The Godfather of Nubian Soul: Ali Hassan Kuban

As Nubians growing up in the diaspora, our exposure to our culture and language came mostly through music. At weddings and special occasions, we lined up to dance to the rhythm. Some songs were only in the Nubian language, and some were mixed with Arabic. Some were by Egyptian Nubians, others by Sudanese Nubians. Some were remixed to introduce new sounds and instruments. All made us dance till sunrise.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of Ali Hassan Kuban - the 'God Father of Nubian Soul' .

Highlights of Kuban's impressive Career:

"From a self-taught musician exploring his Nubian people’s musical roots to a professional, successfully leading his various bands into new, vibrant, international pop territory – Ali Hassan Kuban became an international star when his music finally went global in the 1980s.

Ancient Nubian melodies, played on a background of pulsating Western beats and sounds that draw from American jazz and international pop – Ali Hassan Kuban served as one of the founding fathers of the musical breed we knew and loved as world music in the earliest days of the genre: the old and the new! " (Source: Piranha Records)

He played at International Festivals like:

• Heimatklänge festival’s ‘Orient de Luxe’ edition (1989)
• Midem (1993)
• WOMAD (1994)
• the Montreal Jazz Festival (1994)
• New York’s Central Park SummerStage (1995)

Full Discography: