Edited by Azizi Powell This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on Oromo (Ethiopian) singer/songwriter Hachalu Hundessa. Part II of this series showcases the official YouTube video of "Maalan Jira?" and presents some comments about song's meanings from that video's discussion thread. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/07/information-about-oromo-ethiopian.htmlfor Part I of this series provides some information about Oromo (Ethiopian) singer Hachalu Hundessa, with special focus on his 2013 song "Maalan Jira?" Hachalu Hundessa was murdered on June 29, 2020. This pancocojams post includes excerpts from several articles about his murder and the subsequent protests in Ethiopia that have occurred after that murder. The content of this post is presented for cultural, historical, inspirational, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owner. Thanks to Hachalu Hunderssa for his musical and cultural legacy. Thanks to all those who are associated with this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube. RIP Hachalu Hundessa . RIP all those who have been killed or injured as a result of the protests that have been held as a result of murder. **** SHOWCASE VIDEO: Hachalu Hundessa - Maalan Jira! **NEW**2015** (Oromo Music)
Oromp3, Jun
4, 2015
Oromo Music -snip- Statistics as of July 3, 2020 at 9:43 AM EDT Total # of views- 6,543,466 Total # of likes-19K Total # of dislikes-3.1K Total # of comments-4,052
**** COMMENTS IN ENGLISH ABOUT WHAT HACHULU HUNDESSA'S SONG "MAALAN JIRA" MEANS All of these comments are from the discussion thread for this embedded YouTube video. These comments are given in relative chronological order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
1. Mr.B Bird, 2016
"ላልገሎቶ
ጉላሌን
ከንቱፋ
ላልገሎቶ
ኢጋኔ
ጋረሳና
ጋራጂ
ገሙ
መሌi
wish i know what he was saying. It feels like it's some kind of patriotic or
revolutionary song. The melody and all the sound with the Masinko makes it
classic. I don't even know how many time i listen to this. Lalgaloto....yep!
** REPLY
2. DANNY2F1, 2016 "Many LIKES for your comment Mr. B. Bird! :) In fact It is a love song having some
emotional attachments with what is going
on around Addis/Finfine these days. It is a very touching song for the Oromos
specially for those communities who used to live around Finfine but have fallen
victim of land grabbing; and that
ultimately forced them to migrate
somewhere else leaving their families
and loved ones behind...etc.
Now you can imagine what a loving young
man (who went through such trauma) would sing for his love mate while he is
away; . . . and that is the theme of the song.”…
**
3. Tegegn Jaleta, 2017
"@brooka ape The song belongs to Oromos
of Ethiopia and the language is called Afan Oromo. The singer is singing for
his cute girl friend broke up due to
some one's interference in their relationship.He is telling that story in
regret. It also delivers message how Oromos are being evicted from their ancestral
land by dictatorial Ethiopian government in the name of investment."
**
4. Aba Farda,2018
"An Oromo and
Ethiopian Hero. Keep it up. My take on the song:
The title of the song is Maalan Jirra (I
ain`t living or missing you)
In his song he deals with the way Addis Ababa/Finfene
has developed and still developing and the impact of that process on the people
who lived there and still living to day in the surrounding of the city. He
talks about the eviction of the indigenous families and what has happened to
them, the Tufas, the Abichus, the Gelans etc. He shows their culture – songs,
dances and interaction.
People are evicted from their properties
to pave ground for what some call development. Ones development could be the
destruction of others if it is not crafted carefully and equitably. One of the
effects of eviction is the destruction of certain social fabrics leading to
displacement, marginalization and immigration, the separation of loved ones.
In this context he sings about his loved
one from whom he was separated. His and hers desire and hope to fall one day in
each others´ arms on one side and the frustration and despair on the other are
vocally and visually articulated.
It is a song for LOVE
It is FOOD for THOUGHT."
****
5. Solomon, 2019
"I was born and raised in the heart of
Oromia. My families have been hard core religious and I have been not allowed
to listen to music other spiritual songs. But this music broke my heart and
can't stop listening. It did bring back my old memories as flashback. Beautiful music!! Hacalu is my hero!!!
**
REPLY
6. Solomon, 2019 "@@Azeb I would have help out the what
all this music is all about, if we are close enough to do so. Anyway it all
about love between two young adults being separated from each other. He ( the singer) says he did everything he
could to find her but he could not which broke his heart. And it goes
on........Of course his love( the girl also wants to find him but she could not
as well)."
**** This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.
Edited by Azizi Powell This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on Oromo (Ethiopian) singer/songwriter Hachalu Hundessa. Part I in this series provides some information about Oromo (Ethiopian) singer Hachalu Hundessa, with special focus on his 2013 song "Maalan
Jira?" Hachalu Hundessa was murdered on June 29, 2020. This pancocojams post includes excerpts from several articles about his murder and the subsequent protest in Ethiopia that occurred after that murder. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/07/oromo-etrhiopian-singer-hachalu.htmlfor Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II showcases the official YouTube video of "Maalan Jira?" and presents some comments about song's meanings from that video's discussion thread. The content of this post is presented for cultural, historical, inspirational, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owner. Thanks to Hachalu Hundessa for his musical and cultural legacy. Thanks to all those who are associated with this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. RIP Hachalu Hundessa . RIP all those who have been killed or injured as a result of the protests that have been held as a result of murder. **** INFORMATION ABOUT HACHALU HUNDESSAExcerpt #1
Ethiopia is in uproar and its internet blocked over the
shooting of a popular Oromo singer
Addis Ababa June 30, 2020
By Zecharias Zelalem
The shooting of Hachalu Hundesa on Monday night in Addis
Ababa has shocked the nation, as millions of Ethiopians woke up to the news of
the iconic Oromo singer song writer’s murder.
The shooting took place around 9:30 pm local time in the
city’s Kality area. Addis Ababa Police said a number of suspects have been
detained and that an investigation is ongoing. Thousands of outraged fans
across the country have taken to the streets demanding justice. In an attempt
to quell the riots and prevent news coverage of them, the Ethiopian government
has shut down internet services nationwide.
[...]
Protesting Hachalu
For those who took to the streets, Hachalu was more than
just a musician. He was an outspoken revolutionary who used his lyrics to echo
the plight of Ethiopia’s long marginalized Oromo people. As such, for the
ethnic Oromo, who form just over a third of Ethiopia’s 110 million-strong
population, Hachalu was enshrined as a symbol of defiance and resistance.
Hachalu’s lyrics and voice, written in his native Afaan
Oromo tongue, garnered him nationwide fame and sold out concerts across
Ethiopia and North America whenever he toured. But by far, his most popular
single is Maalan Jira, which translates loosely to “what existence is mine.”
The song, which describes the displacement of Oromos, resonated at the time of
its June 2015 release when the Oromo were campaigning against the planned expansion
of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The relevance of Maalan Jira’s message resonated with
protesters who only months later, launched the 2015-16 uprisings that would
eventually force the resignation of prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn. It paved
the way for Abiy, an Oromo himself, to ascend to the throne and implement the
reform protesters across Ethiopia had demanded.
For renowned rights advocate Fatuma Bedhaso, who was a
friend of Hachalu’s and is herself of Oromo ancestry, the loss of someone she
refers to as the voice of her generation, is particularly painful.
“Hachalu weaved our sorrows and hopes together through his
art and quite literally provided us with a road map,” she told Quartz Africa.
“He did that with Maalan Jira, the soundtrack of the Oromo protest movement.”
Further endearing Hachalu to the masses, was his refusal to
compromise on his beliefs. He remained an outspoken activist and human rights
advocate until the very end, despite his success as an artist. In his final
interview before his death, he lashed out at prime minister Abiy, likely out of
frustration over reports of killings carried out against civilians, by
Ethiopian army forces fighting a separatist militia in southern and western
Oromia."...
"More than 80 people have been killed in two days of unrest
in Ethiopia following the killing of prominent singer Hachalu Hundessa.
The 34-year-old had emerged as a powerful political voice of
the Oromo ethnic group, and had made many enemies during his musical career.
Two suspects were arrested after he was shot dead while
driving in the capital, Addis Ababa on Monday evening. However, police have not
yet revealed a motive for the killing and no charges have been brought against
the suspects.
Hachalu's funeral has taken place in his hometown of Ambo.
BBC Afaan Oromoo's Bekele Atoma writes about the musician
who was a thorn in the flesh of successive governments.
[…]
Jailed for five years
One of eight children, Hachalu was born in 1986 in Ambo - a
city about 100km (60 miles) west of the capital, Addis Ababa.
It was at the forefront of the campaign by Oromos for self-rule
in a nation where they felt repressed under a government that had banned
opposition groups and jailed critics.
Hachalu went to school in Ambo, and joined student groups
campaigning for freedom.
At the age of 17 in 2003, Hachalu was imprisoned for five
years for his political activities.
His father kept his morale high in prison, telling him
during visits that "prison makes a man stronger".
Hachalu became increasingly politicised in prison, as he
increased his knowledge about Ethiopia's history, including its rule by
emperors and autocrats.
[…]
Many other musicians and activists fled into exile fearing
persecution under the rule of then-Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his
successor Hailemariam Desalegn but Hachalu remained in Ethiopia and encouraged
the youth to stand up for their rights.
One of his songs was about how he fell in love with a girl
who was proud of her identity and was willing to die for it.
'Gallant warriors and horsemen'
His second album Waa'ee Keenya (Our Plight) was released in
2013 while he was on a tour in the US. It became the best-selling African album
on Amazon at the time.
Two years later, he released a powerful single, Maalan Jira?
(What existence is mine?), referring to the eviction of Oromos from Addis Ababa
and its surrounding areas, after the government decided to expand the
boundaries of the city.
For Hachalu, the 2015 displacements showed that history was
repeating itself.
He shared the view of Oromo historians that what is
currently known as Addis Ababa was once the home of the Tulama clans of the
Oromo, and they were forced out by Emperor Menelik II.
In June, Hachalu angered the emperor's supporters after he
accused Menelik II of stealing the horses of Oromos - who see themselves as
gallant warriors and horsemen - when he established Addis Ababa as his seat of
power, and Ethiopia's capital in 1886.
Hachalu's songs became the anthem of the protest movement
which emerged in 2015 to demand an end to the displacement of Oromos.
At a time of heightened protests at the end of 2017, Hachalu
released another song.
"Do not wait for help to come from outside, a dream
that doesn't come true. Rise, make your horse ready and fight, you are the one
close to the palace," he sang, often to cheers from his fans.
'Singer was fearless'
The protests snowballed into a campaign for greater
political freedom, culminating with Ahmed Abiy becoming the first Oromo to take
the post of prime minister in 2018 with a promise to release all political
prisoners, unban opposition groups and hold democratic elections.” **** Excerpt #3 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/world/africa/ethiopia-hachalu-hundessa-dead.html "Hachalu Hundessa, Ethiopian Singer and Activist, Is Shot Dead" ByAbdi Latif Dahir
The musician, 34, was known for political songs that provided support for the ethnic Oromo group’s fight against repression and a soundtrack for antigovernment protests
..."The killing drew condemnation from Ethiopian officials and citizens both inside and outside the country, with many remembering how his songs encouraged the country’s ethnic Oromo group to fight against repression. Even though they are Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromos have long complained of economic and political marginalization.
“Hachalu was the soundtrack of the Oromo revolution, a lyrical genius and an activist who embodied the hopes and aspirations of the Oromo public,” said Awol Allo, a senior law lecturer at Keele University in England who has written extensively about Mr. Hundessa's music.
His songs, Mr. Allo said, were at the heart of a groundswell of antigovernment resistance that began in 2015 with street protests in the Oromia region that eventually led to the resignation of the prime minister at the time, Hailemariam Desalegn. Through ballads like "Maalan Jira" (“What existence is mine”) and "Jirraa" (“We are here”), Mr. Hundessa was credited for capturing not just the struggle and frustrations of Oromo protesters but also their dreams for the country, Africa’s second-most populous nation after Nigeria.
“Hachalu was exceptionally courageous and a man of many great talents,” Mr. Allo said in an interview. “His songs mobilized millions of Oromos across Ethiopia.”"... **** This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series. Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.
This pancocojams post provides some information about the Oromo people in Ethiopia and showcases the official YouTube video of the 2016 Ethiopian Oromo/Burji song
This post also presents some comments from this video's discussion thread that provide English definitions of the word "Fullaanneey" and provide additional information/opinions about Burji . Omoro people from that video's discussion thread.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to Abbush Zallaqaa for his music and thanks to all those who are associated with this music and this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube. -snip- WARNING: This video includes a scene (at around .024) of a man distraught about his father's death preparing a noose to hang himself. He stops his suicide attempt because he witnesses a group approaching his home dancing and singing this song of encouragement, **** INFORMATION ABOUT OROMO PEOPLE From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oromo_people
"The Oromo people … are a Cushitic ethnic group and nation native to Ethiopia who speak the Oromo language. They are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and represent 34.5% of Ethiopia's population.[11] Oromos speak the Oromo language as their mother tongue (also called Afaan Oromoo and Oromiffa), which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. The word Oromo appeared in European literature for the first time in 1893 and slowly became common in the second half of the 20th century.[12][1]
[…]
The origins and prehistory of the Oromo people prior to the 16th century are based on Oromo oral tradition.[23][24] Older and subsequent colonial era documents mention the Oromo people as Galla, which has now developed derogatory connotations,[25] but these documents were generally written by members of other ethnic groups.[23][24][26]
[…]
The Oromo never called themselves "Galla" and resist its use because the term is considered derogatory.[31] They traditionally identified themselves by one of their clans (gosas) and now use the common umbrella term of Oromo which connotes "free born people".[32][33] The word Oromo is derived from Ilm Orma meaning "children of Oromo",[34] or "sons of Men",[35] or "person, stranger".[36] The first known use of the word Oromo to refer to the ethnic group is traceable to 1893.[37]
[…]
The Oromos are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia (34.5% of the population), numbering about 25 million.[11] They are predominantly concentrated in Oromia Region in central Ethiopia, the largest region in the country by both population and area. They speak Afaan Oromo, the official language of Oromia.[55] Oromos constitute the fifth most populous ethnic group among Africans as a whole and the most populous among Horners specifically.[56]
Oromo also have a notable presence in northern Kenya…. There are also Oromo in the former Wollo and Tigray provinces of Ethiopia.[57]
[…]
Abuse of Oromo media is widespread in Ethiopia and reflective of the general oppression Oromos face in the country.[115]
[…]
Various human rights organizations have publicized the government persecution of Oromos in Ethiopia for decades. … These include thousands of peaceful protestors and hundreds of opposition political party members."....
-snip- Pancocojams Editor's Note:Some comments below include additional information about oromo people. Political statements may be included in some of these comments.
**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE BURJI LANGUAGE From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burji_language#:~:text=Burji%20language%20(alternate%20names%3A%20Bembala,further%20 Burji language (alternate names: Bembala, Bambala, Daashi) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken by the Burji people who reside in Ethiopia south of Lake Chamo. There are over 46,000 speakers in Ethiopia, and a further 10,400 speakers in Kenya. Burji belongs to the Highland East Cushitic group of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family.[1] -snip- Pancocojams Editor's Note: Some comments below include additional information about Burji people and language. Political statements may be included in some of these comments. **** SHOWCASE VIDEO -Ethiopia: Abbush Zallaqaa - Fullaanneey [NEW Oromo Music Video 2016] - Burji Tradition
DireTube, May 25, 2016
snip- Statistics as of June 26, 2020 at 3:25 PM EDT Total # of views - 3,076,166K Total # of likes-7.4K Total # of dislikes-781
1. "The key word of this song "fulaniye" means "never give up" or, it urges people to "persevere" in order to overcome hardships. The word has nothing to do with the Fulani tribe in West Africa." -yaballo1, 2019
**
2. "these are ethiopians not Fulani people from west africa. the name of the song is just a word in the Burji language"- F t 2020
****
OTHER SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD (These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only.
2016
1. esayas tezera
"what doth it mean Fullaanneey ?????? Mene malete new"
** REPLY 2. Addisu Alemayehu Gube
"It means "it is not too late" in Burji language!" **** 2017
3. Abdissa Mengesha
"He is encouraging a desperate person saying "Never Give Up even though the situations are bad." This is from Oromian Burji people."
**
4. yaballo1
..."in this song, Abush is using Afaan Borana - a dialect of Afaan Oromo spoken by the Borana-Oromos of southern Ethiopia & northern Kenya. The key message of his song is expressed via a Borana saying "baraafi furguggoo, gad jedhani dabarsani" [rough translation into Amharic: "bitirina zemen tegonbiso n'ew yemitalefut/yemimeketut" & another saying "obsani, qaallomani" [only those who have patience could become a "qaallu" - a high priest or a king]. Basically, the song exalts the virtue of patience. Though the song is mostly in Afaan Borana, those dancing belong to the Burji tribe - neighbours of the Borana - many of whom are also speakers of the Borana dialect of Afaan Oromo. The song highlights Abush's cross-cultural talents both in songs & dances. Hope that helps."
**** 2018
5. Amina Geldo ..."Fulaneeye is Burji song.very proud of Abush talents and creativity"
**6. Melaku Yilma
"The mean theme is "Don not give up hope" keep waiting ...be patient... like it!!...ነገሌላቀንነውናተስፋአትቁረጥ...... -snip- "Mean" is a typo for the word "main".
** 7. Zakariye Ali
"I'm an Ethiopian Somali who lives in United States of America.
I love and enjoy to listen all different kinds of Ethiopian musics.
This traditional song sounds to me an attractive song but unfortunately I can't understand what does it mean.
can anybody tell main idea of this song?"
** REPLY 8. yaballo1
..."in this song, Abush is using Afaan Borana - a dialect of Afaan Oromo spoken by the Borana-Oromos of southern Ethiopia & northern Kenya. The key message of his song is expressed via a Borana saying "baraafi furguggoo, gad jedhani dabarsani" [rough translation into Amharic: "bitirina zemen tegonbiso n'ew yemitalefut/yemimeketut; rough translation into English: "the stick (fist) of an adversary/enemy & hard times are best tackled by keeping one's head down"] & another saying "obsani, qaallomani" [only those who have patience could become a "qaallu" - a high priest or a king]. Basically, the song exalts the virtue of patience. Though the song is mostly in Afaan Borana, those dancing belong to the Burji tribe - neighbours of the Borana - many of whom are also speakers of the Borana dialect of Afaan Oromo. The song highlights Abush's cross-cultural talents both in songs & dances. Hope that helps."
**
9. Kuul Five
"Question are burji oromo, am not ethiopian am sudanese I just want to know am sorry if am asking wrong question"
** REPLY 10. Work Work, 2019 "Kuul Five hi
Burji is neibours of Oromo Borana but in this song Abush is using Oromo language wz Burji dancing"
** REPLY 11. oromo oromia, 2019 "the singer is Oromo but those people are not Oromo some of them this speak Oromo"
**
12. yaballo1 ...."....Burji are not Oromo but neigbours of the Oromo. Burji are one of the 'bantu tribes' of southern Ethiopia that include the Wolaita, Gamo, Gimira, Kaffa, etc. But, there are many ethnic Burji who live among neighbouring Oromo tribes such as Guji-Oromo & Borana-Oromo &, therefore, speak the Oromo language as their first or second language. Many Burji are linked to Oromos via marriage & define themselves as mixed Burji-Oromo. The ancestors of many of today's Oromo-speaking Burji fled their homeland & settled among the Oromo due to a massive slave-raid & a brutal war of genocide waged on them by the invading armies of Abyssinians/habeshas [northern Ethiopians] during the era of emperor Menelik. To learn more about this last aspect, please try this book: "The Southern Marches of Imperial Ethiopia"; by Donald Lewis Donham & Wendy James; 1986, 2002."
**13. Summerical242
"Are all Oromo dark skin? Because I don't see them often when I search for the "Ethiopian" word on google"
** REPLY 14. sssssss6361
"These are the original Oromo. As they conquered Habesha and Somali inhabited areas in early 17th century, they mixed with the local ppl. In the East some Oromos look Somali, and in the North some of them look habesha."
** REPLY 15. yaballo1
"ssssssss6361: No, they are not the original Oromo. In fact, they are NOT REAL OROMO to start with but members of the 'bantu' Burji tribe who happen to speak the Oromo language. …. The 'real Oromos' are of the same origin or phenotype [physical appearance] as their Somali cousins. I said 'real Oromos' because, like among the Somalis, there are lots of bantu-looking tribes who have been incorporated into Oromo tribes. Got it? Good."
** REPLY
16. sssssss6361
"yaballo1 Oromos are omotic looking people. They are cousins of Sidama people. Have you seen what Sidama people look like? The Somali looking Oromos are in fact Issa Somalis who were assimilated into Oromo society during the Oromo expansion. Go to Harar and you can tell the oromos as many of them look Southern Ethiopians. It is a fact."
** 17. yaballo1
… "not all Oromos are similar to Shoa-Oromos you had in mind who carry sticks to dance. Oromo tribes like the Guji-Oromo & Borana-Oromo have far more in common with tribes in southern Ethiopia than Oromo tribes in Shoa or Wollega who, obviously, share a great deal with their Amhara neighbours in terms of dress, food, culture, looks, etc. The Bacho-Oromo from near Addis Ababa share lots of things with their Guraghe neighbours, including their dance style. Oromo tribes bordering on the Somalis also share many things with their Somali neighbours. The most southerly Oromo tribe is called 'Orma' & live along the 'Tana river' in southern Kenya, all the way to the shores of the Indian Ocean. Members of the Orma-Oromo tribe have far more in common with their Swahili-speaking Bantu neighbours of Kenya/Tanzania than with other Oromos or Ethiopians. The same is also true in reverse. Many non-Oromo tribes bordering on Oromo tribes [eg. Konso, Burji, Hamar, Sidama, Gedeo, etc] share many aspects of culture+language with their Oromo neighbours. Culture tends to be fluid - more so in Ethiopia & Africa… Here is a MAP showing the rough distribution of Afaan-Oromo speaking communities in Ethiopia & Kenya. There are Oromo-speaking communities in southern Somalia too but these have more or less been assimilated into Somali culture. MAP: http://ayyaantuu.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/oromodia.jpg" -snip- This link is no longer active.
**** 2019
18. bate birhanu
"Fulaaneyee!,,,,The Song actually Means,,,,"Never GiveUp",,,,,,,with Burji Culture from Ethiopia!,,all the Way to Moyale,,to Marsabit,,to Nairobi Kenya,,,,,
The Song Encourages those who are Far from their Ethiopian Home ,,,,they Should Work Hard,never give up,use time in a good way, ,,,and Remembering where they Come From,,,,,,"Fullaneyee Means the "past",,,,may be you were in a Situation where you could do nothing and in no way you can get Help,,and GOD Helps you then ,,,,,You must remember it,learn the Lessons then YOU MUST NOT LIVE IN IT!,,,,,Thanks ALOT!,,,,,,,BATE BIRHANU WATA"
**
19. Subscribers Without Video "The singer is borana but not the dancers"
** REPLY 20. Bat today
"@Subscribers Without Video no difference both oromo"
** REPLY Subscribers Without Video
21. "@Bat today burjis and boranas are very different people from looks to culture and language"
** REPLY
22. Xyz …."bush himself is ethnically burji son...though was raised in a borana majority region
**
23. ኄኖክ ኃይሉ
"@Baraket Ermeyas Please dont try this tribal stuff. He is Ethiopian before Oromo"
** REPLY 24. Imro 9000
"First of all, he is Oromoo and second Ethiopia 🇪🇹"
** 25. REPLY
yaballo1, 2020 "@ኄኖክ ኃይሉ - NO! Abush is NOT an Ethiopian before being an Oromo/Burji! ..Being an Ethiopian is a vague & intangible concept that makes zero sense to the 80+ tribes that speak their own languages & had been forced to be part of an artificially & Amhara-created empire of permanent miseries called Ethiopia. Abush was born into an Oromo (Borana) speaking family & community. Therefore, logic suggests that he is FIRST Oromo/Burji &, then, something else. OK?"
** 26. Jeremi J
"Abush said the word has a Burji origin."
**** 2020
27. Fantu Abadir
"It is basically a song of encouragement to those with hardship in their lives.
Specially poor farmers.
He is saying that better days will come. The sun will shine again.
This pancocojams post showcases a video of Somali Superstars Awale Aden & Farhiya Kabayare singing-the love song "Ku Ogoliyaa".
Information about Djouboti and Somalia are included in this post. Selected comments from that YouTube video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT DJOUBTI
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti
Djibouti... officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east. Djibouti occupies a total area of just 23,200 km2 (8,958 sq mi).[1]
In antiquity, the territory was part of the Land of Punt and then Sabean and Axumite rule...
Djibouti is a multi-ethnic nation with a population of over 942,333 inhabitants. Arabic and French are the country's two official languages. About 94% of residents adhere to Islam,[1] which is the official religion and has been predominant in the region for more than a thousand years. The Somali Issa and Afar make up the two largest ethnic groups. Both speak Afroasiatic languages, which serve as recognized national languages."...
****
INFORMATION ABOUT SOMALIA
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia
Somalia... officially the Federal Republic of Somalia[1] (Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya, Arabic: جمهورية الصومال الفيدرالية Jumhūrīyat aṣ-Ṣūmāl al-Fidirālīyah), is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland,[10] and its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains and highlands.[3] ...
Somalia has an estimated population of around 14.3 million.[4] Around 85% of its residents are ethnic Somalis,[3] who have historically inhabited the northern part of the country. Ethnic minorities are largely concentrated in the southern regions.[12] The official languages of Somalia are Somali and Arabic, both of which belong to the Afroasiatic family.[3] Most people in the country are Muslim,[13] with the majority being Sunni.[14]"...
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INFORMATION ABOUT AWALE ADEN
From https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awaleh_Aden&prev=search
"Awaleh Aden Deheyeh (in Somali , Cawaale Aadan Deheeye; in Arabic , عواله ادم داهيه) born on 6 August 1983 in Djibouti, is a Djiboutian singer-songwriter living in Canada, who sings in several languages ( Somali , Afar , Oromo , French and English )."
-snip-
Additional information about Awale Aden is included in some of the discussion thread comments that are found below.
I've haven't found any online biographical information about Farhiya Kabayare. If you are aware of any links to this information, please share that in the comment section below. Thanks!
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Awale Iyo Kabayare 2015 "Ku Ogoliyaa" (Official Video Directed by Studio Libraan)
Liibaan Jama, Published on Oct 28, 2014
-snip-
Google translate from Somali to English: Awale And Kabayare- "Allow you"
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These comments are presented in relative chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest comments by year given first, except for replies.
Google translate results are given after the comments for the comments written in a language other than English or those comments that have non-English words. I recognize that these translations may be incorrect. Corrections are very welcome.
Because this is a family friendly blog, I've deleted profanity (other than the mild curse word "damn". Those deletions are indicated in brackets in those comments.
WARNING: Some comments in that YouTube discussion thread are racists (from people who could be surmised as being non-Somali and non-Black). Some other comments from Somalis and others were politically argumentative, and/or reflected the historical and present day conflicts and tensions among Somalis themselves, but especially among Somalis and Ethiopians.
Other comments reflected Islamic beliefs or Islamic positions that this song/video wasn't appropriate or should have been forbidden.
I've chosen not to include any of these categories of comments in this discussion thread compilation.
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Numbers are assigned to these selected comments for referencing purposes only.
2015
1. mose Jacob
"learning somali langauge and practicing, from california"
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2. Nimo Farah
"Mashallah ! That's great let us know if we can help . 😍"
-snip- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashallah
"Masha Allah (Arabic: ما شاء الله, mā shāʾa llāhu), also Masha'Allah, is an Arabic phrase that means "God has willed", expresses appreciation, joy, praise, or thankfulness for an event or person that was just mentioned. While Masha'Allah is used as an expression of respect, it also serves as a reminder that all accomplishments are considered by Muslims to be achieved through the will of Allah. It is generally said upon hearing good news."...
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3. Sabrina Sharif
"+mose Jacob
Although the language has been around for a long time the written language is under 50 years old."
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4. NFN MRM, 2016
"+mose Jacob Somali has roots first in Cushitic languages then Afro-Asiatic languages. Somali language is perhaps the oldest of the Cushitic languages and it has influenced other Neighboring Cushitic languages. Learn Somali and you will easily pick up other similar languages.
Somali language written in latin is less than 50 years old but we have been writing with different scripts for thousands of years.
Friendly advice; Be very careful with the Somali letters X, C, Q and D. they are not the same as how you would pronounce them in English"
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5. Waryaa Heedheh, 2017
"Yes Somali language has roots and based off of the Cushitic language tree. That means it is a derivative of ancient Egyptian.
-snip-
This comment was written in bold font in that discussion thread."
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6. Cabdullaahi Bootaan
"+Madara Sennin This is clean music, we are talking about love ending with marriage ... every Somali couples will Enjoy."
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7. Selemun rusom
"I am ertrian but I love somal music long live somal."
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8. Milanese Bwoy
"somalia and eritrea hve alike songs they sounding same
welcme"
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9. jafar maalim
"wht a wonderful and nyc song u r very rumantic guys"
-snip-
"nyc" is a "hip" way of spelling "nice" that appears to be rather widespread on many YouTube contemporary African music threads. In the context of those comments, "nice" is a compliment that appears to mean "good" and not "average" or "ok" (Note these two descriptors aren't used in those discussion threads.) The word "nice" may also be spelled in its standard way on these threads.
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10. MISS JJay
"someone needs to translate this song. Damn Somali lyrics are so complicated...."
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11. abdiwali hussein
"+MISS JJay i feel sorry for pipo like u u cant even understand yo own language"
-snip-
This commenter quickly corrected the typo "pipo" to "people"
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12. that aint ordinary bruh
"+abdiwali hussein sxb, people were taken from their country at a young age. like my family, we can all speak somali alx, but complicated lyrics are still hard to understand. so don't criticize."
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13. abdiwali hussein
"+that aint ordinary bruh i understand bro but still there no excuse for one not to not know their own language u can find somalis every where or u can even go back and visit your country and learn its something that definess u how do u say you are somali and u cant speak the language ?"
-snip-
"definess" = "defines"
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14. Saalax Cisho
"+abdiwali hussein"
-snip-
Writing just the name of a commenter as a reply means that the person agrees with what that commenter wrote.
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15. Jakiiz Jambo
"+abdiwali hussein Am somali born sxb and i still dont understand the lyrics that much and my Somali is on point"
-snip-
"On point" is an African American Vernacular English term that means that something is perfectly done.
"sxb"= appears to usually be defined as "bro" ("brother", used in the African American custom of referring to males who you aren't related to, but who you are friendly with or may be friendly with)
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16. MISS JJay
"Lol it's not about if i speak the language or not, the lyrics are complicated and even some words my bparents don't understand. Alhamdulillah Somali fiican waan ku hadli aqan walaal.
-snip-
Google translate from Somali to English:
"Alhamdulillah Somali fiican waan ku hadli aqan walaal".= "Alhamdulillah Good English I speak a brother."
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17. abdiwali hussein
"+MISS JJay am just [profanity deleted] with u waraya hesaha somalida anigaba i dont listen the lyrics i just listen them for the beat"
-snip-
Google translate from Somali to English:
"waraya hesaha somalida anigaba"- " Report on the Somali issue"
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18. Sara Ali
"Is he Somali or Oromo? I watched him singing Oromo so I'm confused 😏"
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19. Mahdia Houssein
"+Sara Ali What a silly question!"
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20. darui
"+Sara Ali he is somali from djibouti and he sang only one oromo song"
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21. Abdiwahab Mohamed
"+Mahdia Houssein not that silly
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22. Xoosh Robleh
"+Sara Ali stay that way
you better off confused
that qabilist,Oromo and somali have the same lineage
he is the latter"
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23. Rude gyal
"+Sara Ali Yes i was confused aswell but he's djiboutian somali i think he was raised in dire dhabe were alot of oromo lives"
-snip-
"Qabil"= Somali term for "clan affiliation" source: https://mymemory.translated.net/en/Somali/English/qabilalthough its current use may mean something more or something in addition to that
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"Oromo"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oromo_people
"The Oromo people (Oromo: Oromoo; Ge'ez: ኦሮሞ?; ’Oromo) are an ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia who are also found in northern Kenya and Somalia.[5][6] They are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa. According to the 2007 census,[1][7] they make up about 34.5% of Ethiopia's population and others estimate that they make up about 40% of the population.[6][8] With the total Ethiopian population thought to be over 102 million, the number of Oromo people exceeds 35 million in Ethiopia alone.[9]
Oromos speak the Oromo language as a mother tongue (also called Afaan Oromoo and Oromiffa), which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family...
The Oromo are divided into two major branches that break down into an assortment of clan families. From west to east. The Borana Oromo, also called the Boran, are a pastoralist group living in southern Ethiopia (Oromia) and northern Kenya.[123][124] The Boran inhabit the former provinces of Shewa, Welega, Illubabor, Kafa, Jimma, Sidamo, northern and northeastern Kenya, and a small refugee population in some parts of Somalia....
Various human rights organizations have publicized the government persecution of Oromos in Ethiopia for decades. In 2008, OFDM opposition party condemned the government's indirect role in the death of hundreds of Oromos in western Ethiopia.[166] According to Amnesty International, "between 2011 and 2014, at least 5000 Oromos have been arrested based on their actual or suspected peaceful opposition to the government. These include thousands of peaceful protestors and hundreds of opposition political party members."...
-snip-
After reading most of the comments on this YouTube discussion thread and most or all of the comments on five other Somali contemporary music discussion threads-all but one of which was for Awale Aden's music- I never came across a reply from a Somali that wasn't very friendly toward any commenter who identified himself or herself as Oromo. Commenters who identified themselves as Eritrean and Djiboutian got the same very warm responses from Somalians, while Ethiopians who didn't identify themselves as Oromo almost always got the exact opposite response from Somalians.
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24. Aminnaaxo
"This song is good for weddings. "
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25. Abdirahman Omar
"I would like to say that Farhiya Kabayare And Awale have a great chemistry on the video and i can't rememeber a time where i saw a Somali video where i enjoyed watching it as much as this one. Farhiya has good bubbly personality which boasts everyone's mood and that smile of her is great. If they said nice thing about a Somali town we shouldn't all be jealous or envious because we should all know our fellow brothers live in that town and is ours as much as theirs so Big up to all Somalia."
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2016
26. Junior Isaac
"Lovely duo......proudly Somali"
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27. abdifatah yare
"4 m ooolaaah
soosocda hada ilmo aabo ... this song soon will overthrow dhaantada dirgax which has the most viewers in somali songs on YouTube"
-snip-
4 m [million] refers to the total number of views for this video.
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28. Hassnaytou Ali
"AWALEH IS FROM DJIBOUTI AND WAY BETTER FROM OTHER SOMALI SINGERS .UNLIKE OTHER SOMALI SINGERS, HIS UNIQUENESS IS DUE TO EXPLORING OTHER NEIGHBORING TRIBES AND COUNTRIES MUSICS. PLUS, HE CAREFULLY CHOOSE HIS TUNE FOR HIS SONGS. C EST UNE FIERTE POUR DJIBOUTI .SINCE HIS ARRIVAL TO NORTH AMERICA, OTHER SINGERS WENT TO THE BACK OF THE QUEUE AND WENT HARDLY GET A CALL. COURAGE AWALEH ET NE RENONCE PAS A TES DJIBOUTIANITES."
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
C EST UNE FIERTE POUR DJIBOUTIC IS A PRIDE FOR DJIBOUTI
AWALEH ET NE RENONCE PAS A TES DJIBOUTIANITES.- "AWALEH AND DOES NOT WAIVE YOUR DJIBOUTIANITIES. "[my suggested translation: "Awaleh doesn't renounce his Djiboutian heritage".
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29. Omar Ali
"Absolutely true. C'est notre monument national et je l'écoute tous les jours ici aux Etats unis. Merci pour ces paroles magnifiques Yi Hassnaytou Ali. May God always keep our beloved Djibouti in peace, prosperity and beauty. <3 <3 <3"
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30. cooler aced
"i love djibouti but now you are pushing it, dude even if entire djibouti watched his videos a billion times he would still have like 2 views very few people live there ,somalia capital of somali territories , nothing unique he is just talented"
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31. Siriin Said
"they are somali stars💯Thumps up for the legends👍👍"
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32. Malick jones
"The only problem is this individual male is as tall as the woman,this is extremely rare in Somali society"
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33. Rukzbliss mohz
"hehehe why is it a problem?"
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34. Malick jones
"No problem. I was making an observation"
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35. Malick jones
"Most of the Somali men that i have met have been exceptionally tall."
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2017
36. [name not retrieved- sorry]
"thanks brothers waa hees macaan dhulkeena hooyo"
-snip-
"waa hees macaan dhulkeena hooyo" ="It's a sweet song in our motherland"
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37. fatuma maalim
" "As promised I am single" this song is unique and the message is the words of love speak only if u feel it it's true"
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38. nana Raage
"I love my Somalia"
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39. Aden Ceynte
"what a nice song keep up my people"
-snip-
The phrase "keep up" is frequently found in most of the contemporary African music YouTube discussions threads that I've read. I believe that "keep up" is short for "Keep up the good work".
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40. Araps Rapu
"i love my somali pp'le , somalia,puntland,khatumoland,somaliland,jubaland,djiboutiland,Northern kenya land,Ogadenland,kukuland iyoo bisaadland, aniga waxaan axhaiii jacyland,,,,,,"
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41. Axmed Cali
"wow 5‚703‚456 views its most Somali Views veido
long life Awale and Farhia"
-snip-
This comment was published in June 2017.
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42. Suzana
"lot of foreigners are listening to this song"
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43. Ahmed Ahmed
"awale he's the somalia singer who has most of views on YouTube👏👏👏👏"
-snip-
All of Awale's YouTube videos have well over 1 million viewers.
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44. Naima Ali
"OMG i cant believe this has 6 million views! Did all somalis watch this? Wooow just shocking.... amazing."
-snip-
This comment was published in July 2017.
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45. Windex Windex
"Form USA i really love somali songs but i ain't understand a single world We love you guys !!"
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46. Axmed Ali
"i am from mars and i love somali music ha top that....."
-snip-
This comment is [I believe] humorously written in the form of many of the comments on and many other YouTube contemporary African music discussion threads. The commenter writes "I am from [name a nation] and (or often "but") I love [name the nation or ethnic group] music.
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47. Sammy Rich
"Somali music getting so much love from foreigners, amazing thanks for the kind words people"
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48. Anom m
"Damn bro, I love this song and I'm Somali, but I have no idea [profanity letters deleted] they are saying. I'm so out of touch with both my culture and language :("
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49. Rahma Farah
"Why so many haters on this song! Maxaa kaqaldan heestan waa yaabee?
-snip-
Google translation from Somali to English
"Maxaa kaqaldan heestan waa yaabee?"= "Why this song is so wonderful?"
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50. shakaal de pana
"am black American nd I like Somali music from los Angeles"
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51. Viv Berner
"shakaal de pana wow cool! How did you discover somali music?"
-snip-
There's no reply from Shakaal to this comment as of this date.
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52. Knight Rider
"6.1M view more 2k comments WOW! challenges any other somali song."
-snip_
This comment was written in August 2017. As of October 16, 2017 6:35 am, this video has 6,512,213 views.
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53. Siyaad Cali
"Knowledge people keep it up one love always"
