Sudan, Africas largest country, votes from the 11th to the 13th of April - for the first time in 24 years. Together with the Berlin-based NGO Media in Cooperation and Transition (MICT), we celebrate the release of the first Sudan-wide and locally produced music sampler in the history of the country. „Sudan Votes Music Hopes“ is being distributed in Sudan in the form of audio-cassettes and brings together songs from musicians from all parts of the country. The message of the music is: “Yes to political participation! Yes to fair and peaceful elections!”
The album has been compiled by the German musician Max Herre, former member of the hip-hop band „Freundeskreis“, and was produced by MICT. 12 artists from all across Sudan are featured on the sampler, among them internationally acclaimed artists such as Emmanuel Jal, NasJota and Emmanuel Kembe, as well as local musicians from both North- and South-Sudan. The songs are being aired on national and local radio stations in Sudan in the time leading up to the elections. All songs can be downloaded for free online on www.sudanvotes.com/musichopes.
The music sampler is part of MICTs project SudanVotes (www.sudanvotes.com), an initiative that supports and trains journalists in Sudan in order to improve the standard of election coverage and debate in Sudanese media. The project is supported by the German Foreign Office. More information about MICT can be found here: www.mict-international.org.
On the 8th of April, the gallery hosts experts and artists who will offer an insight into Sudanese politics and culture. The debate will be accompanied by screenings of new music videos from Sudan. The Sudanese singer Alsarah (www.myspace.com/soulsudani) will perform an exclusive live concert at 9 pm.
