Hadrawi

Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame محمد ابراهيم وارسامي هدراوى
Born	Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame 1943 Burco, British Somaliland
Pen name	Hadrawi
Occupation	poet, songwriter
Nationality	Somalia
Ethnicity	Somali
Alma mater	Lafole University
Subject	patriotism, love, faith, mortality
Notable works	Siinley, Tawaawac, Isa Sudhan, Sirta Nolosha, Hooya la'aanta

Hadrawi (born Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame in 1943) (Somali: Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame (Hadraawi), Arabic: محمد ابراهيم وارسام هدراوى‎‎) is a prominent Somali poet and songwriter. He is considered by many to be the greatest living Somali poet, having written many notable protest works. Hadrawi has been likened by some to Shakespeare,^[1] and his poetry has been translated into various languages.^[2]

Biography

Hadrawi was born in Burco, situated in the former British Somaliland protectorate. He hails from the Isaaq tribe.^[3] His family was poor and consisted of one girl and eight boys. In 1953, at the age of nine, he went to live with an uncle in the Yemeni port city of Aden. There, Warsame began attending a local school where he received the nickname "Hadrawi" (Abu Hadra), a pseudonym by which he is now popularly known. In 1963, he became a primary school teacher.

Return to Somalia

After Somalia gained its independence, Hadrawi relocated from Aden to Mogadishu, the nation's capital, and began working for Radio Mogadiscio. In Mogadishu, he both attended and later taught at Lafoole (Afgooye) University. He also worked for the government's Department of Information.

In addition to love lyrics, he was a powerful commentator on the political situation and critic of the then military regime in Somalia. Imprisoned between 1973 and 1978.^[2]

In 1973, Hadrawi wrote the poem Siinley and the play Tawaawac ("Lament"), both of which were critical of the military government that was then in power. For this dissent, he was subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Qansax Dheere until April 1978.

Somali National Movement

Following his release from prison in 1978, Hadrawi became the director of the arts division of the Academy of Science, Arts, and Literature in Somalia. when he joined the opposition Somali National Movement based in Ethiopia. He was a very powerful voice in the ensuing years of civil war and the repressive military regime, and continues to be a very important poet commenting on the predicament the Somalis face.^[2]

Hadrawi relocated to Great Britain in 1991. During this period, he traveled frequently throughout Europe and North America to participate in folklore and poetry festivals.

In 1999, Hadrawi returned once more to his native Somalia, this time settling in Hargeisa. The following year, the mayor of Chicago invited him to participate in the latter city's Millennium Festival.

Hadrawi now lives in Burco, and has reportedly made the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).

Contributions to popular music

Besides volumes of poems and dozens of plays, Hadrawi has participated in numerous collaborations with popular vocal artists. His lyrical corpus includes:

• Baladweyn - song performed by Hasan Adan Samatar in 1974
• Saxarlaay ha Fududaan - sung by Mohamed Mooge Liibaan
• Jacayl Dhiig ma Lagu Qoraa? - sung by Magool, and later translated by Hanna Barket as "Is Love Written in Blood?" or "Do You Write Love in Blood?". Another translation of the song by the British linguist and Somali Studies doyen Martin Orwin is "Has Love Been Blood-written?".^[4]

Awards

In 2012, Hadraawi was awarded the Prince Claus Award for his contributions to peace through his poetry.^[5]

Works

• Hooya la'anta ("Mom, without you")
• Beled Wayn
• Hablaha geeska
• Gudgude
• Siinley
• Sirta nolosha
• Tawaawac
• Aqoon iyo afgarad
• Deeley
• Translations by Poetry Translation Centre

References