Sudanese singer Ibrahem Ahmed (L), member of Sudanese music band Aswat al-Madina (Voices of the City), performs with the band at a studio as they record a new song in Cairo's Heliopolis district on October 10, 2026. Founded in Khartoum in 2014, Aswat al-Madina was part of a wave of underground bands pushing Sudanese music beyond conventional boundaries. Blending folk traditions with jazz, reggae and contemporary rhythms, they sang about corruption, social injustice and life under authoritarian rule. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP via Getty Images)