*Dur-Dur Band Volume 3 & 4 Funk, disco and Somali soul from 1980s Mogadishu*
In the 1980s, Mogadishu was home to one of East Africa’s most vibrant music scenes, where Somali melodies met funk, disco, reggae, soul and jazz. At its centre was Dur-Dur Band, founded by drummer Adan Handal and childhood friend Isse Dahir Qassim.
By 1984, Dur-Dur had become the house band at the legendary Jubba Hotel, developing an explosive live sound that was both deeply local and remarkably modern. While their early cassette releases, Volumes 1 and 2, spread across Somalia, Volumes 3 and 4 marked the band’s creative peak.
Recorded during a time of personal tragedy and growing national crisis, the albums captured Dur-Dur pushing musical boundaries. Following the departure of singer Shimaali Ahmed Shimaali and founding bandleader Isse Dahir Qassim’s tragic death, Adan Handal guided the band into new sonic territory. Volume 4 became one of their most adventurous recordings, combining electronic percussion, unusual drum textures and reggae-inspired grooves with the unmistakable spirit of Somali music.
Today, Dur-Dur’s music stands as proof of a creativity that survived war, displacement and decades of silence.