On 17 November 2025, the much-acclaimed Rolling Stone MENA magazine has introduced its November cover star, Alsarah, the popular Sudanese-American singer, songwriter, and ethnomusicologist, and bandleader of the New York-based Afro-pop band, Alsarah and the Nubatones.
The cover, headlined with the main cover line “ALSARAH: Making Music for a Borderless World,” features Alsarah standing confidently with her hands on her hips. She wears an indie-inspired outfit: a modest maroon top paired with a patterned skirt, a black fedora hat, black sunglasses with a subtle shine, long feather earrings, and a long beaded necklace. The cover was photographed by Maria Sakr and designed by Amani Yaqob, and featured Sudanese creative director Mai Elgizouli.
Rolling Stone MENA is the regional version of the iconic American music magazine, Rolling Stone, specifically covering arts, culture, music, and politics across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
‘Whether in her solo work or with her band, Alsarah & The Nubatones, the Sudanese-American musician has carved out a personal sonic universe – one that refuses the borders of country, genre, or culture. What began as music made for an audience of one – herself – has resonated powerfully across Sudan, the Arab region, and East Africa, speaking to listeners at home and throughout the diaspora. In her hands, sound becomes a way of building new homes from memory and feeling,’ said the Rolling Stone MENA.
Born in 1982 in Khartoum, Sudan, she relocated to Yemen with her family before moving to the USA, finally feeling most at home in Brooklyn, NY where she has been residing since 2004. She is a self-proclaimed practitioner of East-African Retro-Pop music. Working on various projects, she has toured both nationally and internationally. Alsarah created Alsarah and the Nubatones in 2010-2011 with herself as bandleader and lead vocals, her sister Nahid with backing vocals; Rami El Aasser with backing vocals and playing percussion; Mawuena Kodjovi with backing vocals and playing bass; and Brandon Terzic playing the oud. Signed to Wonderwheel Recordings, the group’s sound grew into what they have dubbed ‘East-African Retro-Pop’. In 2016, the band performed on the highly-acclaimed NPR Music Tiny Desk. The band recently released their third album, Seasons of the Road, after a five-year hiatus.
As part of the cover, Rolling Stone MENA writer Zahra Hankir sat down with Alsarah for an expansive conversation, tracing her evolving definitions of art, home, and belonging. The article, THE STRENGTH OF SOFTNESS: ALSARAH IS MAKING MUSIC FOR A BORDERLESS WORLD, can be found on the Rolling Stone MENA website.
