Awale Kullane
January 2004 - Somali events in the UK
Welcome to Africa on your Street. Here in the Somali world, music is lighting up and putting smiles on faces.
- Saado Ali, Kooshin & Ahmed Ismail Hussein
- Somali events in the UK
- New Somali acts in the UK
- Awale Kullane's recommended CD
Saado Ali, Kooshin & Ahmed Ismail Hussein
Saado Ali , a true Queen of hearts, a musician and activist is very well-known for her last performance in the Somali theatre on 1989. She took a huge risk and shook a nation with the song she sang to Siyad Barre (the dictator) about how government members were buying expensive 4-wheel drives while the people begged for food. Here in London she performed at Stratford Rex London on the 27 December - if you missed her performance you could try following her up to Minneapolis! That city is another hot spot for the Somali community.
Another of my favourite artists is Kooshin , based in Nairobi at the moment. He sings the old Somali songs with an exceptionally beautiful voice. His latest album has the ability to turn stone in to water using a force of kindness.
In London we are very fortunate to have people like Saalax Qaasim and the king of oud (or Cuud in Somali) Ahmed 'Hudeydi' Ismail Hussein . You can read an interview with him and listen to his music on the World on your Street website. He is also performing on Radio 3's World Routes on 7 February and you'll be able to listen to that programme here on the website for 7 days after the broadcast. There is a newcomer in the art of cuud, Mr Diirshe, also based in London, whom we may be seeing much more of in the future.
Somali events in the UK
What about Somali events in the UK? We have two major spots for gigs: Tudor Rose hall in Southall which used to be a routine venue for Somali gigs, now increasingly replaced by Stratford Rex. However, Tudor Rose came back on the map with Kaskey on the 19 December. It’s unfortunate, as however much I want to enjoy the music from Kaskey, a trip to Tudor Rose in Southall can be spared. I am actually annoyed with all the organisers: for the last seven years we have seen the prices of the gigs skyrocket (running at £20-£25) and the venues plummet from bad to worse (cold, smelly, poor lighting, bad security). I know there are people with a great deal of interest in the issues regarding quality. For some reason good premises seem to come with bad performance and tired, unbearable premises come with great performance. I wonder why?
Stratford Rex has enjoyed a great number of performers like kings of Somali music from heavy-weights like Abdulkadir, Hassan Adan Samatar, Salaad Darbi, Omar Shooli and Mohamed Saleeman ‘Tubeec’ (the true King). The older style of Somali music is very much centred on the lyrics. We’ve also seen a number of new bands appear, by which I mean bands formed after the civil war in Somalia 1990. Most of this music encorporates electronic piano and percussion – it’s more about the rhythm and less about the words. They include Sheego band and Guul band, and soloists like Omar Yare (based in Boston and planning a UK trip in February or March), and the late Nuur Ebo.
New Somali acts in the UK
New bands based in the UK include Bexley Somali group from Bexley, Kent, and you can read an interview with one of their singers Amara Sheik . Sheego Band are in London, and I have met Omar, the lead member of the band (the one with the long hair), in Ocean restaurant, the Somali restaurant in north London (52 Whiteman Road, N4 1RU). There are rumours that a new album is coming up which will definitely be reviewed at a later date.
Then there is the master of Kabeebey, Awees Qamiis Mabuto . The drums alone can keep you humming for the next ten years. Kabeebey is a style which comes from the nomadic farming people of Somalia, with emphasis on drums and rhythms for dancing. (More on this and other styles of Somali music in future columns.) The king of Kabeebey, who calls London his home at the moment, will probably be doing some tours in the west in the near future.
Mr Gaduudo (well known as ‘Redman’) is one of the major producers and organisers of Somali music, and is working on a collection CD bringing together many of the best Somali artists around. The CD will hit the shelves by the end of January.
Awale Kullane's recommended CD
Various Artists - Waaberi Stars
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.