I still remember the first time I heard qaraami music crackle through a worn-out speaker in a cramped Detroit apartment. The melody was raw, like a heartbeat stitched with longing, and it carried stories of places I’d never seen but felt in my bones. That sound—Somali, soulful, unapologetic—became the pulse of my debut book, LIBAAX: Grow Your Roots Where You Land. My name is Cedric Muhikira, and this is the story of how I went from listening to those rhythms to weaving them into a book that amplifies the voices of immigrants like me.
Cedric Muhikira’s Cultural Bridge
Growing up between cultures, I’ve always been a bridge—a translator of glances, silences, and dreams that don’t quite fit into one language. I was born with one foot in motion, carrying the weight of displacement and the spark of reinvention. That’s why LIBAAX isn’t just a book to me; it’s a conversation, a mixtape, a love letter to the people who taught me that home isn’t a place you find—it’s a rhythm you create.
Ayaan’s Tale in LIBAAX
The heart of LIBAAX is Ayaan, a Somali immigrant who lands in Detroit with a civil engineering degree and a suitcase heavy with memories. He’s not the hero of a neat redemption arc or the victim of a tragic headline. He’s real—scrubbing dishes, spinning records, and riding his motorcycle, Libaax, through a city that’s as gritty and alive as he is. When a last-minute DJ gig thrusts him into Detroit’s underground music scene, Ayaan starts blending Somali qaraami with trap beats, crafting a sound that’s both rebellion and remembrance. His journey is messy, beautiful, and raw—full of fleeting romance with a bartender named Isabeli, grounding friendships with a reformed pirate named Ahmed and a law student named Maria, and the stubborn courage to carve out a space in a world that doesn’t always make room for you.
Writing LIBAAX – Cedric’s Craft
Writing LIBAAX felt like chasing a melody I could hear but couldn’t yet name. I drew from the late-night talks with first-generation youth, the laughter and ache of former refugees, and the pulse of Detroit’s streets. I wanted to capture the in-between moments—the dishwashing shifts, the loneliness that stings like a paper cut, the small triumphs that never make the news. One of my favorite moments was writing Ayaan’s first DJ gig. I’d blast qaraami and trap mixes, letting the music guide my words. The room would hum with the scent of vinyl and the flicker of imagined stage lights. That chapter became a mixtape of its own, each sentence a beat, each image a lyric. But the challenge was staying honest—honoring the complexity of migration without turning it into a cliché of struggle or success.
LIBAAX’s Immigrant Voice
Why immigrants? Because I am one. Because I know the ache of being “almost understood” in a language that isn’t yours. I’ve seen young men like Ayaan dream big, stumble hard, and keep dancing anyway. Their stories are too often flattened into statistics or stereotypes, but they’re so much more—fragile, fierce, and luminous. LIBAAX explores displacement and identity, the way music holds memory and defiance, the poetry of rootlessness, and the power of chosen family. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re straddling worlds, for readers who crave lyrical prose and emotional depth, for educators and students diving into diaspora studies, and for anyone who believes stories can build bridges.
Cedric Muhikira’s Ayaan Vision
There’s a line in the book that still hums in my chest: “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.” That’s Ayaan claiming his rhythm, his story, his place. I hope LIBAAX does that for readers—shows them that immigrants aren’t “others” but people who laugh, grieve, and create with a stubborn kind of beauty. I want immigrant readers to see themselves reflected, and others to walk away with deeper empathy and curiosity.
Cedric Muhikira’s Events
This book is my way of turning silence into spotlight, of giving voice to the unspoken. It’s why I’m thrilled to share it through digital readings on Zoom, book club visits, and a book signing at a Detroit indie bookstore this fall. These events aren’t just about the book—they’re about sparking conversations on migration, identity, and the power of storytelling. Stay tuned to my website, cedricmuhikira.com, or follow me on social media for updates on where to join me next. You can also find LIBAAX on Amazon, ready to carry you into Ayaan’s world.
Cedric’s Story Roots
Writing LIBAAX taught me that stories are like roots—they grow where you land, no matter how rocky the soil. I hope this book plants a seed in you, a rhythm that lingers, a story that feels like home.