Mike's Oud Forums

Oud Players that Are Similar to Hamza El Din

maraoud108 - 11-12-2021 at 01:27 PM

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone here can point me to any oud players that are playing in a style that is similar to Hamza El Din. I've tried searching for Nubian oud players, and Sudanese oud players and haven't been able to find anything that sounds like him.

I'm wondering if I'm not searching for the right things?

I realize that it may also be that he was just doing something that was very unique to him, so if that's the case too, please let me know!

Thanks!

Brian Prunka - 11-12-2021 at 03:01 PM

I don't think anyone really sounds quite like Hamza el Din.

The closest i've found would be the Sudanese oud player/singer Muhamed El Amin. He has an album 'voice of Sudan' that you will probably like. Youtube clips of him mostly seem to be larger bands in a more typical Sudanese party band style but the solo album is more like what you're looking for probably.

John Erlich - 11-13-2021 at 04:45 PM

Quote: Originally posted by maraoud108  
Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone here can point me to any oud players that are playing in a style that is similar to Hamza El Din. I've tried searching for Nubian oud players, and Sudanese oud players and haven't been able to find anything that sounds like him.

I'm wondering if I'm not searching for the right things?

I realize that it may also be that he was just doing something that was very unique to him, so if that's the case too, please let me know!

Thanks!



I guess I will snap into my "teacher" mode, and start by asking you what it is that you like about Hamza El Din. IMHO, he was not a "technical" oud player, but had a beautiful Sufi-like spirit, and made beautiful music. (I also met him once, at a Ramadan concert, at the Iftar buffet. He seemed like a very nice and unassuming man.)

I searched "Sudanese Music" on YouTube, and found some clips of oud/voice music, such as this one, by Ahmad Al-Mustafa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lj5iF_oqRM You'll notice that, like a lot of Hamza's songs, this is based on Khomsi (African pentatonic scales), not Maqam, strictly speaking.

I have the album that Brian suggests, and I agree it's worth a listen.

The closest thing that I have to Hamza's music in style and arrangement in my collection is Mustafa Al Sunni's "Songs of the Sudan." I didn't find the entire album uploaded whole, but, if you search the artist and album name on YouTube, all of the tracks are available, e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ77r7xHbtA

If you want Maqam-based music from that general part of the world, I think Zein L'Abdin of Kenya played oud at a much higher technical level than Hamza. I love his album, "The Swahili Song Book." Here is one track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oiuNajf8QQ I don't know where you live, but if you are in North America, you can purchase the album: https://www.amazon.com/Swahili-Song-Book-Zein-Labdin/dp/B00004W5AV I don't think Zein L'Abdin's music exhibited that same Sufi-like spirit as Hamza's.

I hope that helps.

Good luck,
"Udi" John

Brian Prunka - 11-13-2021 at 08:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  

The closest thing that I have to Hamza's music in style and arrangement in my collection is Mustafa Al Sunni's "Songs of the Sudan." I didn't find the entire album uploaded whole, but, if you search the artist and album name on YouTube, all of the tracks are available, e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ77r7xHbtA


This is a cool find.

Maraoud, if you like the pentatonic aspect of Hamza's music, you might enjoy Somalian music. There's a nice album called "Waaberi" with a lot of oud:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VIfEpvygO8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XGBNtsdNDQ

I always liked this one a lot (Abdallah Hunuuniye):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LJcunG30IY

maraoud108 - 11-14-2021 at 01:23 PM

Thanks so much for all your responses everyone.

I also found this contemporary Sudanese oud player from Port Sudan. His playin is beautiful and reminds me
Hamza.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wweTXLuxEyY&ab_channel=Abosufian

John Erlich - 11-19-2021 at 12:34 AM

Quote: Originally posted by maraoud108  
Thanks so much for all your responses everyone.

I also found this contemporary Sudanese oud player from Port Sudan. His playin is beautiful and reminds me
Hamza.

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wweTXLuxEyY&ab_channel=Abosufian
[/url]
Yes, I see what you mean. Thanks for sharing.

John Erlich - 11-25-2021 at 10:54 PM

I just now came across this score of a Somali oud song on an Arabic Facebook group. Thought I should share it here. Here is a recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTA6INkUpu8 (Not sure if it's actually the source recording, but seems pretty close.)

Enjoy!

Attachment: Dhadhami Dhudi Somali Oud Song Score.pdf (45kB)
This file has been downloaded 64 times

dusepo - 11-26-2021 at 10:54 AM

Quote: Originally posted by maraoud108  
Thanks so much for all your responses everyone.

I also found this contemporary Sudanese oud player from Port Sudan. His playin is beautiful and reminds me
Hamza.

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wweTXLuxEyY&ab_channel=Abosufian
[/url]

That's a very unusual way he has the strings tied at the bridge! Never seen that before. Has anyone else?

John Erlich - 11-27-2021 at 12:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by dusepo  
Quote: Originally posted by maraoud108  
Thanks so much for all your responses everyone.

I also found this contemporary Sudanese oud player from Port Sudan. His playin is beautiful and reminds me
Hamza.

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wweTXLuxEyY&ab_channel=Abosufian
[/url]

That's a very unusual way he has the strings tied at the bridge! Never seen that before. Has anyone else?


The video in question is very grainy. I'm not sure I see what you are seeing. Do you see the same thing in this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNm0WoDdTeg

dusepo - 11-27-2021 at 01:45 PM

Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  
Quote: Originally posted by dusepo  
Quote: Originally posted by maraoud108  
Thanks so much for all your responses everyone.

I also found this contemporary Sudanese oud player from Port Sudan. His playin is beautiful and reminds me
Hamza.

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wweTXLuxEyY&ab_channel=Abosufian
[/url]

That's a very unusual way he has the strings tied at the bridge! Never seen that before. Has anyone else?


The video in question is very grainy. I'm not sure I see what you are seeing. Do you see the same thing in this video? [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNm0WoDdTeg
[/url]

Nope, they look tied in the normal way in that video. I mean the big knots tied in front of the bridge.

Jason - 11-28-2021 at 03:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  

I searched "Sudanese Music" on YouTube, and found some clips of oud/voice music, such as this one, by Ahmad Al-Mustafa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lj5iF_oqRM You'll notice that, like a lot of Hamza's songs, this is based on Khomsi (African pentatonic scales), not Maqam, strictly speaking.


Wow that was great. Reminds me of a lot of Appalachian music I grew up with.

MattOud - 11-29-2021 at 04:25 PM

If you like Hamza, you will like this guy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ILgXE_iOuQ&ab_channel=HadithiBa...
:airguitar: