Somalia's violin novice to TV orchestra triumph in four years

Born at the start of Somalia's civil war, Maryan Ali Mohamed dreamt of one day performing live on stage.

She spent hours impersonating musicians on TV and always hoped to master an instrument.

In 2019, she picked up her first violin. Now, the 33-year-old is one of 40 musicians forming a Somali orchestra.

The East African country does not have an official national orchestra, but for the first time, an ensemble of musicians were brought together for a series of televised performances.

Men and women dressed in suits and satin were recorded harmoniously playing trumpets, drums and ouds - a traditional string instrument.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Fadumo Hussien, a 70-year-old grandmother watching from her living room on the outskirts of the capital, Mogadishu.

"I remember bands playing growing up, but nothing like this," she told the BBC.

The performances, organised by Mogadishu-based production company Astaan TV, aim to revive Somali music.

"We brought this orchestra together and gave them a space to rehearse," said Mohamed Abdiwali, one of the event organisers.

"Now they can play classical Somali music," he said.

The carefully crafted shows are then aired online and across local TV.

"The younger generation needs to start hearing our history," he explained.