Somali Music icon passes away from COVID-19

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Somali Music icon passes away from COVID-19

A Somali cultural icon,Mohamud Ismail Hussein, or more commonly known as Hudeydi (Xudeydi), has died on Tuesday as a result of complications of COVID-19. He was 92. The musician and poet, best known for popularizing the oud in Somali music, passed

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A Somali cultural icon,Mohamud Ismail Hussein, or more commonly known as Hudeydi (Xudeydi), has died on Tuesday as a result of complications of COVID-19. He was 92. The musician and poet, best known for popularizing the oud in Somali music, passed away in London. In his nearly six-decade-long career, Xudeydi contributed immensely to the Somali arts scene.

Born in 1928 in Berbera to a father who was a police officer in the Aden Protectorate. When he was just 20 days old he moved Aden where he grew up.

He lived in a neighbourhood that was at the time dominated by Somali's and here is where he learned Somali. He spent many months in Buhoodle, where his mother is from, to escape the scorching Yemen heat.

"If there's an oud lying near me I can't resist it - I've got to play it"

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In an interview, Xudeydi said that when he was 14 years, he accompanied his father to a function in Aden where he heard an Arabic man playing the oud. He recalled being intrigued by the sound and yearning to learn how to play this mysterious instrument that would later become his greatest pleasure. After some encouragement, he went on to learn from Abdullahi Qarshe, a pioneer in creating music with the oud.

Beginning in the 1950s and through the 1960s, Xudeydi began making a name for himself in the Somali arts scene, performing in theatres and concerts throughout Somalia.

In 1974 he moved to the UK where he continued to create music and perform.

In 2018, he was honoured for his achievements with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Somali Awards.

Photo credit by Osob Elmi - @osobElmi

"A Somali will never forget his brother no matter how far abroad he must travel"

His favourite song that he wrote is 'Urhoyo' that he composed for his brother that he had not seen in 10 years. His brother was a police officer in Aden at the time and upon finding out his brother was in Djbouti, went to great lengths to search for his brother. ". It is a timeless piece of Somali poetry that is oft-quoted by far-flung Somali's in their correspondence to loved ones. "