Mereja Forum

[OPFist]

Getachew Reda as Raya Oromo Shall Help Re-unification of Raya, Wallo and Yejju to Oromia!

It is a smart move from Dr. Abiy that he helped Getachew Reda, the Oromo of Raya, became president of Tigrai. Now, Tigrigna speaking Oromo of Raya should play their expected role to help the revival of Agaw and Oromo languages and music in that part of northern Oromia. At the same time, they should help all Amharigna speaking Agaw and Oromo in Amhara region (Agawia) come back to their Cushitic priori identity. No question that Amharigna speakers who already took off their external mask of Ethiopiawinet shall also get rid of their internal mask (Amharanet) in order to accept and respect their true identity (Agawinet or Oromumma).
Ready more: https://fayyisoromia.wordpress.com/2023 ... to-oromia/

[OPFist]

At this time of conflict going on between the Amharas and Tigreans, Oromo nationalists, like Getachew Reda, should concentrate on the possibility of reviving the lost culture, language and music of the northern Oromo of Raya, Asabo and Yejju living in Wallo, Tigrai and Gondar. It is clear that the Hybrids (biological and/or psychological Diqalas) now led by Abiy Ahmed are not different from the pure Habeshas, who rallied behind Meles and Mengistu as far as their attitude towards the Oromo is concerned. Both the Habeshas and the Hybrids are determined to keep the ongoing domination of Amharigna/Amharanet in Ethiopia, even though Oromiffaa/Oromummaa has at least demographic legitimacy to be in a leadership position.

[OPFist]

The physical and/or psychological Hybrids now ruling in Finfinne palace are so deceptive that even some Oromo nationalists in the OLF are lured towards their [ deleted ] move of compelling Oromiffa/Oromummaa to the second position. Now, it is time for the genuine Oromo nationalists to get rid of the Hybrids’ rule and promote Afaan Oromo to primary position as a working language of federal institutions like the parliament, palace, cabinet, court, military and security. To optimize this process, it is necessary to help the revival and thrive move of Oromo culture, language and music in Raya, Wallo and Yejju.

[OPFist]

It is fact on the ground that Yejju and Raya Oromo are inhabitants of the presently distant northern tip of Gadaa Oromia. We can leave history of those, who are further north of Raya to the interested historians help us know, whether they are really non-Oromo. But, we are sure that Yejju, Raya and Asabo are part and parcel of Oromo nation even though they seem to have lost their language, Afaan Oromo, and adopted Tigrinya or Amharic. Their history is well recorded, at least since the late nineteenth century, at which time they were, for the first time, compelled by Abyssinian warlord, Yohannes-IV, to leave their own and learn alien culture and language.

[OPFist]

Yejju and Raya Oromo are the northernmost groups of Oromo people, and they are part of Wallo Oromo clan. Despite their historic resistance against dominance, as we can read in any literature on Oromian (Ethiopian) history, in which Raya Oromo’s revolt is mentioned as the first revolt against Emperor H-Sillasie’s rule as early as the late 1920’s, and as the predecessor of the Bale Oromo revolt, Yejju and Raya Oromo’s ties with the rest of the Oromo have weakened due to years of wars in that part of the region.

[OPFist]

To my understanding of history of that region, pre-Axumite inhabitants of the area were Kushites; even people around Axum were Waqeffata; and today we do see certain elements of these ancient traditions in culture and music of Abyssinians. Just as an example, rhythm of the Tigrinya drum and Gondarian drum beats are from the Dibbee Qallu, which is still used in Galma of Waqeffanna in some parts of Oromo region. This same drum beat is a little bit modified and further used in Orthodox church, Christian denomination, which is full of many elements from the Qallu institution. There are many other things which do show that Yejju, Rayya and Asabo people were also part and parcel of Oromo liberation movement. We can read a summary of the resistance or that of the revolt exercised by these people in short as chronologically reported below.

[OPFist]

I decided to write this short opinion, not to elaborate the history of Yejju and Raya peoples, but to encourage our artists to revive music of these Oromo clan, which needs our attention at this particular moment. We have heard other parts of Wallo Afaan Oromo music with “Amharinya rhythm;” we also heard few Afaan Oromo music with “Soddoo Gurage rhythm, Somali rhythm, Afar rhythm, Harari rhythm, Sidama rhythm and even with Sudan rhythm.” Why not yet Afan Oromo music with “Gonderinya of Yajju and Tigirnya of Raya rhythms”? As I said, some of us used to hear such music of these rhythms with “Gonderinya and Tigrinya drum beats” in some Galma of Waqeffanna in Oromia.

[OPFist]

I would like to encourage our artists to concentrate on Yajju and Rayya Oromo music in order to help these Oromo clans culturally revive, survive and thrive. As already mentioned above, we know Yejjuu, Rayya and Asabo people are simply the Amharinya and Tigrinya-speaking clan/gosa from Wallo Oromo, who need our support to re-learn their language of origin (Afaan Oromo). So, Oromo artists, accept my call and start to sing Yejju and Rayya music with “Gonderinya and Tigrinya rhythms, including their way of dance.” I know that the hitertho crime done by Habesha elites to the Oromo is very big inhibition since we do associate both “Gonderinya and Tigrinya rhythms” with Habesha colonizers. But, I am almost sure that the musical beat, melody and rhythm are not from Habesha origin, but from Oromo’s root, from Galma Waqeffanna in Oromia, which our forefathers used to enjoy for thousands of years and which the Axumites just could keep for themselves.

[OPFist]

So, I want to motivate our artists to break the taboo, just as Obbo Dawite Mekonnen did by breaking the taboo of our Sabboontota (patriotic) Oromo artists, as he sang in Amharainya. The main thing is message of the song to hit its purpose, not only the package (only type of dance or the language) used to convey the message. The same is true for step to be taken in starting to sing Afan Oromo music in Yejju and Rayya rhythms, which we, until now, left for Gonderians and Tigreans, as if it belongs to only them. Just as the Soddo Oromo music was ours and now became an additional blessing to Oromo nation, so do Yajju and Rayya Oromo music belong to us. It is nice to listen Saliha and Feenet breaking the taboo, but not yet enough. Come on friends, if singing in Afan Oromo with North American rap rhythm is not a cultural hindrance, how can singing with North Oromian drum beats be a taboo? Just imagine how more an enrichment it would have been for the Oromo people, if all Gondarinya Amharic music and Tigirinya Rayya music were in Afaan Oromo! May Waqa help our artists take this message in heart and help the Yejju and Rayya Oromo music revive and survive!

[OPFist]

The Raya Oromo Revolt and the Rise of Tafari Makonnen 1928 Oromo peasants and nomads in Yejju, Raya or Wajerat districts of present southern Tigray and northern Wallo revolted against the rule of Haile Selassie and refused to pay the heavy taxes imposed on them. The government dispatched troops to put down the revolt. The peasants with few arms they possessed were able to defeat the troops and capture a large quantity of arms and ammunition. Additional arms were obtained by the nomads from the Red Sea coast in Tajura.

[OPFist]

1929 The Oromo fighters of the revolt in Yejju and Raya controlled a large part of their area and closed the trade route that connected Dasee, the capital of Wallo, to the south. In a battle with the government forces in October 1929, the Oromo fighters captured 2,000 rifles and 12,000 cartridges.

[OPFist]

1930 Tafari Makonnen, throne name Haile Sellassie I, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God and Emperor of Oromia, succeeded Zawditu to the throne.

[OPFist]

1930 A large government force, led by the war minister, Mulugeta, arrived in Yejju and Raya regions. The Oromo fighters put up stiff resistance. The Oromo resistance was finally put down, although temporarily, mainly by the use of airplanes. It was the first time airplanes were ever used in a war in the Empire.

[OPFist]

1931 The first constitution of Oromia was introduced. In this document the term “Abyssinia” was dropped in favor of “Oromia,” thereby defining Abyssinians and all the colonized peoples as “Oromians.”

[OPFist]

1943 The Oromo uprising in Raya was temporarily suppressed with the assistance of the British Royal Air Force stationed in Aden. Many of the leaders of the Oromo movement were also implicated in the Woyane revolt in Tigray in 1943.

[OPFist]

1947/1948 The Raya Oromo rose up in arms again. Again after they had liberated a large area of their land, the movement was stopped when the British Royal Air Force in Aden, at the request of the Oromian regime, bombed the Oromo guerrilla positions.