Hamza El Din

Hamza El Din sings the disenfranchised blues on this new American CD after a long career of releases on Vanguard, Ryko and Nonesuch. The Nubian musician's wish is to revive his displaced culture submerged by Lake Nasser created in southern Egypt by the Aswan Dam project in 1962. Now that Egypt plans new development in the area near his former village, he's recorded a song of hope accompanied by his lute-like oud and guests including cellist Joan Jeanrenaud from the Kronos Quartet (with whom he has performed). His other simple tunes also lament a lost lifestyle, remembered by his quietly passionate singing and celebrated by his virtuoso oud playing.