The show of the moment... The Nile Project

The Nile Project was a hit at this years globalFEST and for good reason (Read the review here). Consisting of musicians from 11 countries along the Nile Basin, the Nile Project was founded in 2011 by Egyptian ethnomusicalogist Mina Girgis and Ethiopian-American singer Meklit Hadero to address the Nile Basin's cultural environmental challenges. Designed to captivate local audiences but feel equally accessible to international listeners, the Nile Project uses music to inspire curiosity about the cultural, social, and environmental challenges of the world’s longest river. 

“For many projects, music is the end result. But for us, it is just the beginning. The integration of music with youth leadership and innovation, we hope, will create a driving force that will change the way Nile Citizens relate to each other and their shared ecosystem.” -Mina Girgis, Co-founder and Executive Director.

Nile Project photo

The forward-thinking musicians of the Nile Project channel the unsung beauty of East African traditions. In the collective’s collaborative compositions, resonant harps and lyres from up and down the river have learned new musical modes, while buzzing timbres and ingenious polyrhythms support vocals in more than ten languages. The project showcases the regions diverse instruments, languages, and traditions. The concert experience aims to inspire cultural curiosity and highlight regional connections… basically our (World Music/CRASHarts) mission, right? 

Meet the musicians here


Participatory workshops and cross-cultural dialogues hosted at Boston University will provide unique intellectual experiences, deepening your understanding of the Nile ecosystem, and stimulating new ways of thinking, communicating, and doing. The Nile Project musicians will be on the BU campus from March 23-27, 2015 partaking in class visits, workshops, panels, local middle school trips and a final performance to better educate and share with the public.

Lecture Demonstration: Musics of The Nile – Tuesday, 3/24 at 3:30-5:00 p.m.

College of Fine Arts Concert Hall – 855 Commonwealth Ave.
Members of the Nile Project and the Musical Director Miles Jay will offer a hands-on workshop to demonstrate the variety of instruments, musical styles, and rhythmic and modal systems from the countries represented in the Nile Project.

Open to the public.

Discussion Panel: Arts & Social Engagement  – Tuesday, 3/24 at 5:15-7:00 p.m.
College of Fine Arts Concert Hall – 855 Commonwealth Ave.
This panel, consisting of music scholar, activist, performer, and environmental scientist, will discuss the role of the arts and civic engagement with a particular focus on music and environmental issues. Key questions will include: How do we see the intersection of creative arts, activism, and the environmental issues we face today? What are the possibilities and limitations of creative arts as a critical response to environmental issues? What are the ways in which scientists, artists, activists, and scholars can work together to productively address their shared concerns? What models have worked, and what have not? What do new modes of creative social engagements look like?

Open to the public.

Discussion Panel: Water Politics in the Nile Basin – Friday, 3/27 at 3:00-4:00 p.m.
The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future – 67 Bay State Road

Experts in the Nile River and water politics will discuss the challenges and political realities of managing and protecting the resources of the Nile River.
Open to the public.

For more information on these events, click here

Watch the group rehearse in this lovely video.

I hope you will join us at the Nile Project performance on March 27 and at the related educational events surrounding the performances. Information can be found here.