Abdi warsame biography for kids

K'naan (pronounced /ˈkeɪnɑːn/), born Keinan Abdi Warsame (Somali: Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, Arabic: قينان عبدي ورسمه‎ Keynān ‘Abdī Warsamah) in , is a Somali-Canadianpoet, rapper, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist.

Biography[]

Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most famous singers. K'naan's grandfather, Haji Mohammad, was a poet. He is Muslim, and his name, Keinan, means "traveler" in the Somali language. He spent the early years of his life listening to the hip-hop records sent to him from America by his father, who had left Somalia earlier. When he was 13, K'naan, his mother, and his three siblings, older brother, Liban, and younger sisters Naciimo, Sagal left their homeland and joined relatives in New York City, where they stayed briefly before moving to Canada, to the Toronto neighbourhood of Rexdale, where there was a large Somali community and his family still resides. There, K'naan began learning English, partly by listening to hip hop albums by artists like Nas and Rakim. Despite the fact that he could not yet speak the language, the young K'naan taught himself hip-hop and rap diction, copying the lyrics and style phonetically. He then also began rapping

Somali-Canadian rapper (born )

"Knaan" redirects here. For the extinct West Slavic Jewish language, spoken in the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe, see Knaanic language.

Musical artist

Keinan Abdi Warsame (born 16 April ) (Somali: Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, Arabic: كَينَان عَبدِ وَرسَمَKaynān ʿAbdi Warsama), better known by his stage name K'naan (), is a Somali-Canadian rapper, singer and filmmaker. He rose to fame after releasing the single "Wavin' Flag", which was chosen as Coca-Cola's promotional anthem for the FIFA World Cup. Besides hip hop, K'naan's sound is influenced by elements of Somali music and world music. A Grammy Award-winning artist and FIPRESCI Prize-winning director, he is also involved in various philanthropic initiatives.

Early life

K'naan was born 16 April in Mogadishu, situated in the southeastern Banaadir province of Somalia. K'naan's family was from an artistic background. His grandfather was a famous poet, and his aunt Magool was a renowned singer. His name, Keynaan (), means "traveller" in the Somali language.

K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu. His father, Abdi, left earlier when he was still a boy to work as a taxi driver in New York City. K'naan's early years were idyllic and enveloped in poetry and song, with his aunt Magool often singing to him. This changed following the start of the civil war, when at the age of 12, three of his friends were shot by an older adolescent gunman. K'naan also narrowly escaped death one day at his school, when he mistook a grenade that he found in the dirt for a potato and threw it away just before it detonated. These incidents and the general escalation of violence prompted his mother to seek a visa so that the family could join his father in New York. When he was 13, K'naan and his mother and two siblings, older brother Liban and younger sist

Reviewed by Lidwien Kapteijns

Review Source: Africa Access
Book Author: K'Naan

Since it became the theme song of the Soccer World Cup in , many young people all over the world have come to know and love the &#;Wavin&#; Flag&#; song of Canadian-Somali Hip Hop singer K&#;naan (born Keynaan Abdi Warsame). This creative and impressive book for children aged six and up tells the story behind that song.

In relatively few words and with superb illustrations it tells the story of the thirteen-year old K&#;naan, whose family was suddenly confronted with civil war violence in Mogadishu and fled first to New York City and from there to Toronto, Canada.

Whenever K-&#;naan did not feel well, was scared during the violence, or felt discouraged when he was picked on by schoolmates in Toronto, his grandfather would comfort him with the poetry lines: &#;When I get older, I will be stronger. They&#;ll call me freedom, just like a waving flag.&#; At school in Toronto, the story goes,

K&#;naan set these words to music and bridged the gap between himself and the other students at his school. Continue reading.

Publisher's Synopsis: “Wavin’Flag” has become an international anthem. Its powerful words of hope have crossed generations and borders, and have made K’NAAN an international star. In his first book for children, When I Get Older, Somali-Canadian poet, rapper, singer, and songwriter K’NAAN tells his own story. Born in Somalia, he grew up in Mogadishu. His grandfather was a renowned poet who passed on his love of words to his grandson. When the Somali Civil War began in , K’NAAN was just thirteen. His mother made the difficult decision to move her family so that

American politician

Abdi Warsame (Somali: Cabdi Warsame, Arabic: عبدي وارسام) (born ) is a Somali-American politician in Minnesota's Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. After moving to London as an asylum-seeker, he immigrated to Minnesota in In November , he was elected to the Minneapolis City Council, becoming the first Somali official to be elected to the position. Warsame was reelected for a second term in He resigned from the position in to become the head of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority.

Early life and education

Warsame was born on March 5, , in Mogadishu, Somalia. In the late s, his family sought asylum in London. Warsame earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the Middlesex University. He also holds a master's degree in International Business from the University of Greenwich. In , Warsame immigrated to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Career

Early career

Warsame first entered politics in , while working on Mohamud Noor's campaign for a state Senate seat on a DFL ticket.

Warsame was the founder and spokesperson for the Citizen's Committee for Fair Redistricting, which took part in the Minneapolis redistricting process. The group lobbied the Minneapolis Charter Commission to redraw the municipality's political districts so as to maximize the East African community's vote. The commission concurred and established a number of new precincts in Ward 6.

Warsame chaired the Cedar Riverside-Neighborhood Revitalization Program and served as executive director of the Riverside Plaza Tenants Association, which represents the tenants of Riverside Plaza.

Minneapolis City Council

election

Warsame ran in the Minneapolis municipal elections to represent Ward 6 on the Minneapolis City Council.

Somali-American professionals contributed significantly to