Geerrarsa as Instrument of Fighting against Injustice and Oppression in Ethiopia: Notes on Hachalu Hundessa’s Performance on Three Concerts

Abstract

This study is an analysis of Hachalu Hundessa’s Geerrarsa (heroic poems) on three stages of the ‘Lammiin Lammiif’ concert, a concert held in honor of Eritrea President Esayas Afework’s visiting Ethiopia after the end of Ethio-Eritrea border and 123rd Adowa Anniversary of which express oppression and discrimination of the Oromo and other nations and nationalities in Ethiopia and encourage potential action for a group to claim their rights. These ‘Geerrarsas’ are examined in the context of oppression and discrimination and how they relate to social Movements. The specific objectives of this research are interpreting Hachalu’s Geerrarsa on stages of the ‘Lammiin Lammiif’ concert, a concert held in honor of Eritrea President Esayas Afework’s visiting Ethiopia after the end of Ethio-Eritrea border and 123^rd Adowa Anniversary, contributions of Hachalu’s Geerrarsa’s in bringing political reform in Ethiopia and raising popular political consciousness and collective identity against the power of domination and role of Oromo in state and nation building in Ethiopia in the context of Hachalu’s Geerrarsas. To achieve these objectives, critical discourse analysis was employed to interpret Hachalu’s ‘Geerrarsas’ in three stages. The findings of the study showed that music functions as an informative tool that can spread awareness and encourage people to pressure authorities and fight for their rights and freedom. The selected three-stage performance had tremendous underlying messages meant to raise the citizens' political consciousness and bring people's marginalization to the world's attention and the role of Oromo in state and nation-building is too high.