Simodi
Chilling in Quljeed
ABDI DEEQSI WARFA“ABDI-SINIMO” (1920–1967). A poet and musical
innovator. He was born in Jarahorato, Borama District, but lived most of his
life in Djibouti. He worked for the Djibouti Port Authority as a driver of a
transshipment truck from Djibouti via Diredawa to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In 1943, Abdi-Sinimo first hummed the opening lines of a poem, later recognized
as in the Balwo genre , to entertain himself
while repairing a broken vehicle. The poem begins:
Balwoy! Hoy balwoy
Waha i baleyey mooyaan
Waha i baleyey babur
Waha i baleyey berguba. . . .
(Balwoy! O’ Balwoy
I know not what made me suffer
It is a truck that made me suffer
She is berguba [a girl’s name] who made me suffer. . . .)
With these lines, Abdi-Sinimo started the modern northern Somali song
tradition. In 1944, he retired from driving and went into music full time. He
later created a Balwo band at Borama. In the early 1960s, Abdi-Sinimo
moved to Djibouti, where he later died.
innovator. He was born in Jarahorato, Borama District, but lived most of his
life in Djibouti. He worked for the Djibouti Port Authority as a driver of a
transshipment truck from Djibouti via Diredawa to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In 1943, Abdi-Sinimo first hummed the opening lines of a poem, later recognized
as in the Balwo genre , to entertain himself
while repairing a broken vehicle. The poem begins:
Balwoy! Hoy balwoy
Waha i baleyey mooyaan
Waha i baleyey babur
Waha i baleyey berguba. . . .
(Balwoy! O’ Balwoy
I know not what made me suffer
It is a truck that made me suffer
She is berguba [a girl’s name] who made me suffer. . . .)
With these lines, Abdi-Sinimo started the modern northern Somali song
tradition. In 1944, he retired from driving and went into music full time. He
later created a Balwo band at Borama. In the early 1960s, Abdi-Sinimo
moved to Djibouti, where he later died.
