A spokesman for Eagle Media, which had put together the tribute dinner and gala party, indicated that the organization had sought to present Samatar the prize years earlier but was waiting for the artist to return to Minnesota.
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However, at the behest of friends, he decided to first take part in the 1971 edition of Heesaha Hirgalay, a talent competition that was at the time Somalia’s equivalent of American Idol.
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Among the most influential and enduring of Somali singers, Samatar has a musical corpus of over 200 songs, and has performed several duets with other popular Somali artists, including Saado Cali, Khadija Qalanjo and Seynab Haji Ali.
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While most of Samatar's songs have been in Standard Somali, many of his early tunes were in the Maay variety.
Hasan ibn Ali | Saadat Hasan Manto | United States v. Hasan K. Akbar | Nidal Malik Hasan | Hasan | Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid | Mount Hasan | Hasan Khan | Abul Hasan Qutb Shah | Shakib Al Hasan | Muhammad Ali Samatar | Hasan Raza | Hasan al-Askari | Adán Amezcua Contreras | Adán | Adan | Zulkifli Hasan | Syed Hasan Imam | Sheikha Yousuf Hasan Al Jufairi | Sayyid Mahammad 'Abdille Hasan | Saiyid Nurul Hasan | Said Sheikh Samatar | R v Hasan | Raza Hasan | Raef al Hasan Rafa | Mushirul Hasan | Musa Pasha ibn Hasan Ridwan | Mehdi Hasan | Lagari Hasan Çelebi | Hasan Zaidi |