Sudanese band Aswat Almadina continues music-making despite war displacement

Members of Sudanese band Aswat Almadina, formed in 2014, have scattered globally since the civil war began in April 2023. Lead vocalist Ibrahem Mahmoud now resides in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after time in Nairobi, Kenya, while co-founder Timon (Mohammed Almustafa) lives in Cairo, Egypt. The band, known for blending Middle Eastern folk with urban pop and jazz, gained recognition as UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors in 2017 for lyrics addressing social justice and corruption. Mahmoud faced multiple arrests before the 2019 ousting of Omar al-Bashir for songs critical of the political system. During the war's outbreak, band members were recording in a Khartoum studio when gunfire erupted; Mahmoud later recorded "Give Peace A Chance" remotely amid shelling. Over 150,000 people have died in the conflict, with 12 million displaced, creating what the United Nations calls the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The band continues remote collaboration, preparing to release a new song titled "Sudan" in April, reflecting both the country's beauty and pain. They maintain hope to reunite physically, viewing music as a survival mechanism and symbol of hope for fans enduring devastation.