Born: 1948, Djibouti
Died: 24 May 2018
Country most active: Djibouti, Somalia
Also known as: Faadumo Axmed Dhimbiil
Fadumo Ahmed Dhimbiil as a prominent Djiboutian poet, singer, and songwriter. Born in Djibouti in 1948, she spent her early years in Quartier 6, Djibouti City. At the age of 19, she ventured to Mogadishu, Somalia in 1967, where she collaborated with notable figures in the arts, including Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Hadraawi. Dhimbiil’s involvement in a play, directed alongside Abdirahman Hassan Sheikh and others, took the group across various Somali cities, advocating for social and political change.
Returning to Djibouti in 1975, she played a role in the 1976 drama National Struggle and Misery, reflecting the local desire for independence from French colonialism. Collaborating with the band Gaan Maan led by Aden Farah Samatar from 1978, Dhimbiil left Djibouti in the 1990s, residing in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom before returning in 2004. Tragically, she passed away in Turkey on May 24, 2018, and was laid to rest in Djibouti on May 25, 2018. Fadumo Ahmed Dhimbiil’s artistic contributions left a lasting impact on Djibouti’s cultural landscape.