The Nile Project Uses Music to Transcend Borders

The Nile Project Musicians in Cairo
The Nile Project Musicians in Cairo
Photo: Matjaz Kacicnik

The Nile Project is an educational and arts initiative started in the San Francisco Bay area in 2011 by enthnomusicologist Mina Gergis and musician Meklit Hadero. They seek to unite the people of the Nile Basin by producing concerts, recordings, workshops and outreach events, and by fostering the mutual interest of everyone who depends on a healthy Nile River.

Gergis and Hadero hope to use the traditional musical styles of the Nile region to create a participatory, transboundary culture that reflects the cultural richness of its nations and that empowers its members to protect the Nile's ecosystems. The Nile is currently under threat by several large hydropower projects, most notably the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the Kajbar Dam in Sudan. 

In 2013 The Nile Project released the album Aswan, a live recording of the first concert produced by the group. This year will see the release of Jinja, a concert tour album named after a town in Uganda.

NPR ran an excellent feature on the Nile Project this week that includes audio and video clips of the musicians. You can show your support for the project at the Nile Project website

Date: 
Monday, September 29, 2014