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Ahmed Ismail Hussein Hudeidi, a Founding Father of modern Somali music, died in London, after contracting coronavirus at the Age Of 91 years. The Bbc 's Mary Harper was a friend of his.

If Hudeidi played his oud, it was impossible to keep still.

the body swaying, the hands clapping, and fingers snapping. Was to transport his music, and somehow possessed her whole being.

But there was still more to Hudeidi, or the "king of the oud", as he is popularly known, as his sublime music.

He was a force of life, warm, generous, humble and funny.

From The Moment I met Him , I felt I was part of His Family .

I was not the only one. He welcomed all participants to his London home, preparing a strong Yemeni coffee, and offers a bed for those that needed it.

It was an informal Music School , people come from all parts of The World to learn from The Maestro .

A student was a Somali woman in her 60s, who have never been allowed to before, to learn music. Another was a Bus Driver .

Hudeidi was born in the Somali port city of Berbera in the year 1928. He grew up on The Gulf of Aden in the Yemen, and was attracted to music from a young age.

"always, When I saw The Police band playing the drums, I would take you to the idea, I was against the instruments. I would get Carried Away , lose The Sense of time, until a member of The Family would Find Me and Take Me home," he once said.

If Hudeidi was 14 years old, his father took Him to a party in Aden. An oud played and Hudeidi fell in love.

He described his affection for the rounded wooden instrument like a disease; if he saw one, he had to you just pick up and Play .

Stringed instrumentoften described as similar to the European lute

Its history stretches back thousands of years

Centralto are a lot of Arabic music

made Of wood, typically with 11 strings, five paired

It was around This Time that Hudeidi met the legendary Somali composer and oud player, Abdullahi Qarshe .

"One Day , I began to touch and caress his oud. Qarshe noticed this immediately and asked me to take a what kind of things My Father bought me in the school.

"I said: 'books and pencils'. Qarshe said that was fine, but he should also Buy Me a basic oud. "

Hudeidi learned quickly and seemed like a player to win prizes at the carnival and make a name for themselves. He moved Back To Somaliland, to Djibouti, where he gentlemen for the singing of political songs was started by the French colonial.

He went Back Home , where he then also in trouble with The Authorities . In a time the ban you tried to describe his music as "devil's work".

The musician once wrote a letter to The Head of the National Security Service asking: "Where is the great ship, full to the brim with Fresh Milk and the lush grass, she had been promised?"

He Said this angered The Man who is "sent with a stern word to me to the effect that if I stop such nonsense, you would see that my high reputation among the Somalis would be destroyed".

Its popularity from other artists jealous. He described how some envious musicians poured ghee in his oud, which led Him to compose the verse:

If I'm not precious to you, Oh Ms Nothing

And your assistance is no longer, I, too, have given up on you

Hudeidi settled in London, but all over The World traveled and enjoyed the people with his musical mastery. Age was not a Problem. He was still playing concerts in his 90s.

Despite his elevated status, the 'king of the oud' never liked to attract attention.

I remember an awards ceremony in London, where he was presented with a lifetime achievement award. It was a black-tie event and Hudeidi niece brought a tie for Him wear, but he had none of it.

In The End , we had tried an amusing tussle with Him , as we, to persuade Him to wear it, at least for the Gang on The Podium .

He also had a cross-generational appeal.

I went to one of his concerts in The Basement of a small bookshop in London.

Somehow, the famous young Somali musicians, Aar Maanta is to get wind that he was there to Play . He rushed out of the house with his oud, ran down The Stairs to the crowded room, grabbed a chair and began to Play with Hudeidi, both men grinned and laughed as they worked their magic.

Sultan Ali Shire is Hudeidi official biographer. He was also a longtime student of it and Hudeidi describes as "The Man who sowed The Seeds of Somali-music, as it is today, and The Best father anyone could have".

Another of his students - And One who sometimes played in public with Him - is the Author , Nadifa Mohamed , who was like a daughter to Hudeidi.

"He was everything to me," she says. "He started out as a music teacher, but has taught me history, culture and language. Music Poured Out of Him ; also in his kitchen, he would start drumming his fingers on the countertop. "

Hudeidi said it was not always possible to separate music from politics, especially in times of need, such as the dictatorship of the years of former President Siad Barre , or the long years of conflict, drought and other difficulties.

"He is a patriot with a grounded civic principles", says the American Somali professor Ahmed Samatar. "An artistic pioneer, with bottomless stamina. He has over 70 years of high-octane performances. "

Mohamed says Hudeidi "was always a rebel, support the right of people to individuals".

This spirit was not well with everyone, even his parents, who were never happy with his musical career, right from The Time when he was a child.

"We were At War with each other," said Hudeidi. "Kick and punch became The Medium of our encounters. It was As If their boy had decided to destroy his life before it bloomed yet. "

Many of Hudeidi songs are part of the Somalis' DNA, no matter where they come from, no matter what clan they belong to.

His favorite song was one he wrote for his brother, Uur Hooyo or mother's womb:

you, the abundant light

That my eyes graze on

don't Take Me lightly

the shared

saw the womb of My mother

the music and his teaching as a way the attempt of the preservation of cultural continuity in spite of the division after 30 years of conflict.

"The heart of the Somali musicians are heavy with the sorrow that comes from our broken, shared history, and thus The Loss of our rich cultural heritage," He Said .

He also saw music as a way to make sense of things.

"The artistic imagination of not only our vision sharpens to The World . It also provides us with ways of understanding, talking about, dreaming of and conducting our Lives . "

Source of news: bbc.com