Sudanese band Noori & His Dorpa Band meld elements of soul, jazz, blues, country, and surf rock sounds with rhythms traditional to the Beja—one of the country’s most ancient and marginalized ethnic groups. The band’s unique sound is anchored by Noori’s one-of-a-kind tambo-guitar—an electric guitar with a tambour drum welded to its neck. In 2022, the band put out their first album, “Beja Power! Electric Soul & Brass from Sudan's Red Sea Coast" with New York label Ostinato Records as a means to celebrate their culture and push back against its continued erasure. Following its release, Noori & His Dorpa Band spoke to WePresent about the Khartoum locales where they connect with their Beja culture and Sudan’s artistic legacies.
Stories with Noori & His Dorpa Band