Waa Dardaaran

When Somaliland’s Somali National Movement (SNM) took up arms against Somali despot Siad Barre and fought for independence, Sahra Halgan offered her first-aid services, and when the troops ran out of medicine she would soothe the injured with her voice. A proud Somalilander, she has been using her voice to fight for independence and international recognition for her country since the 1980s. She has toured the world with her band, Sahra Halgan Trio, which she formed when she was forced to live in exile in France, proudly waving the Somaliland flag; upon returning to Somaliland she opened Hiddo Dhowr, the first music venue since the war, as a way to try to stand up against the conservative and religious forces who are trying to wipe out Somali culture. Waa Dardaaran, the second album by Sahra Halgan, captures all of her determination and power. In traditional Somali poetry style, she sings about love, relationships, and nation-building in her unique warbling voice, accompanied by Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp guitarist Maël Salètes, who injects the record with some loud rock energy, and percussionist Aymeric Krol, who adds some West African rhythms into the mix. Halgan’s music is a tribute to the resilience of Somalis and their determination to keep their culture alive, even in the face of war and oppression.