Abdi Nuressa

Abdi had always wanted to be in the arts and culture but his father would not let him. Before he left for the US he auditioned in the oldest theatre in the Ethiopia, the Hagar Fiqir theatre. He got accepted after the auditions as a singer but his father would hear none of that. He picked up football and that is what he carried with him to the USA.

In 2001 while playing at a tournament in Mineapolis by coincident he met the tsar of Oromo music Dr. Ali Birra. Ali was at fundraising for his foundation. While socializing at the event held by Ali, Abdi got a chance to sing. On hearing him Dr. Ali remarked at how great Abdi's voice was and he encouraged him to make use of it. Now, energized by the thumbs up he acquired from a legend he admired, at a place far from home, Abdi decided to revive his career. He began giving out gigs, usually performing cover versions of old Oromo songs. People who had seen him perform at gigs would approach Abdi and encourage him to do a cover album. A request he often declined because, "as much as I loved those distinguished artists, I wanted to put my own signature in the history of Oromo music."

That signature was engraved in 2009 when his debut album Irree Adda came out. The album is subtitled in English 'The Power of Culture'. One of the songs included in Abdi's first album, 'Ayyaana Laalattu' (Afan Oromo for 'opportunist') put his musical career on the map. Crossing the language threshold, the song was a wild hit both in Ethiopia and abroad among people who speak the language and who don't; it proved the star's argument that "if we Oromo artists can deliver quality music, the language can never be a barrier, especially in our time." Abdi Nuressa’s newest song 'Oromonet' was released in January 2016.