’s ancestral homeland, the country’s Nuba Mountains.
“Performances like this help people who have been psychologically affected by the war. It reminds us of Sudanese folklore and our culture,” she said.
Sudan has been mired in violence since April 2023, when war broke out across the country between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has turned the capital Khartoum into an urban battleground, displacing 4.6 million people, including more than 419,000 who have fled to Egypt, according to the United Nations migration agency.
The band, made up of 12 Sudanese members, is currently living in Egypt with thousands of refugees. The troupe, known as ‘Camillata’, includes researchers, singers and poets who are determined to preserve the knowledge of Sudan’s traditional folk music and dance from being lost in a devastating war. Masu.
Formed in 1997, the band gained popularity in Khartoum and subsequently began touring to various states, employing a diverse range of musicians, dancers, and styles. They sing in 25 different Sudanese languages. Founder Dafala El Hag comes as Sudan struggles with a difficult economic and political transition since a 2019 uprising ousted longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir. He said members of the band recently started moving to Egypt. After the violence began, others followed. El Hag arrived late last year.
Hoda Othman (right), a Sudanese dancer with the Camillata troupe who lost some of her relatives in the Sudanese conflict, performs the al-Saisaid dance from East Sudan during a rehearsal in Cairo on September 10, 2024. said Kamal.
The band uses a variety of local instruments on stage. El-Hag said audiences are often surprised to see the tambour, a string-like instrument, played on the ngara drum, combined with the sounds of the banimbo, a wooden xylophone.
“This combination of instruments helped promote a kind of forgiveness and unity among the Sudanese people,” Elhag said, adding that the collection of historic instruments, which had reportedly been looted and damaged, He added that he hopes to revive the museum in Khartoum where he lives.
Fatma Farid (21), a singer and dancer from Kordofan, moved to Egypt in 2021. Her aunt died in 2023 when an explosive device fell on her home in Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.
Fatma Farid (21), a Sudanese Camillata troupe dancer whose aunt was killed in 2023 when an explosive device fell on her home in Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, died on July 24, 2024 in Cairo. Performances will be held at the Italian Cultural Center.
“Since the war started, my view of art has changed a lot,” she says. “As an artist, you decide what to express. You can convey the message.”
Kausar Osman, a native of Madani City who has been singing with the band since 1997, feels nostalgic when he sings about the Nile, which is formed in Sudan from two upper tributaries of the Blue Nile and the White Nile.
“It reminds me of the current situation in Sudan,” she said, adding that the war “only inspired the band to sing more for peace.”
More than two million Sudanese have fled the country, mostly to neighboring Egypt and Chad, with the Global Hunger Index reporting “severe” levels of hunger. More than 500,000 forcibly displaced Sudanese have taken refuge in Chad, mostly women and children.
As the war spread beyond Khartoum, living conditions deteriorated for those who remained in Sudan. Early in the war, many made difficult decisions: flee across the front lines or risk being caught in the heat of battle. In Darfur, the war was particularly brutal, resulting in famine, with militias attacking and burning entire villages.
Dafala El Hag, founder of the Sudanese Kamilata group, performs during a show at the Russian Cultural Center in Cairo on September 15, 2024.
Armed robbery, looting, and seizure of housing for bases were some of the challenges faced by Sudanese who remained in the country’s urban areas. Some people were struggling to find food, water, power, and medical treatment as hospitals came under attack by fighter jets and airstrikes. Communication networks are often barely functional.
The performers say it is difficult to talk to their family and friends who are still in the country, much less consider returning home.
“I don’t know if I will go back to Sudan, see Sudan again or walk the same path,” Farid said.
