[better] | Walaloo Gaddaa

While the Gadaa deals with laws and succession, Walaloo Gaddaa deals with the human experience within those laws. It is the poetry of transition. It is sung by elders, warriors, and women as power shifts from one generation to the next every eight years. The most powerful moment to hear Walaloo is during the Gadaa inauguration ceremony. Imagine an aging father (the Abba Gadaa ) preparing to hand over his life's work to his son.

As the modern world continues to change the landscape of Ethiopia, these songs are fighting for survival. But if history has taught us anything, it is this: You cannot kill a philosophy that can sing. walaloo gaddaa

There are songs you listen to with your ears, and then there are songs you feel in your bones. Walaloo Gaddaa falls firmly into the second category. While the Gadaa deals with laws and succession,