|
Somalia: Local teens look up to Somali hip-hop artist
Monday, 16 March 2009 SMC
By Alexandra Zabjek, The Edmonton Journal
Group has many questions for K'naan on visit to Edmonton
When a Somali-born hip-hop artist rolls through Edmonton, Somali teens know it's not just another music act but a chance for their community to shine beyond stereotypes of gangs and guns.
K'naan -- born in Mogadishu, based in Toronto and profiled in magazines like Rolling Stone -- met a group of local Somali-Canadian youth before his Saturday night concert on Whyte Avenue.
It was as though a rock star and a role model had walked into the room.
"He's definitely breaking some borders and crossing some boundaries that haven't been crossed yet. With the new generation of Somalis, there should be more people like that to look to," said Liban Farah, 17, a "huge fan" of K'naan's music.
The soft-spoken artist, whose rhymes delve into immigrant struggles and childhood experiences in a war zone, elicited big smiles from the group. There were also pointed questions: When did he start his career? How did his musical star rise? What does he think of artists whose work portrays negative images and other "bad stuff"?
"Different people have different motivations," K'naan said, adding money can be the main one.
"It's one thing to talk about changing that. It's something else to take action and do something else."
About a dozen youth were at the event. Even those who aren't hip-hop fans, such as 16-year-old Ladan Omar, said seeing a member of the Somali community earn widespread praise and fame is important.
"Lots of kids listen to rap. So, to know that kids could look up to him? It kind of feels good."
The teens are part of a year-long leadership program organized by the Somali Canadian Education and Rural Development Organization. The focus is on personal development and civic engagement.
Edmonton's Somali community is 8,000 strong, relatively young, and plagued by the murders of five young men last year alone.
Bashir Ahmed, who heads the organization, hopes the community will follow in the footsteps of more established immigrant groups that have developed businesses and a political presence in the city.
"In the long run, the Somali community is willing to join the other parts of Canada to become councillors and federal MPs," he said.
"We have the ambitions and the hope. But it needs commitment, determination and hard work."
For the teenagers who have signed up for the program, it's a good chance to figure out exactly what it means to be part of a Somali community in Canada. They attend schools with teens whose parents come from around the world. They don't always hang out with other Somalis, but know it's important to have ties with them.
"I think it's important to have a strong community, with the violence, so that people know that not everyone is part of a gang. That we can be leaders and stuff," Omar said.
"Back in Somalia, there's lots of fights. So it's important to come together here," said 16-year-old Zak Mohmed.
azabjek@thejournal.canwest.com
Source: Edmonton Journal
Somaliweyn Media Center “SMC”
| Arabic News
إصابة عمدة بلدية ودجر بعبوة ناسفة بالقرب من مطار مقديشوا الدولي
(Read
more) 14-Mar-
2009
جماعة أهل السنة تسيطر علي عدة بلدات في إقليم قلقذود بوسط الصومال
(Read
more) 14-Mar-
2009
البرلمان الصومالي يفتتح أولي جلساته في مقره الجديد بمقديشوا
(Read
more) 12-Mar-
2009
البرلمان الصومالي يفتتح أولي جلساته في مقره الجديد
(Read
more) 12-Mar-
2009
مخاوف من تجنيد أمريكيين صوماليين لتنفيذ هجمات إرهابية
(Read
more) 12-Mar-
2009
الاتحاد الإفريقي يمدد بقاء قواته في الصومال
(Read
more) 12-Mar-
2009
مقتل أربعة أفراد من الشرطة الصومالية بإنفجارعبوةناسفة في مقديشوا صباح اليوم
(Read
more) 11-Mar-
2009
مركز الجزيرة ينظم ندوة عن الصومال وملامح المرحلة القادمة
(Read
more) 11-Mar-
2009
الناتو يوافق على تشكيل مهمة جديدة لمحاربة القرصنة
(Read
more) 11-Mar-
2009
قوات حفظ السلام الافريقية تبقى في الصومال ثلاثة شهور إضافية
(Read
more) 11-Mar-
2009
رئيس البرلمان شيخ أذن مذوبي ش يتسلم مقر البرلمان الصومالي المؤقت
(Read
more) 10-Mar-
2009
الرئيس الصومالي يتوجه إلي أوغندا ضمن زيارته الإفريقية
(Read
more) 10-Mar-
2009
سقوط طائرة عسكرية متجهة إلي الصومال في مدينة كمبالا مخلفتا عشرة قتلي
(Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
رئيس الجمهورية الصومالي يلتقي مع نظيره الكيني في مدينة نيروبي في جولته لعدة دول إفريقية
(Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
ليبيا: بيرلسكونى يدعو القذافى لحضور القمة المقبلة للدول الثماني الصناعية الكبرى.
(Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
الأمن الشخصي تغلب على الأمن القومي فأهملنا الصومال وتناسينا مخاطر القراصنة على قناة السويس.
(Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
ماهو سر ودوافع إهتمام جريدة الشرق الأوسط بالقضية الصومالية في ظل إهمال وسائل الإعلام هذا الشأن :
(Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009 |
English News
Somali president defends plans for Islamic law (Read
more) 14-Mar-
2009
AU seeks Somalia arms embargo lift (Read
more) 14-Mar-
2009
SRSG urges full support for new Somali Government (Read
more) 13-Mar-
2009
International Women's Day: The EU calls on children in SOMALIA to
participate in drawing competition on gender equality
(Read
more) 13-Mar-
2009
U.S. Imperial Expansion Creates New Enemy (Read
more) 10-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Prophet Mohamed’s birthday commemoration takes place at Dhusamareb (Read
more) 10-Mar-
2009
Somalia: ONLF mutineers take control of Mustahil town (Read
more) 10-Mar-
2009
Somali President urged to form an all-inclusive govt (Read
more) 10-Mar-
2009
Education a beacon of hope for Somalia’s future
UNICEF Somalia Newsletter (Read
more) 10-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Ahlu Sunnah Waljama carried out security operation (Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
Somalia: “We cannot endure people briskly walking with weapons” security officer (Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
Somalia: “Insurgents from other regions censured” Hizbul Islam spokesman (Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Islamists arrest men overnight at Baladweyn town (Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Military plane crashes into Lake Victoria (Read
more) 9-Mar-
2009
Does Somaliland deserve international recognition? (Read
more) 7-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Armed government soldiers stormed at Dahabshiil Remittance (Read
more) 7-Mar-
2009
Justice is a matter of essence. Justice must be done and seen to be done (Read
more) 7-Mar-
2009
Men and boys must play a bigger role in ending violence against
women and girls in Somalia (Read
more) 6-Mar-
2009
Somalia: vendetta tension high in middle shabelle region (Read
more) 6-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Burundi peacekeepers return from Somalia (Read
more) 5-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Top government officials met with mercantile in Mogadishu (Read
more) 4-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Fight Somali piracy on land: defence minister (Read
more) 4-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Elder Ahmed Diriye condemns Somali government (Read
more) 4-Mar-
2009
Somalia: 3 kids died after taking tainted milk in central Somalia (Read
more) 4-Mar-
2009
Somalia: Interior Minister Abdukadir Ali officially takes rank (Read
more) 4-Mar-
2009
German navy arrests nine pirates off Somalia (Read
more) 4-Mar-
2009 |
Somaliweyn Media Center (SMC)
Muqdisho Somalia
Somaliweyn Media Center (SMC)
|
