''Radio Hargaysa, the first Somali radio station, was targeted by a new genre of "cultural music", songs about a she-camel named Maandeeq, largely spearheaded by a youth fashion movement called "kabacad" (the white shoed ones); these were young people who took on a "lazy" outlook towards life. The kabacad focused on style, often wearing white clothing (and shoes!) to signify they were not laborers, but nor were they part of the colonial operatives and workers. They were just urban kids who looked stylish, and made art. Some of that art were these early "Maandeeq" camel songs. They were NOT the work songs of a camelherd, far from it, they were new kinds of music inspired by classical Arabic, and using Yemeni and Ottoman instruments.
These cool kids took over the colonial radio and press and began to book their clique for gigs. Each comes with their kaban (acoustic guitar) and sings about this camel called "Maandeeq", or that bull named "Cawaale" (the nickname of the Somali flag.)
It was all subversive until near independence, when it became too apparent that these fuckers were broadcasting protest music.''
