The Oromo people are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the Oromia region of Ethiopia and parts of Northern Kenya. They speak the Oromo language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia. According to the last Ethiopian census of 2007, the Oromo numbered 25,488,344 people or 34.5% of the Ethiopian population. Recent estimates have the Oromo comprising 45,000,000 people, or 35.8% of the total Ethiopian population estimated at 116,000,000.
Ethiopian music is a term that can mean any music of Ethiopian origin, however, often it is applied to a genre, a distinct modal system that is pentatonic, with characteristically long intervals between some notes.
The Music of the Somali people is music following the musical styles, techniques and sounds of the Somali people.
Oromo, historically also called Galla, is an Afroasiatic language that belongs to the Cushitic branch. It is native to the Ethiopian state of Oromia and Northern Kenya and is spoken predominantly by the Oromo people and neighboring ethnic groups in the Horn of Africa. It is used as a lingua franca particularly in the Oromia Region and northeastern Kenya.
Amharas are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group which is indigenous to Ethiopia, traditionally inhabiting parts of the northwest Highlands of Ethiopia, particularly inhabiting the Amhara Region. According to the 2007 national census, Amharas numbered 19,867,817 individuals, comprising 26.9% of Ethiopia's population, and they are mostly Oriental Orthodox Christian.
The culture of Ethiopia is diverse and generally structured along ethnolinguistic lines. Ethiopian culture is a tapestry woven with diverse traditions, reflecting the country's rich history and unique blend of influences. The country's Amharic-speaking majority at its core, Ethiopian culture encompasses a multitude of ethnic groups, each contributing distinct customs, languages, and artistic expressions. The Amhara people, who predominantly speak Amharic, have played a significant role in shaping Ethiopia's cultural identity, from their traditional music and dance Eskista to their cuisine and religious practices. Additionally, the Tigrayan, Somali, Oromo, Afar, Nuer, Anuak, and ethnic groups have also left indelible marks on Ethiopian culture. Their languages, traditions, and artistic expressions have contributed to the colorful mosaic of Ethiopian heritage. Furthermore, Ethiopia's interactions with its neighboring countries, such as Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia, have infused its culture with diverse elements, highlighting its position as a crossroads of cultures where diversity thrives and influences merge, creating a dynamic and vibrant cultural landscape.
Cadence-lypso is a fusion of cadence rampa from Haiti and calypso from Trinidad and Tobago that has also spread to other English speaking countries of the Caribbean. Originated in the 1970s by the Dominican band Exile One, it spread and became popular in the dance clubs around the Creole world and Africa as well as the French Antilles.
Onesimos Nesib was a native Oromo scholar who converted to Lutheran Christianity and translated the Christian Bible into Oromo. His parents named him Hika as a baby, meaning "Translator"; he took the name "Onesimus", after the Biblical character, upon converting to Christianity.
Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of the Horn of Africa.
The Oromo Liberation Front is an Oromo nationalist political party formed in 1973 to promote self-determination for the Oromo people inhabiting today's Oromia Region and Oromia Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The OLF has offices in Addis Ababa, Washington, D.C., and Berlin, from which it operates radio stations that broadcast in Amharic and Oromo.
Southern Oromo, or Borana, is a variety of Oromo spoken in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya by the Borana people. Günther Schlee also notes that it is the native language of a number of related peoples, such as the Sakuye.
Ali Mohammed Musa, known professionally as Ali Birra, was an Ethiopian singer. He was regarded as the most popular Oromo icon, as well as an influential artist in the other regions and urban areas of Ethiopia. He had played a lot of songs in Amharic, Afar, Arabic and Somali languages. Ali was a celebrated as a poet and multi-instrumentalist.
Ethiopian Australians are immigrants from Ethiopia to Australia and their descendants. However, as Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic country with significant inter-ethnic tensions, not all individuals from Ethiopia accept the label "Ethiopian", instead preferring to identify by their ethnic group. In particular, various Oromo people use the term 'Oromo Australian' instead. In contrast, there are many individuals who prefer to label themselves as Ethiopian Australians. This is because they oppose labelling themselves based on their ethnicity as they see it as divisive and politicising their ethnic identity. This is common among the Amharic-speaking community along with ethnically mixed individuals, compared to others who stand by their ethnic identity.
The Harari people are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group which inhabits the Horn of Africa. Members of this ethnic group traditionally reside in the walled city of Harar, simply called Gēy "the City" in Harari, situated in the Harari Region of eastern Ethiopia. They speak the Harari language, a member of the South Ethiopic grouping within the Semitic subfamily of the Afroasiatic languages.
Lencho Letta is an Ethiopian politician and Oromo activist who was founding member of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). He was the Deputy Secretary General of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) from 1974 to 1995. In Late 1990s, Lencho left OLF leadership due to ideological differences. He is currently the leader of Oromo Democratic front, which was formed in 2013.
Kaliti Prison is a maximum security prison in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Commonly referred to as a gulag it serves as the main prison of the country. It is 11 km south of central Addis Ababa, in Akaki Kaliti, the southernmost subcity of the nation's capital.
Waaqeffanna is religion indigenous to the Oromo people in the Horn of Africa. The word Waaqeffanna is derived from Waaq which is the ancient name for the Creator in the Cushitic languages of both the Oromo people and Somali people in the Horn of Africa. The followers of the Waaqeffanna religion are called Waaqeffataa and they believe in the supreme being Waaqa Tokkicha. It is estimated that about 3% of the Oromo population, which is 1,095,000 Oromos, in present-day Ethiopia actively practice this religion. Some put the number around 300,000, depending on how many subsets of the religion one includes. This number is still up for debate by many African religious scholars.
Eritrean Australians are a hyphenated ethnicity of Australians who are of full or partial Eritrean national origin, heritage and/or ancestry. They are immigrants from Eritrea to Australia and their descendants. Eritrea is a multi-ethnic country with the most common ethnic group being the Tigrinya, however Tigrinya speakers are more commonly found in Ethiopia than Eritrea, because of this many Eritreans can be found in Ethiopian communities.
Hachalu Hundessa was an Ethiopian singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Hachalu played a significant role in the 2014–2016 Oromo protests that led to Abiy Ahmed taking charge of the Oromo Democratic Party and Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, and subsequently becoming prime minister of Ethiopia in 2018.
Music and politics have been closely intertwined throughout the history of Ethiopia.
