Amira Kheir's Heartfelt Ode To Her Sudanese and African Ancestry

Photo Credit: Emma Marshall.

Captivating vocals with exciting genre-crossing music has placed Sudanese-Italian singer-songwriter, Amira Kheir firmly on the international global music stage. Nominated as a Best Artist in the Songlines Music Awards, her music has been recognized as a “tour de force” (Songlines), while Amira has earned the title as “Diva of the Sudanese Desert” (BBC News).

Elegant and assured, Black Diamonds is Amira Kheir's new heartfelt ode to her Sudanese and African ancestry. Black Diamonds is Amira Kheir’s 4th album, featuring a collection of classic Sudanese traditional songs with original compositions, performed in Arabic, English and Italian.

Layers of deep cultural reflection lie beautifully entwined with fresh and powerful vocal and musical arrangements. In the poetic lyrics of the album’s opening track River, Amira visits “the valley of dreamers” asking poignant questions, while on Ard Alafrah, Amira travels on the “ancient path of sand” asking when she will return to this “Land of Happiness.”

Black Diamonds celebrates and unlocks Amira Kheir’s intrinsic love and understanding for Sudan and its beautiful defiant people, as reflected on the album’s first single Sudani, translating as “My Sudan.”

Central themes on the album include love of one’s homeland with a running respect for ones’ ancestors whose gifts Amira describes as treasures:

“This collection of songs is inspired by my ancestors in Sudan and Africa, and everything they have passed on to me and the world, as cultural wealth. The inspiration for the album is a desire to recognise the immense heritage passed on to us by our ancestors. Recognizing that as the most precious gift and treasure – hence ‘Black Diamonds’.”

Amira Kheir’s careful inclusion of songs from celebrated Sudanese musicians and writers adds strength to the album’s strong optimism. These include the single Sudani by Fadl Almula (Zingar), who also co-wrote Fi Mowdi Aljamal (In A Place Of Beauty) along with Abdel-Gadir Talodi. Abdel Rahman Alrayyah’s Rabie Aljamal (Spring of Wonder) also features on Black Diamonds and the song dedicated to the Sudanese woman, Zenuba, was written by Isa Barwi.

Amira Kheir continues her successful musical journey with long-term friends and band members on Black Diamonds, namely the notable Nadir Ramzy on oud, who also features for spoken word and backing vocals on Ard Alafrah (Land of Happiness). The formidable team of musicians on Black Diamonds also includes Michelle Montolli on various basses, Leandro Mancini-Olivos on drums and percussion, and introduces the beautifully sympathetic guitar of Ant Law.

Since Amira Kheir burst onto the global music scene in 2011 with her debut album View From Somewhere, she has produced a steady stream of exceptionally strong albums. Under the banner of her own label, Contro Cultura Music, Amira co-released each of her last three critically acclaimed albums in partnership with Sterns Music, one of the UK’s leading African music specialist labels. These include Alsahraa (The Desert) in 2014 and Mystic Dance (2018).

Amira Kheir’s new production, Black Diamonds, co-releases internationally through Contro Cultura Music and Sterns Music on October 10, 2025. The title track Black Diamonds closes the musical journey with the following lyrics:

“In the eyes of my ancestors/Is a message they left for meIn the land of my ancestors/Is a treasure they left for me”

Amira Kheir now shares these treasures as Black Diamonds with the world.

Album Artwork: Fatima Joda.

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