Hachalu Hundeessa was born in Ambo, Oromia region, Ethiopia. His parents Hundeessa Bonsa and Gudatu Hora were peasants of Oromo heritage and as any other kid in his location, he grew up tending to cattle.
As he grew up, he started singing in school clubs where his immensely potent started rearing its head. However, at just the age of 17, he would find himself in uncharted waters following an arrest by the federal police.
He was charged with engaging in (unlawful) protests and eventually sent to prison in Karchalle, Ambo. He served a five year jail term and later released in the year 2008.
Hachalu married his childhood sweetheart, Fantu Demisse, with whom he has two daughters and a son. She is now the chairperson of the Hachalu Hundessa Foundation, an organisation which manages the late singer’s estate and music catalogue.
Hachalu released his first album, Sanyii Moottii, in 2009. It is reported that he wrote most of the lyrics to this debut album while still in prison.
Sanyii Moottii has remained one of his most successful projects to date thrusting him into international spotlight and earning him hundreds of thousands, probably millions of fans drawn mostly from his native Oromo kinsmen.
He toured the United States in 2014 riding on the back of the immense success generated by his album. However, Haccee, as he is fondly known to his fans would not stop here.
While in the U.S, he released his second album, Waa’ee Keenyaa which became the #1 best-selling African music album on Amazon Music, a fete no Ethiopian had previously achieved.
Hachalu was asassinated shortly after he revealed intent to release his third album, Maal Mallisaa. He was shot on the evening of 29th June 2020 at the Gelan Condominiums in Galan town.
He was rushed to Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital but would succumb to the gunshots and eventually pronounced dead. The hospital was thronged by thousands of mourners forcing the police to use teargas to disperse the crowds.
During the emotionally-charged funeral held for the singer, two people were shot dead while seven others got injured. Filenbar Uma who is a member of the opposition Oromo Liberation Front in Ambo claimed the security forces “shot at people” to stop them from going to the funeral….(to be updated)
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