Google Doodle Celebrates Sudanese Oud Player Asma Hamza

Today’s Google Doodle celebrates Sudanese composer and oud player Asma Hamza, who was one of the first Sudanese and Arab female composers.

According to Google Doodle, on this day in 1997, Asma was amongst the winners of the Laylat Al Qadr Al Kubra music competition in Sudan. This win was a turning point in her career and helped her gain recognition in a male-dominated field. 

Born in 1932, Asma loved music while growing up, dreaming of one day becoming a singer. Her vocal cords, however, were not equipped to do that safely, so she switched from singing tunes to whistling them. When her father heard her whistle in harmony, he borrowed an oud, similar to a lute but with a thinner neck and no frets, so Asma could practice. She taught herself how to play songs she’d heard on the oud, from her own memory and ear for music.

According to Google Doodle, Asma’s father encouraged her musical career from the beginning, at a time when it was not socially acceptable for women to create music in Sudan. Asma composed her first piece in secret. As she got older, she composed more melodies for several talented Arab artists and became known as one of the first female composers in Sudan. She also continued perfecting her oud playing and became amongst the first formally trained female oud player in 1946.

‘Thank you for sharing your musical skills and working towards a more equal world for women, Asma Hamza!’

Google Doodle

Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures of particular countries.

In addition to Asma, Google Doodle has celebrated a few other Sudanese personalities including Sudanese-Libyan writer Muhammed Al Fayturi in 2021 and the late writer Tayeb Salih in 2017.

Many Sudanese are celebrating Google Doodle’s celebration of Asma, including rapper Aidy Proof who is a relative of Asma.

Celebrating Asma Hamza! #GoogleDoodle https://t.co/mFKSDXxWiF via @GoogleDoodles that’s my Auntie the one who taught my uncle Bashir Abbas how to play. And also the inspiration behind many feelings in my writings 🤲🏿.

— Aidyproof (@Aidyproof) July 17, 2023

Asma Hamza wasn’t just a musical pioneer as a woman in the Arab world, she was also one of the first women to drive a car in Sudan. #asmahamza

— Aidyproof (@Aidyproof) July 17, 2023

Today’s Doodle celebrates Sudanese composer and oud player Asma Hamza. On this day in 1997, Asma was amongst the winners of the Laylat AlQadr AlKubra music competition in Sudan. This win was a turning point in her career and helped her gain recognition in a male-dominated field.… pic.twitter.com/AIhGh2JOlt

— SalmaⓂ️ansour (@salmamandour8) July 17, 2023

would like to express my greatest gratitude and deep appreciation for the incredible tribute that Google paid to one of Sudanese actors through Google Doodle. Asma Hamza Google celebrating her life and legacy touched the hearts of million Sudanese, including myself, Thanks Google pic.twitter.com/bKClUfgjY8

— wagdi (@wagdi27270281) July 16, 2023

Source: Google Doodle