Catalog Number: UMMAIS001LP Color: Black Format: LP UPC: 3760347746562 UK DJ & Radio support:Craig Charles, Gideon Coe, Lauren Laverne, Deb Grant, Huey Morgan, Huw Stephens, Amy Lame, Chris Hawkins(BBC Radio 6 Music), Ex Friendly(Radio Alhara),Rita Ray & Max Reinhart, DJ Kobayashi (Soho Radio),Steve Barker(On the Wire),Debbie Golt(Resonance FM),EHFM, Celtic Music Radio, Poppyland Radio BBC Jools Holland confirmed TV appearance (film 13th May, TX Sat 15th June) BBC Radio 6 Music Playlist (2 x weeks B list, 1 x C list ) BBC Radio 6 Music Craig Charles interview (Broadcast 1st April) BBC Radio 6 Musiclive session with Craig Charles (15th May)here BBC Radio 3live session for Music Planethere BBC World Service Session and ITW - here BBC Africa(Africa Daily) Session and ITW -here The Telegraph feature confirmed here MOJO Rising feature published MOJO album review confirmed MOJO Playlist - Sharaf included here Far Out Mag album review here Songlines feature confirmed Songlines Top of the World here Songlines album review May 2024 (#197), on sale April 5. Sahra Halgan, Somaliland's iconic singer, freedom fighter, and cultural activist, returns with third album Hiddo Dhawr, a culmination of enduring friendship and global exploration Seamlessly blending age-old Somali traditions with abrasive guitar riffs, sun-drenched percussion, and vintage keys, the album offers a fresh take on the music of Somaliland, the independent but not internationally recognizedd state in the Horn of Africa Inside a large, tent-like structure in downtown Hargeisa, Somaliland's tranquil capital city, the atmHiddo Dhawr, Somaliland's first music venue. Halganoured head scarfs, revealing elaborate hairdos and impeccable eyebrows, as they rise to their feet and start to dance. On the stage at the far end of the room a drummer and oud player up the tempo, while the singers pass the microphone to one another. The atmosphere is electric, and as the evening progresses, the joy in the room is palpable. This is Hiddo Dhawr, Somaliland's first music venue. "I started it because I wanted to bring back our culture, so that people can be proud of it," says Sahra Halgan, cultural activist, musician, and founder of this lively Hargeisa cultural hub, which opened in 2013. Hiddo Dhawr, which translates to "promote culture", is also the name of Halgan's new album, an electrifying blend of Somali melodies, distorted guitar riffs, thumping West African percussion, and Halgan's unique, warbling vocals. Halgan chose this name for the album to honour the women of Somaliland.