I’ve always believed that stories are bridges—fragile, trembling things that stretch across borders, languages, and lives, connecting us in ways facts and figures never could. My name is Cedric Muhikira, and my debut book, Libaax: Grow Your Roots Where You Land, is my attempt to build one such bridge. It’s a tapestry woven from the threads of immigrant lives, inspired by the streets of Detroit, the rhythm of Somali qaraami melodies, and the stubborn resilience of those who dare to start anew. This book isn’t just a story—it’s a pulse, a beat, a call to listen to voices too often drowned out.
Growing Up Between Worlds with Cedric Mu
Growing up between cultures, I learned early what it means to straddle worlds. You’re never quite one thing or another, always carrying fragments of home in your accent, your memories, your bones. That in-betweenness shaped me, and it shapes Libaax. The story follows Ayaan, a Somali immigrant who lands in Detroit with a civil engineering degree and a suitcase full of dreams, only to find himself washing dishes and spinning records to survive. When a last-minute DJ gig thrusts him into the city’s underground music scene, he begins to remix his identity, layering trap beats with the qaraami melodies of his childhood. Ayaan’s journey isn’t a straight line from struggle to triumph—it’s a rhythm, pulsing with grief, joy, and the quiet beauty of becoming.
Crafting Libaax: Cedric Mu’s Creative Process
Writing Libaax felt like spinning a mixtape of my own. I drew from late-night conversations with first-generation youth, from the stories of former refugees reimagining themselves in unfamiliar cities, from the grit and soul of Detroit’s streets. I wanted to capture the in-between moments—the dishwashing shifts, the ache of loneliness, the fleeting triumphs that don’t make headlines. One night, as I wrote Ayaan’s first DJ gig, I blasted trap and qaraami mixes, chasing the sensory blend of sweat, neon, and bass. That chapter became a turning point, not just for Ayaan but for me. It was like building a song, each word a note, each sentence a beat, until the scene felt alive, electric, true.
What Sets Libaax Apart
What makes Libaax different? It doesn’t lean into trauma or assimilation as the only lenses for immigration. Instead, it’s about remixing culture, rebuilding joy, forging new roots in unfamiliar soil. Ayaan’s story is raw, lyrical, unapologetically poetic. His voice shifts from introspective monologues to cinematic bursts, pulling readers into his world like a track you can’t stop replaying. Through his friendships—with Ahmed, a reformed pirate; Maria, a law student; and Isabeli, a fiery bartender—Ayaan finds a chosen family, a tether to belonging in a city that feels both foreign and alive.
The Heart of Cedric Mu’s Libaax
The heart of Libaax lies in its themes: displacement and identity, music as memory and resistance, the tension between rootlessness and belonging. It’s about masculinity and vulnerability, too—how men like Ayaan navigate emotional interiors rarely explored in immigrant narratives. One line from the book stays with me: “He wasn’t the guy who fumbled slang or froze at Kroger’s endless aisles. On Libaax, he was elemental—a streak of fire painting sagas on the asphalt.” It captures Ayaan’s transformation, from a shadow in someone else’s world to a force claiming his own space, his own rhythm.
Why Cedric Mu Tells These Stories
Why tell these stories now? Because I know what it’s like to be “almost understood,” to speak in a language that isn’t quite yours, to carry both fragility and ferocity. Immigrant stories are often flattened into statistics or clichés, but they’re so much more—they’re human, complicated, fierce, flawed, luminous. I wrote Libaax for those who’ve felt like outsiders, for the children of immigrants who see their parents’ courage in Ayaan’s grit, for anyone who believes stories can shift how we see each other. I hope readers walk away with deeper empathy, with curiosity about the lives behind the headlines, with a sense of the stubborn beauty in starting over.
Join My Libaax Community
This book is for anyone who loves lyrical prose, urban fiction, or coming-of-age tales that center voices from the margins. It’s for educators, social workers, students of diaspora studies, and readers who crave emotional depth. I’m thrilled to share Libaax through digital readings on Zoom, book club visits, and a book signing at a Detroit independent bookstore this fall. These events are more than readings—they’re conversations about migration, identity, and the power of music to stitch us together. Stay tuned for dates and details on my website, cedricmuhikira.com, or follow me on social media for updates.
Where to Find Libaax
You can find Libaax: Grow Your Roots Where You Land on Amazon or through my website, where I’ll also share news about upcoming events. Writing this book was my way of honoring the resilience I’ve seen in immigrant communities, of amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. I hope Ayaan’s story resonates with you, not just as a narrative but as a reminder: we all have roots, and we all have the power to grow them, wherever we land.