Waleed Abdulhamid: From Sudan to the World

At the age of only 49, Sudanese-Canadian musician, educator, and filmmaker Waleed Abdulhamid has cultivated a glowing career some veteran artists would envy. Born in Sudan, Abdulhamid began performing at the age of six. By 18, he was a skilled musician ready to travel the world and share his love for music and the heritage of his homeland through sound. He toured and performed shows in Canada, Europe, as well as in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region.

Abdulhamid was well-established in his art form before he settled in Canada in 1992, where he now resides as a musician and arts educator. He is renowned for his powerful vocals, unique bass technique, and awe-inspiring percussion skills. This is in addition to his production and composition of Let’s Find a Way, a song and documentary addressing the AIDS epidemic for Doctor’s Without Borders. 

500 Words Magazine spoke to the multi-talented artist to understand the roots of his phenomenal work. 

Tell us more about yourself and your journey from Sudan to Canada.

It all started in 1989 when I was invited to perform at a festival in Sweden. I flew there and ended up loving the country so much that I stayed for two years until my visa expired. After that, I travelled to Denmark, Norway and Finland. On getting accepted into Columbia University to attend their music programme on a full scholarship, I moved to New York. Six months into the course, I realised that the programme wasn’t meant for me and dropped out. By then, I had heard about Canada from a former colleague and was intrigued by the large and diverse population of Toronto. In 1992, I moved to Toronto, and have been there since.

Take us back to what drew you to music, and when you chose it to be your career?

I was one of those kids that loved drumming and singing. At the age of six, I was picked to perform in a Live Puppet Show in Sudan called ‘Jannat Alatfaal’ as one of the characters’ voices, and as a singer. 

I learned music from the women around me. Born premature, I was always under the care of my mother and she accompanied me to different events where other women would sing and dance. These events really had a strong impact on me.

You play at least 15 instruments — some of them very rare, like the Balimbo or the Darabhuka — how did you acquire these skills? 

From a young age, I was fascinated by any instrument that produced sound. I never doubted myself and just went ahead and tried to play any instrument I could get my hands on. At the age of 12, I joined the Qasr Al-Shabaab Wa Alatfaal Academy (ma3had), built by Nimiry. I learned how to play most of the instruments there. I mastered the required discipline by always believing that if I have a goal, the sky is the limit. And that if you love something deeply, you can achieve it to the best of your abilities. Nothing comes easy, but hard work is necessary. I have practiced up to 16-hours-a-day on a single instrument to master it. This kind of training is necessary to compete with other musicians worldwide as to reach mastery, you have to be a great player and very technically skilled.

Also, as someone who came to Canada as an immigrant, that too from a different culture, I was always pushed to perform at high standards. I have always loved what I do and I do it with love and I believe that’s why I am here. A lot of discipline, a lot of hard work, and long hours. But I make sure that I humble myself and always be a student that is willing to learn.

Did you face any obstacles when you first started pursuing music as a career, like with resources, support, or opportunities? 

When I first came to Toronto, my first job was as a mail delivery man. I would deliver mail with my bike in the daytime and after work, I would play in the street as a street performer with other musicians. Luckily for me, it only lasted for one and a half years until my first gig which came to me by surprise. A band didn’t show up at a large festival and the music director took a liking to us and asked us to perform instead. My career as a musician took off from there and I have been very thankful.

Your range of musical abilities is wide — you must have drawn influences from various genres and rhythms. Who, or what, are your biggest musical influences? 

My mother, Mo Town; and traditional Sudanese madeeh, which I find quite jazzy and funky. I am also influenced by Aldallooka and Alzaar music style, along with Sufi music. Dag alnooba (alzikr), traditional Sudanese dance styles, alkirin and kambala, Albija dance and music have also influenced my music style.

I hear you’re a vegetarian. What influenced that choice? 

For as long as I can remember, I never liked meat nor the taste of it. That probably stemmed from me not liking killing and seeing animal blood. So, being vegetarian was the best choice to make, ensuring that I am filled with food that comes from nature and not from animals that bleed.

You directed and produced a documentary that addressed the AIDS epidemic. It’s incredibly inspiring to see how you’ve channelled your multiple talents towards social change. 

I was a big supporter of Doctors Without Borders (DWB) and did lots of work for them and helped in fundraising to send a few of their doctors to Darfur during the Darfur crisis period. Through my involvement with DWB, I was invited to produce and compose the Let’s Find a Way song and documentary. It was a pleasure to be invited to work on such a great initiative, mainly because I knew how many children around the world would benefit from this project, not to mention the immense diversity within the song. The song ended up encompassing 13 languages! I am very grateful to be the director and producer of such an incredible project.

Are you considering exploring more filmmaking opportunities or creating a feature film?

Yes, I am currently working on a documentary called Children of the Cave based on the children that reside on the Nuba Mountains. We’re also aiming to build an arts school as part of the project to have more children involved in the arts.

You’ve had the privilege to perform around the world, largely in Europe and the US. Is there anywhere you’d really like to visit and perform? 

I would love to perform in the Nuba Mountains and in Doha, Qatar. I am fascinated by Doha due to its incredible contributions to the arts sector in the past few years and would love to have a chance to perform there. And performing on the Nuba Mountains has been a dream of mine for many years, in the hopes of creating music with the people there, teaching them a few songs, and performing in front of them as well. Hopefully, I’ll accomplish these goals in the near feature! 

Do you have your eye on any up-and-coming Sudanese artists these days? 

To be frank with you, I do not keep track of new and upcoming Sudanese musicians. However, from time-to-time I do see some really good music coming from Sudan. For example, Sammany Hajo’s latest Aghaani 7akeeba was incredible to listen to. Projects such as these keep me hopeful of new talent coming out of Sudan in the years to come.  

What advice would you give to young or aspiring Sudanese musicians struggling to reach the same achievements you’ve attained thus far?

Just work hard on your dream and never allow anything to stop you from getting where you want to be. And always believe in yourself, at all costs. Just have patience and don’t let anything discourage you. Nothing but practice can help you sustain and maintain the quality of your technique and be a skilled musician.

For more of Waleed Abdulhamid and his music, find him on SoundCloud. You can also find him on YouTube.

Nadine El Roubi is a recent graduate from the University of Birmingham with a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing. She loves Sudan and anything artistic, and the combination of the two make her especially happy. Find Nadine El Roubi on Instagram at @nadineelroubi.