Moods 66: YASMEENAH
The Minnesota legend transports us to Hargeisa, Somaliland for "ROOTS" in our season 7 premiere.
There’s 8,000 miles between the Midwest and Somaliland but if you close your eyes, for a moment, you can feel the bumps of the taxi on unpaved road traveling between Hargeisa to Gashamo, the lyrical Somali language passing around the cabin. Minnesotan Somali-American DJ and founder of UNBOTHERED, a party magnifying the best in the underground, YASMEENAH paints a colorful image in 63 minutes.
This mix is a tapestry woven with threads of my Somali-American roots, a journey fueled by visits to my homeland and upbringing in the vibrant Somali community of the Twin Cities. It unfolds with the echo of the late Hadraawi's wisdom, urging the use of our voices not just for personal empowerment but to uplift those around us. Followed with the initial 20 minutes of the mix are a groove through Pan-African, Anti-Colonial melodies, transitioning into timeless folk tunes centering love & life that played throughout my life.
- Yasmeenah, dj and UNBOTHERED founder.
Where, geographically, did you grow up? Was it a single place or many places?
It’s many places…but the main focus here is Twin Cities, Minnesota | Columbus, Ohio & Hargeisa, Somaliland
Can you pick one song in the mix and explain where you first listened to it?
Maryan Mursal by Shuba Hada…I first heard this song on a 8 hour drive to a quaint village called Gashamo that my mothers kin is from. My mom, aunt and uncle were singing along & laughing to this song, it was sucha beautiful moment to witness. After all it was my moms first time back home in over 2 decades - I felt like I saw the children that they were before they got separated by war.
Who "introduced" you to these songs? Was it a person, a radio station, a CD?
It was family members, it was taxi drivers, it was the music shop in Karmel that my moms friend ran.
Where and when did you first hear techno? Who did it sound like it was for?
The first time I heard techno was seeing Titonton Duvante in Columbus sometime in the early 2010’s… I thought to myself oh he making music for weird Black people!
You've got the microphone. What do you want to say to the techno community?
What I would say to the techno community is that I enjoy house music culture more 🤷🏾♀️ Techno culture can feel very elitist & pretentious at times.
Tracklist -
Hadraawi Intro
Abdullahi Kershi & Ahmed Sheri - Dulkayaga
Xasan Adan Samatar - Wa Boqol Yuhuuduye
??? - Midab Gumaysi diida
Aamina Hassan & Maxamed Tubeec Hayga Goosan
Maryan Mursal - Shuba Haba
Axmed Yaasin Digfeer - Dayaxiyo Cadceeda Doraad
Khadija Qalanjo - ???
Magool - Shimbiryahow Ma Duushaa
Khadar Ilkacase - Heesta daauus Xasuustii Qalinle
Onkod - Boqol
We paired YASMEENAH's mix with Marie Watt's Skywalker/Skyscraper (Axis Mundi).
Keep up with YASMEENAH on Instagram: @/yasmeenahxo