From Sudan to Stardom: This episode features a conversation with Alsarah, the East African retro-pop artist, poet, whose journey from Khartoum to musical success is as inspiring as her soulful sound. She opens up about her roots in Sudan, navigating cultural identity as a Muslim, and how her family's resilience shaped her creative path. Discover how her deep connection to East African traditions and life experiences fueled her rise in the music world and led her to form her own rock band, Alsarah & The Nubatones.
From her early days exploring Sudanese music to embracing African American sounds like gospel, jazz, and blues, Alsarah shares how she built her career as an independent artist from studying greats like Erykau Badu, Learn how she financed her albums, negotiated licensing deals, and took bold steps to preserve her authentic voice amidst industry norms. This episode also dives into her activism for Sudan, her reflections on revolution, and her ability to craft music that transcends borders and genres. Whether you're a fan of cultural exploration, Islam, or simply enjoy authentic artistry, this episode is for you!
Don't miss her heartfelt insights, her latest album "Seasons of the Road," and how she landed a record deal.
Be sure to Rate and Review on Apple Podcast and subscribe to stay tuned for more inspiring tales from artists redefining success and pushing boundaries.
#sudanesemusic #ethnomusicology #eastafricanculture #eastafricamusic
CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro
02:06 - East African Retro Pop Overview
03:59 - Her Genesis Story
10:05 - Moving to America
12:12 - What is "Tarab Music"
13:20 - Discovering African American Music
16:16 - Graduating from Wesleyan University
18:49 - Moving to New York City
22:06 - Starting Her Band Journey
24:34 - Securing A Record Deal
30:09 - Releasing a New Album After 9 years
34:40 - Sudan’s Future Perspectives
35:54 - Alsarah's Music Journey
39:54 - Artists She Wants go on Tour With
42:12 - Outro
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.