In the wedding crowd of 200 women, a drum throbs, then a chant rises.
One by one, the singer calls the clans of Somalia: the Murusade, the Shiiqaal, the Habar Gidir and the Abgaal. She names their attributes: responsibility, leadership, scholarship and generosity.
A second singer chimes in, calling the Dhulbahante, Ogadeen, Majeerteen and more.
Wedding guests step regally into an open circle created by the crowd, a parade of flowing dirics and chiffon shawls. As the drum speeds up, an ululation rises from the crowd.
Women spill into the open space, twirling, their shawls out like wings.
On this May night in downtown St. Paul, Naciima Noor channels the crowd’s energy. She’s a reciter of buraanbur, a form of powerful, rhythmic verse performed by women. At her side are fellow poet Ayan Mohamud and drummer Fatuma Jimcaale.
Naciima, 27, represents a younger generation of buraanbur performers infusing new energy into this centuries-old poetic tradition.
She has a buraanbur channel under the name “Naciima yareey,” or “Naciima the younger,” with more than 225,000 followers on Facebook that she uses to create and send original poems to customers. And she’s in big demand at local weddings — enough to make a living from her craft.
At a time when many traditions are undergoing change in the Somali diaspora, Naciima sees a future in her form.
“Many old practices are going away, but I don’t think buraanbur is going anywhere,” she said, “because it is one voice that is shared among Somali women.”
Uniting women across clans
In a nation proud of its poetic heritage, buraanbur has a unique role.
Each of the 18 regions of Somalia is known for a form of poetry, including the shirib, jandheer and dhaanto, said Minneapolis poet Rahma Hashi. Those forms helped poets memorize clan lineages, share news, humble rivals, pass on cultural values and express deeply felt emotions in an oral and highly mobile culture.
But buraanbur unites women across the Somali diaspora, she said.
In the 1940s and 1950s, it allowed Somali women to share political messages, affirm a common identity and mobilize resistance to British and Italian colonial powers.
Today it is still central to many celebrations, including engagements, weddings, welcoming ceremonies and Somali Independence Day events.
Rahma, also known as Qaalin Geel, said Somalia is a collection of clans, each living in a separate region of the country. These clans have ways of life that they are known for, and when the buraanbur poets perform, they tailor their recitation to the bride, groom, their immediate families and the clans they belong to.
Common themes include the recognition of the greatness of the wedding families, for example, the high level of education, philanthropic acts, and generational wealth, she said.
To highlight a family’s bravery, the buraanbur might mention Sayyid Muḥammad Abdullah Hassan, famously known as the Mad Mullah, Rahma said.
Muhammad was a scholar, a poet, religious leader and a military commander who led the Dervish movement and fought the holy war against the British, Italians, French and the Ethiopian Empire during the colonial era, leading his army to one of Somalia’s greatest victories.
Referencing over a century-and-a-half-old Muhammad in the buraanbur is to let the wedding guests know that the wedding families are not the type to mess with, Rahma said.
A deep poetic lineage
Naciima was born in Somalia but grew up in Kenya and Egypt before moving to the United States six years ago.
She grew up in a household with a deep lineage of poets, one where culture and tradition are valued, she said. Her grandfathers are well-known Somali poets, and at a young age she learned to compose and recite buraanbur, first as a hobby and later in public.
“Three of my older sisters are buraanbur reciters, and I used to go with them when they went to weddings, and that is how I learned how to recite buraanbur,” she said.
“When reciting buraanbur, sometimes a group of reciters would take turns, and one day, when it was my turn, at age 11, my older sister told me that I had a beautiful voice and a lot of confidence, which made me feel good about myself, and I never stopped since.”
Although most buraanbur performers are older women with extensive knowledge of Somali culture, her rich immersion in poetry allowed her to stand out as a performer at a young age.
At 16, she was recognized as an exceptional buraanbur performer, and people began offering to pay her to perform, she said.
“I remember attending weddings to perform buraanbur at age 16, and I could hear some people saying, ‘That’s a little kid, does she even know how to perform buraanbur?’ But when I started reciting the buraanbur, I could see them impressed, often coming up to me and giving me a hug and dropping a kiss on my forehead,” Naciima said.
As she’s built a following, Naciima said she’s been able to make a living as a buraanbur performer. Her prices range from $1,400 to $1,800 for a local wedding, to $3,000 plus expenses for an out-of-town event.
Each original poem she performs requires weeks of preparation. Usually, wedding planners book a buraanbur performer a month before the event. At that time, the poet collects details such as who the family is, what they are known for and what their achievements are both as a clan or as a family.
On the day of the event, the poet arrives with well-composed buraanbur lyrics, announcing the greatness of both the bride and groom’s families, their tribes, and the region they came from.
To stand out, a buraanbur performer must learn how to rhyme and know the subject well, but most importantly, she must have the confidence to stand in front of a crowd and voice her thoughts with confidence, Naciima said.
Naciima also teaches others how to recite buraanbur and perform traditional dance and hopes to someday create a space devoted to buraanbur.
The buraanbur poets’ circle
Each Wednesday at the Brian Coyle Center in Minneapolis, a group of elderly women meet to share community and recite buraanbur.
Some of the women perform at local weddings and other events. Others enjoy the camaraderie and the chance to keep their poetic skills sharp.
“We have unending love for our culture and connection to our roots, which is why we come together whenever we can to recite buraanbur and enjoy tea and snacks together,” said Amina Kusow, 62.
Amina said the buraanbur she knew when she was growing up was much different than the current style. In earlier times, weddings were much simpler than they are now. For example, after the nikah ceremony and the formalization of the marriage, women, accompanied by the bride, would gather to praise the wedding families, and that was it.
“The standards of weddings have changed completely. Currently, weddings are expensive, and it looks like families are forced to have a glamorous wedding, whether they can afford it or not,” Amina said.
Ayan Mohamud, also known as Asha Buraanburtoy or Asha the buraanbur poet, said most weddings are conducted in three stages and usually last the whole day. During the day, a civil ceremony, also known as a nikah, is held, accompanied by food and beverages, where religious leaders, community elders, and the wedding families attend to formalize the marriage.
Afternoon is when the buraanbur is held at a hall. Typically, buraanbur is a women- dominated event, but men are also welcome to attend, Ayan said. It’s followed by a late-night event with food, music and dance, where most guests are young people.
Seven days after the wedding, another ceremony would be held, featuring light refreshments and predominantly female guests, and gifts would be presented to the newlywed family, Ayan said.
Drummer Fatuma Jimcaale, also known as Fay Sheeno, said that when reciting buraanbur, there are other components, such as dance, drum beats, and synchronized claps performed by the entire crowd.
“As a drummer, I often set the rhythm and influence the dancers. Oftentimes, people feel too shy to dance in front of the crowd, so the buraanbur reciter and I would call out and praise specific tribes, encouraging the dancers to take the floor.”
At the St. Paul wedding in May, the bride arrived in a traditional red Somali wedding dress with a 2-meter-long train. The crowd, a colorful sea of chiffon and silk finery, split into two rows, clapping in sync to welcome her.
A little later, Fatuma beat the drum fiercely, chanting, “Walaasheet! Waa walaasheet! Waa walaasheet! Waa walaasheet!” which translates to, “That’s her sister, that’s her sister, that’s her sister,” calling the bride’s sister to lead everyone to the floor.
Buraanbur verses
Masuulada hawiye iyo mowjadaha culculus.
Hawiye is responsible for all, similar to wind and heavy waves.
Curadki waa murusadoo malka lagu dhameen.
Murusade is the firstborn who is given the wealth responsibility.
Shiiqashu waa macalin culumoyinkii mudnaa.
Shiiqal is the community teacher who is given the scholarly responsibility.
Afarta habargidir abgaal baa lamarinayaa.
The four clans of Habargidir and Abgaal are worth mentioning.
War miida xawadliyo walee maahiraa isku yimid.
The top-tier Xawadle family has come together.
Jajeeliyo badicade oo lamaagi karin.
Jajeeliyo and Badicade are not the type to mess with.
