Bahihii Waaliidkay Dhaqay

I was excited and nervous to write a piece in Somali, but working with Ahmed was a great asset. From the beginning, we both wanted to create something that was rooted in Somalia’s culture but also had our own thumbprints on it. When he was reading me the text he had written, it was second nature for him to read the words with a sense of melodic gesture and rhythm already attached to them. So my job became to capture his sense of meter and shape, and create an original piece using that DNA as my starting block.

In my research I learned that Somali music is often tied to dancing, and strong rhythms pervade the music. So as I wrote for choir and piano, I tried to keep the music in the folk tradition as much as possible. Syncopations, chest voice range, driving rhythms, call and response, and body percussion all keep this piece from feeling too polished, too classical.

– Timothy C. Takach (2016)

Notes from the poet:
This song is modeled after a well-known folklore dance in the Sanaag region of Somalia. The famous dance is shared by multiple clans for various joyous occasions: weddings, child birth and anniversary ceremonies as well to welcome guests of honor. Simple clapping hands and stamping the feet produce pleasant harmony called habdhac in Somali. The folklore dance itself is called Erigabo Dance or Ciyaar Ceerigaabo in Somali.

– Ahmed Ismail Yusuf (2016)