TheDjiboutian Music (Somali:Muusiga Jabuutiyaan,Afar:Gabuutih Gadda) refers to the musical styles, techniques and sounds ofDjibouti. The first major form of modern Djiboutian music began in the mid-1940s, when Djibouti was a part of theFrench Somaliland. Djiboutian music is characterized bypoetry, so that listening to a Djiboutian song is first paying attention to its meaning. The artist rocks the listeners in the cheerfulness of the refrains and the turn of the sentences. Often sung by acouple, a song is played in the form of a sleight of hand between aman and awoman, one recounting his feelings and hislove, even his passion for the other, until the other accepts or rejects this offer.
The Djiboutian song is also distinguished by the "Gouux", a deep and sensual voice which highlights the artist's passion for his work.
Djibouti is amultiethnic country. The two largest ethnic groups are theSomali and theAfar. There are also a number ofArab,Ethiopian andEuropean (French andItalian) residents. Traditional Afar music resembles the folk music of other parts of theHorn of Africa such asEthiopia; it also contains elements ofArabic music. The history of Djibouti is recorded in the poetry and songs of its nomadic people and goes back thousands of years to a time when the peoples of Djibouti traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancientEgypt,India andChina. Afar oral literature is also quite musical. It comes in many varieties, including songs for weddings, war, praise and boasting.[1]Somalis have a rich musical heritage centered on traditional Somalifolklore. Most Somali songs arepentatonic; that is, they only use fivepitches peroctave in contrast to aheptatonic (seven note) scale such as themajor scale. At first listen, Somali music might be mistaken for the sounds of nearby regions such as Ethiopia,Sudan or theArabian Peninsula, but it is ultimately recognizable by its own unique tunes and styles. Modern Djiboutian popular music can be traced back to the late 1940s, Somali songs are usually the product of collaboration betweenlyricists (midho),songwriters (laxan), andsingers (codka or "voice").Balwo is a Somali musical style centered on love themes that is popular in Djibouti.[2]
Thenational anthem of Djibouti is "Djibouti", adopted in 1977 with words byAden Elmi and music byAbdi Robleh.[3] "Miniature poetry", invented by a truck driver namedAbdi Deeqsi, is well known in Djibouti; these are short poems (balwo), mostly concerning love and passion.[1] They perform music and dance from two of Djibouti's main ethnic groups (Somali,Afar), they feature regularly on Djiboutian radio and television shows and perform as representatives of Djiboutian culture around the world. This festival draws performers from all over the country, and live recordings of headliner acts have proved popular with international audiences. Among the best-known performers are the Dinkara and Aïdarous. The government sponsors several organizations dedicated to the preservation of traditional culture and dance.
Djiboutian traditional instruments include thetanbura,bowl lyre andoud.[4] It is often accompanied by smalldrums and areedflute in the background.
The firstradio station in Djibouti to air popular Djiboutian music was (ORTF) Radio based inDjibouti. It started broadcasting in 1940 inFrench,Somali,Afar andArabic. Djiboutian music is now regularly broadcast on the state-runRadio Television of Djibouti, whose in-house band isGroupe RTD.[5]