Sahra Halgan comes from a family of traditional singers. Her journey as an artist is inextricably linked to the history of her native Somaliland, the territory that lies between Somalia and Djibouti. In 1988, when war broke out, Sahra got involved and went to sing to the soldiers fighting for independence, which is how she got her name, which means “Sahra the Fighter”. The civil war forced her to flee her homeland but, after 25 years in France, Sahra has now returned there to live. Her powerful voice flows backwards and forwards between Africa and the Middle East and her music is based on rhythms that recall Somali funk, with keyboards influenced by Ethio-jazz and guitars that sometimes come close to assouf, the Tuareg desert blues. Her latest album brings together new compositions, traditional pieces and songs from Somali music’s heyday.

Sahra Halgan : vocals
Aymeric Krol : drums, percussion
Maël Saletes : guitar, backing vocals
Régis Monte : keyboards
James Stewart : DJ