# Sayed Khalifa

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**Sayed Khalifa** (Arabic: سيد خليفة, 1928 – 2001) was a popular [Sudanese singer and composer](/source/Music_of_Sudan#1960s_–_1980s:_the_Golden_Age_of_popular_music_in_Sudan), primarily active from the 1950s to the 1980s. Khalifa was one of the first Sudanese singers trained in formal music theory. Like other Sudanese singers, he performed in both [Standard Arabic](/source/Modern_Standard_Arabic) and [Sudanese Arabic](/source/Sudanese_Arabic), thus appealing both to the educated elite as well as to the common people. Khalifa is best known for his songs *"Ya Watani" (My Homeland)[1]* and *"Izzayakum Keifinnakum" (How are you?)*.

## Life and artistic career

Khalifa was born in 1928 in Al-Dibeiba, near [Khartoum](/source/Khartoum), Sudan. In 1947, he won a scholarship to the Arab Music Institute in Cairo, where he studied music in a formal way. After touring venues in Africa for several years, Khalifa returned to the newly [independent Sudan](/source/Republic_of_the_Sudan_(1956%E2%80%931969)) in 1956 and performed the patriotic anthem *"Ya Watani" (My Homeland)*. He released many other popular songs like *"Ana Maly wa Malo"* and *"Mambo as-Sudani"*.[2]

After the rise of [Omar al-Bashir](/source/Omar_al-Bashir)'s government to power in 1989, censorship made it difficult for Khalifa to continue with his career. Some of his songs, like *"Lailun Wa Khamrun Wa Shifah" (Night, liquor and lips),* were deleted from the radio archives. He died on 2 July, 2001 in Amman from heart problems.[3]

Recent interest in [reissues](/source/Reissue) of popular music from Sudan made his song *Gameel Basam (Beautiful Smile)* available on the CD *"The Lost 45s of Sudan"*, published in 2015 by [Habibi Funk Records](/source/Habibi_Funk_Records).[4] And in 2018, his song *Igd Allooli* *(The Pearl Necklace)* was reissued on the CD compilation *Two Niles to Sing a Melody: The Violins and Synths of Sudan* by [Ostinato Records](/source/Ostinato_Records) as part of their reissues of popular Sudanese music of the 1960s and 70s.[5]

**Discography**

- [Sayed Khalifa at MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0aac167e-f9b9-424d-a3a0-06a4399e9457)

## See also

- [Music of Sudan](/source/Music_of_Sudan)

## References

1. Onyebadi, Uche (2017). *Music as a Platform for Political Communication*. IGI Global. p. 203.

1. Aidi, Hisham (2014). *Rebel Music: Race, Empire, and the New Muslim Youth Culture*. Knopf Doubleday. p. 39. ISBN 0307279979.

1. Al Mubarak, Khalid (16 July 2001). ["Sayed Khalifa"](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jul/17/guardianobituaries). *The Guardian*

1. ["Gameel Basam (Beautiful Smile), by Sayed Khalifa"](https://shellachead.bandcamp.com/track/gameel-basam-beautiful-smile). *ShellacHead*. Retrieved 2021-01-31.

1. ["Various - Two Niles To Sing A Melody: The Violins & Synths Of Sudan"](https://www.discogs.com/Various-Two-Niles-To-Sing-A-Melody-The-Violins-Synths-Of-Sudan/release/12463465). *Discogs*. Retrieved 2021-01-31.

## External links

- [Sayed Khalifa "Ya Watani - My Motherland" with English translation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2egwHLRKDsQ)
- [Sayed Khalifa - Ezzayakom (Sudanese Arabic) Lyrics with English translation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFyOoVb3FNA)
- [Sayed Khalifa, accompanied on the Oud - I will die...( اموت انا و الزول بريا)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W86gahv67bo)
- [Sayed Khalifa - from CD Habibi funk, on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfmhzF75wys)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sayed Khalifa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayed_Khalifa) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayed_Khalifa?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.