Alsarah was born in Sudan and fled with her family during the 1989 coup (by then soon-to-be) President Omar al-Bashir. They headed to Yemen and fled to Boston during the 1994 civil war, finding her solace in music and eventually going on to study ethnomusicology informed her genesis before coming to New York. Once here she formed Alsarah and the Nubatones in 2010, and hasn’t stopped. The 2016 release of Manara put the group on the map for its innovative blend of traditional Sudanese music and contemporary dance floor influences.The Nubatones emerged from a common love for the richness of pentatonic sounds in Sudanese and Nubian music and the shared migration experiences of the musicians, who include the Egyptian-American Rami El Aasser, the Togo-born, French-raised bassist Mawuena Kodjovi, and the Midwestern oud player Brandon Terzic.

The Nubatones emerged from a common love for the richness of pentatonic sounds in Sudanese and Nubian music and the shared migration experiences of the musicians, who include the Egyptian-American Rami El Aasser, the Togo-born, French-raised bassist Mawuena Kodjovi, and the Midwestern oud player Brandon Terzic. The Brooklyn-based group’s sound soon grew into a style Alsarah dubbed “East African retro-pop.”

Right now in lieu of tours, the collective is back with Manara Remixed, giving the songs they have grown to love on Manara new interpretations with the help of acclaimed artists/producers/DJ’s from around the world. The album features collaborations with Oddisee, Captain Planet, iZem, and more, out on Wonderwheel Records on September 22. Take a listen to this fire “Alforag” remix above by iZem (acronym of “in ze early morning” is the alter ego of the French DJ and producer Jérémie Moussaid Kerouanton.) 

French producer iZem paints electronic amphetamine pulse into the heart of “Alforag,” with true mastery of sound and subtly in artistic taste; giving the song both the freedom to pour out its language while remaining as the cynosure of his deep dance cut.

Often the euro-centric electronic world is seen sampling cultural sounds as one would place wallpaper in their own home, ambivalent to the tales, however, it’s possibly the ethnomusicology informing Alsarah or just her honesty on how things work outside old exploitive paradigms. With little surprise then that this remix is a genuine collab filled with lithe and the jubilance of communicating something and having it resonate. The remix for me both brings the best out of iZem’s producing skills in the modern electronic context, whilst remaining meditative of the spirit of “Alforag,” ultimately allowing it to be the musical efflorescent gem it is, the result is transformative.
Sometimes it takes artists like Alsarah to affect change with how diasporic music is not only consumed but interpreted, the track is just one of many that’ll have you tracing the lines of language, legacy, and culture right on the dance floor and we’re honored to share it with the DIY community, if you haven’t made yourself familiar with Alsarah & The Nubatones, you can check out her work and get more info about her here on her website and pre-order the entire remixed album here.
Please stay tuned for a very special interview coming out soon on Elevtr we had with Alsarah, to be released ahead of her September 21st gig at Joe’s Pub, you NEED to see her live and experience it happening the way music is & will always be in its true form, in the moment.