The “Star of Unity” concert, organized by the Somali Museum of Minnesota, celebrates music and dance across generations and across Somali regions.
As Minnesota’s Somali community celebrates Independence Week this year, a musical and dance showcase will bring a cross-generational group of artists together at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts.
Headlined by international recording artist Suldaan Seeraar, “Star of Unity: A Night of Somali Dance and Live Music” will also feature Abdiwahab Cantar Naji, a popular singer and musician from the 1980s, and the Somali Museum Dance Troupe. Co-host Khalid Dahir, known as “Khale Male,” will bring his blend of Somali contemporary music, along with traditional music and dance to the show.
The concert’s name comes from the white star on the Somali flag, whose five points represent the five colonial territories Somalis lived under: Italian Somaliland, French Somaliland, British Somaliland, Eastern Ethiopia and the Northern Frontier District in Kenya.
It represents an ambitious step up in programming for the Somali Museum of Minnesota and the museum’s dance troupe, according to Artistic Director Mohamoud Osman Mohamed.
“The theme this year is unity — unity of Somalis across all regions and ages. There’s a disconnect between the Somali diaspora youth and their elders, so we are aiming to bridge the generational gap by putting together this inclusive and family friendly cultural event that not only offers bonding time but will also encourage mutual understanding.
“‘Star of Unity’ will have different performers from various generations and styles from modern to traditional where everyone will find something enjoyable and have a great Somali cultural experience,” Mohamoud said.
Suldaan, the show’s biggest name, became the first Somali contemporary artist to perform at the Target Center in 2022.
His catchy songs and infectious beats have boosted the popularity of Somali music with younger audiences, both in the diaspora and in the Horn of Africa. Outside of the Target Center, he has performed at mainstream venues such as the Troxy in London and Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto.
This show will be the first time Suldaan, who began singing 10 years ago in Jigjiga, Ethiopia, has performed with a live band in North America. It’s a musical performance style that was common in the late 1970s and ’80s during the heyday of Somali music production but has since fallen off since the state collapse.
Suldaan said he is excited to perform live with a full band in a style that echoes Hobolada Waaberi, a state-sponsored Somali music troupe that is seen as the beacon of Somali music. Harbi Kahiye, the only professional Somali drummer in North America, will join Suldaan and the band for the show.
Abdiwahab Cantar Naji, who made his debut in 1994, has collaborated with the Somali Museum many times, including in a 2019 show with Feynuus Sheikh Dahir that brought the audience to its feet.
Abdiwahab was discovered in the ’90s but worked with musicians throughout the golden era of Somali music from the late 1970s through the 80s. He is the nephew of Ahmed Naaji Sacad, the legendary singer and musician, who played the oud, a resonant lute that evokes deep emotion among listeners. His father, Cantar Naaji Sacad, was also a drummer for the funk-inspired Shareero Band.
He is a staunch advocate for Somali singers singing live and when he last came to the Somali Museum he sang, played the piano and danced. He represents the older generation, those that grew up watching Somali artists sing and perform live. He also sings Benadiri music, a vibrant coastal sound that is a mix of Swahili, Arabic and Somali cultures along the Indian Ocean. This particular style of songs come from Southern Somalia.
Also performing is the Somali Museum Dance Troupe, showcasing Somali folk dances including the saylici, a traditional dance from the Awdal region, harimaadee, a traditional dance from Djibouti, dhaanto, a popular and fun dance that hails from the Eastern Ethiopian region and finally the shirib, a dance associated with Southern Somalia.
In the spirit of unity, they are performing dances from all across the Somali-speaking peninsula as opposed to dances from one particular region. And the group has been adding their unique flair to each of the traditional dances, Mohamoud said.
Dancer Hodan Hassan said she joined the Somali Museum Dance Troupe three years ago to reconnect with her culture.
“You’re in an area where you are displaced but everyone looks like you. But there isn’t something that connects you to them. Through dance, I was able to touch a part of my culture outside of the language. Our parents passed down the language, but many other traditions weren’t shared because they were mainly focused on survival.”
She now leads the museum’s children’s dance program, and she lit up with excitement when describing her work with them.
“The kids — anywhere I go little kids will come up to me and say they love my Tiktoks. [When recording], I just set up my phone and record, I’m not thinking anything of it. I’ll start dancing the jandheer [a traditional Somali dance] and post it. And there’s kids that will come to the class and will replicate exactly what I do. Say I made a mistake when I was recording, I will flow and continue the dance — the kids will replicate the mistake I made and I’m so touched that they pay that much attention.”
Hodan helped open for Suldaan’s show at the Target Center and said the “Star of Unity” concert represents a full-circle moment for her. In working with many Somali artists she mentioned that the dance troupe brings energy to the stage. Singers lean on them to get the crowd hyped as many singers usually don’t dance while singing.
Suldaan said the dancers are doing important work to pass on Somali cultural traditions. He praised their dedication ahead of Saturday’s show.
“I’m proud of the Somali Museum Dance Troupe and the work they’re doing. It’s amazing to see young people who were born to parents who came here as refugees learn their culture and be the ones to carry the torch and share it with the world,” he said.
“We will put on a show people have never seen before,” he added.