"Referred to by some as the hip-hop renegades, Somali artists ""Waayaha Cusub"" (meaning ""new era"") are taking the world by storm! The group was recently covered in a Rolling Stone Magazine article which canvassed their love for music as much as their love for Somalia! The group consists of Shiine Akhyaar, the lead singer and manager; his wife and lead vocalist Falis Abdi; and tenor singer Dikriyow Abdi. Shiine describes the harrowing tale of being forced out Mogadishu and eventually being shot several times because of his and the group's love for Music and their need to spread peace through song and dance. For those of you wondering about Somali music, it refers to the musical styles, techniques and sounds of Somalia, which are centred on traditional Somali folklore. Most Somali songs are pentatonic in the sense that they only use five pitches per octave in contrast to a heptatonic (seven note) scale. While mostly singers are highlighted through Somali music, its songs are usually the product of collaboration between lyricists (midho), songwriters (lahan), and singers ('odka or ""voice""). Read Waayaha Cusub's coverage in the Rolling Stone Magazine here and make sure to catch them play at the Somali Concert Tour for Peace on Aug 28nd in New York."
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