Abdallah Abdoulkader Abass (commonly known as Abdallah Lee; 1963–2007) was a well-known Djiboutian songwriter, composer and singer. He remains among the most famous
Afar
Afar may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Afar language, an East Cushitic language
*Afar people, an ethnic group of Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
Places Horn of Africa
*Afar Desert or Danakil Desert, a desert in Ethiopia
*Afar Region, a region ...
singers in Djibouti. Abdallah had a significant influence on newer generations of Djiboutian musicians in the 1980s and 1990s.
Biography
Abdallah was born on 7 August 1963 in
Djibouti City
Djibouti (also called Djibouti City and in many early English texts and on many early maps, Jibuti; so, Magaalada Jabuuti, french: link=no, Ville de Djibouti, ar, مدينة جيبوتي, aa, Gabuutî Magaala) is the eponymous capital of Dji ...
, Quartier 3 at the maternity ward of the former Paul-Faure hospital. He is the son of Abdoulkader Abass Bourhan Aboubaker and great-grandson of Aboubaker Ibrahim, governor of
Zeila
Zeila ( so, Saylac, ar, زيلع, Zayla), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland.
In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila (or Hawilah) with the Bibli ...
(Somalia) under Turkish sovereignty at the end of the 19th century, and Kadidja Said Abdallah Baabad.
He lived with his family, first in Quartier 3, then in Quartier 1, and finally in the city of
Arhiba
Arhiba FC, or simply Arhiba, is a Djiboutian football club located in Arhiba, Djibouti. It currently plays in the Djibouti Division 2.
History
In 2017, Arhiba made news for receiving 25 Celtic shirts donated by Moussa Dembele.
Stadium
Currently ...
. He passed his undergraduate examinations and was planning on pursuing a technical master's degree, but then abandoned his studies and took a job as a storekeeper in
Obock
Obock (also Obok, aa, Hayyú) is a small port town in Djibouti. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura, where it opens out into the Gulf of Aden. The town is home to an airstrip and has ferries to Djibouti City. The French ...
, where his mother's family lived. It was then that he began playing music with Osman Adoyta, Moussa Aden, Bourhan Daoud, Ahmed Abdallah, Ahmed Ibrahim, Mohamed Aden.
Between 1980 and 1990, like the group Dinkâra, he practiced an "Afro-rock with nomadic colors", and also became involved in the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. While singing mainly in
Afar
Afar may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Afar language, an East Cushitic language
*Afar people, an ethnic group of Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
Places Horn of Africa
*Afar Desert or Danakil Desert, a desert in Ethiopia
*Afar Region, a region ...
, he also interprets
Somali songs. Abdallah Lee has toured in France, Ethiopia, Belgium and Sweden. He participated in various
Djiboutian
The Djiboutians (french: Djiboutiens) are the people inhabiting or originating from Djibouti. The country is mainly composed of two ethnic groups, the Somali and the Afar. It has many languages - though Somali and Afar are the most widely spo ...
groups during his career and at the Fest'Horn festival.
After becoming very sick, Abdallah Lee was transported to France to a hospital in
Poitiers
Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomerat ...
, where he died on 18 September 2007, at 44 years old. He had a wife and seven children.
Annonce sur Djinet
. djibnet.com He was buried in Djibouti.
Music
Popular songs by Abdallah Lee include:
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See also
*Music of Djibouti
The music of Djibouti refers to the musical styles, techniques and sounds of Djibouti. The first major form of modern Djiboutian music began in the mid-1940s, when Djibouti was a part of the French Somaliland. Djiboutian music is characterized by ...
References
External links
*
chanson d'Abdallah Lee
on YouTube.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Abdallah
1963 births
2007 deaths
20th-century Djiboutian male singers
Afar people