Igd al-Jalād, (, also spelled Igd Algalad in English) is a popular

Sudanese music The rich and varied music of Sudan has traditional, rural, northeastern African roots and also shows Arabic, Western or other African influences, especially on the popular urban music from the early 20th century onwards. Since the establish ...

group. It was founded in 1984, comprising several singers and instrumentalists and has been active with new members since then. The group became famous both for their musical compositions as well as their use of lyrics with metaphorical political messages, written by Sudanese and other Arab poets, such as Mahjoub Sharif or

Muhammad Taha Al-Qaddal Muhammad Taha Al-Qaddal, also transcribed as Muhammad Al-Gaddal (, Sudanese Arabic pronunciation: muˈħammad ˈtˤɑhɑ al gaddɑːl; 12 December 1951 – 4 July 2021), was a Sudanese poet. Al-Qaddal began his literary career in the late 1960s ...

, "giving voice to the neglected, disadvantaged, and those who are left behind."

Career

The group's name means "beaded necklace of jalād", which refers to a special kind of leather with a pleasant scent, made from the skin of a deer or a wild cat that is traditionally worn by a bride during the ''girtig'' ceremony. In 1984, the founder of the group, composer and musician Osman al-Naou assembled a large number of male and female musicians from the Institute of Music and Drama. This allowed the band to include both a range of modern instruments as well as male and female lead singers and a chorus. In 1988, the group appeared in a live concert on Sudanese TV that started its growing popularity both at home and with Sudanese audiences abroad. Characteristically, they use well-known poems and other lyrics, often expressing patriotic views or political messages. This metaphorical criticism of the political situation during the military governments from the 1980s onwards prompted the police to ban some of their concerts and some of the members were even taken into custody. In 1995, the German record label ''Popular African Music'' released their CD ''Madaris'', and other music cassettes or CDs have been available in Sudan. All through the period of political oppression of public musical activities by the

military government A military government is generally any form of government that is administered by military forces, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue, and whether this government is formed by natives or by an occup ...

and the imposition of

Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

laws starting in the 1980s, Igd al-Jalād have been re-inventing their line-up by including younger musicians and composed new songs, making it one of Sudan's most long-standing and popular music bands.

Discography

Igd al-Jalad on discogs.com

CD ''Madaris''
with short sound samples for online listening, 1995

External links to music videos

Igd al-Jallad
on Facebook
Igd al-Jalad on YouTube

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Igd al-Jalad Sudanese musicians Sudanese culture Musical groups established in the 1980s 20th-century Sudanese artists 21st-century Sudanese artists