I am a UK citizen of Somali origin, a musician with various interests and stances just like any other Londoner. I hope to share with you my views on the different candidates and factors such as my faith, which will help me decide who I vote for on Thursday May 3^rd 2012.

The Reverend of hate Abu Robert wants Londoners to vote for the British National Party’s anti immigration Carlos Cortiglia, a man from Uruguay of Spanish and Italian descent. Clearly they are not anti immigration, but anti Islam. The constant attack on my faith somewhere between the freedom of speech and “religious hatred” laws is quite worrying these days. On the topic of hatred, let me continue my analysis of the other candidates.

Blue Boris:  The man who successfully introduced those popular blue bikes which I enjoy riding in Hyde Park. Thanks to Boris also for taking away the western extension of the congestion charge and saving my household much needed cash towards our increasing utility bills. However, the man who recently went to Hayes Town to eat halal lamb with my fellow Somalis sadly lost my vote sometime back in July 2005, Borris Johnson was quoted in a Daily Telegraph article “The proposed ban on incitement to ‘religious hatred’ makes no sense unless it involves a ban on a the Koran itself.”

Red Ken: Some sections of the UK press accuse him of being too close to Muslims. However, they don’t tell you that he now represents the same political party that took Britain to war with Iraq and Afghanistan while most Londoners objected. While I admire some of Ken Livingstone’s other international political stances, locally more money was leaving my pockets thanks to his extension of the congestion charge zone and I hated those long bendy busses he introduced in London’s narrow roads.

Yellow Paddick; or is it Pink? Does anybody know what the liberal democrats represent anymore? After last year’s London riots it would make sense to vote for an ex cop with a proven record from one of London’s challenging areas Brixton. However, there’s one reason why I couldn’t vote for Brian Paddick. I maybe a liberal musician but my conscious would not let me forget the betrayal of the liberal democrats after the last elections.

Green Jones; I spend quite a few minutes a day neatly breaking down my empty drink cartons before I place them in the right coloured bins in other words I do my fair share of recycling, but as a nomad by nature a man who had to flee his natural transport (camels) back in Horn of Africa. I depend too much on my four wheels and I fly too frequently for Jenny Jones’ and her Green party’s liking, which leaves me with two candidates.

Purple Webb; I have the least to say about the guy with the pound sign pin on his jacket and the party he represents the UKIP. Everyone knows where Europe is heading. Their other policies have lost me somewhere between those of the BNP and the Conservatives.

Independent Benita; London is too diverse to be represented by one colour party politics. Siobhan Benita’s plans and campaign seems more positive and more inclusive than all the others. Therefore, for the first time I am going to think independently and vote accordingly regardless of what the polls say.

Aar Maanta

Habeenka Khamiista

Taariikhdu Markay tahay 26 April 2012

Saacada  London GMT (8da fiidnimo)

Waxaan jeclahay in dhamaan inta fankiisa xiisaysa ay suaalo waydiiyaan, suaalaha noogu soo qora hoos koment ahaan. Waxaa laga yaaba in dad badan soomaaliyeed  ama dayar Soomaaliyeed ay lasocon barnaamijka fanka ee kabaxa telefishinka Soomaaliyed Royal TV, waxaad kadaawan kartaa satarlaydka hotbird, ama shabakada fanaanka. Hadaba balanteenu waa habeenka Khamiista iyo fanaanka Aar Maanta. Waa anigoo ah Deeqa oo idinleh hamoogaanina waraysigaas inSHA ALAAH!

Aar Maanta ayaa sameyay kalsooni xaga fanka ah, madaama uu heesta ka codsaday fanaanki hore u qaday ee Xudaydi, waxaana intaas sii dheer in Xudaydi laf ahantiisa uu kabanka  u garaacayo Fanaanka Aar Maanta. Fanaaka Aar ayaa u jeeexay wado cusub fanaaniinta da,da yar, madaama u sameeyay hees muuqaal ah oo haray loo qaday, oo hadane fanaankii qaday uu ka dhax muuqdo, taas oo inta badan fananiinta da,da yar aysan samayn.

UUR HOOYO
LABA AABO WADA DHALEY IYO UBAD WALAALA AH
ARINKII YIMAADANA ISLA KAASHANAAYOO
ISLA KAASHANAAYOO ISA SIIYA GACAN
ISLA KAASHANAAYOO ISA SIIYA GACAN
INDHAHAYGU NUURKEY, NUURKEY
KU ILDOOGSADEENOOW
ADNA HAYSKU KAY LADINE
UUR HOOYOHEYGOOW
DHABARKII ADOOWGEY KII LAGA ABUUROOW
NAAS IYO ABEYDIMO KII ILA WADAAGOOW
SIDAANKUU ILOOBAA MA AHAANKAREYSO
SIDAANKUU ILOOBAA MA AHAANKAREYSO
INDHAHAYGU NUURKEY, NUURKEY
KU ILDOOGSADEENOW
ADNA HAYSKU KAY LADINE
UUR HOOYOHEYGOW
WAAYAHA ADUUNKAA INA KALA FOGEEYOO
ANA KELI AHAANTEY U ADKEYSAN MAAYEE
UMAL BAAN LA TIICAA ISMA DHAANO MADIGEE
UMAL BAAN LA TIICAA ISMA DHAANO MADIGEE
INDHAHAYGU NUURKEY, NUURKEY
KU ILDOOGSADEENOOW
ADNA HAYSKU KAY LADINE
UUR HOOYOHEYGOOW
NAFTU WAA AMAANEE AASKEYGA GEERIDA
ADEY BUD DHIGAAYOO IIGU GACAN DAMBEEYEE
DHAXALKEYGA AADMIGA KII UGU DHOWAAYOOW
DHAXALKEYGA AADMIGA KII UGU DHOWAYOOW
INDHAHAYGU NUURKEY, NUURKEY
KU ILDOOGSADEENOOW
ADNA HAYSKU KAY LADINE
UUR HOOYOHEYGOOW

Fanaanku waxa uu sheegay in dadka Soomaaliyeed looga baahan yahay inay bartaan dhaqanka iyo in ay  ilaalinyaa (“copyrightka“)xaqa heesaaga oo ay sharciga u maraan marka ay doonayaan in ay helaan album-yada heesaha ay qaadeen fanaaniintu.

“Fankeenu taageero ayuu u baahan yahay, hadii la doonayo in hidaheena iyo dhaqankeenaba uu horumaro, waa in la joojiyaa arrintan xadgudubka ah ee heesha iyo suugaanta,” ayuu yidhi Aar Maanta. ” Taageero-darada iyo meel ka dhaca waxaa ugu badan oo sameeya dukaamo dibada laga furay oo ah website-yo, hunguri weyni daraadeed si xaq daro ah u gurta heesaha si ay dad badan u soo jiitaan,”


Heesaagu waxa intaas ku daray inay jiraan fanaaniin iyo abwaano Soomaliyeed oo Afrika daruuf aad u daran ku haysato oo heesahooda bilaash lagu guranayo oo lagu  lacageystay, haddana  aan waxba loo qaban oo aan xitaa boqol dollar oo kaliya loo tuurin maadaama ay dhibaateysan yihiin, waxaanu arrintaasi ku sifeeyey xad gudub iyo xaq daro weyn.

Fanaanku waxa uu sheegay in uu ku talo jiro inuu talaabo ka qaado dhamaan websiyada sida sharci darada ah u gurta heesaha,  ha ogaadeen buu yidhi in sharcigu  qaban karo dadka maamula websiyada noocaas ah, isagoo intaa raaciyey inuu hadda uruurinayo magacyada website-yada ku xadgudba heesahiisa oo uu sharciga la tiigsan doono.

Commenting on Wardi’s death Hudeidi said “he was saddened by the news and that he would be greatly missed not only by the people of Sudan but by many others around the world who loved his message of love and unity.”

Midhaha Heesta

Dib Haddan U Eegno Dagmadeena Maanta Dadka Dabeecadooda

Daacadu Hayaraatee Dambi Laga Didaayiyo La Dugsanaayey Diinta

Maxaa Doorshay Maanta Maxaa Doorshay Maanta Maxaa Doorshay Maanta

Dunidii Nadhaaftoo Dusheenaa Lamaraa Dayaxaa La Tagaa

La Darsaa Siduu Yahay Idinkuna Dadkaygoow Sida Dugaagga isu Laysaa

Dibad U Qaxeeniyo Daal Iyo Xanuunka Duli iyo Dareen Laanta

Deris Aan Ku Doonayn Noloshoodu Duwantahay Danahana La Daadshaa

Maxaa Doorshay Maanta Maxaa Doorshay Maanta Maxaa Doorshay Maanta

For reasons I can’t point out now but of which I would like to discuss in a future blog, most of my friends including the ones previously mentioned prefer to listen to anything but Somali music. Unlike my friends I wasn’t surprised to hear about an older somali generation who could perform both in English just like the Motown legends and perform in Somali like the great Waaberi legends.


I am writing this blog for two reasons; to inform a generation of diaspora Somalis like my friends about Somali music and to recognize the contributions of some of my predecessors.  Late last year in an interview with the Somali cable tv Universal one of Somalia’s most popular singers and Waaberi legend Hassan Aadan Samatar described my music as the bridge between the old and modern Somali music. However, in my opinion if there ever was a true musical pioneer who transformed Somali music it was Mahmud Abdalla Hussen “Jerry.” The piano man and the subject of my present blog.

Jerry belonged to a generation of Somalis who were educated by Western institutions in the 1970′s, who applied their new learned knowledge and skills at home. Jerry was one of a few formally trained Somali musicians who successfully fused traditional Somali music styles like Kabebe with soul funk and jazz sounds of the early to late 1980′s. A golden era for Somali music when Somalia had more bands than Dowlad Goboleeds (regional governments in somali). One of the most successful of those bands were Iftin, Jerry joined them after leaving their rival band Shareero. In the late 1980′s Iftin were more popular than Waaberi, the official national band of Somalia, which was sponsored by the government and had the country’s national theatres, money and civil staff at their disposal. Iftin were popular due to their innovative and trendy music which appealed to the younger audience.

On a recent visit a friend from London who lives in Dubai took me to Hilton Jameirah Beach where Jerry is the resident musician. As we Entered the lounge area, Jerry was finishing Lionel Ritchie’s classic song “Hello”. He acknowledged us by jokingly playing a melody on the piano from “Ani lee baraakadaada bukeen karaaye” one of his popular songs from the 1980′s. Jerry’s happy and appreciative audience were a mix crowd of diplomats, business men and holiday makers. The kind of crowd he use to play for in Mogadishu’s Jubba and Curubo hotels.


After his performance we went to a local cafe close to the beach where we shared stories from past and present. Jerry showed us photos of many international artists he met during his time at the hotel, including the legendary American producer Quincy Jones, model Naomi Campbell and members of the band Cool and the Gang; who he said he took to the masjid for Jumma prayers during a stay at his hotes. It was a wonderful evening sitting, reminiscing with the legendary Jerry about the golden era of Somali music and of life in Mogadishu before the war. Jerry told us how “Ani lee baraakadaada bukeen karaaye” was in fact a disguised ‘diss song’ aimed at a Mogadishu artist from a rival band. I bet my friends never thought that well before “2pac and Biggie” this was happening in the streets of Mogadishu.

For the first time I was able have a meaningful technical conversation about music with a fellow Somali musician from a previous generation. If like me you prefer your Shaah and Sheeko with people who can relate to you based on your life interests rather than clan and tribe relations, please search your community for those rare innovative individuals who contributed to the happiness of our people. Insha Allah next time I meet Jerry and our other unique artists will be back home, hopefully one day my generation and future generations will be able to experience the liberal and tolerant lives that our parents were lucky enough to experience.


Jerry plays at the Jamierah Beach Hilton Dubai every evening from 8pm, if your next in Dubai a stop at the Hilton is a must, I’m sure he will welcome you with open arms just like the beezaani people of Banaadir used to do. I hope to invite Jerry and a few friends from his era to join us for a live web chat discussion in the very near future. Check out my twitter and facebook for more info about the time and day.

Since the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991 stealing of Somali intellectual property has been taken place in two ways:

1 – Mechanical; Duplication of Cd’s, tapes, books, art and photography without permission and selling them on for profit. There is also the uploading of unauthorized material on websites that provide them for free in order to channel more traffic to these websites and earn money from advertising. I lost count the number of times I uploaded exclusive material on my youtube channel or website only to find them re edited and uploaded on other’s websites without my permission?

2 – The other specific topic that I wish to mention in my blog; is the pirating or re-recording of classic Somali songs by new Somali artists in the Diaspora. These pirate singers do this in order to gain fame and make money. While the rightful owners of these songs are often back in Africa living in poverty, the pirate singers are happy rolling in the money from playing at weddings and venues all over the world performing popular songs they never wrote or composed.

There is nothing wrong with reviving some sentimental songs that people can relate to every now and then. However, when almost every song on every Somali album that came out since 1991 has been a pirated song, something has seriously gone wrong with our art. Since the collapse of the Somali state our art has been looted the same way that some people’s property and material goods have been looted back in Somalia. However, while we appal the later action, we often encourage the other by paying for the services of these artists or by buying their fake work from counterfeit music stores or downloading them for free from pirate websites. In the end this only benefits the parasitical owners of these stores, websites and their Qat and Qabiil habits.


As a result most young Somalis cannot relate to Somali music any more. A lot of our young people would now rather buy American music before they would buy Somali, listen to Country before they would listen to Qaaci and even dance to Bhangra before they would dance to Banadiri. Whatever happened to originality, creativity, and innovation and with it addressing the issues of the day? After all I thought that was the role of the artist. Isn’t that what Abdillahi Suldaan (Timacade) was doing over forty years ago? When with his poetry he was predicting the dark path tribalism was leading us.

Whether you agree with my type of art or not, one can not underestimate its importance in promoting one’s heritage or culture particularly at times of struggle. Hence, the title of my last record Hiddo & Dhaqan. Forget as a nation but if we were even to survive as a race or ethnic group, we must respect each other’s property. We must also remember what we have in common and unites us; such as our language, and celebrate the positive aspects of our culture and art. That is the mission of every great nation. Because modern history taught me that conquering nations didn’t go to war with armaments only, if they did then I wouldn’t be writing this piece in English today.

As an independent artist a lot of effort and time goes into my work. I write, produce, record, mix, master and distribute most of my material. If you share my idea that music for today with a positive message has a role to play in our reconciliation process and the uplifting of our people and culture, then please help keep it a live and buy it the right way. Hiddo & Dhaqan and my other songs are available to buy online on CD baby, Apple iTunes, Amazon, Spotify.

Kuligiin waad mahadsantihiin. Waan helay midhihii iyo heestas qaraamiga ah, oo hoboladii horey u qaaday uu kamid ahaa Alah u naxariistee Axmed Mooge Liibaan, insha Allah heeso kale ama midho kale markaan u baahdo anaa mar kale soo baaqi. Salaama

This song released over a year ago criticizes what Aar Maanta sees as discrimination faced by Muslims while travelling. An issue that today he is all too familiar with. Aar is still waiting for his visa and he says it’s not just the U.S. Even traveling in and out of Britain with a British passport he says he is stopped.


It’s not just Aar. Rights groups say that increasingly stringent checks since 9/11 has led to more and more Muslims being discriminated against. Massoud Shajare of the Islamic Human Rights Commission in London says it is widespread. It seems for now many Muslims will continue to feel discriminated against.

We tried unsuccessfully to contact the U-S embassy in London for comment on Aar Maanta’s allegations.