Mogadishu Blues: A Celebration of Somali Music and Poetry (concerts)

I got the blues!

"It has been a dream in the making but we are proud to introduce you to Mogadishu Blues: a tribute concert in honor of Somali music from the 70’s and 80’s.

The Breathing ensemble led by Orville Breeveld together with four renowned Somali musicians will take you back the golden era of Somali music. It will be a trip down memory lane in which we will reminisce & relive the heydays of Somalia’s best days.

Come & celebrate beautiful Somali music and culture like never before, and make sure to bring your whole family to experience this amazing tribute. It will be a show like you have never seen before!

The kick-off of Mogadishu Blues will be during the National Theater Weekend in the Hague (Saturday 16 January 2016). The Second show will take place on Saturday 30 January 2016 at Theater Meervaart in Amsterdam.

For ticket sales go to the website of Nieuwe Kerk and Meervaart
For questions and inquiries: info@breathing.nl"

Source


Yes, I got the blues...Everyday!

Noora Noor_Forget What I Said

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A hodgepodge of Somali traditional dances in 5 minutes:

Durdur - Raxmaddii Rabbi Baa Lagu Raaxaystaa (k7)

This is the soundtrack of a tragicomedy of the same name. Sometime in the '80s we're partying at Taleex hotel in Mogadishu. When this record started, almost everybody jumped up to dance the new rage kabxadro, a merge of the traditional butt-wiggling dance/music genre kabeebey and psychedelic Sufi mystical dance xadro. Unable to resist the stompy frenzy, the floor decided to join the merriment and ... collapsed! - coincidentally, track 4 is also known as Gariiree ("I'm Quaking"). Miraculously, no one was badly injured! Anybody who was there, please get in touch.

The rather offbeat title of this album translates to "We Enjoy/Dance to God's Grace" and all the 9 tracks are glorifying or lamenting many shades of un/requited... secular love. If the warlords, from al-shabaab to the CIA et al, possessed half the senses and wits that sinking floor had, they'd shake their fat asses and fucked up brains to any beats of their choice. In which happy case they'd, at worst, only break their bricks and bones... and most definitely get much closer to whatever (transcendental) El Dorado they're seeking than they ever will through the barrels of their weapons, from simple rifles to high-tech drones. Fingers crossed!

Happy, healthy and peaceful 2015!

Interview About Somali Music

The Economist interviewed me a few months ago about Somali music. I've recently received a mail from the interviewer to the effect that the article would possibly be published soon, albeit "cut down considerably to 500 words". The full interview would cover almost all the inquiries I regularly receive from other interested parties as well - about a dozen in the last couple of months alone. I can no longer hold off replying to (repeated) requests on the premise and promise that an extensive interview is in the pipeline. All the more since the article/heavily edited interview, if ever published, may ironically raise more questions than it would answer. This is why I'm posting it here verbatim.

Peace!

I'm delighted that attempts are being made to restore peace in Mali. The Dutch musician Laurens Joensen has embarked on a fantastic journey to support Malian musicians through benefit concerts, collecting guitars and other instruments which will be donated to the artists and a documentary featuring Malian musicians. The crowdfunded documentary is called Music for Mali and you can contribute here.

For background info. about the conflict in Mali and how culture and specially music(ians) have been affected, Freemuse has just published an extensive report written by Andy Morgan. The 64-page report can be downloaded here.

Speaking of peace, a couple of friends have recently returned to Somalia where the saints of doom are being dompted. The track below is for them as well as for anyone anywhere who is in a similar precarious situation.

Kooxda Halgan_Badbaado Guri Hooyo (1978) ("Safe Home")

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And this one is whole-midfing-heartedly dedicated to the warlords in Somalia and everywhere else:

Horseed_Gabbalaa Iisoo Garguurtee (197x) ("The Sun/set is Crawling To Me")

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Update: The project is fully crowd-funded. A lot of guitars and amplifiers are collected and will soon be shipped to Mali where the making of the documentary will start. An impression:

impression Music for Mali 'repairday' at MuzyQ from Murk-Jaep van der Schaaf on Vimeo.

Festivals in the Netherlands paid a special attention to Malian music and collected instruments, e.g. Festival Muziek op de Dommel in Eindhoven:

You can follow how the project is progressing on Facebook or via the newsletter

Update 2: Check also Sahel Calling, "an interactive, musical project to raise awareness about the refugees, internally-displaced persons and the people living in the conflict-affected areas of Mali and the Sahel".