Yassir Shawgi Biography

Yassir Shawgi, A Funky Man From The Sudan.

Name of the Band: Yassir and Friends.

Yassir Shawgi

. Born in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan, from Sudanese fatherand Egyptian mother.Born in a musical family, despite the fact that being a musician was notappreciated in his culture. Several times Yassir has been punished atthe school because he escaped from the school to the military music band,to practice music. During that time Yassir and his friends were veryphanatic in playing the music and studying the music theory from eachother. They learned to play the guitar under the tree, while everybodywas waiting for his turn because there was only one acoustic guitar. Andthere was no Music Institute bythat time, in the late 70s."During that time we were influenced by The Commodores, K.C. and theSunshine Band, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown and Stevie Wonder, Santanaand Mr. George Benson. We used to jam a lot, funk and we acted we weresinging in English, but it was no English".Since his 14th age, he was living a "band's life", first as a drummer andlater turned to guitar and vocal and became as well a songwiter inEnglish. He played with several well-known bands in Khartoum. Duringthat time, because of the cultural gap, Yassir was a hippy in Khartoum,10 years later after the hippy-movement. For example Woodstock wasa great event in his life, after seeing the movie, ten years later afterthe happening of the concert. Woodstock inspired Yassir to create oneof the numbers of his cd: "freedom".After his graduation from the Civil Aviation Institute in Khartoum,Sudan,(section Airport Management, Aerodrome Officer) Yassir immigrated tothe Netherlands.Between 1985 and 1988 he was a co-founder of the percussion-group

"African Section"

in the Netherlands, being the pioneers, (after the band"Osabisa"), in playing African rooted percussion.Performing throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.He studied more music and had singing lessons.In

1988

he organised a

benefit-concert for the victims of the flood inSudan

, in the Municipal Theater in Heerlen. It was the first time Yassir playedhis guitar for the Dutch audience and sang as well. It appears that thisconcert was the first benefit-concert in the Netherlands. This was the beginning of

"Yassir and Friends" funky band