Somali Magazine –
According to family members, renowned Somali author and poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, well known by his pen name Hadraawi, passed away on Thursday in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. He was 79.
Warsame, known as “the Shakespeare of Somalia” and widely recognised as the best living Somali poet, spent years in the hospital due to sickness.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, conveyed the nation’s sorrow.
According to Mohamud, “Somali [literary] has lost an icon.” “A guy we will remember for his contribution to peacemaking and conflict resolution, changing many Somalis’ perspectives via his words of wisdom and poetry for the good of all Somalis. I offer my condolences to the whole Somali population and his family.
Muse Bihi Abdi, the president of Somaliland, expressed his sorrow over the passing of a titan of Somali literature and art.
“We lost a fantastic man today, and it is a difficult moment for us and all Somali-speaking groups in the area,” Abdi added. “We will plan his funeral at the national level and festivities to honour his history and legacy.”
Warsame was regarded as Somalia’s best living poet, according to Hirsi Dhuh Mohamed, head of the Somali Music Composers Council.
Mohamed stated of the poet, “He was the first Somali poet who had ever lived, and his poetry dealt with themes of love, kindness, national solidarity, and uncompromising directness.
Warsame was referred to as “one of the remaining cornerstones of Somali arts and culture” by Mohamed Aden Dacar, a poet and artist from Somalia who collaborated with him.
Dacar stated that “his poems frequently resonated as the pioneer of the Somali people in the path of peace and healing, both in their declaration rhythms as well as their content.”
Hadraawi, whose name translates to “master or father of speech” and who was born in 1943 in the Togdheer region of Somalia, was well-known.
Hadraawi authored the words to more than 200 epic poems and more than 70 songs, according to “Hal Ka Haleel,” a compilation of his legacy and work.
In the Horn region, his early works and songs were frequently disseminated.
One of his all-time favourite songs was “Hooyoy La’aanta,” also known as “The Mother.”
In the 1970s, the poet was active in the struggle against tyranny, denouncing the oppressive policies of the late Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre’s administration.
After spending five years in prison for trying to establish an independent democratic society, he later escaped to the neighbouring country of Djibouti where he continued his political critique by penning poems that Somalis learned by heart and recited.
After Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991, Hadraawi, who had no personal political aspirations, started working to put Somalia back on track.
He walked the entire length of Somalia in the second half of 2003 preaching nonviolence and peace while fostering understanding and rapprochement between all ethnic groups and diasporas.
He was warmly received during his protracted “peace caravans” as a symbol of hope and a much-needed spiritual leader who could fill the country’s leadership void.