Yamyam (Cabdulqaadir Xirsi Siyaad)

Who was he?

Yamyam, born Abdulkadir Hersi Siyad, was a Somali poet and playwright (Wikipedia, Yamyam). He was one of the main contributors to the Somali National Academy of Culture, and was active as a poet from the 1960s (same source). See Somali poetry.

Early life

He was born on 4 September 1946 in Wardheer, in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, to a Marehan family (Wikipedia). He began Quran school at four and finished the Quran by eight (same source). He grew up in Hargeisa (same source).

The 1972 competition and Mogadishu

He won the first formal Somali poetry competition, held in Hargeisa in 1972 (Wikipedia). He then moved to Mogadishu and worked at the new national academy of folklore, arts and literature, linked to the Somali National Theatre (same source). He joined the Waaberi troupe, and his songs were performed on Radio Mogadishu (same source). He also worked for Radio Hargeisa and taught at the Somali National University at Gaheyr and Lafoole (same source).

After Somali was first written in 1972, he was among the poets who wrote down their work rather than keep it only in oral form (same source).

Plays and poems

With Ahmed Farah Ali "Idaajaa" he wrote the verse play Dabkuu Shiday Darwiishkii ("The Fire the Dervish Lit"), about the Dervish movement (Wikipedia). Its first scene imagines the European powers dividing Africa at Berlin in 1884–85 (same source).

His poems include Gabay ammaan ah (A poem of praise), Kowda Maajo: Hambalyo 1975, Ma riyaa ma run baa (Is it a dream? Is it reality?), Soomaali baan ahay (I am Somali) and Tawxiid (1984) (Wikipedia). Wikipedia says that in October 1984 he wrote "Digo rogasho", criticising the government for neglecting social programmes, even though he was a relative of President Siad Barre (same source).

The war years

He stayed in Mogadishu through the 1990s and did not join any armed faction, according to Wikipedia (Wikipedia). At the Arta peace conference in 2000 he said he no longer celebrated national days, since Somalia lay "in ruins" (same source). He moved to Nairobi in 2001 and later to the United States (same source).

Death

He died in a car accident in Columbus, Ohio, on 22 October 2005, aged 59 (Wikipedia). See Somalis in Columbus.

In short

A Somali poet and playwright who won the 1972 Hargeisa poetry contest and co-wrote a verse play about the Dervishes.