The UN projects that in 2009, a third of Somalia's total population will be dependent on humanitarian aid—this, in a country that has no central government, where the most viable economic vocation is piracy.

Having fled civil war in Mogadishu in 1991, the lyricist moved to Harlem and eventually embarked on a musical career in Toronto. With 2005's The Dusty Foot Philosopher, K'naan garnered critical acclaim in Canada and the UK (winning both a Juno and a BBC World Music Award), but was largely slept on stateside. Troubadour, his polished sophomore release, thumps hard with a vibrant blend of hip-hop, rock, reggae, and East African sounds.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2009/02/new_music_knaan_releases_troub.php