Ogaden Music Festival held in Norway

By Ahmed Abdi | August 4, 2014

The powerful Ogaden diaspora communities held a musical festival in Oslo, Norway on Saturday ,August 2,2014, which hundreds of young men and young women participated in, in part of showing the World what identifies Ogaden Somalis as Somalis from Occupied-Ogaden region.

European Citizens of Occupied Ogaden native do not hold the music festival in protest of showing the globe their truer national identity that Ethiopian highlanders stolen 50 years ago after great Britain handed over Ogaden region to Ethiopia in 1954,without Somalis consent, but they hold and perform a traditional dance locally known as ‘Dhaanto’ for awareness to draw the international attention for the hidden genocide that is taking place in their homeland of Occupied-Ogaden region.

While many people find the traditional dance of ‘Dhaanto’ a chance of comfort which helps their stress to go away.
According to Harvard Health Publication, there are many different ways to find comfort when grieving. Some people find that Dhaanto is a source of great solace.

Many young men and young women from Ogaden region that lived with loneliness and experienced trauma after their parents’ lives had taken by infamous Ethiopian soldiers stationed in major cities : Jigjiga, Degahbur, Fiq, Korahey, Werder, Gode, Dire Dawa, and many other cities and parts of wider territory feel some sort of belonging together and encourage them to share their grief.

In Western countries, it takes days even weeks or months to organize people that can act the art of traditional dance “Dhaanto” without stage fright, but also stars like Mohamoud Abdi Omar better known as ‘Jaango’ , who attracted the nickname, “The King of the Dhaanto ” lives in Europe as well.Why Mr. Jaangoo was invited to Oslo’s annual Ogaden music festival is obvious , to many, a traditional performance without him is like nonsense,as a dish without salt is. (Somali: “Ceesh Bilaa Milix ah”).

Ogaden traditional dance is one of the recent leading traditional dances and one of the most loved ones it is commonly held outdoors with the aim of fundraising, sending a message to supporters of a cause,since the event was solely devoted the cause of Ogaden struggle , Halimo Gobad and shugri Ileys whom regarded the ‘spirit’ of the Ogaden have been invited to participate in the festival as a gust of honor.

In Ogaden region, the traditional dance or ‘Dhaanto’ shapes the culture -It is an art which children learn it in an early age, the seducers use it a way out to meet their lovers under their parents escort, Politicians use it by means of mobilizing the communities, warriors use it to send powerful words ‘poem’ by boasting their backgrounds that they hail from and it helps keep people afloat.