Alsarah, The Nubatones - Discography (2014-2021)

Alsarah is a singer, songwriter, bandleader and a somewhat reluctant ethnomusicologist. Born in Khartoum, Sudan, she relocated to Yemen with her family before abruptly moving to the USA, finally feeling most at home in Brooklyn, NY where she has been residing since 2004. She is a self-proclaimed practitioner of East-African Retro-Pop music. Working on various projects, she has toured both nationally and internationally.
With her main outfit, Alsarah & the Nubatones, she has released 2 full-length albums titled Silt , followed by Manara (Wonderwheel Recordings, 2014 and 2016). She has also released 1 full-length album with French electronic producer Débruit titled Aljawal (Soundways Recordings, 2013). And she was featured on the Nile Project‘s debut CD, Aswan (named in the top 5 must hear international albums by NPR, 2014).
Always trying to connect the musical dots both her full length albums with the Nubatones saw themselves reimagined and remixed by various acclaimed electronic producers in 2015’s Silt Remixed and 2017’s Manara Remixed (both via Wonderwheel Recordings). In between albums Alsarah also works with the Sudanese artist collective Refugee Club Productions on a variety of projects including the critically acclaimed documentary “Beats of the Antonov”.
Alsarah & the Nubatones were born out of many dinner conversations between alsarah and rami el aasser about nubian ‘songs of return’, modern migration patterns and the cultural exchanges between sudan and egypt. A common love for the richness of pentatonic sounds, and shared migration experiences, expanded the conversation to include armenian – american oud player haig manouki- an and french born togo raised bass player mawuena kodjovi. Under the leadership of alsarah, the brooklyn based group’s sound grew into what they have dubbed as ‘east – african retro-pop’.
In march of 2014 the group released their debut album “silt / طمي “ via wonderwheel recordings to in- ternational acclaim and great reviews, with the single soukura (it’s late) debuting on spin magazine’s blog. October of the same year saw the release of “silt remixed” featuring remixes by bodhisattva, nickodemus, captain planet, chancha via circuito, and many others. It also went on to be selected by the prestigious fact magazine as one of the best remix albums of 2014.
Unfortunately that year also marked the passing of founding member haig manoukian from this world into the next. Taking his place is the brilliant oudist, and former student of hiag, brandon terzic. In addition we have also grown to include the charismatic and talented vocalist nahid as a full time member of the band now.
Since their first show in october of 2011, the group has performed nationally and internationally at many prestigious festivals and venues. With aduiences varying in age and ethnicity, the nubatones has proven over and over that soul crosses all cultural and linguistic barriers.





Written specifically as a response to the upcoming novel "Home is Not a Country", by Safia Elhillo, this song is a celebration of nostalgia and diaspora. In the novel the lead character, Nima, has a special love for old Egyptian movies which connect her to a past she doesn't know or understand fully. I imagined this song to be coming out of a scene in old Cairo at a cabaret, performed by a Nubian singer who is the first in her family to be born in the big city after the high dam was built. She is displaced and experiences a feeling of diaspora within her country. She is torn between the past world of her family and their stories of home and her new home in the cosmopolitan center that is Cairo. She feels the longing yet doesn't know what it is she exactly longs for because all she knows are bits of stories. I wanted to create a song that reflected that sentiment. So I went to Cairo and produced this song there with some of my favorite musicians out there in order to fully capture the atmosphere I was seeking.

2014-03-10 - Silt FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Habibi Taal (3:18)
1.02 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Soukura It's Late (5:00)
1.03 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Nuba Noutou (4:48)
1.04 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Oud Solo (2:35)
1.05 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Bilad Aldahb (6:02)
1.06 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Fugu Shams Alhurria (4:38)
1.07 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Rennat (4:53)
1.08 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Wad Alnuba (4:04)
1.09 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Yanas Baridou (6:01)
1.10 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Nuba Drums Solo (1:33)
1.11 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Jibal Alnuba (4:13)

2014-10-21 - Silt Remixed FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Fugu (5:12)
1.02 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Wad Alnuba (4:33)
1.03 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Soukura (5:20)
1.04 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Bilad Aldahb (4:59)
1.05 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Rennat (7:20)
1.06 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Habibi Taal (3:12)
1.07 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Nuba Noutou (5:03)
1.08 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Yanas Baridou (7:10)

2014-02-25 - Soukura - EP FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Soukura (It's Late) (5:00)
1.02 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Soukura (5:20)
1.03 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Nuba Noutou (5:03)
1.04 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Rennat (7:20)
1.05 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Soukura (5:34)
1.06 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Nuba Noutou (5:03)

2016-09-16 - 3roos Elneel FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - 3roos Elneel (3:42)

2016-09-30 - Manara FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Salam Nubia (4:11)
1.02 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Asilah Interlude (0:16)
1.03 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Alforag (3:30)
1.04 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Albahr (3:21)
1.05 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Fulani Interlude 1 (1:05)
1.06 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - 3yan T3ban (3:23)
1.07 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Fulani Interlude 2 (0:45)
1.08 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Ya Watan (2:51)
1.09 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Nar (4:53)
1.10 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Manara (5:13)
1.11 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - 3roos Elneel (3:42)
1.12 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Asilah (2:05)
1.13 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Fulani (2:43)
1.14 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Safr minni (2:25)

2016-11-11 - The Crow FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Nickodemus, Alsarah - The Crow (5:55)
1.02 - Nickodemus, Alsarah - The Crow (8:43)
1.03 - Nickodemus, Alsarah - Alkoan Kulu Bidoor (4:07)
1.04 - Nickodemus, Alsarah - Alkoan Kulu Bidoor (5:57)

2016-08-26 - Ya Watan FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Ya Watan (2:51)

2017-09-22 - Manara Remixed FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Alforag (4:56)
1.02 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - 3yan T3ban (2:42)
1.03 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Salam Nubia (4:36)
1.04 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Nar (7:10)
1.05 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Ya Watan (3:38)
1.06 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Fulani (7:58)
1.07 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - 3roos Elneel (4:11)
1.08 - Alsarah, The Nubatones - Albahr (3:54)

2021-03-02 - حبك وطن FLAC
Tracklist:
1.01 - Alsarah - حبك وطن (3:40)