Dur-Dur Band International

During the 80s, before Somalia was beset by civil wars, the ancient capital of Mogadishu hosted a vibrant nightlife where music flourished in the many cinemas, studios, hotels and theatres. One of the most popular bands providing the pulsing soundtrack to those times was the Dur Dur Band, whose mix of pan-African styles and assimilated Western funk, disco and soul grooves, animated the city’s dance floors until those venues disappeared in the early 90s and the members, like many Somalians, fled the country. Dur Dur Band International was formed in London in 2011 by original bassist Abdillahi Ujerry and keyboardist Mohammed Karama, with members of another legendary Mogadishu outfit, Iftin Band. With their charismatic singer, Fadumian Hilowle, to the fore, Dur Dur Band International revive and renew the spirit of Mogadishu’s golden musical years.