Mahamud Abdullahi Ciise (Singub) was a talented poet ,a pan-Africanist and perhaps the greatest Somali playwright of all time .Born in 1944 in a small pastoral village in the outskirts of Degahbur town in the Somali region of Ethiopia,Mahamud was famously known by his nickname Singub .In his early years ,a young Singub learnt and mastered the oral folklore of his people,thus emerged an excellent performer of ‘Dhaanto’ which is a form of Somali traditional chants accompanied by a rhythmic steps .A well performed ‘Dhaanto’ is a thing of absolute beauty ,a joyous night festival which may at times sore to a heated verbal rivalry.In one of his many interviews,Singub noted Aygoo and Faradar,two ‘dhaanto’ heavyweights of his time, as his idols up until he similarly excelled in the traditional art.
Singub hailed from a house of poets .Both his father and uncle were poets ,so were his siblings who all left their mark in the oceanic field of Somali poetry.In the year 1960 ,at a young age of 16,the same year Somalia regained its independence from colonial Europe Singub deserted his camels and went to Hargeisa which was then a thriving young city in northern Somalia renowned for her cultural roots thus widely recognized as ’Hoyga Suugaanta’ –the home of poetry.As a young established poetry master in the countryside,Singub decided to prove his talent to a group of veteran artists in Hargeisa who were then known as ‘Walaalaha Hargeisa’ .His untapped potential would immediately drew the attention of one the jury.‘With a little training this young lad can make it to the top’, remarked by Huryo who was himself a leading figure of ‘Walalaaha Hargeisa ‘ , .Those were days when Singub had his first taste of urban life .
In the same year,the young poet relocated to Mogadishu ,the capital and the largest city of Somalia .Upon his arrival,he contested as a poet in Radio Mogadishu and he emerged as the best performer in the poetry slot.In Mogadishu ,Singub joined Somali military arm called ‘Xooga Dalka’ and by 1964,Singub was deployed in the Ethio-Somali war and sustained a wound.When the war ended Singub reunited with the leading artists in Hargeisa and one renowned playwright called Ali-Sugle inducted the young poet in one of his plays .Meanwhile, another established artist called Osman Askari casted Singub in a stage drama but this time in a more substantial role.Now, a recognised performer ,Singub showcased his artistic maturity by making his own play called ‘Naga Guur’in 1965 which was a detest of British colonial meddling in NFD,Kenya .Within a short period of time Singub transformed from a raw poet to a stage performer and finally became a promising playwright . Osman Askari is the man who mentored singub by teaching him how to write songs with utmost aptness and precision.Moreover,Osman acted as a true guide to Singub in the making of stage dramas.it is also worthy of mention that Abdille Rage ,a poet in his own right , also mentored singub in becoming a more efficient poet.In short,the young nomad from the Ogaden kickstarted a fulfilling career with an amazing group of mentors and colleagues and that actually brought the best of him over the years .His first play was followed by several other preparatory dramas such as ‘La mood noqon se wayday ‘, Geel-Xera ka Didis ‘, And among others . It was in the year 1968 when he penned down a top drama called ‘Yaxaas dhegadhuub’ which paraded a full caste of talented singers such as Hibo Nora,Maryan Mursal and Ahmed Ali Igal.With that particular drama ,singub cemented his place among the elites of Somali playwrights .And truth be known,a Somali play is a complete package of entertainment adorned with pearls of Somali wisdom in the form of well crafted music ,poems and songs
In 1970,Singub delivered an all-time blockbuster play called ‘Qabrigii Jacaylka’ which casted two newcomers in the lead roles ,Saynab Ige and Salaad Derbi.Both actors did a commendable job and they would become Singub’s favorite hereoes in his next projects such as ‘Xuud baa liqay jacaylka’ and ‘Xuskii Jacaylka’ .The popularity of ‘Qabrigii Jacaylka ‘ soared to greater heights in fact , the play is a record holder in the amount of money generated by a Somali play and that was confirmed by BBC Somali which coined the name ‘Qabrigii lacagta’ the grave of money . ‘Qabrigii Jacaylka’ was eventually perfomed in a record 282 nights across Somalia and abroad.Based on a true tragic love tale,The grave of love recounted the story of Elmi Bodhari-a love saint in Somali folkore who left behind a wealth of Somali love poems before he miserably ended his life .On the bright side of the story,Singub’s fame skyrocketed and further cemented his position as a top artist.And that was just a fraction of what Singub would achieve over the next decades in a career spanning over 50 years.As a leading playwright and a poet , Singub wrote a record of 27 plays and more than a hundred songs of different genres.A feet no other Somali poet or playwright has ever achieved .
Besides his brilliance in poetry and drama,Singub was also one of the founding fathers of Somali folklore,a group formed in early 1970s to promote different types of Somali folklore chants and dances in a bid to foster a social harmony with inclusive performances.The folklore entailed stage performances of traditional Somali dances such as BEERREEY,KABEEBEEY,DHAANTO,ERIGAAVO,SAYLI’I ,AL-BATIIIQ ,SAAR and WALASAQO.Singub ,Dafe and Abdi-dhuuh were some the key proponents of the project.A group of 300 performers were stationed and trained in Lafoole in a duration of three months .At the end of the training,the best performers were then selected for both national and international dance contests .Finally, the hard work of Singub and his colleagues bore fruits as the Somali folkore group contested and won acclodes in all African counries except Liberia and South Africa.The gallant folklore group toured around the world as they performed in China,Germany ,Iraq ,Italy and China.And according to Dafe (one of the folklore instructors) Singub was the grand teacher of the folklore team that shone in both local and international contests.
A fearless fighter and a champion of pan Africanism,Singub created a number of anti-colonial poems songs and plays.Some of well known pan Africanist songs were; Afrikaay Hurudooy (Oh sleepy Africa),Dhalintii Arfrikaay ma dhimanaa(Oo youth of Africa shall we not die),Afrikaay Sidaadaba ((O Africa) and Midab gumaysi diida(Reject the colour of imperialism).As a matter of fact ,these songs carry a deep sentiments of pan Africanism and some of them were played at the opening ceremony of many summits of Organization of African Unity (OAU) including the one held in Mogadishu in 1974.
As a talented patriot ,Singub oftentimes channeled his time and energy to serve his nation before and after the civil war .Unlike some of his peers who succumbed to their clan ideologies,Singub always stood firm and loyal to his country .In America ,the poet composed educative plays which constantly reminded the Somali of their homeland .He also encouraged them to uphold their cultural values in a sea of Imposing American culture. Some of his admonishing plays in America include Qabyo 1 and Qabyo 2.Both plays explored the conflicting scenarios entangled with the Somali diaspora. In his heydays ,Singub was a key a member of Waaberi(A leading renaissance group of Somali culture and music).Furthermore,the legendary poet became the chief executive officer of Hargeisa National theatre .When he returned from America Singub formed and mentored folklore group called Deegaan both in Djibouti and Mogadishu. In his last few years,Singub served as the chairman of ‘Golaha guurtida abwaanada Somaliyeed’ which is the chairman of Somali poetic fraternity .The poet also invested a great deal of his artistic prowess in the rebuilding task of his country.As a result , he wrote many nationalistic songs among them was a top item called ‘Kacday kuftay’.
In 2019 at an old age of 76,Singub died in Addis Abeba after a brief ailment and was buried in Jijiga-the capital of the Somali region having received a state funeral from both Somalia and Ethiopia.His funeral attracted a large gathering of people coming from all corners of Somali lands . As a leading figure in modern Somali literature,Singub will always be remembered as a nationalistic poet ,a pan africanist playwright who aided both his country and continent with his colossal work of art.
Singub hailed from a house of poets .Both his father and uncle were poets ,so were his siblings who all left their mark in the oceanic field of Somali poetry.In the year 1960 ,at a young age of 16,the same year Somalia regained its independence from colonial Europe Singub deserted his camels and went to Hargeisa which was then a thriving young city in northern Somalia renowned for her cultural roots thus widely recognized as ’Hoyga Suugaanta’ –the home of poetry.As a young established poetry master in the countryside,Singub decided to prove his talent to a group of veteran artists in Hargeisa who were then known as ‘Walaalaha Hargeisa’ .His untapped potential would immediately drew the attention of one the jury.‘With a little training this young lad can make it to the top’, remarked by Huryo who was himself a leading figure of ‘Walalaaha Hargeisa ‘ , .Those were days when Singub had his first taste of urban life .
In the same year,the young poet relocated to Mogadishu ,the capital and the largest city of Somalia .Upon his arrival,he contested as a poet in Radio Mogadishu and he emerged as the best performer in the poetry slot.In Mogadishu ,Singub joined Somali military arm called ‘Xooga Dalka’ and by 1964,Singub was deployed in the Ethio-Somali war and sustained a wound.When the war ended Singub reunited with the leading artists in Hargeisa and one renowned playwright called Ali-Sugle inducted the young poet in one of his plays .Meanwhile, another established artist called Osman Askari casted Singub in a stage drama but this time in a more substantial role.Now, a recognised performer ,Singub showcased his artistic maturity by making his own play called ‘Naga Guur’in 1965 which was a detest of British colonial meddling in NFD,Kenya .Within a short period of time Singub transformed from a raw poet to a stage performer and finally became a promising playwright . Osman Askari is the man who mentored singub by teaching him how to write songs with utmost aptness and precision.Moreover,Osman acted as a true guide to Singub in the making of stage dramas.it is also worthy of mention that Abdille Rage ,a poet in his own right , also mentored singub in becoming a more efficient poet.In short,the young nomad from the Ogaden kickstarted a fulfilling career with an amazing group of mentors and colleagues and that actually brought the best of him over the years .His first play was followed by several other preparatory dramas such as ‘La mood noqon se wayday ‘, Geel-Xera ka Didis ‘, And among others . It was in the year 1968 when he penned down a top drama called ‘Yaxaas dhegadhuub’ which paraded a full caste of talented singers such as Hibo Nora,Maryan Mursal and Ahmed Ali Igal.With that particular drama ,singub cemented his place among the elites of Somali playwrights .And truth be known,a Somali play is a complete package of entertainment adorned with pearls of Somali wisdom in the form of well crafted music ,poems and songs
In 1970,Singub delivered an all-time blockbuster play called ‘Qabrigii Jacaylka’ which casted two newcomers in the lead roles ,Saynab Ige and Salaad Derbi.Both actors did a commendable job and they would become Singub’s favorite hereoes in his next projects such as ‘Xuud baa liqay jacaylka’ and ‘Xuskii Jacaylka’ .The popularity of ‘Qabrigii Jacaylka ‘ soared to greater heights in fact , the play is a record holder in the amount of money generated by a Somali play and that was confirmed by BBC Somali which coined the name ‘Qabrigii lacagta’ the grave of money . ‘Qabrigii Jacaylka’ was eventually perfomed in a record 282 nights across Somalia and abroad.Based on a true tragic love tale,The grave of love recounted the story of Elmi Bodhari-a love saint in Somali folkore who left behind a wealth of Somali love poems before he miserably ended his life .On the bright side of the story,Singub’s fame skyrocketed and further cemented his position as a top artist.And that was just a fraction of what Singub would achieve over the next decades in a career spanning over 50 years.As a leading playwright and a poet , Singub wrote a record of 27 plays and more than a hundred songs of different genres.A feet no other Somali poet or playwright has ever achieved .
Besides his brilliance in poetry and drama,Singub was also one of the founding fathers of Somali folklore,a group formed in early 1970s to promote different types of Somali folklore chants and dances in a bid to foster a social harmony with inclusive performances.The folklore entailed stage performances of traditional Somali dances such as BEERREEY,KABEEBEEY,DHAANTO,ERIGAAVO,SAYLI’I ,AL-BATIIIQ ,SAAR and WALASAQO.Singub ,Dafe and Abdi-dhuuh were some the key proponents of the project.A group of 300 performers were stationed and trained in Lafoole in a duration of three months .At the end of the training,the best performers were then selected for both national and international dance contests .Finally, the hard work of Singub and his colleagues bore fruits as the Somali folkore group contested and won acclodes in all African counries except Liberia and South Africa.The gallant folklore group toured around the world as they performed in China,Germany ,Iraq ,Italy and China.And according to Dafe (one of the folklore instructors) Singub was the grand teacher of the folklore team that shone in both local and international contests.
A fearless fighter and a champion of pan Africanism,Singub created a number of anti-colonial poems songs and plays.Some of well known pan Africanist songs were; Afrikaay Hurudooy (Oh sleepy Africa),Dhalintii Arfrikaay ma dhimanaa(Oo youth of Africa shall we not die),Afrikaay Sidaadaba ((O Africa) and Midab gumaysi diida(Reject the colour of imperialism).As a matter of fact ,these songs carry a deep sentiments of pan Africanism and some of them were played at the opening ceremony of many summits of Organization of African Unity (OAU) including the one held in Mogadishu in 1974.
As a talented patriot ,Singub oftentimes channeled his time and energy to serve his nation before and after the civil war .Unlike some of his peers who succumbed to their clan ideologies,Singub always stood firm and loyal to his country .In America ,the poet composed educative plays which constantly reminded the Somali of their homeland .He also encouraged them to uphold their cultural values in a sea of Imposing American culture. Some of his admonishing plays in America include Qabyo 1 and Qabyo 2.Both plays explored the conflicting scenarios entangled with the Somali diaspora. In his heydays ,Singub was a key a member of Waaberi(A leading renaissance group of Somali culture and music).Furthermore,the legendary poet became the chief executive officer of Hargeisa National theatre .When he returned from America Singub formed and mentored folklore group called Deegaan both in Djibouti and Mogadishu. In his last few years,Singub served as the chairman of ‘Golaha guurtida abwaanada Somaliyeed’ which is the chairman of Somali poetic fraternity .The poet also invested a great deal of his artistic prowess in the rebuilding task of his country.As a result , he wrote many nationalistic songs among them was a top item called ‘Kacday kuftay’.
In 2019 at an old age of 76,Singub died in Addis Abeba after a brief ailment and was buried in Jijiga-the capital of the Somali region having received a state funeral from both Somalia and Ethiopia.His funeral attracted a large gathering of people coming from all corners of Somali lands . As a leading figure in modern Somali literature,Singub will always be remembered as a nationalistic poet ,a pan africanist playwright who aided both his country and continent with his colossal work of art.
