Musician Abu Obaida Hassan Dies at 69

Abu Obaida Hassan, known as Sudan’s tambour master, has passed away at the age of 69 in Sudan of an undisclosed illness.

#السوداني ||
في ذمة الله الفنان الكبير أبو عبيدة حسن بعد معاناة مع المرض

كان الفقيد رائداً للأغنية الشعبية الحديثة، ويعتبر من مُطوِّري أغنية وآلة الطمبور، رحمه الله وأسكنه الجنة.
(إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون) pic.twitter.com/2mGifvJmOh

— Daily Sudan Post (@DailySudanPost) September 2, 2021

His funeral was attended by many, including Turkish ambassador Irfan Neziroğlu, who took to social media to mourn the loss of Abu Obaida.

قمنا بزيارته من قبل وأتيحت لنا الفرصة للتعرف عليه، وها نحن اليوم حضورا في تشييع جثمانه إلى مثواه الأخير، لقد كان الفقيد هاشاً باشاً، طيب المعشر ، دمث الاخلاق، استقبلنا بحفاوة و أطربنا بصوته الشجي.
ألا رحم الله الفنان القدير أبو عبيدة حسن و أسكنه فسيح جناته. 😔 pic.twitter.com/SY1Ha4Cay9

— 🇹🇷İrfan Neziroğlu🇹🇷 (@ineziroglu) September 2, 2021

Born in 1952, Abu Obaida’s career took off in the 1970s with his five-string tambour, popularising the traditional music of the Shaigiya people across Sudan. However, he subsequently faded into obscurity through a combination of misfortune and Sudan’s shifting politics during the reign of former Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir. 

In the early 2000s, a prominent Sudanese newspaper declared him dead. Internet forums confirmed his passing. Many in Khartoum said he had indeed died. But rumors that he was still alive persisted. However, in 2018, Ostinato Records, a Grammy-nominated label based in New York and Bangkok, and known for an ability to source rare music from countries affected by war or natural disasters, tracked down Abu Obaida and released his music to the world. In just a few years, he went from presumed dead to a global star. His EP sold out worldwide within a week of its release. Ostinato released a second batch, which also sold out in Europe. The label was one fo the first to mourn his loss.

Today, Sudan and the world bid farewell to someone who was pure magic: Abu Obaida Hassan. We are honored to have met and worked with him to re-release his recordings and revive his name. His mercurial ability on the tambour was otherworldly. RIP, Abu Obaida. pic.twitter.com/uBoYOFT7tC

— Ostinato Records (@OSTLP) September 2, 2021

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Abu Obaida’s album by Ostinato Records, ‘Abu Obaida Hassan & His Tambour: The Shaigiya Sound of Sudan,’ is available here.