When he is not touring or in the studio, Soulja can be found involved in what is akin to field research. Presently in Nairobi, the Sudanese rapper – real name Usama Ashraf – spends his evenings in clubs and music lounges in whichever city he is in, gauging what moves the dance floor.
If a particular song or deft mix from an artist or the DJ gets the room going, Soulja takes out his phone, where an app measures the tempo change. The readings are then filed into a growing archive that already includes Cairo and Dubai.
“It is a different way of doing things,” he admits with a chuckle. “But it is fascinating what people are drawn to, and in many ways, it is not what you think. The studio, with all its technology and great audio quality, can at times trick you into believing you have the right sound. But it is only when you are in the clubs that you get the truth immediately in real movement, and you know if a beat really works.”
As for the information gleaned from those nocturnal sojourns, Soulja predicts the Sudanese rhythm zenji could have the same effect as South Africa’s amapiano – a sultry mix of house, electronic beats and gospel keyboard chords – in becoming the next hot sound to be heard in Ibiza.
Soulja aims to bring Sudanese music to a new generation of listeners. Photo: @souljamusic / YouTube
He describes the genre – rooted in eastern Sudan and built on fast percussion, looping drum lines and close, call-and-response vocals – as capable of drawing the same reaction on international dance floors as in the wedding halls of Port Sudan and Kassala.
“Sudanese music, especially zenji, already has the elements a great sound needs – the drums are fast and the melodies are euphoric. It is not too complicated; when you hear it, you know exactly how your body should move. Amapiano spread because it came as a complete package: a type of music, a dance and an aesthetic. I see all those elements in zenji. I just need to find a way to bring it together as a full package.”
Until he lands on the formula, Soulja has already helped pushed Sudan’s musical identity forward.
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