Until the Sudanese Revolution of 2018/19, permission for public concerts had to be obtained by the Ministry of Culture as well as by the police, and after 11 pm, all public events had to end. As the mostly young audiences did not have enough money to pay for tickets, most concerts, for example in the National Theatre in Omdurman, the garden of the National Museum of Sudan or the Green Yard sports arena in Khartoum, were offered free of charge. Musical performances were also organized in the premises of the French, German or British Cultural centres, giving young artists a chance to perform in a sheltered environment. Workshops with visiting artists or festivals like the international "Sama Music Festival" have given opportunities to young Sudanese musicians to improve their skills and experience. Famous local artists of this era are the musicians of Igd al-Jalad, a group known for its critical expression for many years, the popular singer Nancy Ajaj or the pop group Aswat Almadina, all of them singing more or less obvious lyrics about their love of the country, which they claim as their heritage and future, despite the ruling government of the time. – As members of the important group of the Sudanese diaspora, the female singer Alsarah & The Nubatones, Sinkane or the songs of rapper Oddisee are examples of musicians with a Sudanese background in the US, who, thanks to the Internet, also have their following back home. Another popular expatriate Sudanese musician is Sammany Hajo, producing electronic remixes of historic Sudanese tunes from his base in Qatar.