Sweet As Broken Dates - Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa

The Guardian 80

(Ostinato Records)

This extraordinary set, compiled largely from cassettes that had been hidden away for decades, is a reminder of “swinging Somalia” in the 1970s and 80s, before the country was torn apart by civil war. Mohamed Siad Barre’s military regime may have controlled the music industry during this golden age, but bars and clubs flourished in Mogadishu and Hargeisa. Local bands developed a unique style that mixed Arabic and Indian influences with funk and soul, along with the reggae-like dhaanto. Organ and synths dominate, as on Waaberi’s rousing dance instrumental What’s October? It’s Ours (diplomatically titled to please the military with a reference to the date of their coup). What’s most remarkable are the powerful, soulful vocals of Mahmud Abdalla “Jerry” Hussen and female stars including Maryan Naasir and Faadumo Qaasim, whose voices were compared to the sweetness of broken dates.