Sulaf (Sudan)
Sulaf is a Sudanese singer, oud player and songwriter reimagining traditional music through a contemporary global lens. Born in Saudi Arabia in 1997 and now based in Paris, she graduated from Beit Al Oud Al Arabi in Khartoum, where she later taught, and completed vocal training at Berklee College of Music Abu Dhabi. She has collaborated with Imarhan and toured in support of Tinariwen, and is releasing her debut album, ABA, on Real World Records in 2026, drawing from the Sufi poetry of her grandfather and produced by Maxime Kosinetz.
Featured Song:
Sung in Sudanese Arabic, a dialect shaped in part by the country’s Nubian heritage, the language and culture of the Nubian people native to the Nile Valley of southern Egypt and northern Sudan, “YaKhilani” (Oh, My Dear Ones) is a mournful, evocative song addressed to loved ones and a home left behind amid conflict, referencing the Nile, old neighborhood cafes, and the pain of displacement. The track features Algiers-based guitarist and composer Nazim Bakour, known for session work spanning West African, Afro-Brazilian, and jazz influences.
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