Somalis find meaning in prewar music

The Somali language now competes with Arabic and English – and traditional Waaberi music with US rap artist Eminem.

By Ginny Hill

from the April 30, 2007 edition

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"Libiqsi is a very rich expression. It's an old-fashioned Somali word that means 'love,'" says Mohammed.

"You know that feeling right at the beginning of your engagement, when you're so in love, and so shy and bashful that you can't even look your fiancée in the eye?" he asks. "That's libiqsi."

Mohammed is my translator and host. He's driving me to a meeting in downtown Bossaso, a thriving port on the north coast of Somalia. We're listening to a love song on the car stereo by a Somali supergroup called the Waaberi Band, or the Morning Sunshine Band. It's an upbeat tune with a cheerful, colorful sound.

This musical collective dominated the Somali music scene throughout the 1980s. But when Siad Barre's government collapsed in 1991, the musicians fled the country. Now, some of Waaberi's 40 members have regrouped in exile. They are guaranteed crowd-pullers at diaspora weddings in North America and Europe. And they're still issuing new releases.

After our meeting, Mohammed takes me to a music shop in the market area near the port. He points out Waaberi tapes for sale – $1 each – alongside bootleg cassette copies of albums by Eminem and Destiny's Child.

"Most young Somali men listen to rap music, which is full of meaningless words. They use jacayl when they want to say 'I love you' to their wives and girlfriends, but it's a simple term," he says. "They use the everyday Somali phrases, and they don't understand more sophisticated metaphors and idioms."

Mohammed does his linguistic homework while he's driving.

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