The Night Life of Mogadishu
In the suburbs, donkey carts and cattle herds roam the streets, grocery shops and hair salons are open late into the night, while youths play street soccer under solar-powered lights.
Musicians and bands are also re-emerging here, entertaining patrons at night. Among these is Aweeys Fanaan, who strums the kaban, a six-stringed Somali instrument akin to a guitar but shaped like a calabash.
Every Thursday and Friday, he entertains patrons cozied up at the Beach View Hotel in Mogadishu, singing about love in sonorous tunes, sings renditions of Somali music icons.
“The collapse and the destruction of the country forced some of musicians to flee the country, some are ageing, and others have died. God willing, we are hoping to revive the music industry by recruiting young singers and also reconstituting Heesaha Hirgalay (a Somali music and talent competition). We are hoping to reconstruct the theatre by ourselves as Somalis,” he says.
At the newly reopened Peace Gardens, children play on seesaws under the neon lights, as the shrill of their voices breaks the still starry night.
During the evenings, the residents gather to share food and drink, an act they say fosters unity in their communities. In Bondere district, Faria Ali Noor talks about the importance of food in uniting people.
“This plate can be eaten by four people. When we are eating even if we don’t understand each other, we are supposed to say, ‘asalaam aleikum,’ how are you these days? I am good,” Faria says.
Abdifatah Omar Halane, the spokesperson of Banaadir region says, “If I tell you about the situation of Mogadishu, it is hundred percent coming back to claim its glory in terms of cleanliness, development and its quality as a capital city. Thanks to God, after twenty plus years the town of Mogadishu as you can see, it is 11:00pm at night and we are rocking the town, visiting the entertainment areas. This is development; so much effort has been put into this”.
Aweeys ends rather philosophically, “Love will flourish in peace. If there is peace, everything else will be alright. If there is no peace, there is no life. The lives of the human beings depend on peace and what we are working on is peace.”
