Islam Elbeiti, the bass guitarist who advocates for change for women musicians in Sudan

Bass guitarist, Islam Elbeiti breaks the codes in Sudan. At 27, this young musician, who is also a radio presenter and actress, is advocating for social change in her country. In addition to being an artist, she is also an entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of the Sudanese entrepreneurship and innovation network (SIEN) which aims to facilitate the development of informal education in Africa through the association of world music. She was recently named one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans by Avance Media.

Through music, Islam Elbeiti advocates for more rights for women, especially women musicians in Sudan. Born into a family passionate about music, she became attached to musical rhythms, sounds and chords at an early age. Having lived her childhood in different countries, including Sudan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and China, she had the opportunity to discover music in all its diversity, at a time when in her country, music was almost banned.

In 2013, while she was studying for a degree in Business Administration and Management at the University of Medical Sciences and Technology, she decided to learn to play a musical instrument. And her choice was spontaneously made for the bass. In 2014, while travelling in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), she bought her first bass guitar. This was the beginning of a long adventure.

She later joined different bands where she played jazz, reggae, hip-hop on the electric bass. In 2017, she contributed to the organisation of the first edition of the Karmakol International Festival, a cultural event that highlights the cultural richness of Sudan. She performed on stage with the famous UAE-based singer and songwriter, Nile. She then played in a jazz fusion band that performed weekly in restaurants across the country in Assaha village, Khartoum. She is also a member of Sawa Sawa, an all-female traditional Sudanese music band founded by Zakia Abdul Gassim Abu Bakr, Sudan’s first female guitarist, who announced the release of the band’s album in 2021.

In addition to being guitarist, she is also a radio presenter on Capital Radio 91.9 FM in Khartoum. She hosts a weekly show called « Jazzified »and discusses jazz-related topics. “Many Sudanese dismiss jazz as old-fashioned and boring. My mission as a radio presenter is to deconstruct their prejudices about jazz.Every week, I introduce Sudanese people to the world’s wealth of jazz, from classical to modern,” she tells Yamaha.com.

Promoting the rights of women musicians in Sudan

As a guitarist, Islam Elbeiti faces many obstacles, including prejudice against women. “One of the forces holding me back on the bass is the prejudice against women musicians, which I want to overcome. When I first started playing the instrument, people insinuated that a woman should play something more feminine, like a piano or a violin. But musical instruments don’t choose their players according to their gender. To prove it, I set myself the goal of being a successful female bass player,” she tells Yamaha.com.

In Sudan, women face many challenges, such as public accusations, says Islam. “Being a woman musician in Sudan today is more difficult than you can imagine. Many people here still think that music is for delinquents. A woman who plays opens herself up to constant social oppression. A member of one of the bands I play in was accused of “disturbing social order and public decency” just for wearing a stage outfit that outlined her body,”she tells Yamaha.com

To overcome these challenges, in 2019 she founded “Si La Mi”, an organisation that aims to promote Sudanese music and empower Sudanese women musicians. In 2021, she also co-founded the Sudanese entrepreneurship and innovation network (SIEN), a group of innovators that aims to jointly reform and develop entrepreneurship and innovative industries in Sudan.

Due to her commitment to the music sector in Sudan, Islam Elbeiti was ranked in January 2022 as one of the 100 most influential young Africans by Avance Media.