A Tribute to Hasan Sh. Momin: An Ordinary Man with Extra-ordinary Insight.

gode halaq miyaad tahay
hadba marada ii gala
gabaldaye miyaad tahay
haba gees u jeesada ,
godad layntu waa maxay
waad iga gardaran tee…Gabaldaye by Hasan Sh. Momin

It is very sad to hear that the great Somali composer and social critique of Hasan Sh. Momin
is no longer with us. He passed away in Norway last week, but he left behind mountains of
linguistic, cultural, social and nationalistic paradox for Somali race and its history. Arguably, I’
m not from his generation, not even closer, nor am I in a position to comment on the legendry
man’s artistic works. I briefly met him once or twice in the early 1980s and through
acquaintances in Mogadishu. He was very eloquent and poetic man — a typical traditional
Somali with keen observation and immense sense of humour– who seemed to preoccupied
with myriad of grave socio-cultural issues and challenges of the day.

I should have asked few relevant questions so that I could have told today as a first hand
accounts about his life and times. It was a missed opportunity and just because of an
aloofness and self-centered attitude of teenager’s state of mind on my part. Besides, my
interest was tuned onto natural sciences at that time, not poetry and literature at all. There
were also national institutions and many other talented, academic people who cared so much
about artists and their works, I presumed. Little did I know what immediate future held for us
and that things would start from ground zero over again.

However, let me share with another sketchy and famed accounts of his close colleagues
about him and other striking messages that every one who casually comes across his
literature and narratives can notice.

Extra-ordinary Observations

According to the associates, the late Hasan was common man with unconventional sagacity
and approach in with dealing complex socio-cultural issues and paradigms. He detested
being associated with an intellectual snob of sort and celeb status. He preferred to
intermingle, dine, laugh and discuss with common man of all walks of life. Note that also past
great social thinkers like Socrates, Dickens and Taiwan were approached the subject from
down-trodden, street-person’s prospective.

This was by no means coincidence. I recall an interview of Radio Hargeisa few years ago with
Dr. Mohamed Rashid who asked him about the source of the metaphors, societal abstracts
and paradoxes that he is famed for. He simply referred to the common person, not esoteric
type of elitist world as you may think, coupled with the ancient tradition fairy tales of the Awdal
civilization, as his main library and strength. He said every social incident, be it failed
marriage, dark secret or social taboo, etc., has its precedence of words, narratives, proverbs
and parable in our society and it is only a matter of observing , analyzing and putting
together on my part. Evidently, nothing ca be more truthful than this comment when it comes
to the tradition of Somali literature and late Hasan Sh. Momin.

Holistic Approach

A uniqueness of late Momin’s work and songs across the spectra of social, religious and
nationalistic issues was (1) clarity that every one can understand, as the famous Somali
artist Hodeida mentioned on the BBC last week (2) inclusiveness was another quality. Unlike
the other heavy weights who focus on the Hawd literature, late Momin tried to relate and
inspire every Somali at the moment regardless of lifestyle, locality and whether he/she lives in
city or rural by picking up meticulously various geographic location and villages.

Perhaps it was his background of nationalistic sub-conscious why he never attached him self
to a specific region or city and remained universalistic figure. Perhaps he felt being better off
and bigger to be fitted with one particular locality or issue. Hadrawi and Sangub are among
few artists with such unique talent. For instance, Laaleys, Jaamame, Goroyo cawl to mention
among few and my all-time favourite of Abdow Beri Samaadkii, though also heard composed
by Sangub, where scores of Somali territory names across the Horn were cited with the same
streak are his typical melodies.

The Famed Verbatim

Another thing was his strong philosophical point of view of what he believes right by
challenging the sceptics or other unfortunate and popular urban myth through common
sense of persuasion. He used to illustrate any myopic notion with simple but comparatively
insightful and that is where his famed verbatim of “Just Me Call Mr. KS” comes.

According to the colleagues, he was the impresario of Hargeisa theatre in late 1970s and as
usual for Somali adult male, who meet and work together, they make fun of each other and
call nicknames based on regions and so on — not for malicious intent but for pure
entertainment and laughter. Jokes that usually based on petty stereotypes and urban myth
and Waaberi arts were well regarded in this area. They were time-tested and very liberal
folks.

Next morning he heard his staff and co-workers calling all kinds nicknames to each other and
they told him they decided to use just for today. Among was friends like Mahamoud Sangub
who was cracking jokes and said he is proud to be called of whatever any one likes provided
that no one get mad whatever names I call to others. Late Sh. Momin was given K/shagle
and he said mine is compliment, not the vice versa, and nothing makes more proud than it.
Allegedly, he request to be addressed as Mr. KS from now on and then he moved to the next
level to prove his philosophical point of view.

He said if any one could find local made of traditional or semi- traditional shoes, not the fancy
ones made in Italy or India, from Hargaisa, here is my bet along with other contenders.
People were dispatched to the cities corners and with no luck. Then to other areas and it was
found rural Gabiley a pair of shoes from nomadic family. He allegedly put somewhere in the
theatre for display along with two white traditional rags and pair of traditional leather shoes.

The point he wanted to elucidate was that: we cannot afford to lose our culture, language,
dishes, clothes and traditional handcrafts. We shouldn’t be perpetually depend on other for
what we can do our selves. We should be building thing on whatever skill or meagre
resources we have and proud of it. A cultural freak society and its civilization cannot outlast
against the pervasive invasion/erosion of foreign cultures and their technological supremacy.
Nothing could be more powerful and prophetic than this message.

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