His major break came in 1960, when he was asked to perform in front of the visiting Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. At the height of anti-colonial fever in the region, Mr. Elkabli sang one of his most celebrated pieces, “The Asia and Africa Song.” It was written by a fellow poet to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Bandung conference seeking solidarity and cooperation among newly independent nations of Africa and Asia. Mr. Elkabli had composed its melody and delivered it with timely references to independence leaders such as Mohandas Gandhi of India and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya as well as the Algerian revolution, and it also celebrated Sudan’s historical ties with Egypt.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 16, 2021 20:04 UTC