The Nile Project - Jinja

The Nile Project is a laudable initiative towards Pan-Africanism: artists from eleven countries through which the river passes and its tributaries meet annually to teach courses and raise awareness about the need to take care of it. A round idea and a musical wonder, because it reaches moments of an absolutely amazing intensity and rapport.

The project, sponsored by the Egyptian ethnomusicologist Mina Girgis and the Ethiopian singer and cultural activist Meklit Hadero, began in January 2013 when 18 artists from Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan met to develop a collaborative creative process It lasted 10 days. The result was Aswan (2013) where the successful trajectory that these and these ambassadors and diplomats of music were already expected. The group of interpreters goes on a tour of the world to spread the ecological and intercultural message, an event that in 2016 they take advantage of to record Jinja (2017) in Uganda, where the sources of the Nile are located.

Beyond the feeling of brotherhood that it promotes, the band's music is attractive precisely when they reproduce their union values, when the traditions of Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda ... (and their respective instruments) are integrated or alternated throughout of the same piece. A harmony that sounds surprisingly accessible even to the western listener, despite the diversity of musical instruments, aesthetics, styles and languages. The themes are composed of the performers in six languages. The voices of the Egyptian Dina El Wedidi, the Ethiopian Selamnesh Zemene (component of Ethiocolor), or the Sudanese Alsarah spectacularly star in this mega-musical project, also highlighting the versatility, energy and great voice of Burundian Steven Sogo.

01. Inganji - feat. Sophie Nzayisenga and Selamnesh Zemene

02. Allah Baqy - feat. Dina El Wedidi and Sarah Abunama-Elgadi

03. Ya Abai Wuha - feat. Selamnesh Zemene

04. Omwiga - feat. Micheal Bazibu

05. Uruzi Nil - feat. Steven Sogo

06. Dil Mahbuby - feat. Dina El Wedidi and Mohamed Abozekry

07. Tenseo - feat. Jorga Mesfin, Mohamed Abozekry and Selamnesh Zemene

08. Marigarita - feat. Sophie Nzayisenga, Hany Bedair, and Selamnesh Zemene

09. Biwelewele - feat. Steven Sogo

10. Mulungi Munange - feat. Micheal Bazibu, Sophie Nzayisenga and Steven Sogo