Born in Mogadishu to an Italian father and Ethiopian mother,
Saba has come to represent the meeting of African and European
cultures: as an actress she starred in a long-running TV
drama, playing the role of a policewoman fighting against the
prejudice of her colleagues, while dealing with issues such as
illegal immigration from Africa. On Jidka (The Line), her
musical debut, she explores the divide between Somalia and
Italy with a rare sensitivity and gentle humour; mixing
acoustic guitars and koras with traditional African beats and
contemporary percussion. The result reflects both one woman's
search for her identity and what it means to be alive in the
21 st century, when so many people live in more than one
culture.
Saba left Somalia when she was 5 years old. As the product of
a mixed marriage and because her father was Italian (Italy
being the colonial ruler of Somalia), the family was viewed
with some suspicion. They were given 48 hours to leave,
forcing them to migrate to Italy. From this point on Saba was
determined to hold on to her Somali roots, to learn the
language and to mend the broken thread with her homeland
through music. watch
the video
Jidka is Saba 's way of telling her story. The word 'Jidka',
which is the title track, means line – the line that runs on
her belly and divides it into two parts – a darker side and a
lighter one. This for her represents the union of diversities
and the harmony that her parents found when they fell in love.
Her story focuses on her identity as multilayered and with
many different influences. She sings in her mother tongue – a
type of Somali that is spoken in Reer Xamar, a quarter of
Mogadishu, and has real expression and rhythm in itself. The
result is an album which is a real mix of contemporary and
traditional.
Many of the songs on the album describe the struggles of life
in Somalia. 'I Sogni' is the story of a woman who leaves her
village for the big city in search of a better life;
‘Melissa', sung partly in English, is about the plight of many
women who escaped the civil war and crossed the desert in
search of freedom. ‘Je Suis Petite' is dedicated to Africa – a
continent full of suffering ( 'The world is cruel, and I am so
little' ). Other songs are more romantic, describing love and
the importance of living in the moment ('Manta'). 'Hanfarkaan'
describes how the wind is linked to the spirit – when it blows
strongly it brings us into contact with the spirit of someone
we have lost.
Saba is joined on djembe, guitar and percussion by long-term
friend and collaborator, Taté Nsongan, from Cameroon, on kora
Senegalese Lao Kouyate and on vocals Felix Moungara. The album
is produced by well-known musician/composer Fabio Barovero,
founder of Mau Mau and the Banda Ionica project. As Saba says,
‘we worked to realise a sound which combines past and present,
tradition and modernity, with our minds open to a future of
increasing cultural mixes.'
Huuwaayaa huuwaa a hawartaa ma joogto
kabaheedeey qaadatay
kor iyo koofureey jirtaa!
Taariikhaha umaddaada
iyadoo is wadata
ninba meel ku tuurtee
(habartaa) hawartaa waa soo noqon doontaa
iida (iyada) meel dheer ma aadin
habartaa hab eey ku sii doontaa
iida (iyada) mar kasta waa (kugu) fikireeysaa
Hooyadaa waa tanaa hab sii!
Hooyadaa waa tanaa hab sii!
Hooyadaa waa tanaa hab sii!
Hooyadaa waa tanaa
Hooyo
Listen to more samples clips or buy har music