Mulu Baqqala is an Oromo singer-songwriter whose music blends personal experience, cultural heritage, and political expression. Born in Qarsa Malima, a small town about sixty kilometers from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she grew up in a working-class family that instilled in her the values of education, faith, and perseverance. Amid the political unrest and systemic oppression of the Oromo people, Muluu found refuge early on in music and art.
Reflecting on her upbringing, she shares:
"I was raised in an environment where my people, the Oromo, were victimized. My family members, neighbors, and other relatives were tortured and killed. These challenges led me to express the traumatic experiences of my childhood through art.”
At nineteen, she made the bold decision to leave her studies and pursue music full-time. Her debut album, Damaa Shoolee Kiyaa, produced by Ibrahim Saide and engineered by Dawit Yusuf Sammamish, established her as a powerful new voice. The record combined love songs, protest anthems, and spiritual reflections, showcasing her lyrical depth and emotional range.
Her follow-up album, Akkana Dubbiin, continued that trajectory, featuring notable tracks such as "Tokkuma Nuti," "Yaa Simbira Walee," and the title track, "Akkana Dubbiin." Sung in Oromo and rooted in traditional forms, her songs express themes of love, resistance, identity, and longing for unity.
Currently residing in Melbourne, Australia, Mulu continues to record and perform, collaborating with fellow East African artists. She has performed with Chikchika, alongside Tigrinya vocalists Anbessa Gebrehiwot and Haftu Reda. Her music transcends borders and generations, resonating with the Oromo diaspora and beyond.
Muluu Baqqalaa is a vital cultural figure — an artist whose work elevates the experiences of her people and carves out space for joy, remembrance, and hope through song.
