In Sudan, the political and cultural are inseparable. In 1989, a coup brought a hardline religious government to power. Music was violently condemned. Many musicians and artists were persecuted, tortured, forced to flee into exile - and even murdered, ending one of the most beloved music eras in all of Africa and largely denying Sudan's gifted instrumentalists, singers, and poets, from strutting their creative heritage on the global stage. What came before in a special era that protected and promoted the arts was one of the richest music scenes anywhere in the world. Although Sudanese styles are endlessly diverse, this compilation celebrates the golden sound of the capital, Khartoum. Each chapter of the cosmopolitan city's tumultuous musical story is covered through 16 tracks: from the hypnotic violin and accordion-driven orchestral music of the 1970s that captured the ears and hearts of Africa and the Arabic-speaking world, to the synthesizer and drum machine music of the 1980s, and the music produced in exile in the 1990s. The deep kicks of tum tum and Nubian rhythms keep the sound infectious. Musicians in Ethiopia and Somalia frequently point to Sudan's biggest golden era stars as idols. Mention Mohammed Wardi - a legendary Sudanese singer and activist akin to Fela Kuti in stature and impact in his music and politics - and they often look to the heavens. Such is the reputation of Sudanese music, particularly in the "Sudanic Belt," a cultural zone that stretches from Djibouti all the way west to Mauritania, covering much of the Sahara and the Sahel, lands where Sudanese artists are household names and Sudanese poems are regularly used as lyrics until today to produce the latest hits.

Disc: 1
1. Al Bareedo Ana (The One I Love) - Emad Youssef
2. Ma Kunta Aarif Yarait (I Wish I Had Known) - Abdel Aziz El Mubarak
3. Min Ozzalna Seebak Seeb (Forget Those That Divide Us) - Kamal Tarbas
4. Arraid Arraid Ya Ahal (Love, Love Family) - Madjzoub Ounsa
5. Malo Law Safeetna Inta (What If You Resolve What's Between Us?) - Khojali Osman
6. Ma Hammak Azabna (You Don't Care About My Suffering) - Zaidan Ibrahim
7. Igd Allooli (The Pearl Necklace) - Saied Khalifa
8. Ma Aarfeen Nagool Shino! (We Don't Know What to Say!) - Taj Makki

Disc: 2
1. Alamy Wa Shagiya (My Pain and Suffering) - Hanan Bulu Bulu
2. Droob a Shoag (Paths to Love) - Abdelmoniem Ekhaldi
3. Galbi La Tahwa Tani (My Heart, Don't Fall in Love Again) - Samira Dunia
4. Al Sourah (The Photo) - Mohammed Wardi
5. Al Zaman Zamanak (It's Your Time) - Abdullah Abdelkader
6. Al Wilaid Al Daif (The Youth Who Came As a Guest) - Mustafa Modawi & Ibrahim El Hassan
7. Elhabeeb Wain? (Where Is My Sweetheart?) - Ibrahim El Kashif
8. Al Mursal (The Messenger) - Mohammed Wardi