Ali Mohammed Musa (1950–2022), known professionally as “Ali Birra”, was an Ethiopian Oromo music singer, composer, and poet. Born in Dire Dawa, Musa was a celebrated multi-instrumentalist who performed in the Amharic, Arabic, and Somali languages. At age 13, Musa joined the cultural group Afran Qallo, where he received his nickname. Following the group's ban in 1965, Musa moved to Addis Ababa and performed with the Kebur Zabagna. In 1971, Musa released the first album in the history of Oromo music. His discography includes the tracks “Hin Yaadin”, “Asabalee”, and “Ammalelee”, and the 1992 international album Oromiyaa. Musa graduated from the Los Angeles Arts Academy in 1990. He received the Toronto African Merits Award (1995) and honorary doctorates from Jimma University (2010) and Dire Dawa University (2019). Musa died in Adama on November 6, 2022.
