Hamza El Din's "Escalay - The Water Wheel" became a college favorite when it was released in 1971 - one of the first releases on the then-new Nonsuch Explorer label. Joan Baez was one of the Nubianmusician's early supporters - she got him his first recording contract. Back then - before "world music" was a buzz phrase - Hamza El Din was exotic for Americans. But he's always considered himself a serious composer, creating new music for ancient instruments. Karen Michel has a profile.

Weekend Edition - Saturday - Saturday, July 31, 1999 -  NPR Radio

Hamza El Din (July 10, 1929 – May 22, 2006) was a Nubian composer, oud player, tar player, and vocalist.
Biography
Hamza el din, the celebrated nubian musician and singer he was born in toshka ( nubian village) in south of egypt and some people said he was born in wadi halfa anyway he was born in 1929 .
he began to study music at the Cairo University, continuing his studies at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. 
he also studied in Ibrahim Shafiq's Institute of Music and the King Fouad Institute...See more
Description
Born in the village of Toshka, Aswan ,Egypt, he was originally trained to be an electrical engineer. After working in Cairo for the Egyptian national railroad, El Din changed direction and began to study music at the Cairo University, continuing his studies at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome; he also studied in Ibrahim Shafiq's Institute of Music and the King Fouad Institute for Middle Eastern Music, and traveled in Egypt on a government grant collecting folksongs. His performances attracted the attention of the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan in the 1960s, which led to a recording contract and to his eventual emigration to the United States. Like much of Egyptian Nubia, his home village of Toshka was flooded due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s.
Band interests
http://www.reverbnation.com/hamzaeldin

Weekend Edition - Saturday - Saturday, July 31, 1999 - NPR Radio

HamzaelDin