Global Transfer Afterglow: Otaak Band
Otaak Band resonates with the ancient traditions of the Beja and the fresh sounds of contemporary pop-rock. Indigenous to western Eritrea, southeastern Egypt, and eastern Sudan, the Beja employ muscular vocals and the masankop, a lyre that allows a musician to create melody, harmony, and rhythm simultaneously and is thought to be one of the world’s oldest instruments. Led by masankop master and vocalist Ahmed Said Abuamna from eastern Sudan and Miguel Merino—a percussionist and composer from Indiana who was educated in the University of Miami’s jazz program and then moved to Egypt to learn from area performers—Otaak Band connects primeval songs with modern sonic experimentation and lets the versatility and beauty of this traditional instrument shine.