Faarrow members listen to Astralblak member Ken Thomas speaking
Somali sisters and founders of Toronto-based group FAARROW are coming to St. Cloud as the fifth and final residency of the Midnimo residency program.
Iman and Siham Hashi will perform a public concert at 7:30 p.m. March 30 on the Paramount Stage, but before they take to the stage they will spend the week working with students and community members throughout the St. Cloud area.
FAARROW is backed by Astralblak, a Twin Cities band who’s album “Seeds” was No. 2 in the Star Tribune’s Top 10 Minnesota Albums of 2018.
Opening for FAARROW is iLLism, an emerging husband and wife hip hop band from the Twin Cities.
Admission is $10 for general admission, or free for children, students and employees with a school or college ID card.
FAARROW’s sound fuses African rhythms with modern production resulting in a drum-heavy fusion of world, hip-hop and pop music.
The sisters were born in Mogadishu, Somalia. After fleeing their home to escape civil war, they relocated to Toronto as refugees.
The name of their group derives from their names, Iman means “faith” and Siham means “arrow” to combine for the group’s name FAARROW.
iLLism will open for FAAROW.
FARROW released its first EP “LOST” in 2016 and made its debut at SXSW in 2017 for the “ContraBanned” showcase highlighting artists from countries affected by the U.S. travel ban.
While in residency at St. Cloud State University, the sisters will meet in class with students in music, culture and feminism courses, interview with KVSC and the Somali Radio Station and meet with the Somali Student Association and Omoro Student Organization.
They will also speak with students at the college of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University, conduct a movement workshop with the dancelines from Tech and Apollo high schools, and work with youths from area Boys & Girls Clubs.
Iman and Siham also serve as United Nations spokeswomen with the the UN Refugee Agency and are actively involved with humanitarian efforts for other human rights organizations.
Astralblak will back FAARROW March 30.
They recently launched a podcast called “PowHer” that discusses spirituality, mental health, soul health, mysticism, healing, culture, identity and beauty.
FAAROW is also doing residencies and performances in Minneapolis and Mankato through a Building Bridges: Arts, Culture and Identity program, the Midnimo partnership. St. Cloud State University is a part of the partnership together with The Cedar Cultural Center, Augsburg College, The Paramount Center for the Arts and Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Music Performance Studies. The partnership earned a $500,000 grant from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, which is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. The goal is to bridge understanding with college students in a way that can reduce Islamaphobia.
