The influence of ancient Egypt and Nubia is evident in the works of a multitude of musicians of African descent, including icons of jazz such as Miles Davis and Sun Ra and contemporary artists such as Beyoncé and Rihanna. To understand these imaginaries of ancient Egypt, created by these artists, this exhibition – Kemet: Egypt in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Soul & Funk – embarks on a journey through music history. Complementing the exhibition is a full programme of music and events related to ancient Egyptian culture, the combined total of which allows visitors to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of music and ancient history.

• In the (social) media there has been a commotion about this exhibition, because it shows Egyptian culture through the eyes of artists with African roots. Therefore, there is an additional web page with information about the content, backgrounds and goals of the exhibition.

From Sun Ra to Rihanna

Beyoncé and Rihanna have both appeared on stage or in music videos as the Egyptian queen Nefertiti, and the cover art for Nas’ legendary album I Am depicts him as the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, the actor Eddie Murphy appeared as Pharaoh Ramses II in the music video for Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time, while virtually every Earth, Wind & Fire album cover released during this period featured an Egyptian motif or symbol. And in the subsequent decade, artists like Lauryn Hill and KRS-One would go on to rap about ancient Egyptian civilization. This ongoing phenomenon can be traced back to the 1950s, when jazz icon Sun Ra and his Arkestra began combining jazz, Egyptian themes and Afrofuturism into a style of music that evoked the space age and continues to resonate with audiences everywhere.

Kemet

Ancient Egypt and Nubia have been an undeniable source of inspiration for musicians of African descent for over 70 years, with artists not only embracing and claiming these ancient African cultures, but also employing the associated motifs as symbols of resistance, empowerment and spiritual healing. Such motifs include the name the Egyptians themselves gave their country: Kemet, ‘the black’, a reference to the fertile land along the Nile. The resulting expressions of Kemet present ancient Egyptian culture not only as historically important events and artifacts, but also as a means to discuss the present and the future. We see this in the music, lyrics and imagery employed by a whole host of jazz, funk, soul, pop, reggae and rap artists over the last few decades, including Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Prince, Fela Kuti, Erykah Badu and Nas, as well as Dutch artists such as Zwart Licht and Ray Fuego.

Music and ancient artefacts

Music takes centre stage in this exhibition, its central theme brought to life with the aid of music videos, audio clips, concert recordings, photographs and album covers by famous and lesser-known musicians with a connection to ancient Egypt. The accompanying audio tour is by hip-hop artist Typhoon, and a new single by Nnelg explains the rap artist’s relationship with ancient Egypt and Nubia. Exhibition highlights include Nas’ gold mask of King Tutankhamun and several of Sun Ra’s Egyptian-inspired costumes. In addition, the exhibition explores what research can tell us about ancient Egypt. The visitor is presented a selection of age-old items from the museum collections, including sculptures and figurines of Egyptian deities, pieces of gold jewellery, hieroglyphic texts and royal portraits.

Audio tour and special events

• Audio tour: download in English or Dutch. The audio tour was made in collaboration with Dutch artist Typhoon.
• The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of special events, including concerts and lectures.
• For children from the age of 7, there’s a programme of arts and crafts activities over the summer holidays.