The reality of the COVID-19 pandemic is looming over the music and arts community in Ethiopia. The ripple effects reach everywhere, from film to live concerts to visual art to performances. There’s no arguing with the need to take precautions, keep the virus from harming or killing people, and hopefully keep it from overwhelming the healthcare system. The fallout beyond the immediate health crisis is also much deeper than missing that movie or show you’ve been looking forward to—artists and musicians are bracing for harsh economic impact, and the pandemic underscores the flimsiness of our support systems for arts and culture.
The first but surely not the last one, Oulala, a full day of joy featuring Baloji hosted by the Alliance Ethio-française Addis Ababa is now postponed indefinitely. The event was going to be held on Saturday March 28, 2020.
The event includes musical brunch, animation film for kids, screening of short films, dj set opening of comic exhibition, circus, live drawing concert by cartoonists and kids corner; where Baloji was meant to perform.
“It is with great sadness that we are forced to cancel /for now/ Baloji’s tour in East Africa,” a statement reads from Alliance Ethio-française.
Starting from March 19, 2020 Baloji was planning to have a tour to seven East African countries including Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan.
Baloji is a Belgian rapper, MC and hip hop artist of Congolese origin. Known as MC Balo in the hip hop group Starflam, he continued as solo artist starting 2004. Baloji is an artist, a musician, poet, film director, a man of images and ideas.