Listen to BBC documentary about the music of Sudan

No Singing, No Movement portrays Sudan’s capital Khartoum as an arts and cultural hub for the Sudanese elite before the overthrow of the civilian government. It also gives an account of the country's nightlife in the 1950s and 1960s when jazz and rock and roll were dominant genres.

Sharia law introduced in 1983, which deemed music as haram (forbidden), resulted in limited cultural expression. This theme is covered through a series of tales by English teacher, journalist and DJ Peter Verney who was in Sudan before and after the 1989 coup led by Omar al-Bashir as well as legendary musician Sharhabeel Ahmed who stayed behind when his colleagues fled the country that same year.

“When the new government came, they just ignored everything,” Ahmed says in the documentary. “They wanted people to only sing jahadia [national songs]. Love songs and dancing were forbidden."

Through the voices of various new generation artists, No Singing, No Movement gives an overview of the future of Sudan's arts and culture sector. Sharia made it difficult for women to participate in musical activities. Nonetheless, female musicians such as the members of Salute Yal Bannot, an all-girl band in Khartoum, managed to earn their spot on the stages in the Islamic country.

The documentary also interviews musicians of the Sudanese diaspora about how the West has influenced their sound.

“I never realised how American I was until I came here since I spent most of my early years in the US and I was used to everything in the US,” US-based Sudanese musician Sinkane says.

The documentary is made by 2016 Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award winner Yousra Elbagir.

Listen to part 1 of No Singing, No Movement on BBC Radio 4 here.

Listen to part 2 No Singing, No Movement part 2 on BBC’s Radio 4 here.