[Editor's note: One of these photos and quotations was also published on Nebraska Mosaic, a publication for Lincoln's immigrant and refugee communities. The publication is produced by students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.]
photos by Kay Kemmet | words by Michael Todd
His voice breaks slightly. Sweat starts to bead on his face as friends and a handful of newly acquainted audience members watch.
Yaunis Andindi is performing the song he wrote to a beautiful, intelligent African woman whom he had seen at a pageant. It's the sort of unrequited love best expressed through musical notes, and although some of us don't understand a word, the meaning is felt.
Andindi presses down on the five strings of his rababa, built somewhat like a small harp with banjo characteristics. The handmade instrument creates a sound all its own, as the wooden body doesn't resonate like a banjo's drum, and the strings without frets but meant to be pressed produce any note desired: not just the flats, sharps and naturals. Overtones ring out a bit more, and Andindi's voice matches with slides into and out of words in his native language.
The Nebraskan-via-Sudan musician is singing his songs as part of the "Voices From Sudan" event, presented by the Nebraska Folklife Network on Saturday at Mo Java Cafe in Lincoln. With two songs to open and two more later on — to bridge a display of Sudanese clothing and a recitation of traditional stories — Andindi serves as both an ambassador of Sudanese music and a creator of Nebraskan culture.
After his second pair of songs, Andindi shakes my hand on his way out, saying, "Good job." I'm not sure what he's referencing, if it's a guess at my profession (with cameras and lenses on the table) and potential coverage of the event, or if it's simply an acknowledgement of my being there. Either way, I'm left with a sense of belonging in a community I've only just met.
“At the end of the day, we are building the Lincoln community and Nebraska society,” says Dech Machar, who told two parables from memory after Andindi's songs. As he's helping to keep alive a piece of Sudan in Nebraska, Machar says, “We can bring something good to the Lincoln community.”
This is Nebraska music, too, even though its sound originates in Sudan. The increasing diversity of people in our state parallels the diversity of genres: from metal to folk, electronic to world music. With that in mind, I hope to continue experiencing the openness of new cultures as Nebraskans continue building our community.
Michael Todd is Hear Nebraska's managing editor. He plans to follow up with Andindi and record his story and music. Reach Michael at michaeltodd@hearnebraska.org.