Golden-era cultural icon Khadijo Mohamud Yusuf ‘Qalanjo’ passes away in Hargeisa
Qalanjo, the Star Who Gave Somalia Its Soundtrack, Dies in Hargeisa
She walked onto the stage with a dancer’s grace and a singer’s certainty, a silk scarf sweeping like a banner. In the 1970s and ’80s—when Somali theaters were full and radios hummed in every teashop—Khadijo Mohamud Yusuf, known to her country simply as Qalanjo, helped give Somalia its soundtrack. The Ministry of Information confirmed she died on August 29 in Hargeisa, calling her passing a profound loss to Somali culture. She was among the first women to…