There is nothing more exciting than waking up on a Monday morning and knowing that without a doubt, you are going to have a good day. This is what my Monday was about two weeks ago. I woke up bright and early with a smile on my face because I knew that I was about to see one of the biggest rappers of our time, an artist that not only conveyed beautiful lyrics with his natural poetic nature, but also believed in advocacy and change for a better Somalia and a better Africa. K’Naan was about to grace Yale’s walls, and I was not going to miss this great opportunity.
I arrived at the Yale Art Gallery half an hour before the show began, just to ensure that I would get a front seat. K’Naan wasn’t even singing or rapping, but I still had to sit right across from him so I could brag about seeing him, much like I am doing now! Almost every seat in the auditorium of the gallery was taken, and it wasn’t even 5 o’clock yet. I was obviously not the only person extremely excited about seeing the celebrity that promoted Somalia in a positive light, never previously seen in the international media. I had taken my camera with me, ready to snap away at him as many times as I could, just like any annoying paparazzi member would.
My expectation of merely being in the presence of a celebrity was, however, overturned. K’Naan had not come to Yale in his capacity as a world-renown musician; he had come as a human being, a native of Somalia that was watching his people suffer because of the famine that was ravaging the horn of Africa. He had come to illustrate and share with the audience the effects of years of an anarchical government, of instability and of insecurity. His narrations on the extent of Somali suffering were touching, and his general demeanor towards the entire issue was humbling.
I learnt a lot from K’Naan that evening. I learnt of our ability to make a difference regardless of who we are, and I also learnt of the amazing work already being done by some Somalis to save their fellow people. (See Hawa Abdi and her daughter http://www.ted.com/talks/mother_and_daughter_doctor_heroes_hawa_abdi_deqo_mohamed.html). From K’Naan, I learnt that the famine in East Africa should be a part of my daily agenda, because it is affecting human beings, and I am a human being.
I didn’t get to go to the intimate dinner for Yale students and K’Naan scheduled by the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, and I didn’t even manage to get a photo with K’Naan. The strength of K’Naan’s message will however resonate with me for a long time.