Mogadisco: Dancing Mogadishu, Somalia 1972​-​1991 cover

Mogadisco: Dancing Mogadishu, Somalia 1972​-​1991

Recorded
1972-1991
Released

The sounds of Somalia’s Golden Era of music — when tourists and locals flocked to Lido Beach and dressed up in the latest fashion to attend nightly gigs in the Mogadishu’s coolest clubs —was defined by bands like Dur Dur, Bakaka, and Waaberi, who merged disco, soul, and funk with tribal chants and spiritual Saar music. New musical technologies contributed to the development of the Golden Era sound, as bands like Iftin made synthesizers the center of the music, like on the spellbinding “Sirmaqabe” (No Secrets) and the optimistic, uplifting “Ii Ooy Aniga” (Cry For Me).

Megan Iacobini de Fazio

Recommended by

Suggestions
Din Ya Sugri cover

Din Ya Sugri

Uppers International, Christy Azuma
Conflict Nkru! cover

Conflict Nkru!

Uhuru Yenzu, Ebo Taylor
One Understanding cover

One Understanding

Christy Essien
Universes cover

Universes

Seven Davis Jr.
Mother Africa cover

Mother Africa

The Lijadu Sisters
Armenian Pop Music cover

Armenian Pop Music

Hamlet Minassian
O Yinne! cover

O Yinne!

Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy
La'Ila cover

La'Ila

Akwassa