Maryam Mursal (born January 1, 1950) is a Somali composer and vocalist. Mursal grew up in a Muslim family with four daughters. As a teenager, she broke with tradition and began singing professionally in Mogadishu. She performed in nightclubs and her brand of music, featuring a mix of blues, soul, Somali and Arabic influences, and known as Somali jazz, became popular across the country. During the civil war in her homeland, Mursal and her five children moved to neighboring Djibouti, where she found asylum in the Danish embassy.