Mohammad Al Amin



 Mohammed al Amin, (Arabic: محمد الأمين, 20. February 1943, *** Madani, Sudan), sometimes labeled Mohamed Elamin or El Amin, is a world-renowned Sudanese singer, known for his singing style , his oud play and his words often speak frankly. [1] - Because of political pressure from the Sudanese government at the time, he was abducted in Cairo in 1989 and returned to Sudan a few years later.


Life and work of art

Born in *** Madani, central Sudan, in 1943, al Amin began singing and learned to play oud at the age of 11, and wrote his first songs at the age of 20. Throughout his career, he wrote extensively on his own words, but sometimes used the names of well-known Sudanese poets such as Fadlallah Mohamed or Mahjoub Sharif. After a successful translation in October 1964, he composed the song "The Epic of October".


On several occasions, his songs of patriotism and criticism raised suspicions of the dictatorship of the day, and he was imprisoned by the Nimeiri dynasty in the 1970's. To avoid further trouble, he moved to Cairo after a coup in 1989. - In 1994, he returned to Khartoum and kept himself low, although he was very popular which made him appear at concerts in the United Arab Emirates, Europe. , China or US.



In his study of "Fencing Political Content in Popular Sudanese Songs", Mohamed A. Satti cites al Amin's song Raja 'al balad (He returned home) as an example of the loyalty of the exiled and nationalist Sudanese, and subsequently the absence of many years.- More insight into his words, referring to possible domestic scenes in any country, is presented in the song al jarīda - (The Newspaper) from his album The Voice of Sudan, which was recorded after a concert in Berlin, Germany, in 1993.


"You look confused my dear, you are out of your mind, you are lost in thought. I can read my life in your eyes, while you focus on your newspaper. Tell me, what are you reading? - Talk to me! Is that so important? Should you read the whole article, even the whole story? Our eyes, full of tears, weeping, our hearts, full of longing, still hope, every thought that came to my mind, every story or piece of news. Let me listen for a moment ... don't be stubborn.

- English translation of original words into Sudanese Arabic by poet Fadlallah Mohamed 

Writer : Taseer Abbas