Sing Again!
An Archive of Language, Memory, and Legacy
Sing Again! is a Minnesota language-preservation initiative envisioned and led by Marian Hassan, a Minnesota-based educator, writer, and biliteracy advocate.
The project documents Somali lullabies and child-rearing oral traditions through interviews with Somali grandmothers who are the custodians of these songs and stories.
Their voices, stories, and lived experiences have been recorded and transcribed to preserve and share this living cultural knowledge.
Sing Again! creates a lasting home for Somali lullabies and childhood oral heritage. It ensures these rich traditions remain accessible to present and future generations through a living archive of recordings, a collection of illustrated bilingual lullabies, and educational materials.
A Cultural Bridge
Sing Again! honors Somali elders in Minnesota by uplifting the voices of grandmothers as storytellers, teachers, and tradition bearers. It helps unify families by bridging language gaps between generations and offers authentic culturally rich language experiences as well as culturally responsive materials for educators.
Our Grandmothers
Voices Preserved, Stories Shared
Oral tradition is at the heart of Somali culture. Rooted in pastoral life where bravery, skill, and oratory matter, Somali lullabies introduce children to language, rhythm, cultural values, and community identity. They also taught children how to live and succeed in their environment. This knowledge has been passed from one generation to the next.
In Minnesota and throughout the Somali diaspora, language loss is threatening this vital legacy, creating emotional distance between parents and children and weakening ties to cultural identity.
Sing Again! was created to honor and preserve these oral traditions and honor the voices of Somali grandmothers as cultural wisdom keepers. By nurturing intergenerational storytelling, rebuilding family bonds, and restoring pride in the Somali language, Sing Again! transforms oral tradition into a powerful tool for learning, memory, and connection that will resonate for generations to come.
From Oral Memory to Living Archive
The Sing Again! archival process was designed as a multidisciplinary effort centered on interviews with Somali grandmothers in Minnesota, focusing on lullabies and child rearing songs, personal stories and memories of home.
The songs have been transcribed and compiled into an illustrated, first-of-its-kind, bilingual collection of children's poetry and songs for intergenerational sharing and learning.
In partnership with the University of Minnesota, these oral texts have been integrated into teaching tools for multiage learners, soon to be available on this website as part of an evolving educational archive.
Audio recordings of the original voices will be available beginning in August 2026, with a direct link provided on this website for easy access to the full collection of songs.
Our Songs
Generations of Living Tradition
These lullabies are part of an extensive collection of Somali child-rearing songs, collected through interviews with Somali grandmothers living in Minnesota. The songs have been passed down orally through generations.
The collection will be available in book form also in August 2026.
Downloadable Sample
Bi-Lingual Lullaby
The Book
A Bilingual Collection of Somali Lullabies
Sing Again! is a bilingual collection of Somali lullabies and child-rearing songs, deeply rooted in the rich oral traditions of communities throughout Somalia. The project's initiator, Marian Hassan, interviewed Somali grandmothers living in Minnesota to gather these songs. This book serves as a treasure trove of wisdom and cultural memories passed down through generations. It combines illustrations and text to promote learning, reflection, and cultural connections for both current and future generations. The book invites children, families, educators, and communities to discover, share, and Sing Again.
Watch for the book launch at the Minnesota History Center in Fall of 2026 .
Marian Hassan
Project Lead, and Initiator
Marian Hassan is a writer, educator, and biliteracy and heritage language advocate whose work focuses on language access, educational equity, and the preservation of oral traditions. She collaborates with educational systems—including schools, educators, early literacy programs, researchers, and cultural organizations—to strengthen multilingual education and culturally responsive curriculum design, with a particular focus on immigrant and refugee learners.
She is the recipient of the Minnesota Cultural and Heritage Legacy Grant for her Sing Again: The Somali Lullaby and Oral History Project, and the author of Dhegdheer: A Scary Somali Folktale and Bright Star, Blue Sky. She is also the editor of Crossroads: An Anthology of Resilience and Hope by Young Somali Writers.