Ali Hassan Kuban
Ali Hassan Kuban | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1929 Qawra, Egypt |
| Alma mater | Nasiriyah Primary School |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Years active | 1947–2001 |
Ali Hassan Kuban (1929, Qurta, Egypt – 2001[1]) was a Nubian singer and bandleader. He was known as the "Captain" or (later) "Godfather" of Nubian music.[1]
Early life
Ali Hassan Kuban was born in 1929 in the village of Qawra in Old Nubia to a father who worked in trade.[2] His father loved singing, so his son acquired his love of singing from him.
Ali Kuban and his family moved to Cairo in 1944 where he joined the Nasiriyah Primary School in the Maarouf neighborhood. Kuban started his musical career signing nationalist sons at weddings to the approval and admiration of the attendees. This encouraged him to work in the field of Nubian singing, so he left his studies and joined the Nubian Scouts in Abdeen in 1947, where he learned the fundamentals of music, especially Western music, and playing the clarinet.
In 1949, Coban participated in the operetta The Nubian Wedding at the
Career
During the 1950s, Kuban began adding Western instruments such as the saxophone, electric guitar, bass guitar,
In 1988, a delegation of German musicians interested in music and singing came to contract with him to perform several concerts in Germany. These concerts were very successful and attracted the attention of the world to him. The International Federation of Festivals offered him participation in the Berlin International Festival in 1989, in which Kuban won first place. In the same year, he obtained membership in the International Union of Musicians in Berlin. In 1990, he participated in the Politics Festival in Germany, where he also won first place, and the Egyptian embassy in Germany at the time held a large party for him.
In the same year, he gave a distinguished performance during the activities of the annual festival (Homeland Ringtones) in Berlin, during which he achieved unparalleled public success. German newspapers praised him and said that he combines the original melody with the modern direction of music that attracts audiences in the West. Kuban's song "The Nile" is what prompted James Brown to ask Kuban to participate with him in a group of concerts in the United States of America and some Arab countries. He achieved great fame and was honored and warmly welcomed.
The French Opera also invited him to sing with the accompaniment of the French orchestra. A delegation from French television came to Egypt and filmed a documentary film about Kuban in his hometown of Qawra.
Kuban also participated in many concerts and festivals in
Death
Kuban died in June 2001 in silence and calm after enriching the artistic scene with the Nubian musical and lyrical style. The international media was interested in the news of his death and broadcast long segments about him and clips from some of his songs that he performed throughout his artistic career, which lasted about 40 years. His fame spread throughout the world and he won many international awards, the most important of which was his winning the Golden Record at the annual German Folklore Festival in 1990, in which he participated as a representative of Egypt.
Discography
- Albums
- From Nubia to Cairo (1980), Shanachie – reissued 2001, Piranha[3]
- Walk Like a Nubian (1991), Piranha[3]
- Nubian Magic (1995), Mercator – reissued 1999, Blue Flame[3]
- Real Nubian: Cairo Wedding Classics (2001), Piranha[3]
- The Rough Guide to Ali Hassan Kuban (2002), World Music Network – compilation[3]
- Contributing artist
- The Rough Guide to World Music (1994), World Music Network
- The Rough Guide to the Music of North Africa (1997), World Music Network
References
- ^ a b c d e "Ali Hassan Kuban". Afropop Worldwide. World Music Productions. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2007.
- ^ a b Riedel, Martin & F. Hetze (2001). Album notes for From Nubia to Cairo by Ali Hassan Kuban [CD booklet]. Berlin: Piranha Musik (pir24).
- ^ AllMusic
External links
- Ali Hassan Kuban at AllMusic
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