The Journey
- by Maryam Mursal
- Real World Region: Africa
- Mar 1998
Somalia with five children at the height of the civil war. She was to walk, and ride on donkeys and trucks through the desert for seven exhausting months before reaching safety. On the way she wrote 'Qax/Refugee'. This epic is the tragic story of Maryam's flight. She tells of the tragedy as the fighting survivor - proud and adamant, she insists that peace must prevail so that the country may rise again.
Reviews
Maryam Mursal : The Journey - CD £7.99
The sound of contemporary Somalia with a dynamic vocal performance from Maryam Mursal. Whopping chunky brass and thunderous bass and percussion bring in a highly charged set of songs perfectly captured by the Real World engineers.
This ... is a joyful collage of influences. This music feels like hobbling on stillettos when you're used to flats: it'll force you to use muscles you didn't know you had.
March 1998
Funky and infectious, it deserves to be the crossover hit of the year.
25 March 1998
Mursal's honey-smoked alto weaves a hypnotic web of back-home ululations and R&B diva moanings. The Journey and Mursal swing beautifully. Twenty-first century global soul begins here.
March 1998
Truly breathtaking ... If this album does not propel her ... to consideration as one of the world's great female voices, up there with your Aretha's, there ain't no justice:
March 1998
"... compelling listening ... her voice packs a powerful and emotional punch.
March 1998
If you're looking for an artist who stands for something big - who moves you, impresses you, and broadens you while thrilling you - here she is, cutting through it all.
March 1998
Deep, dirty funk from Somalia, anyone? ... the kind of classic funk that would have suited Sweet Sweetback's Baadass Song.
March 1998
Tracklist & Audio Samples
| play | Lei Lei (I Feel Alone) |
| play | Kufilaw (Take Care) |
| play | Somali Udiida Ceb (Somalia, Don't Shame Yourself) |
| play | Sodewou (Welcome) |
| play | Hamar (The Big City) |
| play | Qax (Refugee) |
| play | Nin Hun (Bad Man) |
| play | Fejigno (Beware) |
