Hadrawi

{{Infobox writer

| name = Hadrawi

| native_name = {{Native name list|name1=Hadraawi|tag1=so|name2={{Script|Arabic|هدراوى}}|tag2=ar|italics2=no}}

| image = Hadrawi.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Hadrawi in 2018

| pseudonym = Hadrawi

| birth_name = Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame

| birth_date = {{Birth year|1943}}

| birth_place = Balli-Alanle, Togdheer, British Somaliland

| death_date = {{Death date and given age|2022|08|18|79|df=y}}

| death_place = Hargeisa, Marodi Jeh, Somaliland

| occupation = {{Hlist|Poet|author|songwriter|philosopher}}

| education =

| alma_mater = Somali National University

| period =

| genre =

| subject = Patriotism, love, faith, mortality

| movement =

| notableworks = {{Plainlist|

Siinley Qoraa : Sayid Cali Barre
Tawaawac
Isa Sudhan
Sirta Nolosha
Hooya la'aanta

}}

| spouse =

| partner =

| children =

| relatives = Hurre Walanwal (brother)

| awards = Prince Claus Award (2012)

| signature =

| website =

| portaldisp =

| nationality = Somali

| language = Somali

| resting_place = Hargeisa

}}

Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame{{Efn|{{Langx|so|Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame}}, {{Langx|ar|محمد ابراهيم ورسمي|link=no}}{{Lrm}}}} (1943 – 18 August 2022), known by the pseudonym Hadrawi,{{Efn|{{Langx|so|Hadraawi|link=no}}, {{Langx|ar|هدراوي|link=no}}{{Lrm}}}} was a Somali poet, philosopher and songwriter. Having written many notable protest works, Hadrawi has been likened by some to Shakespeare,{{Cite news|last=Ditmars|first=Hadani|title=Somali Shakespeare|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4679190.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205032813/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4679190.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 December 2013|access-date=26 August 2013|newspaper=The Independent|date=30 September 1994}} and his poetry has been translated into various languages.{{Cite news|last=McConnell|first=Tristan|title=Inside Somalia: Where poetry is revered|url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/africa/100210/inside-somalia-where-poetry-revered|access-date=17 September 2012|newspaper=GlobalPost|date=12 February 2010}}{{Cite web|title=Hadraawi: The Somali Shakespeare – The Documentary Podcast|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05b91mj|access-date=2 March 2020|website=BBC World Service|date=2 August 2017}} He is the older brother of Hurre Walanwal, another Somali poet and songwriter.{{Cite web |title=Renowned Somali poet Hurre Walanwal, brother of Hadrawi, passes away at 75 |url=https://hiiraan.com/news4/2023/Dec/194232/renowned_somali_poet_hurre_walanwal_brother_of_hadrawi_passes_away_at_75.aspx |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.hiiraan.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Ismaaciil |first=Cabdirisaaq Axmed |date=2023-12-16 |title=WAA KUMA HURRE WALANWAL? — W/Q. HADRAAWI. |url=https://bandhige.com/maqaallo/waa-kuma-hurre-walanwal-w-q-hadraawi |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Bandhige- Wararka Somaliland iyo faallooyinkooda |language=en-US}}

Biography

Hadrawi was born in Balli-Alanle near Qorilugud, situated in the Togdheer region of Somaliland, then part of British Somaliland.{{Cite book |last=Jama |first=Hussein, Said |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Ma_Innaguun_Baa/835-DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=qorilugud&pg=PA73&printsec=frontcover |title=Ma Innaguun Baa! |date=2018-11-23 |publisher=Ponte Invisible (Redsea Cultural Foundation) |isbn=978-88-88934-58-7 |language=so}} Hadrawi hails from the Ahmed Farah sub-division of the Habr Je'lo Isaaq. His family consisted of one girl and eight boys. In 1953, at the age of nine, he went to live with an uncle in the Yemeni port city of Aden. There Warsame began attending a local school, where he received the nickname "Hadrawi" (Abu Hadra), a pseudonym by which he is now popularly known. In 1963, he became a primary school teacher.

Return to The Somali Republic

After British Somaliland gained independence on 26 June 1960 as the State of Somaliland and then formed a union with the Trust Territory of Somalia (who gained independence on 1 July 1960), Hadrawi relocated from Aden to Mogadishu, the newly formed Somali Republic’s capital, and began working for Radio Mogadishu. In Mogadishu, he both attended and later taught at the Lafoole University (Afgooye). He also worked for the government's Department of Information.

In addition to love lyrics, he was a powerful commentator on the political situation and critic of the then military regime in Mogadishu (former Italian Somalia section) who allegedly oppressed the former portion of British Somaliland, for which he was imprisoned between 1973 and 1978.

In 1973, Hadrawi wrote the poem Siinley and the play Tawaawac ('Lament'), both of which were critical of the military government that was then in power. For this dissent, he was subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Qansax Dheere until April 1978.

Somali National Movement

Following his release from prison in 1978, Hadrawi became the director of the arts division of the Academy of Science, Arts, and Literature in The Somali Republic. When he joined the opposition Somali National Movement (to liberate the former British Somaliland section from the dictatorship and oppression from the Somali Republic which was engaged in targeting the Isaaq clan which Hadrawi was a part of), based in Ethiopia. He was a very powerful voice in the ensuing years of the "Isaaq Genocide", war and the repressive military regime on the Isaaq people of Somaliland , and continues to be a very important poet commenting on the predicament of the Somali people.

Hadrawi relocated to United Kingdom in 1991 after the liberation of (fr British ) Somaliland and revocation of the union between fr. British Somaliland and fr. Italian Somalia. With Somaliland (Fr. British Somaliland going back to its original borders of 26 June 1960). During this period, he traveled frequently throughout Europe and North America to participate in folklore and poetry festivals.

In 1999, Hadrawi returned once more to his native Somaliland, this time settling in Hargeisa. The following year, the mayor of Chicago invited him to participate in the latter city's Millennium Festival. Hadrawi later lived in Burao, and reportedly made a (hajj) pilgrimage to Mecca.

Death

Hadrawi died in Hargeisa, Somaliland on 18 August 2022, at the age of 79.{{Cite news |url=https://www.somalitimes.co.uk/great-somali-poet-hadrawi-passed-away-in-hargeisa/ |title=Great Somali poet Hadrawi passed away in Hargeisa |work=Somali Times|date=18 August 2022 |access-date=18 August 2022}}{{Cite news |date=2022-09-06 |title=Hadraawi: The Somali poet whose readings were like rock concerts |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-62793943 |access-date=2023-08-13}}

Contributions to popular music

Besides volumes of poems and dozens of plays, Hadrawi participated in numerous collaborations with popular vocal artists. His lyrical corpus includes:

"Baladweyn" – song performed by Hasan Adan Samatar in 1974
"Jacayl Dhiig ma Lagu Qoraa?" – sung by Magool, and later translated by Hanna Barket as "Is Love Written in Blood?" or "Do You Write Love in Blood?". Another translation of the song by the British linguist and Somali Studies doyen Martin Orwin is "Has Love Been Blood-written?".{{Cite journal |last=Orwin |first=Martin |title=Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame 'Hadraawi' |url=http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/record.asp?id=12338 |journal=Modern Poetry in Translation |publisher=King's College London |location=London |issue=17 |year=2001 |issn=0969-3572 |access-date=12 October 2012 |archive-date=3 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603192033/http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/record.asp?id=12338 |url-status=dead }}

Awards

In 2012, Hadraawi was awarded the Prince Claus Award for his contributions to peace through poetry.{{Cite news |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/premio-principal-principe-claus-2012-para-cooperativa-editorial-argentina-eloisa-cartonera-168809336.html |title=Prêmio Principal Príncipe Claus 2012 para cooperativa editorial argentina Eloísa Cartonera |trans-title=2012 Prince Claus Main Award for Argentine Publishing Cooperative Eloísa Cartonera |date=6 September 2012 |access-date=27 October 2012 |newspaper=PR Newswire |location=Amsterdam |lang=pt}}

Works

Hooya la'anta ('Motherlessness')
Beled Wayn
Hablaha geeska
Gudgude
Siinley
Sirta nolosha
Tawaawac
Aqoon iyo afgarad
Deeley
Hawaale warran
Bulshooy

Notes

References

General references

{{Cite news |url=https://www.voasomali.com/a/abwaan-maxamed-ibraahim-warsame-hadraawi-oo-geeriyooday-/6706588.html |title=Abwaan Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame Hadraawi oo geeriyooday |trans-title=Poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Hadrawi who passed away |date=18 August 2022 |work=VOASomali.com |access-date=18 August 2022 |lang=so}}