Sharhabil Ahmed

Sharhabil Ahmed, sometimes also Sharhabeel Ahmed (, b. 1935), is a Sudanese popular musician, known for his distinctive style of singing, compositions, oud and guitar playing. Inspired by Western dance music like rock music and adding brass instruments to his electric lead guitar, he has been called The King of Sudanese Jazz. He has composed numerous songs and performed all over Sudan, as well as in Europe, Africa and in the Gulf countries, where large communities of Sudanese in exile reside.

Personal life Ahmed's father was a religious man, but the family already owned a phonograph and liked both religious madeeh singing as well as popular haqiba music. In an interview with the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, Ahmed remembered: "My biggest worry was how not to upset my father, who was interested in Sufism, and was fond of madeeh, but felt that music and art distracted me from my studies."

As his father worked as a truck driver, the family frequently moved from one part of Sudan to another. Ahmed grew up in Al-Obeid, the capital of former Kordofan province, in Western Sudan, and eventually enrolled at the College of Fine and Applied Arts in Khartoum, where he studied graphic design. After graduation, he joined the Ministry of Education as an illustrator for textbooks and comics magazines. He worked for several children's magazines, such as Al-Sabian, Maryud and Sabah, from 1960 until he retired from the Ministry of Education in 1995.

Sharhabil's wife, Zakia Abdul Gassim Abu Bakr, was the first female professional guitarist in Sudan, and several of their seven sons and daughters also have become musicians. In 2021, Zakia announced the forthcoming release of an album by her all-female band Sawa Sawa, including bass player Islam Elbeiti.

Musical career

Before becoming a guitar player, Sharhabil learned to play the oud, saxophone, trombone and trumpet. But it was the electric guitar that eventually became his favourite instrument, noting that "Western instruments can approximate the scales of Sudanese music very well." His smooth voice, full of vibrato, has added to his popularity.

In an interview, Sharhabil recalled his performance on New Year's Eve 1971 at St. James' Music Hall, the most important music venue in Khartoum at the time. During this show, he was called The King of Sudanese Jazz, a title that has been associated with him ever since. Reviewing this compilation in the Financial Times, music critic David Honigman described the music in the following way:

Discography The King Of Sudanese Jazz, CD by Sharhabil Ahmed, 2020