Inspired by artists such as Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, and Santana, Dur-Dur Band emerged during a time when Somalia's distinctive contribution to the creative culture in the Horn of Africa was visible and abundant.
[citation needed] Dur-Dur Band disbanded in the early 1990s when the disintegrating political situation in Somalia led to members leaving the country and scattering abroad.
They took Somali pop culture by storm, and were very popular in the neighboring countries of Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya, until civil war broke out in Somalia in 1991.
[6][7] Many Somali musicians fled the country to seek sanctuary outside Somalia, mainly in East Africa and Europe, with many executed or killed by the religious factions for their love of music art and culture.
Dur Dur Band International, led by Abdillahi Ujeery with lead singer Fadumina Hilowleh, and including Mustafe TT, Jama Yare, Akila, Said Hussein, Saleh Hariari, Amara, Ali Attore, Mohamed Karama, Omar Teesiyow, Yusuf Naji Mohamed Sheriff, and Mustaf Karama, are still performing around the world.