London-based Abdikarim was enjoying the success of his newly recorded song Dahab and the news that it was being played all over Somalia. Meanwhile, back home in Somaliland, a young singer Nimco Degun heard the song one morning played aloud in a bus on her way to work in Somalia. She was immediately drawn to Abdikarim’s voice and vowed to travel to London to find him. She did, they eventually met and got married soon after!

The singing duo, now known as Degun-Raas perform regularly for the Somali community in England. Their ground-breaking album Somali Party Southall produced by Kuljit Bhamra combines Punjabi beats with Somali songs and instruments.