Music of Somalia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Somalia has the distinction of being one of only a handful of African countries that are composed almost entirely of one ethnic group, the Somalis. Traditional bands like Waaberi Horseed have gained a small following outside the country. Others, like Maryam Mursal, have fused Somali traditional music with rock, bossa nova, hip hop, and jazz, influences. Native instruments include the batar drum. Somalia has also produced native hip hop crews like the Skyhigh Family.
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[edit] Popular music
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Most Somali music talks about love, but some recall how life was in Somalia before the Somali Civil War and some talk about how Somalis should come together to unite and restore the country to its former glory.
The center of the Somali music industry is not Somalia because of the war. It is Toronto, where a sizable Somali community exists. The industry is also present in London, Minneapolis, and Columbus. One popular musician with Somalis living in North America is K'Naan, a young rapper from Toronto, whose songs talk about the struggle living in Somalia during the Civil War.
[edit] History
The first major form of Somalia modern art begin in the mid-1930s, when Somalia was part of the British Somaliland Protectorate. This movement was the Xer-Dhaanto, an innovative, urban form of Somali folk dance and song. This period also saw the rise of the Xaaji Baal Baal Dance Troupe, which became very influential over the course of its long career.
Somali popular music began with the balwo style, which was created by musicians like Qadiija Ciye Dharaar and Cabdi Deeqsi Sinimoo. This style began in Boorama and then spread throughout the area. It was a mixture of modern poetry and Arabian dance music.
Cabdillahi Qarshe rose to fame in the early 1940s as part of the qaraami style. Many qarami songs from this era are still extremely popular.
During the military domination of Somalia, music was suppressed except for a small amount of officially-sanctioned music. There were many protest songs produced during this period.
[edit] Music institutions
The first radio station in Somalia was Radio Somali, in Hargeysa.
