Ahmed Mohamed Yusuf (), most commonly known as Ahmed Gacayte (), was a famous Somali singer, songwriter and composer.
History
Ahmed Gacayte was born in 1948 in a neighbourhood called Xidigta in
Hargeisa
Hargeisa (; so, Hargeysa, ar, هرجيسا) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland. It is located in the Maroodi Jeex region of the Horn of Africa. It succeeded Burco as the capital of the British Somaliland Protector ...
,
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
. He was the oldest of 10 sons and 3 daughters. He took the nickname of his father, Mohamed Yusuf "Gacayte".
In 1964, reporters from
Radio Hargeysa came to his school to scout for potential singing talent and eventually recruited Gacayte.
In 1965, Gacayte recorded his first song "Ahlan wa sahlan Daahir", which was broadcast on
Radio Hargeysa. In response, his father disowned him and kicked him out of his home.
Gacayte then started composing and writing more songs and plays like "Bood Xirsi" and "Siyar" with Amina Abdullahi. He soon became famous throughout the Somali world, especially throughout present day Somalia.
Personal life
Gacayte was never married and eventually died in 1988 in Hargeisa at the age of 40, at the height of the
Isaaq genocide.
Discography
* Ilaah Baa Deeq Baxshee
* Umaleey Jacayl
* Orod orod
* Sabaalo
* Dulmiga
* Siyar (with Amina Abdullahi)
* Bood Xirsi (with Amina Abdullahi)
* Ahlan wa sahlan Daahir
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gacayte, Ahmed
1948 births
1988 deaths
20th-century Somalian male singers