Aar Maanta
| Aar Maanta | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | Jijiga, Ethiopia |
| Genres | Somali music |
| Occupation(s) | singer-songwriter, actor, composer, instrumentalist, music producer |
| Instruments | vocals, keyboard, oud |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Maanta Music |
| Website | www |
Hassan-Nour Sayid (Somali: Xasan-Nuur Sayid, known by his stage name Aar Maanta, is a Somali-British singer-songwriter, actor, composer, instrumentalist and music producer.
Maanta, born Hassan-Nour Sayid in Jijiga, the capital of the Somali Region in South Eastern Ethiopia. He spent his early years in the town, as well as in his family home in the northern part of Somalia. Maanta later moved to the United Kingdom at the end of the 1980s, on the eve of the civil war in Somalia.
As a lone child in a new country, Maanta turned to music for comfort, absorbing many genres including pop, rock, hip hop, R&B and house. He started studying music at school and then later at university. However, because of family pressure and disapproval due to his Muslim faith, Maanta was encouraged to follow a different career path. He consequently completed a degree in science, but eventually returned to singing.
Maanta produces an eclectic mix of styles blended with traditional Somali music, including the classical oud-centred Qaraami ("love songs" in Arabic) style of the 1940s. According to him, traditional Somali music shares many similarities with that of North Africa, and Somali musical genres draw from a diverse range of influences, such as Arabic and Indian sounds. Maanta cites a growing appreciation with age for these roots of Somali music, as well as greater ease performing classical-based songs. His music has been described as 'afro-hop'.
In 2006, Maanta held his first notable performance at Rise: London United, the UK's largest multi-cultural festival. There, he played alongside Graham Coxon, The Buzzcocks, and other prominent acts. Over 80,000 young people and families attended this event, bringing together London residents from many different ethnic communities.
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