Ethiopia: Prominent Tigrayan musical artist Dawit Nega passes away at age 34 after brief sickness

Noah Pitcher( Global Politics Correspondent )

Noah Pitcher is a global politics correspondent for Today News Africa covering the U.S. government, United Nations, African Union, and other actors involved in international developments, political controversies, and humanitarian issues.

Prominent Tigrayan musician Dawit Nega passed away Sunday at the age of 34 after being admitted to a hospital in Addis Ababa just a few days earlier.

The popular singer had been admitted to Addis Hiwot Hospital in Ethiopia’s capital city after suffering from flu-like symptoms. According to the BBC, Dawit Nega leaves behind a wife and a son with his passing.

While Dawit Nega had released numerous songs, his most recent song entitled “Ajoki Tigray” pays tribute to the families of Tigray that have been separated or had their lives turned upside down by the ongoing war across the region.

According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, there were over 5.1 million new displacements in Ethiopia in 2021 as families across Tigray and neighboring regions have been forced to flee from their homes.

Since Dawit Nega’s passing, many have taken to social media to express their sadness over the loss of the talented musician and honor his legacy.

Amana Badhasso, who was once an Ethiopian refugee and is now running for United States congress in the state of Minnesota, shared her thoughts on Twitter, saying, “I am heartbroken to learn that the extraordinary talent Dawit Nega has passed away. He was a voice of a generation. My heartfelt condolences to Dawit’s loved ones and fans. May he Rest In Peace.”