SOMALIA: MUSIC AND DANCE

In most Western music traditions, they use a heptatonic scale. In other words, a seven-note scale. However, much of Somalian music is based on the five-note scale called the pentatonic scale (imagine just playing the black keys on a piano). I typically think of the pentatonic scale as sounding "Asian" since a few music traditions in Asia utilize it. However, there are many other musical traditions around the world that are based on the pentatonic scale as well. It shares many commonalities with the music of nearly areas like Ethiopia and Sudan and even the Arabian Peninsula.

Somali music also utilizes many similar instruments as well. First of all, they use quite a variety of percussion instruments from different kinds of drums (like mokhoddon, massondhe, jabbu, and yoome) as well as different clappers made from metal (shagal) or wood (shanbaal), rattles (shunuuf) and xylophones (tenegyo). There are stringed instruments like lyres (shareero), lutes (kinaandha, oud), a one-stringed violin (seese), and a thumb piano (similar to an mbira maybe?) called a madhuube. Also heard in Somali music are a variety of wind instruments such as double clarinets (sumaari), flutes (malkad, siinbaar), horns (gees-goodir), and trumpets (fuugwo).

There are many different kinds of traditional dances in Somalia, and many of them vary based on region. A good portion of these dances have a basis in mimicking everyday life for them, but there are also dances that encompass folklore and historic tales. One of the most widely known dances is the Dhaanto dance. This dance mimics the movements of the camel, but is also steeped in Islamic poetry. Originally, it was specifically a dance from the Darod tribe of the Ogaden clan; however, it was revived during the early part of the 20th century as a way to rally the soldiers. Other dances found in areas of Somalia include the Wilwile (a warrior dance of the Issa people), the Jaandheer (from the Isaac tribe of Somaliland and eastern Ethiopia), the Saylaci dance (a Suufi-inspired dance of the Samaroon/Gidabursi clan), and the Niiko dance (from the Hawiye people).

The origins of what we call popular music began to form during the 1930s, and within the next decade, lyrics based on the qaraami style of poetry popularized by Elmi Boodhari became the thing. In fact, it's still popular today. (Some things are timeless, right? I still listen to American music of the 1930s and 1940s.) Today many musicians and bands have mixed traditional styles with the modern styles of rock, pop, jazz, and even other world styles like reggae and bossa nova.

Aar Maanta

I found several artists on Spotify that I sampled. The first was Aar Maanta. I liked what I heard from him. It was kind of chill, with a reggae feel at times and uses strings and horns in much of his music. I’m not even sure what I’d call it, but I just know that I like it.

Yasminah was an R&B musician I listened to who’s actually a Somali-American. She kind of reminds me of Kenza Farah, except her songs are all in English (at least the ones I heard). I liked the few songs I listened to.

And then I listened to Dur-Dur Band. Very much of an older style that reminds me of an African blues style and funk at times. The instruments I noticed is their use prominent use of the bass guitar and the organ in the background. They even have a song called “Dab” which I showed my almost-10-year-old son who dabs All. The. Time.

K'naan

I finally listened to K’naan, a Somali-Canadian rapper. I loved it! I have heard of him but maybe only to the extent of seeing his name. He definitely uses a lot of African styles and themes mixed into his music. Many of his songs seem to use rock and funk and other styles as the basis underneath it all – kind of like what Bliss N Eso does.

Maryam Mursal

Another musician whose music seems to integrate some funk and folk rock influences here and there is Maryam Mursal. The vocal styles are still definitely steeped in African and Arabian techniques, but it’s interesting to listen to the merge of several cultures.

Waayaha Cusub

Finally, I listened to Waayaha Cusub. This group mixes Middle Eastern styles with some hip-hop. They do a good job at blending the rhythms of the vocal lines with the instrumental melodic lines. In listening to their music, they span from sounding like club mixes to more chill adult contemporary.

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DJIBOUTI: MUSIC AND DANCE

The music from the Afars and Somalis, the two major ethnic groups in Djibouti, has characteristics of the music from neighboring Ethiopia (and other regions in the Horn of Africa) as well as from Arab music. 

In the Somali traditions, their music is closely tied to their oral folklore traditions. This is also true in the Afar cultures as well.  I normally think of the pentatonic scale as being distinctly Asian (the pentatonic scale is one that is built upon five notes, as opposed to most Western music which is built on a seven-note scale – the pentatonic scale is like playing all the black keys on a piano.)  I found it very interesting how Somali songs were composed. It’s not just the idea from one person – it’s a collaboration effort, a group expression.  The lyricist, the composer, and the singer all have their say and input into coming up with the song. 

A style of music called balwo was started in the mid-1940s.  Its foundation is attributed to Abdi Sinimo.  Balwo is a combination of music and poetry that often deals with love and passion.  The poetry these are generally built around a type of short poem. 

Some of the common instruments featured in Djiboutian music are the tanbura (a long-necked stringed instrument somewhat similar to a sitar and goes by a lot of different names), bowl lyre (similar to a lyre that I think of in Greek Antiquity, but most of the time larger; usually made from a gourd, shells, bones, or wood, and in many African lyres, there isn’t a bridge, so the strings will vibrate against the soundboard, creating a buzzing sound), the oud (a short-necked string instrument with a large resonating chamber, often considered the ancestor of the modern guitar, folklore says the oud was created by Adam’s sixth grandson after the death of his son), and a variety of drums. 

Popular music in Djibouti is a little harder to find. There was very little in Spotify, although there was a Wikipedia page that listed several artists.  And there are also several websites that I came up with when I did a Google search for the best Djiboutian musicians.  One musician that I did come across is Fatouma Mansour. I've found a few videos of her music.  

And I also found this:

And this, which is around two hours long, but the first few minutes remind me of the Delta Blues a bit...

There aren’t too many traditional dances that I found information for. There are a few folkloric dances out there, like in this short video.  One traditional dance of the Afar people that I did find mentioned is an oracle dance called the jenile.  This dance is tied to their ancient Cushitic religion, predating the Islam that is practiced today.  There are parts of these dances that were actually incorporated into certain ceremonies that are held in Sufi Islam (the dominant Islamic sect in this area).  As far as this dance goes, it’s not so much necessarily what we might consider a “dance” per se. The jenile, who can be a man or woman, will enter a trance and then delivers oracles.  The men will then for a circle around the jenile while chanting and clapping their hands together.  Then the men in the circle – without moving their feet – will bend forward, chanting faster and faster, until the jenile in the middle answers their questions. I think it’s more or less an example of how the arts (music, art, dance, literature) are so incorporated in their ways of life, their views on how societies work, and their views about the world in general that it’s really hard to pull it apart. 

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