Somali Liberation Songs

Colin Legum

doi:10.1017/S0022278X00001415

Somali Liberation Songs

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 November 2008

Colin Legum

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The Republic of Somali has recently been conducting a militant campaign for the reunification of ‘the five parts of the Somali nation’—British Somaliland and Italian Somalia (already united), French Somaliland, the Ethiopian regions of the Ogaden, the Haud, and the Reserved Area, and the Northern Frontier District (N.F.D.) of Kenya. The two principal weapons in this campaign have been diplomacy and the radio. This article is concerned with one aspect of the radio war—the series or Somali songs and poems broadcast regularly between September and December 1963 from Mogadishu, and to a lesser extent from Radio Cario.

Type: Articles
Information: The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 1 , Issue 4 , December 1963 , pp. 503 - 519

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X00001415 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1963

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^{Page 503 note 1} Andrzejewski, B. W., ‘Poetry in Somali Society’, in New Society (London), 21 03 1963.Google Scholar

^{Page 503 note 2} Andrzejewski, and Lewis, I. M. have prepared a volume of Somali Poetry which will be published by Clarednon Press in 1964.Google Scholar

^{Page 504 note 1} Andrzejewski, op. cit.

^{Page 504 note 2} I am indebted to John Drysdale for this classification.

^{Page 504 note 3} ‘Especially since the last war, the themes which in the past were connected with inter-clan affairs have often been replaced by ones connected with party politics. For a political party it is a great asset to have a good poet devoted to its cause: poems in praise of sultans and clan chiefs are increasingly giving way to panegyrics on party leaders and members of the Government, and political crises are enlivened by poetic bombardments from all sides.’ Andrzejewski, op. cit.

^{Page 504 note 4} All the songs quoted here have been collected and translated by the B.B.C. Monitoring Service, Caversham Park, Reading, Berkshire, as reproduced in the ‘Summary of World Broadcasts’, Part IV. Owing to bad reception conditions, at times, some of the words were not heard distinctly; these are indicated by (?). Because all are translations it is obviously impossible to say to which of the six poetic forms they belong.

^{Page 505 note 1} Excerpts from final passage of religious poem; ‘Needs of the Somali People’ programme, Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 20 September 1963.

^{Page 505 note 2} Text of song by Mohammed Yusuf; Ibid. 13.15 G.M.T., 3 October 1963.

^{Page 505 note 3} Text of song by Tolmon; Ibid.

^{Page 506 note 1} Excerpts from songs composed and sung by Sufi Ali, interspersed with Benadir words; Ibid. 13.15 G.M.T., 11 October 1963.

^{Page 506 note 2} Cairo, Radio in Somali, 16.45 G.M.T., 16 07 1963.Google Scholar

^{Page 507 note 1} Ibid.

^{Page 507 note 2} Injirlay—the term used by Somalis in Ethiopia to describe Ethiopians, excluding Tigre, Gala, and Eritrean people.

^{Page 507 note 3} Cairo, Radio, in Somali, 16.45 G.M.T., 27 09 1963.Google Scholar

^{Page 508 note 1} ‘Needs of the Somali People' programme, Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 14 August 1963.

^{Page 509 note 1} Excerpt from poem by Arrays Issa; Ibid. 13.15 G.M.T., 6 November 1963.

^{Page 511 note 1} ‘Needs of the Somali People’ programme, Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 23 October 1963.

^{Page 511 note 2} Ibid. 13.15 G.M.T., 9 September 1963.

^{Page 512 note 1} ‘Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 17.00 G.M.T., 27 September 1963.

^{Page 512 note 2} Ibid. 13.15 G.M.T., 1 October 1963.

^{Page 512 note 3} Towns in the N.F.D.

^{Page 512 note 4} Text of song by ‘Duniya’; Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 11 October 1963.

^{Page 514 note 1} Radio, Mogadishu in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 22 10 1963.Google Scholar

^{Page 514 note 2} Ibid.

^{Page 514 note 3} Ibid. 14.52 G.M.T., 22 October 1963.

^{Page 515 note 1} Ibid. 13.15 G.M.T., 25 October 1963.

^{Page 515 note 2} The washer of the bodies of the dead.

^{Page 516 note 1} The fourth Caliph.

^{Page 516 note 2} ‘Needs of the Somali People’ programme, Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 28 October 1963.

^{Page 516 note 3} Radio, Mogadishu in Swahili, 15.10 G.M.T., 30 10 1963.Google Scholar

^{Page 517 note 1} Excerpt form song by Tolman; ‘Needs of the Somali people’ programme, Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 30 October 1963.

^{Page 517 note 2} Text of song by Ali Abdullah Gureh; Ibid. 13.15 G.M.T., 6 November 1963.

^{Page 518 note 1} Excerpt from poem; Radio Mogadishu in Somali, 13.00 G.M.T., 5 April 1963.

^{Page 518 note 2} Fiin is the name of a bird said to utter its call day and night in times of war.

^{Page 518 note 3} Excerpt from poem; ‘Needs of the Somali People’ programme, Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 19 September 1963.

^{Page 518 note 4} Excerpts from poem by Arrey Issa Karshe; Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 14.40 G.M.T., 1 November 1963.

^{Page 519 note 1} Excerpts from poem by Ali Ilmi Afyareh. ‘Needs of the Somali People’ programme, Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 12 November 1963.

^{Page 519 note 2} Andrzejewski, B. W. and Galaal, Musa H. I., ‘A Somali Poetic Combat’, in Journal of African Languages (London), II, 1, 2 and 3, 1963.Google Scholar

^{Page 519 note 3} Nairobi Radio in English, 16.10 G.M.T., 12 November 1963.

^{Page 519 note 4} From a song by Habon Abdillahi; ‘Needs of the Somali People’ programme, Mogadishu Radio in Somali, 13.15 G.M.T., 12 December 1963.

^{Page 519 note 5} Daily Nation (Nairobi), 5 12 1963.Google Scholar

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