Keeping Somali Music Live
Greetings everyone wherever you are in the world, this is Aar Maanta wishing you all Eid Mubarak and blessings throughout the year. I’m pleased to announce that my next show will be on Sunday 15th May, 2022. Organised by Milton Keynes Islamic Arts & Culture Organisation (MKIAC) will take place at Campbell Park Pavilion, Milton Keynes […]
For immediate release. For album reviews, interviews, and questions, please contact: info@aarmaanta.com. Today Somali musician Aar Maanta releases Children Have Priority (Ubadkaa Mudnaanta Leh), the first bilingual English & Somali children’s album in world music. Aar Maanta created the pioneering 14-track album together with Somali-American youth in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “The children are the priority,” sings Aar Maanta, […]
Here comes another reel This is more than I can feel The pressure cooker in my head The sweat freezer on my feet My temperature from 111 to 999 Paracetamol and water, they said Earthquake shivers in my bed My GP on the phone, on my chair How about a pay rise instead of […]
The Jazz Cafe will welcome Aar Maanta & The Urban Nomads on Saturday 31st August. Aar Maanta is a Somali musician whose music embraces an eclectic mix of styles including influences from rock and reggae jostling with traditional Arabic and Somali music. Tahriib (meaning irregular migration) is the first studio album created by London-based Somali […]
Somali artist Aar Maanta spent a month in Minnesota in 2018 as part of The Cedar’s Midnimo program. This brand-new video series tells the story of his residency. Learn what Midnimo means, discover the program’s impact in Minneapolis, Mankato, and St. Cloud, and get to know Aar Maanta in this five-part original series created by […]
Somali-American kids and a London musician are making music together. Minneapolis teens recently teamed up with Aar Maanta to produce the first album for Somali youth in decades. Titled “Children Have The Priority,” the album includes classic educational songs and spoken word poems. KFAI’s Emily Bright reports. (Photo by Emily Bright.)
I had the opportunity to meet the President of The Federal Republic of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Farmajo.’ Human-trafficking and secondary migration are important issues that have affected many of us including myself, and I discussed the issue in one of my songs. The song was called ‘Tahriib’ and was later used by the United Nations Refugee Council (UNHCR) for their secondary migration campaign ‘Dangerous Crossings.’ As a result of this, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to […]
Waa Caruur Soomaaliyeed oo ku nool magaalada Minneapolis oo ah halka ay deggan yihiin Soomaalida ugu badan ee gobalka Minnesota. Waxa ay la heesayaan fanaanka Xasan Nuur “Aar maanta” oo habeenkii xalay ahaa Xarunta Cedar Caltural ku daah furay albam cusub oo magaciisu yahay Ubadkaa mudnaanta leh. Albumkaan oo ay iska kaashadeen Xarunta Cedar Cultural, […]
Ubadkaa Mudnaanta Leh (“Children Have Priority”) is a new bilingual Somali-English children’s album created by London-based Somali artist Aar Maanta and youth from Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Cedar Riverside neighborhood. The album flows between generations and genres, mixing traditional Somali music with hip-hop influenced beats, spoken word and poetry, Islamic greetings, educational children’s songs, and much more. […]
How is conflict understood, organized and mediated through different art forms? How does conflict affect cultural production and discourses of war and conflict? How may cultural expressions prevent, mitigate and end violent conflict? And what inspirations and responsibilities do artists have in these processes? PRIO Centre on Culture and Violent Conflict invites you to a conversation […]