The group, Alsarah & the Nubatones, was born out of many dinner conversations between singer-songwriter Alsarah and Rami El Aasser about Nubian “songs of return,” modern migration patterns and the cultural exchanges between Sudan and Egypt. The band includes French-born, Togo-raised bass player, Mawuena Kodjovi; Brandon Terzic, a brilliant oudist and former student of Haig Manoukian (a founding member of the band  who passed away in 2011); and the charismatic and talented vocalist Nahid.

Under the leadership of Alsarah, the Brooklyn-based group’s sounds have grown into what they have dubbed “East-African retro-pop.” Since their first show in October of 2011, the group has performed nationally and internationally at many festivals and venues.

While in residence at Shangri La, the group performed a show on-site at Shangri La as well as at the Blue Note in Waikiki. The first of Shangri La’s artists-in-residence to travel to the neighbor islands, the group performed at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului, Maui, and at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea on the Big Island.