Slain Ethiopian singer electrified a generation with songs of freedom and protest

FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian Oromo musician, Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, rides a horse in traditional costume during the 123rd anniversary celebration of the battle of Adwa where the Ethiopian forces defeated the invading Italian forces, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 2, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Imprisoned as a teenager for his political activism, singer Haacaaluu Hundeessaa grew into one of Ethiopia's biggest stars and his songs became anthems for the young protesters who brought down one of Africa's most repressive regimes.

Haacaaluu sang in the Oromo language of Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, but his lyrics - about yearning for freedom and exhorting Ethiopians to solve their own problems - touched a chord more broadly.