Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadrawi) Born 1943 in Burao situated in the Togdheer region of Somalia, then part of British Somaliland, In 1953, at the age of nine, he went to live with an uncle in the Yemeni city of Aden, where he received the nickname “Hadrawi” In 1963, he became a primary school teacher.
Return to The Somalia.
Hadrawi relocated from Aden to Mogadishu, the newly formed Somali Republic’s capital, and began working for Radio Mogadishu. In Mogadishu, he both attended and later taught at the Somali national University Lafoole campus (Afgooye). He also worked for the government’s ministry of Information specially in state owned Radio Mogadishu. In addition to love lyrics, he was a powerful commentator on the political situation and criticizer of the government he was Imprisoned 5 years between 1973 and 1978 by the military and socialist regime of the late president Mohamed Siad Barre.In 1973, Hadrawi wrote the poem “Siinley” and the play “Tawaawac” (‘Lament’), both of which were critical of the military government.
Following his release from prison in 1978, Hadrawi became the director of the arts division of the Somali Academy of Science, Arts, and Literature.
Following the massacares of Siad Barre in the northern part of Somali republic he joined the armed opposition called SNM (Somali National Movement) Hadrawi relocated to United Kingdom in 1991.
He quit politics after the fall of the Somali nation, concentrating on sociocultural issues such as Patriotism, love, faith, mortality and advocating for peace, unity, and cautioning against the evils of tribalism. During this period, he traveled frequently throughout Europe and North America to participate in folklore and poetry festivals and visits Somalis abroad.
In 1999, Hadrawi returned once more to his mother land, settling in Hargeisa and then Hadrawi later lived in Burao where he born untill Hadrawi died in a Hospital in Hargeisa, on 18 August 2022, at the age of 79.
His notable works
Siinley, Beled Wayn, Hablaha geeska, Tawaawac, Isa Sudhan, Sirta Nolosha, Hooyooy la’aanta(‘Motherlessness’) and also the last book Hawaale Waran this all are translated to English language.
Notable awards
Prince Claus Award (2012) In 2012, Hadraawi was awarded the Prince Claus Award for his contributions to peace through poetry.
Contributions to Somali popular music
Besides volumes of poems and dozens of plays, Hadrawi participated in numerous collaborations with popular vocal artists. His lyrical corpus includes:
“Baladweyn” – song performed by Hasan Adan Samatar in 1974
“Jacayl Dhiig ma Lagu Qoraa?” – sung by Magool, and later translated as “Has Love Been Blood-written?”or “Do You Write Love in Blood?”.
