The Nile Project Launched 1 February

Ethiopian-American singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero (pictured on the left) and Egyptian ethnomusicologist Mina Girgis have set out on a large-scale collaboration known as the Nile Project. This endeavor will gather eclectic, respected musicians from the seven countries along the great river (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt) for local, regional, and international performances. Guided by local tastes and aesthetics, the resulting ensemble will be the first of its kind–and about far more than music. It will leverage the power of music and performance to get people excited, get people in different countries talking across borders and cultures, and help spur efforts to find new, grassroots ways of addressing water issues along the Nile.

For the past two decades, the field of ethnomusicology has increasingly referenced musical soundscapes by exploring the relationships found within natural landscapes. By adopting a range of denotations such as acoustic ecology, green creativity, environmental ethnomusicology and eco-musicology, the field embraces ventures such as the Nile Project. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from soundscape studies, cultural geography and eco-criticism, the field of ethnomusicology has addressed issues of belonging and identity through ecological discourse.

The Nile Project has successfully raised $10.000 through a Kickstart campaign, to begin their venture and sail down the river Nile. The project has announced that it will be fully funded by this Wednesday 1 February. Let the winds blow.