Harmonizing Darfur: An Interview with Omar Ihsas

In an interview with Voices of Darfur, Mr. Omar Ihsas spoke about his career, the challenges he has faced and his belief in the pivotal role that music plays in the Darfur peace process.

By Ala Mayyahi

Born in 1958 in Nyala, South Darfur, Mr. Omar Ahmed Mustafa, one of Darfur’s most renowned singers, moved to Khartoum at age 23 to study music at Sudan’s High Institute for Music and Drama. He first developed a reputation as a singer during an audition for the South Khartoum Club for Music and Arts, where he sang one of his own compositions. The song, called Ihsas (meaning “feeling” in Arabic), eventually resulted in his chosen stage name.

Mr. Ishas’ coupling of local beats and melodies with lyrics about peace helped paved the way to a national following in Sudan and international success in the United Kingdom, China, the United States and Canada. Now a well-known international celebrity, Mr. Ihsas says he remains dedicated to Darfur and its struggle for peace. His songs reflect the challenges faced by Darfuris; his concerts, held in cities as well as remote camps for internally displaced people, reverberate with nostalgia for a bygone era when people in this conflict-torn region lived in harmony.

In an interview with Voices of Darfur, Mr. Ihsas spoke about his career, the challenges he has faced and his beliefs in the pivotal role that music plays in the Darfur peace process.

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Noted Darfuri singer, Mr. Omar Ihsas, interacts with fellow musicians at a 2 December 2013 performance in Khartoum, Sudan. Mr. Ihsas’ songs encourage the youth of Darfur to participate in the peace process. Photo by Albert González Farran, UNAMID.