The Sudan Handbook

248 thE sudan handbook

by the British colonial authorities in specific quarters, known as the

Radif, Malakiyya and Abbasiyya (the last named after Abbas Pasha, the

khedive of Egypt), in towns such as Kosti, Wad Medani, Omdurman

and El-Obeid. This was intended to give colonial authorities a degree

of control over the soldiers after their discharge. About twenty three

settlements were established between 1900 and 1922, distributed among

White Nile, Kordofan, Kassala, Funj, Upper Nile and Dar Fur Provinces.

In addition to the Radif and Malakiyya quarters, ex-service men, former

slaves, and other marginal groups established their own neighbourhoods

in the three towns, such as Hayy al-Dubbat (‘The Officers’ Quarter’) in

Omdurman and the Deims in Khartoum. The settlements attracted a

multitude of people, including liberated slaves, runaways, West Africans,

and migrant workers from other parts of the Sudan. In these quarters new

forms of musical and dancing styles emerged, blending folk tradition and

martial music. Former members of military bands taught music classes

and formed the backbone of the orchestras that came to dominate the

performing arts in many Sudanese towns after World War II. The Radif

quarter in Kosti, for example, produced performers such as Abd Allah

wad al-Radif and a group called the Tomat, the first female performers

in Kosti.

The Haqiba Era

As the headquarters of the Anglo-Egyptian government, Khartoum was

an ‘official’ town. Many residents were foreigners, traders or govern-

ment employees. Omdurman, on the other hand, maintained its original

Mahdist character. It became the cultural hub of the country, a microcosm

of the Sudan. Nas Omdurman (people of Omdurman), as they preferred

to call themselves, developed a strong sense of nationalism. The provi-

sion of formal education under colonial rule led to the emergence of a

small educated class who read foreign newspapers and magazines, estab-

lished literary associations and organized cultural activities involving

poetry reading, singing, and so forth. It was in this environment that a

The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors new style of singing called haqiba emerged in the 1920s.

(www.riftvalley.net).