2/21/2025
Today from Hiiraan Online:  _
advertisements
Google
Singer barred from Mogadishu concert receives warm welcome in Hargeisa
731 Shares
    FacebookFacebook messengerTwitterWhatsAppLinkedInTelegramEmail


    Sunday February 16, 2025


    Somali singer Haboon Nuura celebrates her arrival in Hargeisa, waving the Somaliland flag after being barred from performing in Mogadishu. Thousands of supporters welcomed her at Egal International Airport following the controversy surrounding her concert cancellation

    Hargeisa (HOL) — Somali singer Haboon Nuura received a hero's welcome in Hargeisa after Somali authorities barred her from performing in Mogadishu over a controversial song that was perceived as critical of the capital.

    Nuura, a member of the Hargeisa-based Dayax Band, was scheduled to hold a concert in Mogadishu, but security officials cancelled the event following public outcry. Critics pointed to a song she performed last year that included the line "I have no enemy worse than Mogadishu," which was widely seen as an insult to the city. 

    Officials said that the cancellation was partly due to safety concerns.

    Her arrival in Hargeisa on Saturday night drew thousands of supporters who gathered at Egal International Airport, waving the Somaliland flag and chanting in solidarity. Addressing the crowd, Nuura expressed gratitude for the reception.

    "I extend my heartfelt greetings to the people of Somaliland. Thank you for standing by me and showing me such love. Victory and dignity!" she said.

    The controversy surrounding Nuura's concert highlights the intersection of Somali music and politics. In the past, artists performed freely across different regions, but in recent years, public sentiment and political allegiances have increasingly dictated where musicians can hold events.

    Former Xidigaha Geeska chairman Abdirahman Haji, one of the prominent figures welcoming Nuura at the airport, lamented the shift.

    "In the past, music was not politicized, but if that is now the case, Somaliland's position remains its own," he said.

    The case mirrors a similar one last year when singer Dayar Dalnuurshe was denied a concert in Hargeisa following remarks seen as disparaging to the city. Dalnuurshe was among those who led a social media campaign calling for Nuura's concert in Mogadishu to be cancelled.

     





    Click here