Sayed Khalifa ( ar, سيد خليفة, 1928 – 2001) was a popular
Sudanese singer and composer, mainly active from the 1950s to the 1980s. Khalifa was one of the first Sudanese singers trained in formal music theory. Like other Sudanese singers, he performed in both
Standard Arabic
Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or Modern Written Arabic (MWA), terms used mostly by linguists, is the variety of standardized, literary Arabic that developed in the Arab world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; occasionally, it also refe ...
as well as in
Sudanese Arabic
Sudanese Arabic, also referred to as the Sudanese dialect (), Colloquial Sudanese () or locally as Common Sudanese () refers to the various related varieties of Arabic spoken in Sudan as well as parts of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Chad. Sudane ...
, thus appealing both to the educated elite as well as to the common people. Khalifa is best known for his songs ''"Ya Watani" (My Homeland)'' and ''"Izzayakum Keifinnakum" (How are you?)''.
Life and artistic career
Khalifa was born in 1928 in Al-Dibeiba, near
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
, Sudan. In 1947, he won a scholarship to the Arab Music Institute in Cairo, where he studied music in a formal way. After touring venues in Africa for several years, Khalifa returned to the newly
independent Sudan in 1956 and performed the patriotic anthem ''"Ya Watani" (My Homeland)''. He released many other popular songs like ''"Ana Maly wa Malo"'' and ''"Mambo as-Sudani"''.
After the rise of
Omar al-Bashir's government to power in 1989, censorship made it difficult for Khalifa to continue with his career. Some of his songs, like ''"Lailun Wa Khamrun Wa Shifah" (Night, liquor and lips),'' were deleted from the radio archives. He died on 2 July, 2001 in Amman from heart problems.
Recent interest in
reissues of popular music from Sudan made his song ''Gameel Basam (Beautiful Smile)'' available on the CD ''"The Lost 45s of Sudan"'', published in 2015 by
Habibi Funk Records
Habibi Funk Records is a reissue record label based in Berlin, Germany dedicated to music from the Arab world. It was co-founded by Jannis Stürtz, who also works as a DJ using the name Habibi Funk. The label is mostly known for its albums and a ...
. And in 2018, his song ''Igd Allooli'' ''(The Pearl Necklace)'' was reissued on the CD compilation ''Two Niles to Sing a Melody: The Violins and Synths of Sudan'' by
Ostinato Records
In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...
as part of their reissues of popular Sudanese music of the 1960s and 70s.
Discography
Sayed Khalifa at MusicBrainz
See also
*
Music of Sudan
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 establis ...
References
External links
Sayed Khalifa "Ya Watani - My Motherland" with English translationSayed Khalifa - Ezzayakom (Sudanese Arabic) Lyrics with English translationSayed Khalifa, accompanied on the Oud - I will die...( اموت انا و الزول بريا)
Sayed Khalifa - from CD Habibi funk, on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalifa, Sayed
1928 births
2001 deaths
20th-century Sudanese male singers