Biography: Mahmoud Fadl, the Nubian Master Drummer from the Nile

Mahmoud Fadl, the Nubian Master Drummer from the Nile, was born in 1955. He is a descent of a Nubian family that is rooted in the Griot culture of the "Battikol" people. He was raised in the Egyptian cities of Assuan and in Cairo and started his musical career as a limbo dancer and musician for Nubian and Arabic wedding celebrations. His outstanding talent for percussion soon made him a much sought after musician for top Arabic orchestras and singers like Ahmed Adawia or Nubian soul legend Ali Hassan Kuban.

After several international tours including guest appearances in Syria, Morocco and Greece Mahmoud Fadl established himself in Europe to develop his own international solo-career.

Today the Master Drummer works and travels between the old Cairo and the new Berlin, which happens to be one of the traditional centers of science for Nubian culture. The Nubian expert Mahmoud Fadl has contributed to these studies about this legendary but suppressed culture as a musical director for four albums of his project "Salamat". These have been released on "Piranha Records".

The always busy ambassador of "Cairo Cool" has produced four widely acclaimed albums under his own name. One album, featuring the ancient rhythms all along the Nile, is called "Drummers of the Nile". Furthermore, for the western market, he discovered the outstanding grandmaster of oriental trumpet, Samy El Bably, on a beautiful album called "Love Letters from King Tut-Ank Amen". His project "Umm Kalthoum 7000" features the first all Nubian homage to the pan-Arabian diva Umm Kalthoum. Presenting the exceptional vocal art of Salwa Abou Greisha from the famous Greisha family of Nubian musicians accompanied by selected instrumentalists from the Cairo Opera. On his latest recording "The Drummers Of The Nile Go South" Mahmoud Fadl drums his way south. On the boat are his fellow masterdrummers Gaafar Hargal and Hamdi Matoul, Nubian wedding diva Salma and many more. Join their travels back to the rhythms of ancient Nubia, drowned in Lake Nasser ever since the day the region was flooded in the early Sixties.

Mahmoud Fadl can be heard on a series of high quality recordings together with The Klezmatics (New York), PianOrientalist Maurice El Medioni (Marseille/Oran) and the famous Gypsy saxophone player Ferus Mustafov (Skopje).

His Tribal House Project "United Nubians" has earned international attention as one of the most innovative developments of the vibrant Berlin club scene. Beside his own work as a musician, film actor and fashion designer, Mahmoud Fadl frequently performs with the West-African Griot-Ensemble "Saf-Sap" on oriental wedding and musical workshops.

Releases:

Albums

Appearances:

Compilation Albums

Links:

Helping preserve the Nubian Culture - An interview with Mahmoud Fadl who has dedicated his life to helping preserve the culture of the Nubian people.

Related Categories:

Styles: World: Asian: Middle Eastern: Bands and Artists
Regional: Africa: Egypt: Bands and Artists
Styles: World: African: Traditional

External Resources:

Other Sites

All Music Guide
Artist Direct
VH1