Music Became Everything: Ahmed Ismail Yusuf

Ahmed Ismail Yusuf

“We revere it, enjoy it, and most of all fear it, but all at once.”

So writes Ahmed Ismail Yusuf about Somali poetry in his book “The Lion’s Binding Oath.”

Raised in a nomadic upbringing, Ahmed Ismail Yusuf is the author of three books: Gorgorkii Yimi, a collection of short stories in Somali, The Lion’s Binding Oath, a collection of short stories in English, and Somalis in Minnesota with the Minnesota Historical Society Press (that’s right, he literally wrote the book on Somalis in Minnesota). His short stories appear in Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali studies, and Mizna: An Arab-American literary magazine. His play “A Crack in the Sky” was produced at the History Theatre in Saint Paul and others were performed at Pangea as well as Mixed Blood theatre.

Almost more than anything else, Ahmed loves Somali music and poetry. In his book his character continues: “As you know, poetry in Somalia can spur conflicts that last decades – or bring a prevailing peace. That is why those who love it commit it to memory and pass it on for posterity. Because the poetry has a bit of everything that identifies us as Somalis: the tribal bravado, the potential wisdom, the provocative bragging rights… as well as a classical paradox between peace and bellicosity. In other words, … it is a treasure.”

Ahmed’s words are also a treasure, and it was an honor to get to hear some of his personal journey of words and poetry, through which he has traveled across oceans and time.