Salma Al Aasal, 51, learned to sing in Sudan as a child, before moving to Egypt and, eventually, America. But nobody in her adopted country had heard her voice — until a concert in Oakland this year. Notes Against the Ban, featuring music from the seven countries targeted in President Trump’s travel ban, showcased music from Libya, Yemen, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Iraq, and served dual roles as ambassadorial outreach and as a healing salve. And Salma Al Aasal, raised amidst political tumult and finding a new home in the Bay Area, finally took center stage.
Watch as Salma tells her incredible story — and listen as she sings from the depths of the heart.
Salma will be performing again May 13, 2017, with the Aswat Ensemble at Skyline College Theater
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