Nubians use hip-hop to preserve culture
On a recent night in downtown Nairobi, beneath a nightclub’s orange neon lights and spinning disco ball, dozens of descendants of Africa’s ancient Nubian tribe gathered in full regalia to perform traditional music.
But the crowd, who turned out in force for Nubian Night, was not there just for a glimpse into the past. About an hour into the concert, the vibe switched from plaintive drumming and chanting to loud, explosive hip-hop.
The concert was designed for Nubians in Kenya „ there are believed to be 200,000 of them here „ to keep their traditions alive and relevant by fusing them with modern sensibilities.
“In every community, the culture is getting lost,” said Yousouph Noah, a 26-year-old rapper who helped organize the concert. “I grew up in this community so I have the knowledge of traditional music. But I just combined it with the music of the younger people, hip-hop.”
Nubians came to Kenya from Egypt and Sudan after serving with the British Army in the King’s African Rifles regiment during World War I. The British then settled them in what is now a sprawling Nairobi slum, Kibera, a maze of dwellings topped by rusting iron roofs. Noah lives in Kibera.
music.yahoo.com