Djibouti, is made up of two closely related ethnic groups: the
Somali and
Afar. There are also a number of
Arab and
French citizens. Traditional
Afar music resembles the folk music of other parts of the
Horn of Africa such as
Ethiopia; it also contains elements of
Arabic music. The history of Djibouti is recorded in poetry and in songs of its nomadic people and goes back thousands of years to a time when the peoples of Djibouti traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancient
Egypt,
India and
China. Afar oral literature is also quite musical, and comes in many varieties, including songs for weddings, war, praise and boasting.
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Somalis have a rich musical heritage centered on traditional Somali
folklore. Most Somali songs are
pentatonic; that is, they only use five
pitches per
octave in contrast to a
heptatonic (seven note) scale such as the
major scale. At first listen, Somali music might be mistaken for the sounds of nearby regions such as Ethiopia,
Sudan or the
Arabian Peninsula, but it is ultimately recognizable by its own unique tunes and styles. Somali songs are usually the product of collaboration between
lyricists(
midho),
songwriters (
laxan) and
singers (
codka or "voice").
Balwo is Somali musical style centered on love themes that is popular in Djibouti.
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