SAHRA HALGAN

Somaliland | France

Sahra Halgan, singer and cultural activist from Hargeisa in Somaliland, combines traditional Somali sounds with modern influences in her music. During the civil war in Somalia, she worked as a nurse on the front line as a young woman and began singing at the same time, despite social prejudice against women on stage. After fleeing to Europe, she released albums such as Faransiskiyo Somaliland and Waa Dardaaran, which fuse Tuareg rock and East African rhythms. Today she lives in Hargeisa again, where she has founded a cultural center for music and poetry to preserve Somaliland’s rich culture.

Although Somaliland is characterized by extreme drought, rivers such as the Togdheer and the Nugaal play an important role, even if they often only carry water seasonally – a symbol of the resilience and adaptability of the region and its people.

August 02 – Annahof – 8:15 p.m.

Photo: Aymeric