Legendary Somali musician Ahmed Naji Sa’ad whose career spanned nearly seven decades, died on Wednesday in London. He was 84.
Sa’ad was born in Shibis, one of the oldest neighbourhoods of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in 1939.
He began his musical career in the 1950s and was one of the founding members of the Sharero Band, which became one of the most popular groups in Somalia in the 1960s and 1970s.
Sa’ad was a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. He was known for his poetic and patriotic songs, and he was also a pioneer in blending Somalia’s rich musical traditions with contemporary sounds.
Sa’ad was forced to flee Somalia in 1991 due to the civil war. He settled in London, where he continued to write and perform music. He also worked to promote Somali music and culture in the UK.
Sa’ad was a beloved figure in the Somali community, and his death was met with widespread grief. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud praised Sa’ad as a “pillar of Somalia’s arts scene”
and said that his name “carried weight in the arts community and with all Somali people.”
Sa’ad is survived by his wife, four children, and many grandchildren.
