My
new friend Nuha invited me along to a fundraiser for a children’s hospital in Khartoum the other night that her sister Hna'a and some friends had
organised.
For children hospitalised in the Khartoum area, illness is often compounded by extreme poverty, with many families unable even to buy the most basic necessities for their sick children, including water.
The money raised during the event will go towards helping improve the quality of life for children in the hospital's care.
Quite unexpectedly I was sat in the so-called “VIP” section – distinguished by an endearing handwritten note stuck to the table – and surrounded by considerably more eminent figures than myself.
The event was held in a restaurant in the posh Khartoum 2 suburb, with attendees a mixture of foreigners and locals, many of whom had worked or grown up abroad.
Proceedings kicked off with a passionate speech by a Tanzanian student on the subject of charity and its pivotal place in all major religions, including Islam, Hinduism and Christianity.
Musicians from local youth and cultural group The Corner, were also performing as part of the fundraiser.
Since I arrived in Sudan I've been trying to get a feel for Khartoum’s arts and cultural scene, which – outside foreign-funded initiatives – seems a bit lacking.
The Corner aims to fill that gap by facilitating cross-cultural exchange, with members meeting from time to time at different venues across the city to share music, poetry, ideas and discussion.
It’s a simple concept, but one that I think has a lot of potential, particularly in the promotion of local performing arts and youth-based activities.
While members of The Corner often perform for fun, this was the first time they had come together as part of a charity event.
Although there were some ongoing issues with the sound set-up, the talent and enthusiasm of the performers was undeniable.
The program included rap groups, female vocalists and hip hop performances, as well as a moving group performance of Michael Jackson’s Heal the World.
While ordinarily I’m not a big fan of rap, I found that Arabic lends itself really well to the genre and the guys all really looked the part.
Continuing the MJ theme later was a show-stealing performance by the elastic-limbed ‘Jackson Twins’ of Khartoum, who paid homage to their idol with a medley of his best dance moves, pulling off moon walk that no doubt the King of Pop himself would have been proud of.
Eagerly awaiting the next Corners event … hopefully before moving on from Khartoum.
*The Corner lists their events on their Facebook group TC Corner.
For children hospitalised in the Khartoum area, illness is often compounded by extreme poverty, with many families unable even to buy the most basic necessities for their sick children, including water.
The money raised during the event will go towards helping improve the quality of life for children in the hospital's care.
Quite unexpectedly I was sat in the so-called “VIP” section – distinguished by an endearing handwritten note stuck to the table – and surrounded by considerably more eminent figures than myself.
The event was held in a restaurant in the posh Khartoum 2 suburb, with attendees a mixture of foreigners and locals, many of whom had worked or grown up abroad.
Proceedings kicked off with a passionate speech by a Tanzanian student on the subject of charity and its pivotal place in all major religions, including Islam, Hinduism and Christianity.
Musicians from local youth and cultural group The Corner, were also performing as part of the fundraiser.
Since I arrived in Sudan I've been trying to get a feel for Khartoum’s arts and cultural scene, which – outside foreign-funded initiatives – seems a bit lacking.
The Corner aims to fill that gap by facilitating cross-cultural exchange, with members meeting from time to time at different venues across the city to share music, poetry, ideas and discussion.
It’s a simple concept, but one that I think has a lot of potential, particularly in the promotion of local performing arts and youth-based activities.
While members of The Corner often perform for fun, this was the first time they had come together as part of a charity event.
Although there were some ongoing issues with the sound set-up, the talent and enthusiasm of the performers was undeniable.
The program included rap groups, female vocalists and hip hop performances, as well as a moving group performance of Michael Jackson’s Heal the World.
While ordinarily I’m not a big fan of rap, I found that Arabic lends itself really well to the genre and the guys all really looked the part.
Continuing the MJ theme later was a show-stealing performance by the elastic-limbed ‘Jackson Twins’ of Khartoum, who paid homage to their idol with a medley of his best dance moves, pulling off moon walk that no doubt the King of Pop himself would have been proud of.
Eagerly awaiting the next Corners event … hopefully before moving on from Khartoum.
*The Corner lists their events on their Facebook group TC Corner.
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