Heelloy: Modern Poetry and Songs of the Somalis - Paperback

by John William Johnson (Author), Abdilahi Qarshe (Foreword by)

This is a completely new edition of the only scholarly work on the poetry of popular and mass culture among a people who are renowned for their passion for poetry. Johnson traces the heello movement from its origins as a youth culture which in its early days was concerned with themes of love and pleasure. It later became the medium for freedom songs in the preindependence period, for the expression of modern political ideas, political protest, rallying songs and social comment, many examples of which are cited in this volume. Heello became the most dynamic form of Somali poetry in this century. This edition uses modern Somali script.

Author Biography

John William Johnson is Associate Professor of Folklore and African Studies at Indiana University. He is author or co-author of six previous books and numerous articles on Somali and Mande linguistics and folklore.