Somali music through the ages by Bashir Goth, special for Music in Africa

From its groundbreaking origins in balwo, modern Somali music of the late 20th Century phased through many genres including heello, waddani, qaraami, benadiri, jazz, reggae and others. Although music will continue to be created by Somalis wherever they set foot in the world, it is undeniably the music of the 1960s through the 1980s that remains the epitome of the potential of Somali music, as it encapsulates the collective musical memory of the Somali people.

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