Acclaimed East African Vocalist Yanna Momina Dies at 76

Producer Ian Brenan reported the passing of Yanna Momina, a leading artist from the northeast African nation of Jibuti (Djibouti), on Sunday, June 18th. Brenan said: “Yanna Momina Abass 1947-2023. We are saddened to announce the death of Yanna Momina at age 76. Momina had been scheduled to perform at this year’s WOMAD Festival, but fell ill in the spring. Her presence will be missed, but her one-of-a-kind voice lives on.”

Yanna Momina was a singer-songwriter and a member of the Afar people, Jibuti’s second-largest ethnic group. She became known locally for her extraordinary talent and powerful vocal delivery. Yanna was discovered while accompanied on a two-string shingle played with nails and a matchbox for maracas. She made a name in the region, presenting her musical traditions on her album “Afar Ways” (Glitterbeat, 2022) which was recorded live in a stilt-hut on the Horn of Africa with American producer Ian Brennan.

Music is not something the rural Afar people “do for show,” Momina affirmed. After recording Momina’s album, Brennan stated: “Yanna has one of the most unique voices I’ve ever heard. She flirts with the edge of chaos without losing control of her idiosyncratic phrasing.”

Yanna Momina’s final single, “Djibouti Desert (Listen to Me),” will come out as scheduled on July 28th, 2023. All proceeds will benefit her music community in Jibuti.

(headline image: Yanna Momina – Photo by Marilena Umuhoza Delli)