The Face of Truth: Oh brother, this life is but a few counted days..

Ibrahim Shaglawi

“Haliwa ya Bassama, the fragrant breeze blowing, love in our hearts, God knows all, seeking peace,

oh brother, this life is but a few counted days.”

These words by the poet Tijani Haj Musa open for us a window onto a world of sorrow, longing, and wisdom in the Kordofanian heritage, which Abdel Gader Salem embodied through his unique style and mature genius.

Salem was always keen that the emotions of Sudan within its local environment— with all its hopes, dreams, vitality, and aspirations— together with acceptance of fate and destiny, would reach the discerning listener, carrying his voice and melodies as a mirror of the national conscience.

My knowledge of Dr. Abdel Gader Salem was not from the seats of listening or from the memory of song alone, but I knew him closely, as a colleague in a state experience, when the Ministry of Human Resource Development brought us together at the moment of its first establishment.

There, away from the spotlight, I saw Abdel Gader Salem the human being as he truly was: calm, precise, and attentive, working in the quiet of thought, not in the fervor of the artist. We were together among the administrative staff who witnessed the early beginnings of a ministry newly introduced into the ministerial structure, and it was clear from the very first moment that the man possessed a high institutional sense and a rare ability to transform cultural vision into attentive administrative practice.

In that experience, under the leadership of Minister Kamal Abdel Latif Abdel Rahim, who was keen to achieve real harmony among the different levels of leadership, Abdel Gader Salem emerged as one of the figures most capable of linking culture and development, and art as emotional expression with human resources as a lever of awareness. His presence was not incidental or passing, but part of the spirit of foundation and of a deep understanding of the state’s role in nurturing creativity, regulating and organizing it, not restraining or confiscating it.

From this position came his pivotal role in founding the Council of Musical and Theatrical Professions, as a governing effort for the creative artistic process. I knew him as he followed, with persistence and patience, the course of the council’s law since 2006, moving between the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Justice, and the Council of Ministers, until legal recognition of music and theater as organized professions was completed. When the council became a reality, his selection as its Secretary-General was nothing but a natural culmination of a path he led with his intellect and his idea before his name, and with his work before his symbolism.

Holding the position of founding Secretary-General under the chairmanship of Professor Ali Mahdi Nouri, Abdel Gader Salem was the true “dynamo” of the council: he drafted the regulations, contributed to building the structures, and developed the vision of the committees, from registration and professional promotion to complaints and external relations, believing that reforming the artistic arena is not achieved through slogans, but through policies, protection of rights, and raising professional standards, while respecting the specificity of the Sudanese value context and drawing inspiration from global experiences.

Salem, who was born in 1943, was distinguished as an academic researcher and a founder of cultural institutions. He obtained a Master’s and a PhD in music from the Sudan University of Science and Technology, and participated in building aware generations of students and creators. Salem sang the poetry of major poets such as Abdullah Al-Kazem, Qasim Othman, Fadaili Jamaa, Hashim Sadiq, and Ismail Hassan, achieving through this a blending of artistic experience and cultural awareness. Salem is considered one of the pioneers of Kordofanian song, alongside Abdel Rahman Abdullah, Ramadan Zayed, and others.

The passing of Abdel Gader Salem represents the absence of a statesman in thought and art, who combined academic rigor, musical authenticity, and national belonging. He left behind a musical legacy deeply rooted in heritage, an indelible impact, and a unique path that connects song, research, politics, culture, and institution-building. Salem remains immortal in his voice, his thought, and his institutions, as a witness to Sudan’s ability to combine authenticity and modernity, art and politics, heritage and development, and values.

The state mourned him through the Sovereignty Council and the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, stating that he represents a major loss to the Sudanese artistic and cultural scene. The official statement issued by them indicated that the late figure was an ambassador of Sudanese song, a pioneer of Kordofanian music, a preserver of heritage, and an influential force on national culture and generations.

Therefore, his departure is not merely the loss of a great artist, but the absence of a witness of an era, and one of those who sought, with calmness and wisdom, to restore the value of art as one of the pillars of human development. We mourn him today knowing the magnitude of what he carried on his shoulders, what he accomplished away from the noise, and the impact he left, which will remain present in the structure of culture and national identity, not only in its musical memory.

His passing, according to #The_Face_of_Truth, represents the absence of a statesman in thought and art, one of the anchors of national cohesion, who combined academic rigor, musical authenticity, and national belonging. He left a cultural and academic legacy whose traces will not fade, and his songs and institutions will remain a guide for future generations to Sudan’s ability to combine authenticity and modernity, heritage and development, art and politics.

We ask Almighty God to envelop him in His vast mercy, grant him a place in His spacious gardens, and inspire his family, loved ones, and students with patience and solace. Indeed, to God we belong and to Him we shall return.

May you remain well and in good health.

Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Shglawi55@gmail.com