
Features / Interviews
Music and friendship
The oud duo Nabra are headlining at Celebrating Sanctuary, part of the Refugee Week in Queen Square this Sunday. The two musicians met through a scheme to introduce refugees to professional musicians living in Bristol.
Sat in the Watershed watching musicians Knud Stuwe and Ali Elmubarak play, you are immediately struck by the differences between the pair.
Knud is tall, blond and German; Ali is shorter, stockier and Sudanese.
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However, they are more similar than appearances might at first suggest. Ali is a refugee from Sudan, Knud is the son of a refugee who fled East Prussia at the end of World War Two..
It is this shared experience which has brought the pair together to form Nabra – and their music has led to a lasting friendship between the two men.
Inspired by his father’s experiences as a refugee, Knud composed a song series of music and narration, exploring what it feels like to leave your home leaving everything behind.
Through his music, Knud was introduced to Ali by Bristol Refugee Rights.
The two men share a deep love of music and, in particular, the haunting sound of the oud; a classical African and Arabic instrument similar to the lute and guitar.
The oud is a huge part of Sudanese tradition and culture.
“We are happy people,” says Ali, “at any event we have to celebrate and play music.
“We are a split culture – a mix of Arab and African and the ode is reflection of that…we play Arabic music with an African beat.”
But when he fled Sudan in 2008 he had to leave behind his instruments and he abandoned his passion for many years.
“It was sad – it was like I’d lost part of my body,” he says. “Music is a part of me; it’s not enough to listen to music, I need to play.”
After arriving in Bristol he almost gave up on the idea of playing his beloved instrument again: “I never thought that I’d see someone playing the oud in the UK.”
However, professional musician and composer Knud had been teaching himself the instrument from YouTube videos; but it wasn’t until he met Ali that he came to understand the nuances and traditions of the oud.
“We learnt from each other,” he says. “Western music is taught with written down music; the Sudanese style is to learn by copying.”
But finding an oud in the UK is both difficult and expensive.
When the pair formed Nabra, which means sound of your own voice in Arabic, Ali had to play a guitar until he had earned enough from gigs to buy his own instrument.
But this is no ‘worthy’ partnership says Knud. The duo are playing their unique blend of traditional African and contemporary Western music at gigs and festivals across the UK.
Their partnership, like their music has crossed borders and broken down boundaries.
Read more: How you can help refugees in Bristol