We kicked off the RIsing Up: Sudan film and discussion series with
RISING UP: SUDAN OPENING NIGHT
Thursday, July 2nd at 6pm PDT
The opening night event was an evening of music and poetry performances from cast members of Revolution From Afar including musicians Zanib and Ramey Dawoud and poets Khadega Mohammed and Bayadir Mohamed-Osman.
About the performers:
Bayadir Mohamed-Osman is a Sudanese American public health professional, activist, and poet based in Maryland. She graduated from American University (AU) with a Bachelors in Public Health. She has dedicated her life to researching and preventing health disparities. As a spoken word artist, she has competed at College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI) alongside AU’s Speak Fresh. Racking in over a million views, Bayadir’s moving messages have been featured on Now This and AJ+. She has performed in Philly, Denver, Dallas, and Los Angeles to name a few cities. Her poetry examines her intersectional identity as a Black Muslim Sudanese woman. She uses her platform and voice to advocate for marginalized communities and her home country Sudan. To purchase her debut poetry book: Secondhand Smoke visit yourbayadir.com.
Zanib is a movement for freedom. She finds liberation through embracing her identity as an Afro-Nubian, a first-generation American with Sudanese parents, she lives in two cultures from polar parts of the world, and uses her multi-instrumental abilities to tell her story. From upbeat jazz to eclectic soul, Zanib’s sound is expressed by a blend of vocals, ukulele and violin. Zanib has also teamed up with a band of classically trained, innovatively creative collective of musicians, which adds flute, piano, bass, guitar, and live percussion to her repertoire. Based in Denver and globally recognized, Zanib has made a reputable name for herself around Denver and internationally doing a vast number of live shows and appearances for different causes. Because of the depth of the messages in her lyrical content, her music is able to serve as a catalyst for deeper conversation and community activism.
Khadega Mohammed is a 21-year-old Muslim Sudanese-American spoken word artist and community organizer. Born in Sudan and raised in Saudi Arabia, her experiences there pushed her to speak up against oppression and bigotry of all forms. She has been performing nationally and internationally for over five years now, most notably in Chicago at the MAS-ICNA Convention, at the Women’s March, and in Jerusalem, Palestine. Khadega is currently a student at Wayne State University pursuing a degree in Political Science.
Ramey Dawoud is a Sudanese American rapper and actor. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, he immigrated to the United States in 1999 and settled in Kansas City. With the traditional Nubian and Sudanese songs that he listened to growing up and the new textures of music he discovered living in the U.S., he began writing his own songs during his adolescence that reflected his wide range of musical influences. All the while, he also began honing his acting by studying theatre while in high school. His first solo music project, “Diary Of A Menace”, was a mixtape he digitally released independently in 2008. In 2010 Ramey participated at the Sudanese Summit and Gatwich Festival in Nairobi, Kenya and also appeared in the music video for "We Want Peace" by Emmanuel Jal. His work with the group The Ambassadors garnered him a Best New Artist award at the 2012 Kansas City Entertainment Awards. In 2012, he made his film acting debut by starring as Faisal in the short film “Faisal Goes West”, which won Best In Show at the 2013 Texas Independent Film Festival and Best Original Narrative Short at the 2013 WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, as well being featured as the Opening Night Film at the inaugural Sudan Independent Film Festival. Ramey Dawoud released "Kashta" in 2017 followed by his EP "I Am Because We Are' in August 2018. In 2019 Ramey Dawoud released a number of songs inspired by the Sudanese revolution.
Rising Up: Sudan is part of the Rising Up for Human Dignity Film and Discussion Series - Elevating the voices of artists and performers from within communities in conflict and their diasporas around the world who are rising up and speaking out for human dignity.
Rising Up: Sudan will include performances, conversations and films to bring audiences together to witness, celebrate, and amplify the perspectives of communities in Sudan and its diaspora.
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