Magool

Magool (, ), born Halima Khaliif Omar (May 2, 1948 – March 19, 2004), was a Somali singer.

Early years

In 1959, while living at the house of a cousin of hers named Mohamed Hashi, she joined a small Mogadishu-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

By the late 1970s, while she still interpreted love tunes, Magool also began singing Islamic 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 15,000 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 Hoyadii Fanka, or "Mother of Artistry."

Later years

On March 19, 2004, Magool died in a hospital in Amsterdam of breast cancer. She did not leave any children.

Her nephew, K'naan, is a popular hip-hop artist and poet.

See also

References

Category:Somalian singers Category:Somalian Muslims Category:1948 births Category:2004 deaths