“The music and activism of Hachalu Hundessa provided hope to the Oromo people and so many others.”
Ethiopian singer Hachalu Hundessa was only 34 years old when he was shot and killed by unknown gunmen on Monday, but the artist used his young life to establish a lasting legacy.
Born and raised in the town of Ambo, Hachalu loved singing since his early childhood. While his mother encouraged him to keep singing, Hachalu’s father wanted him to be a doctor.
Despite his father’s wish, the young artist had already set his mind on following his passion.
“I used to sing whatever came to my head,” Hachalu told BBC in 2017.
The rising star also became politically outspoken while he was still in school, joining a group of students who were demanding the government to treat Oromos equally as other ethnic groups in the country .
According to the BBC, Hachalu was 17 years old when he was imprisoned for being outspoken. While spending five years in prison, the young activist read more books and became more inspired to speak up. The time in prison also gave him time to develop his craft.
“I did not know how to write lyrics and melodies until I was put behind bars. It is there that I learned,” he said in 2017.
In a 2016 interview with EthioTube, Hachalu said he was sent to prison because he was considered a suspect along with some of his high school friends. However, the singer declined to give details about the crime he was suspected of. Hachalu added that he spent five years in prison without ever being sentenced in court and remained as a suspect.
Hachalu said he launched his career a year and a half after coming out of prison. That’s when he released his first album, Sanyii Mootii. The album became an instant hit after it came out in 2009. Although he had written “Sanyii Mootii” as a song while in prison, Hachalu turned the single into an album after he was freed.
Hachalu’s second album, Waa’ee Keenya (Our Plight), came out in 2013 and became the best-selling African album on Amazon at the time, according to BBC.
The Oromo artist followed up with more hits such as Maalan Jira, a song about how the government forced the Oromos out of Addis Ababa.
In 2017, Hachalu produced another one of his most popular songs titled Jirra, which means “we are here.”
Hachalu’s songs inspired the Oromo people as they continued to organize protests in recent years.
“Haacaaluu eloquently puts into words all the myriad of sentiments, memories, history, emotions, and just the overall Oromo lived experience,” one of his fans, Fatuma Bedaso, wrote on Twitter in 2017. “[He] knocks our socks off. So much power in his words and delivery.”
According to VOA News, Hachalu appeared for an interview on the Oromia Media Network a week ago and criticized the Ethiopian government, speaking against the mass incarceration of Oromo youth.
Since the death of Hachalu, demonstrators have been protesting in Ethiopia and around the world. In Minnesota, where there is a large Oromo community, protesters blocked parts of a highway, CBSN Minnesota reported.
Government officials in Minnesota have also sent their condolences to the Ethiopian community.
And many more fans have paid tribute on social media, highlighting Hachalu’s legacy and taking comfort through his lyrics.