Sudan Video Special: The Protest Music of "Fight the Cause"

"IngiLaab (Revolution)" by Mao

As Sudanese youth tried to protest earlier this year, musicians and poets released a 14-track CD, Fight the Cause, to highlight a 21-year battle for reform and a renewal on 30 January 2011, "inspired by the Egyptian and Tunisian youth".

The mix-CD begins with a 1958 recording of a broadcast from Omdurman Radio, two years after Sudan's independence from Britain and the year of its first military coup. Music from old Sudanese songs is sampled and integrated into tracks from hip-hop by US-based Sudanese rapper and poet Selma-i and Khartoum-based rappers ReZOULution to Reggae beats by Mao and R n B by Dubai-based Sudanese artist Mo'awia, also known as Nile.

The spark for the CD was the arrest of rapper, blogger, activist and poet Ahmad Mahmoud, also known as DZA the Dissenter, two days after the 30 January protests.

The full CD can be downloaded via Mediafire. Two more tracks:

"I'm From" by Nazim

"Hero?" by Selma-i