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9 years ago Mohammed Wardi passed away. Little thread on some of Sudan's social movements through the voice of Wardi (for the 5 or 6 non-Sudanese non-Nubians following me
). RIP to the man whose voice narrated our past and present 1/
). RIP to the man whose voice narrated our past and present 1/
Born in a Nubian village near Halfa & orphaned at a young age, Wardi trained as a teacher before taking up a musical career in 1950s. In 1964 an uprising overthrew Sudan's 1st military dictator & Wardi's "October al-akhdar" effectively became its anthem. Snippet w protest footage
In 1969 Sudan would come under military dictatorship again. Wardi, like many on left, initially supported the Free Officers who 1st espoused socialist rhetoric, opposed neocolonialism & committed to overturning power of the traditional forces. Lyrics aside his voice still banged.
In 1971 communist officers led a coup against Nimeiry. It was crushed within 3 days, Nimeiry returned to power, Wardi was imprisoned (along with fellow musician Mohammed al-Amin - duet below) and Nimeiry demanded his songs be taken off the airwaves. https://twitter.com/camille_mroue/status/1362391394141286400
Nimeiry would manage to survive/oversee various other coup attempts, protests, & rebellion (with the formation of the SPLA in 1983), until 1985 when another intifada overthrew Sudan's second military dictator. "Ya sha3ban lahbk thawreetak" became another revolutionary anthem.
In 1989 Sudan came under military dictatorship for the third time. Wardi went into exile but continued to perform abroad inc a 1990 concert in Ethiopia for 250,000 Sudanese refugees displaced by war. Exile & revolution still ft'd as themes in his 
(clip via SoundsofSudan)
(clip via SoundsofSudan)
Don't know how I didn't start with this but let me style it out by pretending I don't recognise linear time... Sudan's independence! Full song features Wardi commemorating not only independence in 1956 but earlier nationalist movements such as the White Flag League in 1920s.
Wardi died in 2012 shortly after South Sudan emerged as an independent state in 2011 and before (North) Sudan's 2012 protests began. Both events would contribute to the 2018-19 uprising where countless anti-government songs Wardi popularised featured prominently.
