Mahmoud Abdulaziz

Sudanese singer-songwriter (1967-2013)

Mahmood Abdulaziz محمود عبد العزيز

Background information
Born	16 October 1967 Khartoum
Origin	Sudan
Died	January 17, 2013(2013-01-17) (aged 45)
Genres	Music of Sudan, Arabic, African
Occupation(s)	singer-songwriter
Years active	1994-2013

Musical artist

Mahmoud Abdulaziz (Arabic: محمود عبد العزيز, 16 October 1967 – 17 January 2013, Khartoum, Sudan) also transcribed as Mahmoud Abdel Aziz and affectionately known as Elhoot or Al-hoot (The Whale), was a popular Sudanese singer-songwriter. Called "Sudan's idol of the youth”, he was a central figure for Sudanese music fans, opposing the military government of the day.^[1]

Life and artistic career

Mahmoud Abdulaziz was born in the Bahri district of Khartoum in 1967, and died in hospital in Amman in January 2013.^[2]^[3] His music was a blend of modern urban music from Sudan and Western pop music, with occasional other African influences. Even though his songs were banned on Sudan's national television and radio during the years of Sharia-inspired Public Order Laws, when many singers, artists and politicians had to flee the country, because of conservative religious intolerance against popular music, Abdulaziz stayed in Sudan and continued to perform, risking arrest.^[1]^[4]

At the time of his death, he had become a symbol for those wanting a more secular and less repressive Sudan.^[5] Abdulaziz recorded more than 30 albums, widely available in Sudan on cassette tapes or bootleg CDs.^[3]^[2] Several of the many YouTube videos with his music have more than one million views.^[6] An example for his great popularity is the attendance of several tens of thousands of his fans at the fourth anniversary of his death in Khartoum in January 2017.^[7]^[8]

Trivia

During a concert, a disabled fan, who could not get as close to the stage as he would have wanted, sought to catch the attention of his idol, and started waving his hands. This worked, and Abdulaziz mimicked his movements, and also came to greet the fan. Later, it became habitual for the artist to greet his devoted fans in this way, at every concert. Subsequently, crossed arms with index fingers pointing outwards became his symbol, and was in turn taken up by other fans. Even on his deathbed, Mahmoud was photographed in this pose.^[5]

Select Discography

Albums

1994: Khalli Balak
1995: Sakat Al-Rabab
1996: Jawab lilbalad
1996: Seb enadak
2001: qaed al istul
2002: Fi bali
1998: lahib alshoug
2000: Noor Alain
2000: alaa alnajeela
2000: ma tishly ham
2001: ash man shafak
2001: bartah liek
2002: Shail Jarrah
2002: Aktubi eli
2003: adaat sanna
2005: marat alayam
2005: saab albalad
2005: Khof alwajaa
2007: Alhaneen
2008: ya zoul ya tieb

References

^ ^a ^b Beaumont, Peter, and Zeinab Mohammed Salih (2019-02-07). "The dead Sudanese singer inspiring revolt against Omar al-Bashir". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
^ ^a ^b "Sudan in mourning". Al-Ahram Weekly. 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
^ ^a ^b Shimkovitz, Brian (8 December 2014). "The Sudans on cassette: Awesome Tapes from Africa's collection". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
^ "Al Hoot: Remembering Mahmoud Abdelaziz & His Progressive Politics". 500 Words Magazine. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
^ ^a ^b Ibrahim, Ayman Elias (2013). "Mahmoud Abdulaziz pronounced clinically dead". Retrieved 21 January 2018.
^ "محمود عبد العزيز". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
^ "Fans mark fourth anniversary of death of Sudanese singer with songs and tears". Dabanga Sudan. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2018. 'Khartoum Stadium, which can accommodate up to 45,000 people, was overcrowded with young men and women on Tuesday. Mahmoud Abdelaziz fans chanted a large number of his songs, with tears flowing from their eyes saying "we will not forget you".+ '
^ "Mahmoud Abdel Aziz The story of an artist who inspired". Khartoum Star. 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2020-08-14.