We are in despair and idling, that is why I am whispering.
The decades-old struggle of the Oromo people for political and cultural independence came to a head in 2014 when the government proposed a development plan to expand the limits of the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, into neighbouring Oromo villages and towns. It was feared that this move would accelerate the evictions of ethnic Oromos from their ancestral land.
In 2009, a year after leaving prison, he released his first album Sanyii Mootii . His songs about the rights of the Oromo quickly made him a star and a political symbol of the Oromo struggle. His songs were directly critical of their actions and the officials are shown stony-faced as the crowd celebrate and sing along. Giving an interview later, Hundeessaa says: “It’s not some functionary or government official who chooses what I sing.”