Magool ( so, Xaliimo Khaliif Cumar, (May 2, 1948 – March 19, 2004), born Halima Khaliif Omar, was a
Somali
Somali may refer to:
Horn of Africa
* Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region
** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis
** Somali culture
** Somali cuisine
** Somali language, a Cushitic language
** Soma ...
singer.
Early years
Magool was born in the city of
Dhuusamareeb
Dusmareb ( so, Dhuusamareeb, ar, سمريب, it, Dusa Mareb) is the capital of Galmudug state in central Somalia. The city also serves as the administrative capital of the Galguduud province.
Historically, the city was known as Daar Dheer or s ...
the capital of the
Galgaduud
Galguduud ( so, Galgaduud, ar, جلجدود, it, Galgudud or ''Ghelgudud'') is an administrative region ('' gobol'') of Galmudug state in central Somalia. Its administrative capital is Dusmareb. The largest town in the region is Abudwak, which ...
region in central
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
to
Cayr,
Hawiye
The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia (Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nort ...
parents. She had five siblings.
In 1959, while living at the house of a cousin of hers named Mohamed Hashi, she joined a small
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Oc ...
-based band. Within that year, she moved to
Hargeysa, where she accompanied the latter city's version of the Mogadishu-based
Waaberi ensemble of musicians. It was at this point that fellow musician and songwriter Yusuf Haji Adan dubbed her ''Magool'' (meaning "flower"), a nickname by which she would come to be popularly known.
In the mid-1960s, Magool returned to Mogadishu. She then married a young general named Mohamed Nur Galaal. The marriage did not last but her popularity continued to rise.
Peak
In the 1970s, Magool sang famous patriotic songs while Somalia was at
war with Ethiopia over the
Somali Region
The Somali Region ( so, Deegaanka Soomaalida, am, ሱማሌ ክልል, Sumalē Kilil, ar, المنطقة الصومالية), also known as Soomaali Galbeed (''Western Somalia'') and officially the Somali Regional State, is a regional stat ...
.
By the late 1970s, while she still interpreted love tunes, Magool also began singing
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or ''Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the main ...
songs that criticized Somalia's then ruling military government. A self-imposed exile followed, which would last until 1987. Her concert of that year marking her return to the nation's capital, titled "Mogadishu and Magool", is to date the most successful concert in Somali history, with more than 160,000 people reportedly turning out in the city's stadium.
Magool's unique performances, ability to memorize entire albums' worth of material in a matter of hours, and her deep, emotive voice would eventually earn her the title of ''Hooyadii Fanka'', or "Mother of Artistry."
Later years
On March 19, 2004, Magool died in a hospital in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
of breast cancer. She did not leave any children but her nephew is the famous Somali-Canadian rapper/singer
K'naan
Keinan Abdi Warsame (born 1 February 1978) ( so, Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, ar, كَينَان عَبدِ وَرسَمَ ''Kaynān ʿAbdi Warsama''), better known by his stage name K'naan (), is a Somali-Canadian musician. He rose to prominence ...
.
See also
*
Waaberi
References
Magool songs'A brave man doesn't need weapons'
Robin Denselow, ''The Guardian''. Friday May 25, 2007
{{authority control
20th-century Somalian women singers
Somalian Muslims
1948 births
2004 deaths
People from Dusmareb
Deaths from cancer in the Netherlands
Deaths from breast cancer