"Sudanese music seemed to be something that was organically created and produced. He returned home before dying in 2012 at age 80.To Sohonie, Wardi was a historic figure who parallels Nigeria's Afrobeat activist Fela Kuti, although Wardi, while packing crowds in Africa, remains far less known outside.Two of Wardi's songs appear on the 16-track album. The building is guarded by national security services -- which Sohonie likened to the CIA being stationed outside the Smithsonian museum complex in Washington.Instead, "Two Niles to Sing a Melody" relies on cassette tapes recovered in nearby countries including Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia and the breakaway Somaliland area -- attesting to the regional clout of the erstwhile Khartoum music scene. "How come his story hasn't been told? Before the memories of that generation die, it's really important to focus on that era."

Source: Egypt Today August 24, 2018 18:22 UTC