Musicians, actors and artists
Ali Feiruz (Cali Fayruus)
Ali Abdi Feiruz (1931 to 1994) was a Somali musician and one of the first popular players of the kaban, the Somali oud. Born in Djibouti, he began his career at Radio Hargeisa in the late 1950s and played with the Walaalaha Hargeisa and Waaberi groups. He composed the tune 'Ilaahayow waa kugu mahad', released at independence in 1960.
Ali FeiruzCali Fayruus · Ali Abdi Feiruz
- Lived
- 1931 to 1994
- Known as one of
- Musicians, actors and artists
- Era
- Toward independence, 1920 to 1960; The Republic, 1960 to 1991; Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012
- Sources
- 2 sources
Who was he?
Ali Abdi Feiruz was a Somali musician (Wikipedia, Ali Feiruz). His family was Habar Awal (Isaaq) (same source).
Life
He was born in Djibouti in 1931 (Wikipedia). He moved to Hargeisa in the late 1950s and to Mogadishu in 1973 (same source). He died in Djibouti in mid-1994 (same source). See Somalis in Djibouti.
Music
His career began at Radio Hargeisa in the late 1950s (Wikipedia). He was one of the first popular Somali players of the kaban, or oud, in the 1950s (same source). In the 1960s he added guitar, violin and accordion to his performances (same source).
He was a member of the Walaalaha Hargeisa group and later of the Waaberi troupe (same source). Music in Africa describes Walaalaha Hargeisa as the group that "further elevated the heello genre" in those years (Music in Africa). That source does not name him.
He composed the tune "Ilaahayow waa kugu mahad" (Wikipedia). Its release coincided with the independence of the former British Somaliland protectorate in 1960 (same source). As of 2012 it was still the opening theme of the news on Radio Mogadishu and Radio Hargeisa (same source). Wikipedia notes his influence on Somali musicians of the 1960s and 1970s (same source). See Somali music and Abdullahi Qarshe.
In short
An oud player and composer from Djibouti who worked at Radio Hargeisa and with Waaberi, and composed a tune used as a radio news theme.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Ali Feiruz · en.wikipedia.org
- Music in Africa · musicinafrica.net
Ali FeiruzCali Fayruus · Ali Abdi Feiruz
- Lived
- 1931 to 1994
- Known as one of
- Musicians, actors and artists
- Era
- Toward independence, 1920 to 1960; The Republic, 1960 to 1991; Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012
- Sources
- 2 sources
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Connected
Where this matters
- Muqdisho (Mogadishu) and BanaadirMogadishu (Muqdisho) is Somalia's capital and makes up the Banadir region, with about 2.97 million people in 20 districts.
- Hargeysa (Hargeisa) and Woqooyi GalbeedWoqooyi Galbeed is the north-western region that holds Hargeisa (Hargeysa) and the port of Berbera, with about 1 to 1.45 million people.
Same era
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