Kayd Somali Arts & Culture, with its partners, is proud to present its 10th Anniversary of Kayd’s Somali Week Festival. The festival, an integral part of the United Kingdom Black History Month, will run from 19th October to 28th October 2018. Come and see the new play ‘Arawelo’ created by Queen of Sheba International. Arawelo is the first play of its kind, a modern retelling of a Somali classic; the evening concludes with a performance by the spectacular Aar Maanta and The Urban Nomads.
Famed Somali musician Aar Maanta is coming to St. Cloud for a week-long residency October 7 -13 and will perform on the Paramount stage October 13 at 7:30 pm with his band The Urban Nomads!
With Aar Maanta’s talent, passion and will power, he is today revered as one of the most creative and talented Somali musicians both in the Horn of Africa and the Diaspora. After the challenges of an uprooted childhood and resettlement due to the Revolution in Somalia, Aar had to overcome further obstacles to arrive at this point in his career.
Residing in London since the 1990’s, Aar Maanta formed his band, The Urban Nomads, a multinational and multi-talented collective. Tony Benjamin of Bristol Post summed up a recent concert in London with the following review “The band sound is nicely dominated by articulate hand drum and swooning sax/guitar interplay, the rhythms varying from slinky North African to choppy reggae and a couple of grandstand funk numbers, with Aar Maanta’s soulful vocals soaring over them all. It’s a fine voice, too, with the dusty echo of desert dust colouring the sweetness of his tone.” Aar Maanta has performed at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis to a packed house that included a very mixed audience of local Somali, near-by college students and larger community members coming together to enjoy wonderful music and a powerful message.
Aar Maanta is a Somali-British singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. Aar Maanta spent his early years in Somalia, but on the eve of the civil war in the early 1990’s, he moved to the UK. Some describe his music as “afro-hop”:afro because it’s African music and hop because it hops among Somali styles and such genres as jazz, reggae, and house music. His is the music and the voice of a new generation. “Aar Maanta aims to make music that reaches uprooted Somalis, which addresses the unique issues of those living outside of their homeland” (MPR News). His international touring band includes Italian bass player Ruth Goller, British/South African saxophonist Josh Cutler, French guitarist Thibaut Remy, and Nepalese/Scottish drummer Pharoah Smeaton Russell.
Friday, September 28
Saturday, September 29
MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State University, Mankato Performance Series offers the opportunity for students and community members to interact with international Somali artist Aar Maanta (pictured) and The Urban Nomads, who will be appearing in Mankato for a week-long residency September 17 – 22, 2018!
Join us at the Kato Ballroom, 200 Chestnut Street, Mankato on Saturday, September 22 for an evening of music and culture by Aar Maanta and his band, The Urban Nomads. The show begins at 7:30 PM with a set by Irie Minds.
The Cedar Cultural Center celebrates its 30th anniversary this fall at the 10th Annual Global Roots Festival taking place September 15-19 2018. Over the last ten years, The Cedar’s signat
ure Global Roots Festival has offered Twin Cities audiences free, in-depth access to new artistic voices from around the world, fulfilling The Cedar’s mission to promote intercultural appreciation and understanding through global music.
The first night of the Festival, Saturday September 15th is a ticketed 30th Birthday Celebration featuring two artists of significance to the Cedar Riverside neighbourhood’s history of immigration:
HOVEN DROVEN “Ringing strings, power pop, E2 brass, and one bell-for-leather tune with acid guitar feedback.”— FolkRoots
AAR MAANTA “The voice of a new Somali generation” — Minnesota Public Radio
City Hall Square fills up with people, colours, scents, sounds and experiences. The Mela Festival is a free-entry festival for the whole family. The annual event features dance, theatre, arts and crafts, and music from different parts of the world including Aar Maanta and his band The Urban Nomads.
Aar Maanta kommer til Kulturnatta lørdag 11. november, og spiller konsert i Sliperiet kl. 22.00.
Den somalisk-britiske artisten gjør stor suksess i Europa med sitt multinasjonale band. Aar Maanta er anerkjent for sin kombinasjon av tradisjonell somalisk musikk og et bredt spekter av moderne musikksjangere, også beskrevet som «afro-hop».
Aar Maanta and his multinational band ‘The Urban Nomads’ are bringing their mix of traditional Somali music with reggae, funk, and rock from London to Larvik. Headlining this year’s Larvik Culture Night Festival. For more info about the event and tickets please click on the link below.
This year as always, Somali Week Festival will culminate in the ever popular Final Beats concert featuring a unique and wonderful lineup of Somali singers. The evening will be headlined by the wonderful Hodan Abdirahman, from the United States, daughter of the legendary singer Amina Abdullahi. She will be joined by Mursal Muse, one of the founding members of Xidigaha Geeska, the only post-war band to emerge from Somaliland, now enjoying a successful solo career, Hodan Omar Dhule daughter of another beloved artist Omar Dhuule. UK based singers Cabdirisaaq Gaadaco will be sharing the stage with Aar Maanta to round-up the night with inspiring singing and dancing to carry us over until the next year!
Amal @ Greenbelt is a new venue showcasing Muslim artistry, ideas, conversation and spirituality and curated for us by Chicago-based cultural producer Asad Ali Jafri. Building on our long history of welcoming Muslim thinkers and artists, Amal @ Greenbelt represents the next stage on this long and important journey of deeper understanding and celebration.
MUSIC SHOWCASE, FT: ZAMAAN AND AAR MAANTA
‘Zamaan’, meaning time in Arabic and often referring to the past, is a growing project between Rihab Azar & Jamal Al Sakka that revives, celebrates and builds on gems of Arabic and Middle-Eastern music. Featuring the oud and percussion, the project presents both sung and instrumental repertoire. Aar Manta, singer/ songwriter, is described by young Somalis in the UK as ‘the voice of our generation’ because of his songs relevancy to Somali immigrants. A multi-instrumentalist, he plays keyboard and oud — a staple of traditional Somali music.
JOURNEYS FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL:
A free Festival weekend that celebrates influences and talent from around the world in one weekend. Jubilee Square will be transformed into a vibrant melting pot with a main stage of world music delights, street food vendors (Saturday only) and hands-on, artist led creative workshops, influenced by every corner of the globe.
Join us for a showcase of the finest beats, spoken word and musical fusions to fill your ears. Dust off those dancing shoes Leicester and head to Jubilee Square!