Sadness fell over the cultural and artistic community in Sudan with the passing of singer and musician Muhammad Al-Amin at the age of 80. With his passing, the country loses one of the icons of contemporary singing and music, as he was able, over nearly 60 years, to play a major role in the development of Sudanese music.
Al-Amin passed away on Sunday evening, November 12, 2023, after a short illness in which he spent in a hospital in Virginia City, USA, where his country’s embassy in Washington mourned him.
Easy to avoid
Muhammad Al-Amin was known for his distinctive vocal and melodic abilities. His signature was described as the plain and abstaining one. Al-Amin was nicknamed “the Bashkatib” and his name was Muhammad Al-Amin Hamad Al-Nil. He was born on February 20, 1943 in the city of Wad Medani, south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.
He loved music since his childhood, and learned it through his uncle, Balla Youssef Al-Azraq, and while studying at Al-Sharqiya Primary School, when he was only 12 years old, he learned to play the flute and the oud, but due to his poor sense of sight, he did not complete the journey, despite the health problems he suffered during that period.
In 1960, Wad Al-Amin returned to music after joining the Blue Nile Police musical band, headed by the musician Muhammad Adam Al-Mansouri. At that stage, his abilities as a singer and composer were ignited through his contact with a large number of distinguished musicians, including the musician Hussein Batri.
At that time, Al-Amin was singing songs by singers who preceded him. He performed songs by Abdel Karim Al-Kabli and Muhammad Wardi, which helped demonstrate his vocal abilities and gained him popularity and popularity in his city, Wad Madani.
Documenting the reality of Sudan
Muhammad Al-Amin started from this popularity with his own songs that documented the Sudanese political, social and cultural reality, becoming one of the pillars of national art. He sang for the October Revolution and composed the melody of “October Twenty-One Anthem”, which was composed by the poet Fadlallah Muhammad, and in 1966 he participated in an operetta. “An Epic Story of a Revolution” with the artists Khalil Ismail, Bahaa El-Din Abu Shallah and Othman Mustafa, in addition to the artist Umm Balina Al-Senussi. The operetta was presented on the anniversary of the Sudanese “October Revolution” and former Sudanese President Ismail Al-Azhari attended.
Among his patriotic songs is the anthem “Barricades”, which is written by Mubarak Hassan Khalifa, and “Your Prisoners”, which is written by the people’s poet Mahjoub Sharif.
Arrest
In 1971, after the coup by Hashim Al-Atta was quelled, Mohamed Al-Amin was arrested because of the patriotic songs he performed, even though he had no party affiliation. His companion in prison was the late artist Mohamed Wardi, and they sang in the cell.
The late artist spoke in an old television interview about that period, and said that he was subjected to harassment by the regime because of his revolutionary songs during the period of former Sudanese President Jaafar Numeiri, and his struggle against dictatorial regimes, and about the three revolutions that he witnessed, which were the October 1964 revolution and the April revolution. 1985, and the December 2018 revolution, and he hoped that the Sudanese people would achieve their demands.
Imprisonment and renewal of heritage
In addition to national and revolutionary singing, Muhammad Al-Amin left his mark in romantic singing. His songs carried a state of melancholy, including “Asmar Ya Sahir” by the poet Khalifa Al-Sadiq, which highlighted his ability to compose and play, and “We said, ‘You cannot travel,’” written by Fadlallah. Muhammad, and he renewed the melodies of traditional songs that won the admiration of his fans, including “Ayal Ab Juwaili.”
Al-Amin was able to bring the Sudanese song beyond the borders of the country through his participation in many international festivals and concerts that he performed in a number of Arab countries, Europe and the United States of America, including the International Youth Festival in Moscow, the Musical Art Festival in the Netherlands, and the first cultural festival in Algeria. .
He received an honorary doctorate from Al-Nilein University in 2010, and the Presidency of the Sudanese Republic awarded him the Medal of Merit on the anniversary of independence in 2014. During his journey and artistic career, he was keen to keep his family and children away from the limelight.
His fans in Sudan mourned him with one of his most famous songs, “Goodbye Dream Bird,” which left a great artistic legacy and songs that were deeply rooted in the conscience and memory of the Sudanese people.
