Michael Angelo Nubian Queen (1977)
Nubia is a historical region along the Nile River, located in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan. As early as the 3rd millennium BCE, advanced civilizations such as the Kingdom of Kerma emerged there, followed by the powerful Kingdom of Kush, with capitals in Napata and later Meroë. In the 8th century BCE, the Kushites even ruled over Egypt as the 25th Dynasty of pharaohs.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Kushite society concerns the prominent role of women, particularly the Kandakes: queens or queen mothers who wielded real political and military power. These women could influence royal succession, lead armies and even depose kings.
This historical legacy resonates quite literally in the title of “Nubian Queen” by US multi-instrumentalist Michael Angelo, our song of the day. Released in 1977, the track blends psychedelic rock with a lyrical tribute to the historic Kandakes.
While the use of “Nubian Queen” by a white (male) artist may by now raise questions about exoticization, fetishization and/or cultural appropriation, the song remains a curious example of how Kandake imagery found their way into 1970s Western pop imagination—and it’s definitely worth a listen with that context in mind.
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