Genre: Jazz, African
Period: 1980s-present
Region: Ontario
Waleed Abdulhamid is a Sudanese-born, Canadian multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, and music and film producer. He is skilled in 20 instruments: guitar; bass; drums; flute; harmonica; kirin; bass kirin; darabhuka; marimba; balimbo; congas; bongos; djembe; dumbek; aghera; tambour; cajun; denger; ekaa; and tama. He arrived in Toronto in 1992, but he has been playing music since he was six years old.
Known for his impressive vocals, creative bass techniques, speed and precision on percussion, Waleed Abdulhamid has always been involved in the music scene. He has played and recorded with various mainstream artists like David Clayton Thomas from Blood, Sweat & Tears and The Drifers. He was a professor in the Music Degree Program at Humber College, and now is a faculty member in the music department at the University of Toronto. He has acted as a mentor for artists such as D’Bi Young, Ngozi Paul, and Zaki Ibrahim. As a Director of Choral and Orchestral Music, he organizes workshops for new and intermediate learners.
Abdulhamid has performed shows in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; he earned various awards along the way. He is a recipient of Canadian New Pioneer Award; African Tama Award; Reel World Film Festival Award; Canadian Film Board of Excellence Award; two time DORA Award winner; and more international awards. His travels began in 1989 when he was invited to perform at a Swedish musical and found his way to Canada after leaving Columbia University’s music program. He has been the study of researchers and PhD students who are exploring the workings of a virtuoso’s mind.
Motown, traditional Sudanese madeeh, Aldallooka and Alzaar, Sufi, and traditional Sudanese dance styles are his main musical influences, as well as his mother. In filmmaking, he has been inspired by the AIDS epidemic to direct and produce a documentary on the subject. His collaboration with John Ebata and Mary Lou Sicoly was released in 2024, entitled We Will Rise.
Awards:
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