Musicians, actors and artists

Mohamed Sulayman Tubeec (Maxamed Saleebaan Tubeec)

Mohamed Saleban Tubeec (1941–2014) was a Somali singer, songwriter and record producer from near Berbera. He joined the Walaalaha Hargeisa band under Abdullahi Qarshe in 1960 and sang for independence, then moved to Mogadishu with Waaberi. After 1991 he lived in Djibouti and Denmark. He died in Germany on 11 March 2014 and was given a state funeral in Mogadishu.

Last checked 2026-11-12 1 source Reading time: 2 min

Mohamed Sulayman TubeecMaxamed Saleebaan Tubeec · Mohamed Saleban Tubeec

Lived
1941 to 2014
Era
Toward independence, 1920 to 1960; The Republic, 1960 to 1991; Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012; Who holds power, 2012 to now
Sources
1 sources

Who was he?

Mohamed Saleban Tubeec was a Somali singer, songwriter and record producer (Wikipedia, Mohamed Sulayman Tubeec). Wikipedia says his songs were known for their emphasis on political justice (same source). See Somali music.

Early life

He was born in 1941 in Laaleys, near Berbera, in British Somaliland (Wikipedia). He grew up in Berbera, Hargeisa and Burao (same source). His father, Saleban Tubeec, was a blacksmith, and Wikipedia gives his clan as Madhibaan (same source). His mother's family came from Hami, in Hadhramaut, Yemen (same source). See minority communities.

In 1959 he moved to Djibouti with his older brother Jama Tubeec, also a singer, and began his career there (same source).

Walaalaha Hargeisa and Waaberi

In 1960 he returned to Hargeisa and joined the Walaalaha Hargeisa band led by Abdullahi Qarshe (Wikipedia). In the 1960s he sang for Somali independence with the band (same source). After independence and union he moved to Mogadishu with members of the Waaberi group (same source).

His songs include Hooyo iyo aabbe, Nasteexo, Deeqa, Diiriyoow, Ammaanada ilaahay, Gufaaco, Alla maanta ayaanta, Aramidu and Waqti (Wikipedia).

Exile

After the civil war began, he moved to Djibouti and then to Kolding in Denmark, where he released the album Nasteexo (Wikipedia). In April 2013 he composed the melody for "Iisoo dhawaaw", sung by Hodan Abdirahman with Abdifatah Yare (same source). See Somalis in Denmark.

Death

He died in a hospital in Germany on 11 March 2014 (Wikipedia). On 16 March 2014 the Federal Government held a state funeral for him, attended by ministers, members of parliament and artists (same source). He is buried at General Kaahiye Cemetery in Mogadishu (same source).

In short

A singer of Walaalaha Hargeisa and Waaberi who sang for independence in the 1960s and was given a state funeral in 2014.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, Mohamed Sulayman Tubeec · en.wikipedia.org

Mohamed Sulayman TubeecMaxamed Saleebaan Tubeec · Mohamed Saleban Tubeec

Lived
1941 to 2014
Era
Toward independence, 1920 to 1960; The Republic, 1960 to 1991; Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012; Who holds power, 2012 to now
Sources
1 sources

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