Birth name Ahmed Ismail Hussein Genres Somali Name Ahmed Hussein | Instruments Oud | |
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, composer, instrumentalist | ||
Aar Maanta - Dardaar (Bilaa Music/Acapella)
Ahmed Ismail Hussein (Somali: Axmed Ismaaciil Xudeydi) is a Somali-British musician commonly known as Hudeydi.
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Personal life
At age 14, Hudeydi's father took him to a party in Aden, Yemen where he met an Arab man playing the oud. Hudeydi liked the instrument and wanted to learn how to play. Hudeydi learned the oud from Abdullahi Qarshe, the "father of Somali music", who advised Hudeydi's father to buy his son an oud and a pick instead of a pen and a book. However, Hudeydi's teacher advised him to learn the drums, because of his constant drumming on the desk.
Music career
Hudeydi played in Somalia during the 1950s and 1960s. During one period Somali officials tried to ban music as a distraction and saw musicians as devils. In 1973 Hudeydi moved to the United Kingdom where he performed at private functions such as family weddings and taught others the instrument.