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Somalia has the distinction of being one of only a handful of African countries that are composed almost entirely of one ethnic group, the Somalis. Traditional bands like Waaberi have gained a small following outside the country, and others, like Maryam Mursal, haved fused Somali traditional music with rock, bossa nova, hip hop and, especially, jazz, influences. Native instruments include the batar drum. Somalia has also produced native hip hop crews like the Skyhigh Family.
Because of the proximity and cultural simlarities with the Arab World , Arabic music has been gaining popularity here, as it is the majority of music videos on television. Hip Hop has also gained a following here for Teenagers, lots of pirated CDs can be found of any music in Somali markets now.
Most Somali music talk about love, but some recall how life in Somalia was before the Somalian Civil War ,some talk about how Somalis should be together to unite and rebuild the country back to it's former glory.
The center of the Somali music industry is not in Somalia anymore because of the war. It is in Toronto, where a sizable Somali community exists. The industry is also concentrated in London, Minneapolis, and Columbus.
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