Rhythms of rebellion: How Sudan’s music shaped a revolution

Yet, during the 2019 revolution, these women-led genres became immensely popular. Their power did not lie in political lyrics, but in the sheer defiance of the women who created them despite decades of institutional suppression. By celebrating these joyful, feminine rhythms, the revolution sent a powerful message about cultural openness and a collective desire to dismantle state-enforced patriarchal hierarchies.

Similarly, the revolution elevated Zenig, a newer genre that emerged in the early 2010s from the impoverished peripheral neighbourhoods of Khartoum. Mixing the fast-paced rhythmic base of tumtum with low-fi synths, cheap keyboards, and improvised vocals, Zenig was a distinctly urban, working-class invention that deliberately defied conservative class structures.