Sarra Solo and Baby Girl Recover & Create Zamakan & Music

Welcome! This is Sarra Solo. Many of you may know me as the doctor who left a medical career to become the lead singer and songwriter in Sudan’s first all-female band, Salute Yal Bannot—the only Sudanese act to reach the semifinals of Arabs Got Talent. You might also recognise me from my role in the political musical Kurras Hissab, an artistic chronicle of the Sudanese revolution. Or perhaps from my resume, which highlights related experiences.

As war erupted in Sudan, I fled with my baby girl; and after long reflection, I embarked on a self-created artist residency in motherhood. This is where I seek your support through crowdfunding. The residency will unfold in multiple stages, and we are currently in the foundational first stage. Here’s a glimpse of the overall plan:

Stage 1: Finding Home, Basic Living and Settling, Songwriting, Training to Make Demos, Continue Creating ZaMaKan Flow, and Demos

Stage 2: ZaMaKan Flow open for service with a creative ceremony including the songs created during the residency and collaborative artwork

Stage 3: ZaMaKan serving those in need

To fully share this energy with you, I want you to see ZaMaKan as I do:

ZaMaKan: Flow invites you into a sanctuary where healing unfolds through immersive, multi-sensory experiences. Initially dedicated to supporting war refugees, ZaMaKan offers trauma-targeted activities that help release deep-seated tension, guiding participants into a natural state of flow—a harmonious balance between body and mind.

As participants enter, they are met with a grounding orientation led by me, a medical doctor with a master’s in public health. Together, we explore trauma—how it forms, and the remarkable ways in which the body tries to manage it. We also delve into what happens when trauma is unresolved and the powerful potential for transforming pain into growth.

At the heart of ZaMaKan is Muhammad Salah, founder of TRE Arabia, Tension and Trauma Release Exercises. Through simple yet profound exercises, participants learn to activate their body’s innate release mechanisms, allowing healing to unfold during and beyond the sessions.

Next, creativity comes alive. In one room, Walid El Alfi, a renowned theatrical and creative creator, guides participants through art and music exercises of release nature, offering a safe space for emotional expression. These methods allow colour, sound, and movement to flow freely, releasing what words cannot express.

In another space, the calming sensation of a clay therapist awaits. Known for its grounding and peaceful effects, participants are invited to connect with the earth, molding and shaping their way toward inner calm.

The journey continues in the kitchen—a fully equipped space for sensory exploration. Under the guidance of a cooking therapist, participants will rediscover the healing power of taste, smell, and touch. Through food, they will reconnect with their senses and uncover new avenues for personal healing.

Artworks created during these sessions, with participant consent, will be auctioned on zamakan.life, supporting ZaMaKan's mission and future growth. Additionally, our team is ready to offer training of trainers for select participants, based on feasibility.

As ZaMaKan continues to evolve, so does its vision. Collaborators, sponsors, and supporters will help nurture and grow this healing space. And this is just the beginning. Stage 2 of our crowdfunding will unlock the creation of the collaborations that will happen within this residency, a future filled with healing, art, and empowerment.

I am eager to network and collaborate with those who share a passion for healing and meaningful experiences, regardless of your discipline. I’m also open to invitations, support, and help in all forms that contribute to quality journeys and outcomes. This is a flexible project, and I’m excited to see it flow into oneness with everything.

So remember: we are now in Stage 1

Stage 1 funds will cover ongoing travel, living, childcare, health, and recovery expenses for me and my daughter, helping us find a supportive home and inspiring environment.

The time and space your support provides will allow me to focus on creativity in many ways. I plan to acquire basic music and demo-making equipment, receive training to transform my ideas into demos, and begin creating those demos. I will document the process and share stories from my journey. Additionally, I will finalise ZaMaKan Flow, a unique blend of my two passions—health and creativity—that I’ve been developing for months. I’ll communicate with those of you who will decide to join this project, and want to make it happen. I will work with all applicants to choose the ones that align with ZaMaKan's service.

This residency is called Wardi, a name rich in meaning for my journey. Wardi means “my roses”—symbolising my daughter, healing, and love. It’s also a tribute to my favourite Nubian Sudanese musician, Wardi, may he rest in peace. My songs and projects, too, are my roses. Like all beautiful roses, the path to them has not been without its thorns. But through reflection and taking radical responsibility, you’ll find that if you change the way you see them, the thorns transform into stepping stones, guiding you closer to the beauty that awaits. And with another perspective, you might realise you could have simply clipped them. Here’s a tip for next time: just fly above as a butterfly—there’s no need to walk up the stem.

I will document and share progress and updates here, on zamakan.life, and on social media as feasible. I anticipate this stage will blossom within four months of reaching the target, more or less, depending on the overall flow of the whole process. I would like to extend thanks to my current collaboration with IMPACT: Transforming Conflict With Arts and Culture, which has allowed me to receive your donations through their account.

Your support at this foundational stage will be crucial in laying the groundwork for everything that follows. This is just the beginning. Over the following stages, I plan to take the demos from this stage to the next level and offer you the fully developed ZaMaKan Flow!

This is more than just a residency; it’s a stepping stone in building a life for a family that has survived much and chooses creativity as a way of healing and being in the world. Your support will help me create music that I love, bring projects of service that I believe in to life, and pour soul into my life and my baby’s.

Please join this journey—donate, support, and share extensively within your networks. If you’d like to collaborate, sponsor, or help in ways other than financial contributions—such as through services or resources—please reach out by clicking the Organiser > Contact button below. I’m deeply appreciative of your uplifting support.

Thank you for believing in this vision, watering its seeds, watching it grow, and witnessing its blossom too.

See you on the other side!

Peace & Love,

Sarra Solo