Somali Art Entertainment

[Che -Guevara]

Alpha Blondy;713923 wrote:

dont ask questions which are vague and open-ended.

Was only thing deserving to ask of shortsighted views on people you know little.

 

"more than you've ever done."

 

Good job-make us proud then:)

[Complete]

Chimera, you always have interesting posts I enjoy looking over. Great collections. Keep up the good work.

 

This thread makes me wish I could have majored in Visual Arts and carried on my career as an artist, most likely in filmography and/or photography. Right now it's just a hobby. But kudos to all these Somalis.

 

Al-Miskiin;713924 wrote:

I must the "the negative one" and say, I dont see these people as "Talented Somalis"(most of them)! I'm saying this because

it's soo far from our Somali cultur

, and last but not least the most important thing in the world for us, our religion.

I must ask you, what exactly is Somali culture? Culture is not constant. It's forever changing. It changes and shifts with time. Being that we are Somalis in the Diaspora, there are and frankly will be new found definitions for many things considered taboo in our classical culture. What's art for many is not art for some. I personally believe art is a mode of expression. It is arguably the most creative way of communication possible. Modeling is not my cup of tea but who am I to say it's not art? They're displaying or should I say exhibiting someones collection of art on a runway.

 

All in all, these are Somalis who have made it somewhere in the world and deserve credit. We often complain about Somalis who sit around coffee shops doing jack-squat to better their lives yet can't compliment Somalis who've built themselves from the ground up even if we do not agree with their lifestyles. Give credit where credit is due.

 

Yikes! Nurudin Farah befriending Salman Rushdie and receiving praise from him is really problematic, for me at least. I've read Satanic Verses for a religions course and may I reiterate what reviewers have said, that book is garbage! It's a poorly written book that received terrible reviews yet if it weren't for the controversy behind this book and the hyped it received, people would have just looked at it as just that...a deplorable book written by an awful author.

[Chimera]

I have learned people with pretentious or off-base comments in these type of topic are basically the internet versions of Extremists and militiamen, whose mentality is very similar to the ones that made(make) life so difficult for those back home including inspirational athletes like Samia and Abdi. Read their story here. In our community there are many obstacles, the most severe ones being other humans.

 

Their entire purpose in life is to make sure they disturb the peace of other Somalis, to make sure whatever they have achieved is degraded, to make sure nobody hi-jacks the Somali name and presents it in a good light. A crab-in-the-bucket mentality as a result of their own severe lack of talent.

 

Evendo they are the WORST ambassadors to anything that can be considered SOMALI, they make it their business to twart any young talented Somali from pursuing their aspirations. That same fatalistic mindset allows them to praise a member that creates a topic full of criminals yet you will see them foaming at the mouth when - undisputedly - most talented and globally celebrated crop of Somali men and women are illuminated.

 

Its irrelevant if I personally disapprove of Nuruddin's friendships, or other aspects of the talented Somalis, this however doesn't change the fact that they are TALENTED and recognised as such by the world, yes their is a larger world than your own little bubble.

 

If I had time for these attacks on my supposed Somaliness, I would continue, but I don't. If you don't like my topics please kindly piss off.

[Alpha Blondy]

adam, saxib your taking this a little too person. i asked legitimate questions and you construed as personal attacks. these issues are bigger one persons' sense of themselves, lets not personalise the issues being deliberated but exchange views in a good manner. we all have opinions but dont force yours down peoples throats - however enlightened you may think they are. cheers.

[Chimera]

I think you're misunderstanding my original intention with this topic completely. I have no interest in answering questions filled with fallacies. Please make your own topic if you believe mine is wrong.

 

In the meantime I will ask the admin to split the comments to a different topic and keep this solely as a list of talented Somalis.

[Complete]

On a lighter note...

 

Chimera;713896 wrote:

NADIFA MOHAMED

- RISING AUTHOR

As I was searching and reading reviews of her book, I bumped into this video:

 

 

[Chimera]

^Thanks brother!

 

---

 

PRINCE ABDI - COMEDIAN

 

 

 

[Chimera]

AAR MAANTA - SINGER/BAND

 

 

The Day “Mr Today” Came to Town – Aasia Ali

 

I am a Somali mother of one, from Uxbridge West London, who has not written anything this long since leaving university nearly six years ago. Please stay with me while I explain the title of my article and the events that led me to write my first blog.

 

One Sunday afternoon last month I went shopping with my son to nearby Hayes, which is a west London town in the London Borough of Hillingdon with a diverse population. However, when you look closely the different communities of Hayes are often segregated, hardly mixing and only socializing with their own. What is more saddening is the fact that my community is even more segregated on the basis of gender, political, tribal and so on.

 

 

While on the bus and approaching our stop we heard familiar loud music and singing coming from the town centre, as I approached the stairs, through the window of our bus I could see the common bright colour dresses of Somali mothers and their children. Before I could make sense of what was going on I was literally chasing my son down the stairs, across the zebra crossing, before ending up in the mother of all Somali mother parties in Hayes town shopping centre.

 

I have only ever seen Aar Maanta in one of his videos, in a song called Saafi on the Somali channel Universal TV. For some reason, it was the only Somali song my son used to love watching. Perhaps it was the same reason why the mothers and their children at the event knew his songs so well. Nevertheless everyone seemed care free, dancing, clapping while singing along or videoing the joyful moment on their phones.

 

I was glad we arrived in time for the rest of his show. Unlike current Somali singers Aar Maanta looked comfortable singing live, sharing jokes with his audience and the group of traditionally dressed children that accompanied him. However, it wasn’t long before someone tried to disrupt our innocent family fun and turn it into a religious issue.

 

There was an elderly Somali man going around the crowd, blackmailing the mothers and pleading with them to stop their “haraam” forbidden activity. This was a test in which Aar Maanta came through really well. In between songs he directly addressed the old man “it is not forbidden to be happy, if you’re not happy with us you’re free to go elsewhere.” In no time the embarrassed elderly man disappeared. In my opinion this man and other disruptive men who always cause problems at Somali events are unhappy people who cannot see other people happy and progress.

 

This event was part of Hayes Town Festival organised with the help of Sahan Society (a Somali mother and children centre in Hayes.) Hence, the large number of mothers and their children present. However, I could see more and more shoppers of different ages and ethnicity joining the street party, enticed by the cosmopolitan mix of Western and African sounds created by Aar Maanta and the diverse members of his band. In uniting us regardless of tribe, gender and age, Aar Maanta and the organisers of that event achieved what many of our politicians and community leaders could not achieve for many years. This is what integration was all about.

 

Later that day, after going home as a new fan, I found numerous articles about Aar Maanta online, most of which surprisingly were written by none Somalis. For example, Marloes Stofferis of STARAFRICA.COM called him A Somali Culture Shaper in London. Judging by his performance and the reaction of his audience that day I had to agree with her.

 

I would like to add in his support that Aar Maanta’s music is for the present as his name suggests (Mr Today in English.) It is modern Somali music to be proud of and to share with others. As a Somali mother, that day was a liberating experience and a culturally proud moment, where members of other communities saw us in a more joyful and positive light at least for thirty minutes.

 

 

SOURCE

[Axmed-InaJaad]

Al-Miskiin;713924 wrote:

I must the "the negative one" and say, I dont see these people as "Talented Somalis"(most of them)! I'm saying this because it's soo far from our Somali cultur, and last but not least the most important thing in the world for us, our religion.

 

To give u an example, this guy called NURUDDIN FARAH, was interviewed in the country I live, and in the interview he said "that one of his best freinds in the world is Salman rushdie"! who wrote the famous book "The Satanic Verses" (about our Holy Quran.)! How can we admire, someone who loves a man like Salman rushdie? Who have violated our religion, by calling our holy book, wich we believe is the devine words of Allah, "The satanic verses"! Any man who loves this man, or calls him "my good freind" is making a serious mistake.

And further more this man(Nuuradin Farah) have ridiculed the Muslim girl's hijab, therefor a man of his caliber, dont deserve to be mentioned at All.

 

 

So i think to dedicate a thread for these kind of people and even call it a "talent" is a problem for Somalis in general and especially our young Somalis who might bee looking up to these kind of guys, instead of other decent role models(role models like sister Fatima from the "Oxford ‘off Limits’ to Star Black Pupil" thread)! Or other role models, like our prophets, Sahaba, our famouse muslim scholars, doctores, mathematicians, scientist Engineers etc.

 

Imagine young somali/muslim girls looking up to the two mataano, or Yasmin warsame(a so called supermodel), or our young boys admiring K'naan.

I dont no wich Somali/muslim parents who wants there kids to grow up and be a singer, or a supermodel.

 

What these people do is of course some kind of a "talent" when you look at it with Western eyes, but I just can't do that when I'm a Muslim, and have chosen to surrender myself to Allah the Almighty, like every other muslim in the world.

 

I'm sure they have fought for this, nothing comes easy in this world, and some of these professions are very difficult to achieve, and it's obvious that they are good at this, no doubt about it. But I would sincerely wish that they used their energy on something that did not conflict with the teachings of our religion.

Therefor when I know brother K'naan, sister Yasmin Warsame, and the sisters Ayan, and idyl(Mataano) are muslims, I wish they would change their career to something that is more suitable for a Muslim, so they can be happy not only in this world, but in the hereafter too.

 

I Have nothing personal against these people, or the author of the thread for that matter, I've never met any of them, but I'm only judging there profession, and what they do, without "hatting" on them, and I wish them the best in this world and in Akhira.

 

And remember at the end of the day, we are Muslims, no matter what we achieve in this world, it will come to an end, and the hereafter is much more important than the couple of days we are in this world, so it's all about prioritizing( this world vs The hereafter)!!!

It's all about keeping the game face on, and keeping our mind on the final Goal(Jannah), and not let Satan distract us from that.

 

I ask Allah to be merciful to our souls and may he(Allah) lead us in the right path, away from the traps of the cursed one(Shaytan).

 

Aamin yaa rabb

mashallah. people like these are everything that is wrong with somali's especially the naked models. and this chimera person(is it unisex?) is promoting them. wallahi waa wax lala yaabo. people like this are how cultures, religion and society are diluted and erased off from the face of the earth.

[Chimera]

Very amusing, considering I created a topic entitled Somali Islamic Scholars years back and nobody showed interest, nor added more scholars.

 

This new crop of SOLers - excluding Ms Moons & Vans - are a real disappointment in my opinion.

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

To the OP, thanks for posting this and keep up the good work. All these people are inspirational to any somali with an inkling of interest in the arts. Personally, N.Farah sow me through high school which gave as a monthly budget to buy books and I can assure the bulk of them were either dickins or farah or arundhati roy, am glad to have and continue to support this intelligent author. as for abdi farah, I went to my family house to cheer him up and could hardly believe he won that show, good luck to him, he has a lot of talent and many years to go inshallah.

 

as for the pessimist, haters gonna hate. what they don't understand is that their is no trail run in life, we must live to the best of it and pursue as best as we see fit. As observers, we can criticize their work but not their live decisions, to each his own, even the quran says "lakum deenukum wa liya deen"...

[Archdemos]

Keep up the good work Chimera, much appreciated bro. Is you PM function disabled?

[Blessed]

So Saqajaankii ina jaad, the khasiis extraodinaire ayaa malmahan bilaabay inuu decency ka qudbadeeyo and Alpha Blondy is taking his own boolshid seriously. Cajaayib. Whatever next, Lazy in niqaab?

 

Keep up the good work, Chimera.

[Axmed-InaJaad]

*Blessed;714288 wrote:

So Saqajaankii ina jaad, the khasiis extraodinaire ayaa malmahan bilaabay inuu decency ka qudbadeeyo and Alpha Blondy is taking his own boolshid seriously. Cajaayib. Whatever next, Lazy in niqaab?

 

Keep up the good work, Chimera.

aflagada jooji hunno ee edeb yeelo. second, you should not be praising these people as supposed muslim, they are not good role models for the muslim community.

[Somalina]

Cajiib! :mad: