Lamenting Old Nubia Through Music: Between Past and Present, Egypt and the Diaspora

Abstract

This paper focuses on the relationship between memory, music and space in the Nubian displaced villages, near Kom Ombo. The construction of the Aswan High Dam (1964) and the displacement of 113 000 Nubians has left them facing trauma of loss and sorrow. A new genre in Nubian music called aghânî al-tahgîr or songs of displacement is a result of the hardships of displacement, in which Nubians lament the loss of their homes. These songs form a living archive and contribute in telling a history that is only told by Nubians in their bedtime stories, in gâ‘da gatherings, in Nubian Clubs and through social media platforms. Through analysis of poetry, music and lyrics collected throughout my MA fieldwork (2018-2020), I give examples of how 1964 and Old Nubia are remembered and lamented differently by various groups of Nubians living inside and outside the displaced villages of Nubia. Inside these villages, I collected songs by three ethnic groups that I share here: the Kunûz, the Fâdîkkâ and the Arabs of ‘Ulayqât. Outside Kom Ombo, I analyse songs by an Alexandrian Nubian band called High Dam Band and by Al Sarah & the Nubatones, a Sudanese American band.