Singer, actor and melodist whose compositions and performances helped shape the golden age of Somali theatre and music.
Mogadishu (PP Obituary) — Ahmed Ali Egal, the renowned Somali singer, melodist and actor, who passed away and was laid to rest in Minnesota yesterday, was born in Wardheer, in what is now the Somali Region of Ethiopia, around 1950. He recalled receiving his early education there and attending a Qur’anic school before being sent to Mogadishu in 1959 to continue his primary education in the Anzilloti neighbourhood of Hamar Jajab District.
At the age of just 17, Egal joined the Radio Mogadishu Troupe after successfully passing an audition. At the time, the troupe named after Radio Mogadishu under its managing director, Ali Harato. Reflecting on more than five decades in music while living in exile in the United States, Egal said he had admired the songs of celebrated Somali artists, including Osman Mohamed Abdikarim ‘Gacanlow’, Mohamed Ahmed ‘Kuluc’, Mohamed Saleban ‘Tubeec’, M. Goth Shimbir from the north, and Ahmed Naji Sa’ad, Sufi Ali and Ahmed Sharif from the south.
His wide vocal range, remarkable memory and keen sense of rhythm helped him excel at the audition. His gift as a melodist soon became apparent through songs such as Beri Hore Waxaa Jiray (sung by Mohamed Jama Joof and Maryan Mursal Isse) and Dadnimada Aqoonso (sung by Mohamed Ahmed ‘Kuluc’ and Halima Khalif ‘Mogool’. In an interview with Abdisalam Hereri, a veteran journalist, three years ago, Egal explained: “I attended a music school to learn musical notation. That knowledge enabled me to compose melodies for Somali songs.”
During an interview in Minnesota nearly a decade ago, Egal fondly recalled visiting Teatro Duna to watch Indhasarcaad, a popular play written by the late Ali Sugulle. In another interview, he stressed that becoming a singer was not simply a matter of ambition.“There was a proper process. Anyone wishing to become a singer, comedian, dancer, composer or musician had to pass through a formal audition before joining a troupe,” he said.
The lyrics and melody of the song he performed at his audition were composed by his late brother, Abdulqadir Ali Egal, a musician and playwright who first performed with the pre-1969 Somali Army Troupe (Xoogga) before later joining Waaberi. “It was a patriotic song called Bari iyo Galbeed (East and West). It became a widely requested song on I Maqashii, I Madaashii, Radio Mogadishu’s call-in greetings programme,” Egal told an interviewer.
Egal’s first acting role came in 1967 in the play Yaxaas Dhegaduub, composed by the late playwright Mohamud Abdullahi Isse “Singub”. At the time, actors and singers had to memorise every line and lyric because Somali had not yet been adopted as a written language.
The introduction of the official Somali script in 1972 transformed theatre and music production. Learning the lines of a play or the words of a song became easier after the introduction of written Somali in 1972; before then, a melodist had to teach singers the words first and then the melody. The adoption of written Somali greatly expanded the production of plays and musical performances throughout the country.
Among the notable productions of the early 1970s were Dab Jaceyl Kari Waa, composed by Hassan Abdullahi “Ganey”, and Dunidu Maskaxda Ayay Magan u Tahay, by Hassan Sheikh Mumin. Egal played the leading roles as both singer and actor in these productions, further strengthening his reputation as one of Somalia’s most accomplished stage performers.
By then, Egal had become one of the country’s most sought-after melodists. He composed melodies for songs featured in numerous plays as well as for patriotic and revolutionary songs that became widely popular during the period.
One of Ahmed Ali Egal’s most remarkable achievements was that, while still a young man, he was already composing melodies for songs performed by some of Somalia’s leading artists, including Mohamed Ahmed Kuluc, Halimo Khalif “Magool” and Mohamed Jame Joof in the play Talo iyo Tallaabo composed by Mohamud Mohamed Yasin ‘Dheeg.’ “I would rank him among the five greatest Somali melodists. The celebrated composer Abdullahi Qarshe also recognised Egal’s exceptional talent,” said Mustafe Kiiko, a bongo player, melodist and former member of Waaberi, in an interview with a Somali television station in Hargeisa.
“Egal joined the Radio Mogadishu Troupe in 1967, but we had known each other before that, in the early 1960s” Salad Mohamed Shardi (Salaad Derbi), a retired singer, actor and melodist who attended Egal’s funeral recalled.
Ahmed Ali Egal is widely credited with transforming the art of composing melodies for Somali songs. He said that this musical development had entered a new phase with the creation of Somali Jazz, a sister ensemble to Waaberi that brought together many of the country’s finest musicians. Egal also acknowledged the influence of Gemini 7, founded by the late Ahmed Naji Sa’ad and later renamed Shareero, saying the group inspired him to compose melodies for Somali songs in a modern dance style. He noted that Gemini 7 featured Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Jerry’ as its lead performer of Western-style songs. Despite his own achievements, Egal remained characteristically modest, insisting on “giving credit where it is due.”
Egal became a member of Waaberi, the national performing arts troupe formed in 1971 through the merger of the Radio Mogadishu Troupe, the Xoogga Troupe and the Radio Hargeisa Troupe. A group photograph taken that year includes Egal alongside founding members of Waaberi Troupe.
Egal’s performances as a soloist, duet singer and member of a quartet received critical acclaim, particularly in plays where an alliterative exchange with an actress preceded a song.
Throughout his life, Egal remained optimistic about Somalia, his beloved homeland. The affection and respect he enjoyed among Somalis were reflected in his thoughtful, warm and forward-looking conversations about Somali music and culture. Even while living in exile, he spoke not only with nostalgia about the past but also with hope for the future of Somali arts and society.
In a moving tribute, his brother Asad Ali Egal reflected on Ahmed Ali Egal’s enduring legacy: “ Whenever I introduce myself as Ahmed Ali Egal’s brother, complete strangers receive me with remarkable warmth. I can honestly say that my brother’s name has been my passport among Somalis.”
It was a fitting tribute to Ahmed Ali Egal ‘Aymo’, an extraordinary career singer, melodist and actor who helped define modern Somali music and theatre during the second half of the twentieth century. He is survived by his children and grandchildren in Europe, North America and Somalia.
© Puntland Post, 2026