Awale Kullane
September 2004 - Rap philosophers K'naan and AAR and Toronto sounds
Welcome to Africa on your Street. I'll be looking at the latest Somali rap artists and other contemporary styles.
- The changing musical make up of Somalia
- Rap Philosophers K'naan and AAR
- Toronto sounds
- London goes to Minnesota
- Music and Politics
- Dance on film
- Awale Kullane's Recommended CDs
The changing musical make up of Somalia
This summer I traveled from London to visit the Somali communities in America and Canada. The movement of Somalis to the West has happened because of the civil war from the late 1980s. The most popular destinations were cities like Toronto, Minnesota, Columbus, Ottawa, London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Oslo and Guttenberg - and that's where you can find the music in the West.
There are similar issues affecting the North American communities to those in the UK - language gaps, cultural difficulties and generation gaps in communication. The role of music is vital, yet always an issue for debate. Old musicians are bending to change and new artists are developing and following mainstream cultural trends like rap and hip hop styles. Where the old classical styles are retained, it's impossible to think of messing around with the hudaydi cuud (lute) and expect to be satisfied with the outcome. However, the curiosity and demand for artists like AAR and their rap are impossible to ignore.
Rap Philosophers K'naan and AAR
Well, it has been a while since we had something really original in Somali music, but now we do: the great rap artists including London-based AAR and Toronto-based K'naan . I'm sure they would be a teenage magnet if there only were Somali teenage radio stations around. AAR rap about current trends, rebuilding motivation and encouraging change. Their rap and R&B style is all in Somali. Meanwhile K'naan raps mainly in English, but his philosophy is also as important for him - he calls himself 'the dusty foot philosopher'. So from now on I will refer to them as the Neo-philosopher!
K'naan samples a great range of artists on his album - Tracy Chapman, Sade, Peter Tosh and more. A track that is of great magnitude is 'Until the Lion Learns to Speak' , which K'naan performs in the style the great poet Ares Isse (Careys Ciise) and dedicates to him. It's touching to hear it recycled in English and I wish he continues in that path. For a while I was holding myself back to call K'naan a philosopher, but now like AAR he has earned my respect and I treasure his talent - in fact it has overwhelmed me. Check out his website for more information.
Another group of the neo philosophers are London-based Iskaahato lead by Abdul who was the man behind the AAR team. Abdul, a great Somali Londoner, has introduced Jama Hassa-Nour and Rayzak of AAR to each other, and we'll be hearing lots more from them.
We have philosophers in the house, and each with his own approach, using mainstream music trends like hip hop and R&B to allow their philosophy to flow. And it flows like a kite in a windy day! Especially K'naan and AAR have cut through un-chartered territory and they have my support. Guul Band -based in both London and Toronto- are another great group that walked this path before, but some how disappeared. The Neo-philosophers speak for me and our new circumstances as Somalis - they have come up with solutions and have captured me in the way they express the need for integrity and respect for the Somali people.
Toronto sounds
Toronto is full of great Somali musicians, and I was lucky to meet a couple of them on my trip. Boqol is a great new comer. If you loved the singer Nur Ebbe you will love Boqol. A very ordinary young man, when I met him I found his approach was very settled, but the story is that he was with the late great Nur Ebbe when he passed away and still misses his friend. Boqol is a young man with a future of Somali traditional music to explore. His album 'Warmoog' is a fantastic album with a great tracks such as Xaali, Qaraami and Xasuus.
Also in Toronto I met the veteran singer Jubba - a Somali legend, and a hit singer since the 80s - and for him to recognize me through the Africa on your Street website was a great honour. Meeting with Jubba I learnt a great deal from his approach to Somali literature and his criticism of poets - and of other critics. His wonderful story-telling tactics are provocative and luring, yet simple.
The recommended album this time is 'Durdurada'. It's a Somali album that became very popular around the West in the mid 90s - one of the few albums available on cassette and CD at that time. His songs are sung at weddings and events, and are so popular that wherever they are playing, and whichever song, you will find someone around you who knows it by heart. However, I wish Jubba also gets around to writing about his historical research on Somali literature and arts - he has a lot to say.
London goes to Minnesota
After my visit to Toronto I went to Minnesota - a city which has experienced the new Somali touch. It's become such a hub for Somali information and Somali values that its blessing will be sought by Somali actors, Somali politicians, Somali musicians and Somali educators - a necessary stop-over on every publicity tour.
One of the most renowned Somali academics, and the first Somali dean in America that I have heard of, Professor Mr. Ahmed Ismail Samatar (the brother of the famous Professor Abdi Ismail Samatar) has launched a conference in McAlester University with a team in his department. It was really a milestone in the Somali experience in America. The name of the conference was 'The challenges of the Somalis in America'.
I won't dwell on the questions and the issues, which have been widely covered in the Somali media. I would like to focus on the music side, which happened on the evening of the 15 July after a day of information and debate. I was lucky enough to get access to the VIP dinner thanks to Abukar Arman Siciid Sugaan and chair of ISRAAC Zeynab Hassan.
The dinner was wonderful and very Somali, and then after another five minutes walk we arrived at the theatre. Shortly after everyone sat down Ahmed Samatar introduced the Master of Ceremonies, the famous Said Saleh , writer of the famous song 'Alif la kordhabay' based on Arabic alphabet. (I think he is secretly a mathematician the way his rhymes always hit the right nerves). He introduced the wooden bell normally hung on the camel's neck to notify the owner, which was brought by Said Saleh not as a musical instrument but to let us know when the event was over. It was our version of school bells, a powerful culture tool to insert into the event, and it was entertaining as well.
The ceremony featured many heavyweights of Somali music, almost all based in London: Ahmed Ismail Hudaydii playiing the Cuud or Lute, Abdinoor Allale from Djoubiti singing, Kahiye playing the drums, and Muhammad Karama Siidi on the keyboards. Siidi is the son of Fadumo Qasiim Hilowle and a true African in his music - he can sing in many different African languages including Swahili - although at the event he didn't unleash his lethal talent, probably due to respect for the elders. Also singing were the queen Fadumo Qasiim Hilowle herself and her excellency Hibo Mohamed Nuur.
The event started with such sweat lute/cuud from Ahmed ismail Hudaydii and his magnificent talent appeared with a sound that could only be summed up as addiction. I wish those few minutes were years. I wish that moment could be repeated and I wish everyone with a breathing chance had an opportunity to experience the hudaydii lute and then one would know why we Somalis treasure him.
Abdinoor Allale singing Ilwad was again another such moment of a lifetime experience and veteran female singers Fadumo Qasim (who comes from a family with a long tradition of singers and artists - her father took part in the struggle against the colonialists) with Hibbo Nuuro captured the audience. The entire event was a work of excellence and my thanks goes to the artist Professor Samatar and his tireless team that organized such an event.
Also in Minnesota I was lucky enough to see the great musician Sado Ali at a conference run by the Minnesota Somali Student Union. MSSU is a wonderful student union that has expanded already across American and Canadian universities and colleges. The topic was more controversial - it was called 'Quursiga Qiil Ma leeyahay' - roughly translated it means 'is there any justification for Prejudice?'
Music and Politics
Music and politics go together in Somalia, although the newly formed Somali parliament in Mbagathi has been accused of a lack of artistic activities compared to the previous conciliation process in Djibouti 2000. At that time many musicians and artists provided concerts, plays and poetry which were transmitted nightly on TV across the Somali world. However, this time professor Dalha, known for many of his talents, and especially his song writing, has been successfully elected to the post First Deputy Speaker of the Somali Parliament.
Dance on film
Finally let's end with a Somali dance. It's from the movie Wadci, a comedy with a message about war. Although I am tired of the male dominance in all the movies, Zeya Tom and Maki Xaaji Banadir are wonderful, not to mention Ilka Casse and Oday Abdule . The director had a beautiful picture and a great story line (although there is need of a better script) - but all in all it's a great movie that is satisfying the Somali world that has been a virgin to movie-making.
The dance is great hurda diid - a beautiful traditional Somali dance - done to just percussion and voices, where the farming tools are often used as instruments. Thanks to the director Sahal Abdul and his tireless perfectionism. We will definitely see more from the director Sahal Abdul, who has a wealth of knowledge about jazz and African music (especially West Africa) - so Africa on your Street will be the first group that will find out about his new adventures.
That's it for now but please let me know what you think of the artists and music I've been writing about by posting your comments . Do you think the rap artists deserve to be called the new philosophers? And please do tell us about your own discoveries from the Somali music scene. Goodbye for now.
Awale
Awale Kullane's Recommended CDs
AAR - Maanta
K'naan - My Life is a Movie
Abdullahi Boqol - Warmoog
Abdulkadir Jubba - Durdurada
Check out my recommended CDs this month in the CD Reviews section or go to Music Search to look at our archive of recommended CDs.