Artist description somali music, arabic music

Music Style world music ( East African music,somali)

Musical Influences micheal jackson, bob marly, sting, james brown, ect

Similar Artists new music

Artist History After years of being one of the Somali communities top selling groups/producers the Shego Band is bringing their magic to the English speaking public. With large communities of over 100.000 in Toronto, Minneapolis, Atlanta and London (that’s 400.000 plus and over half are in their teens) and small communities all over world, the Shego Band has sold over 500.000 records in the last years and a half. Led by singer/composer Shego said, the Shego Band is a culmination of his long voyage through various music cultures that he’s undertaken since he first began playing the guitar in his hometown of Bravo, Somalia. Between 1980 and 1988 Shego, along with his brother Said, moved between Saudi Arabia and Cairo, Egypt, performing in back up bands for well-known Somali singers. In 1988 Shego arrived in North America, first living in Boston, then to Washington, DC and later to Toronto, Canada in 1991. Vocally they performed in English, Arabic, Bravani and Swahili as well as Somali. The group consists of Shego-lead singer/guitar, Said-singer/keyboards/background vocal, Mohiadin -singer/Congo and background vocal, Scott Powell-bass guitar/keyboards, Art Powell-drums and Waldo-lead guitar. The Bands’ three new members Art, Scott and Waldo bring excitement and years of experience to the group. Scott and Art are multi-talented performers/producers from Washington, DC who have produced major projects for Elektra, Alantic, East/West, Mercury and Motown records. Waldo is also a multi-talented performer/producer from Arlington, VA and has had a record deal with Warlock Records of NY, NY. After selling records in Somali, Arabic, Bravani and Swahili, the Shego Band is now ready to reach the R&B/POP markets with new material in English. Although the new songs are in English, there are Somali and/or Arabic outro refrains. With its already well-established international fan base, the Shego Band is poised to take on the World.

Group Members 7 members

Instruments live palying and techno

Albums african story, yawaaye? maxaawaaye?, best of shegoband

Press Reviews Shego Does Queen Street, Somali Style By Nicholas Jennings Eye Magazine Toronto's pan-cultural mix makes for interesting bedfellows. Take my own neighborhood, around Oakwood-St.Clair, in which Italians and Jamaicans live happily side by side. A friend once dubbed it the "Pasta-Rasta" community. But even it is changing. The local copy shop is now a friendly outlet run by Ethiopians. And the late-night caf, a walk-up establishment full of smoke and animated conversations, has become a popular Somali hangout. Somalis, who now number over 100,000 in Toronto, are helping to transform the city's cultural fabric. Until now, you might only have seen it in the emergence of Somali restaurants specializing in suqar, a spicy dish of meat, vegetables and rice. Now you can also hear it in the lively music of the Shego Band. An exciting five-piece combo led by guitarist-singer Shego Said, the band mixes Somali styles like kabebey and sharah with funk, reggae and rap to create a swirling, dizzyingly refreshing dance sound. "We play a very international music," says Said, who has also lived in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United States. "Most Somali musicians play traditional music, which appeals only to the older generation. But the kids want to hear reggae and hip-hop, so we give it to them -- Somali style." Since settling here in 1991, Said has become something of an idol and role model for Somali youth. His band (originally called Shesmar) performs in English, Arabic and Swahili as well as Somali, and regularly draws crowds of 700 to its shows. And its two independently released cassettes have sold more than 3,000 copies. Tuesday's appearance at the BamBoo marks the Queen St. debut for this promising outfit. It's also the band's release party for East-West, an eight-song cassette produced by Billy Bryans, a Juno Award winner and Canada's leading world-music producer. For Said, it's an opportunity to reach a wider audience. "The Somali community has been very supportive of us," he says, "but it's time for us to introduce our music to others now."

Location Mississauga, ONTARIO - Canada

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).