Ardaa Ensemble is led by poet Ahmed Yusuf on vocals with Magan playing the Oud and vocals, and performer Mick LaBriola on percussion. Ardaa means outdoor patio – community gathering in an outdoor patio (with music or not)! We are so honored to invite Ardaa to join us at Immy, even though we will be indoors for this performance - if the weather is nice we'll open the big doors and make it feel like one big Ardaa! ;) Sambusa Express Food Truck will also be here serving East African food from 3-8pm!

This event is co-sponsored by the Northfield Arts Guild as part of the Rice County Fall Festival.

More about Ardaa and Somali Music:

Somali community member Ahmed Ismail Yusuf has lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, since 1997. He is the author of several books including Somalis in Minnesota, as well as two collections of short stories (in Somali and in English). His stories and mental-health focused publications have appeared in various literary magazines and health-related journals. He has also written and produced a play based on his memoir, "A Crack in the Sky."

Somalia boasts a rich history of poetry and dance, featuring beautiful rhythms, melodies, and harmonies on ouds, violins, accordions, and other instruments. Somali genres like balwo and heello have cross-pollinated with music from neighboring countries over time, and feature traditional instruments such as nasaro (high ritual drum), madhuube (thumb piano), fuugwo (trumpet), shareero (lute), muufe (horn), and seese (one-chord violin). In some instances these traditional instruments were replaced by the guitar, sax, keyboard, and drums, creating a turning point where Somali music expanded beyond folk music to fuse with non-Somali genres such as maqam (Arabic), taarab (East African), jazz, funk, afrobeat, and reggae.