Asma Hamza, a prominent figure in Sudanese music and a trailblazing oud player, is honored by Google with a special Doodle. In 1997, she achieved a significant milestone by emerging as one of the winners in Sudan’s esteemed Laylat AlQadr AlKubra music competition.
Born in 1932, Asma Hamza holds the distinction of being the first female composer in Sudan and the entire Arab world. Growing up in a family that resembled a fruit-laden tree filled with nightingales, her deep love for the oud instrument developed during her childhood. Over the course of nearly 70 years, the oud became an integral part of her life. Her melodies have been performed by numerous prominent singers, making her a cherished ambassador for Sudanese women in the field of music. In an interview with “Sudanow” at her home in Halfaya, Khartoum, Hamza shared her insights and experiences.
Her journey began with the transition from singing melodies to skillfully whistling them. Witnessing her remarkable ability to whistle in perfect harmony, her father decided to provide her with an oud—an instrument similar to a lute but with a slender neck and no frets—thus enabling Hamza to nurture her musical skills.
Hamza’s talent for learning and playing songs on the oud was extraordinary, even without any formal training. Relying solely on her memory and natural musical ear, she taught herself to master the instrument. Although her father wholeheartedly supported her musical aspirations from the start, she faced significant societal challenges due to the prevailing norms in Sudan, which deemed it socially unacceptable for women to pursue music. Undeterred by these obstacles, Hamza vividly recalls secretly composing her very first piece, hidden from the disapproving eyes of society.