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// Maryam Mursal
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Maryam Mursal
Mursal spent seven months crossing the Horn of Africa, mostly on foot, in search of a home. Accompanied by her five children, she fled the civil war that was ravaging her native Somalia: "With my own eyes, I saw dogs devouring human beings, animals feeding on corpses in the street. That was when I knew it was time to leave". Her odyssey ended at the Danish Embassy in Djibouti, where she obtained the visa that allowed her to start a new life in Denmark.
"Somalia's Golden Voice", as she is known, is used to adversity and twists of fate. Her career began in 1966 when she became the most famous female star in a Muslim society dominated by men. Her repertoire was originally based on traditional Somalian songs, with their mix of Arab and African influences. Sung a capella or accompanied by simple percussion or oud--the Arab instrument that gave rise to the lute--these songs form the heart of New Dawn, her first disc released in the West, in 1997. Maryam also delved into the world of R&B and became the privileged performer of what is known as "Somalian jazz" or "Somalian blues" (as demonstrated on her second Western release, The Journey).
The European public discovered Maryam Mursal at the 1997 Womad festival in Reading, where her success was such that the organisers had to schedule a second concert at the last minute. And Peter Gabriel's Real World gave her a contract for two albums.
Magali Bergès
// ALSO
- Sally Nyolo
- Gito Baloi
- Geoffrey Oryema
- K’naan’s track Wavin’ Flag selected as World Cup 2010 official anthem
- WOMAD at the TOWER OF LONDON 19 & 20 September 2009 - win tickets!
- Tony Allen 70 – Nigeria 50. A night to celebrate the man who put the beat in Afrobeat.
- Music from the Sahara, Music from the Sahara: the sound of the desert
- Kenyan Connections, Extra Golden
- womex 2009, October 31st
// DISCOGRAPHY
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The Journey (Album)// LINKS
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