
If a tree falls in the forest when no one is around, does it make a sound? This commonly used saying reminds me of how great things are overlooked and undervalued, in a musical sense if it is not mainstream, but more specifically if the tree/artist hails from a marginalized group or place or origin.
Alewya Demmisse is that tree in the forest that has made a rumble. Not fallen, but has made a rumble in the jungle that has yet to be heard or appreciated by the masses. That was obvious to me in my research of Ethiopian rappers and rappers of Ethiopian descent when after weeks of searching and asking around, a few female artists came up in my multiple searches. Only after I searched for “‘Hottest’ female rap talent from people from Ethiopia or Ethiopian descent” did she appear.
After finding out that there were Ethiopian female rappers outside of Lola Monroe, I also found out a bit about Alewya’s background. Born in Saudi Arabia, with Ethiopian and Egyptian roots, Alewya was raised in London in her early years according to last.fm. From what I have heard in her music, specifically in her appearance on the popular YouTube channel Colors, Alewya has a message about her passion, her culture, her purpose, and her potential that is heard throughout their track “ Ethiopia” which was released a video of her performing the song November 18, 2021.
Her music stating “I feel like a warrior, You know I come from Ethiopia” and ” Not here to please… They wanna sink their teeth in me” reminds me of the discussion that was had in class about the hegemonic nature of the music industry and what it takes to subvert personal and musical erasure as a person of color and minority in general (00:01:09-00:01:15)/(00:00:54-00:00:59) . In her song, the audience not only gets a sense of her refusal to be erased as a female artist through her direct lyricism, but her use Amharic, the language used to my knowledge and her wardrobe, Alewya is proud of her identity as a female artist, multicultural woman, and upcoming talent in the rap scene. As I listen to her music, I am able to see and understand that she won’t be another fallen tree in the forest, but a giant in the game, who can’t be ignored, coerced, or forgotten