Ali Birra

BIO

Ali Birra (29 September 1950 – 6 November 2022) was a famous Oromo singer, composer, poet and nationalist. He was born in Lagaharre village in the city of Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.

He was brought up by his father. He attended Arabic school as a child where he learnt the Arabic language. He then enrolled in local academic school and pursued his education till the sixth grade. In his early years, Ali used to do small street businesses to support himself. When he was 13, he joined Afran Qallo cultural group which was then operating unofficially to promote the Oromo music and culture. The first song that he sung on stage was called 'Birra dha Bari’e' after which he was nicknamed him 'Ali Birra,' meaning 'Ali the Spring.'

The Haile Selasie regime banned the group in 1965 and arrested some of its members. Ali escaped arrest and moved to Addis Ababa. In Addis Ababa, he was engaged in different activities along with singing.

Ali came to know the nationalist Ahmad Taqi, who bought him a guitar so that Ali could sing more widely. His fame increased dramatically throughout the city. He was able to sing in the Amharic, Arabic, Harari and Somali languages, in addition to Oromo, his mother tongue. This had gained him appreciation from different personalities including Eyoel Yohannes, at the time the head of Kibur Zebegna. Eyoel recruited him as a solo singer in Oromo. He joined other famous singers such as Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilahun Gessesse and Bizunesh Bekele.

With these groups, he traveled to all regions of the country and showcased his talent. He also traveled to the Sudan repeatedly and sang with well known celebrities like Mohammed Wardi. In Addis Ababa, he performed in large venues such as Hager Fiker and Ras Teyater, but on the advice of his father, he left Addis Ababa.

In the early 1970s, at the breakout of the Ethiopian revolution, Ahmad Taqi was killed in eastern Ethiopia while fighting the government army. Ali Birra mourned him deeply.

Ali Birra continued his career both as a musician and a composer. He produced his first album in 1971, the first in the history of Oromo music. He then recorded successful hits such as 'Hin Yaadin,' 'Asabalee,' 'Ammalelee,' and 'Gamachu.' His albums included Sudanese songs such as 'Al-Habib Ween' and Harari songs such as 'Yidenqal.'

In August 2009, Birra reported that he had recently been treated for colon cancer, but planned to continue performing music, in spite of reports that his most recent album would be his last.[7]

In early 2022, Birra's health was in critical condition and he was hospitalised at Adama General Hospital. On 6 November 2022, the Oromia Regional State media announced his death in Adama, at the age of 72. On 8 November, Ali Birra is given a state funeral. The funeral service was conducted at Muslim Cemetery in Dire Dawa, his birth place, after a farewell ceremony was carried out at a Sheger Park. Thousands of fans and notable people presented at the funeral.