Mum of Somali music dead at 82

Daleys, who is known as the 'Mother of Somali Music', was the first female singer to perform live on radio in Somalia in the 1950s.

Somalia Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman confirmed the news on Twitter. “I am extending my condolences on the death of Khadija Abdullahi Daleys, she was the first female musician who sang on Radio Muqdisho in 1952,” he wrote.

Fellow artist and Daleys' friend, Abdi Gab, told National Public Radio that the late musician was met with resistance after her debut radio appearance because “at that time no Somali women were singing on radio”.

NPR radio journalist Eyder Peralta said: “In fact, when she was done [with her first radio performance], people took to the streets in protest. And then they went to her father's house to snitch. According to Gab, Daleys' dad shrugged. 'Yes, she's singing,' he said. 'But what's the problem? The whole world is singing'.

“And that was it. From then on, Daleys inspired generations of Somali women to find their voice. She became not only one of the most beloved musicians in the country but also one of its most important political voices, advocating for independence and pan-Africanism – and in this song, calling on Africans to love their blackness.”

The founder of YouTube channel Integration TV, Hodan Nalayeh, said: “Rest in peace to my dear friend Khadija Abdullahi. Daleys was Somalia's first woman singer. A woman who lived in the best times of Somalia and who cried for her nation daily. Her strength and character will never be forgotten."

Daleys was a member of Waaberi (Dawn Players), a music group established by members of the Radio Artists Association. As Somalia's leading music group, Waaberi gave rise to a number of popular artists who went on to enjoy successful individual careers and shape the face of Somali music.

Condolences for the activist and singer have poured in on social media.

My condolence to legendary songstress Khadija Abdullahi Ali aka Daleys who passed on in Canada. Daleys, a member of the famous Waberi Band & a patriot par excellence has left an indelible mark in #Somali music Hall of Fame & inspired music artists of her generation and beyond.

— Sen. Abshir Axmad (@SenatorAbshir) January 15, 2018