OVERCOMING AL-SHABAAB'S REPRESSIVE LEGACY: In pictures: Music returns to Mogadishu - In Pictures - Al Jazeera English

Mogadishu, Somalia - Mogadishu has come to symbolise the epitome of the war-torn city. The Somali capital was engulfed by civil war in 1991 when President Siad Barre's regime collapsed, leading to open conflict between competing warlords. US forces intervened in 1993, culminating in the Battle of Mogadishu, in which 18 Americans and hundreds of Somali militiamen and civilians lost their lives.

Last week, amid secrecy and last-minute preparation, 18 entertainers waged a war of a very different kind, as international artists from seven countries performed in Somalia's first formal music event in more than 25 years................

Phil Moore/Al Jazeera/Festival-goers revelled in the opportunity to see acts such as 
Waayaha Cusub to dance and let down their hair - literally. The organisers hope that
it will usher in a new era in the city's turbulent history.

FULL PHOTO-ESSAY HERE: In pictures: Music returns to Mogadishu - In Pictures - Al Jazeera English