The campaign that is being rolled out by YEGNA gives each of the five girls a specific character thought to represent a segment of Ethiopian society.

The campaign that is being rolled out by YEGNA gives each of the five girls a specific character thought to represent a segment of Ethiopian society.

YEGNA, which translates to ‘ours’, is the new project funded by Nike Foundation and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). Having been awarded a whopping 154 million Br as its four year project, the launch of the radio programme and all girls singing group has been in the forefront of media attention for the last few weeks. Though the music and the characters along with the radio show they are a part of have received the most attention, YEGNA is just a small part of the larger Girl Hub Project that is being implemented by the Foundation in developing countries.

The roll out of the project in Addis Abeba and the Amhara Region, which are serving as pilot projects involves the participation of three local partners, there is Emerge Leaders Consultancy & Training Plc, spearheaded by its CEO, Selome Tadesse, former government spokesperson and popular personality. Her company is joined by Mango Productions, a PR firm owned and managed by Aida Ashenafi, director of Guzo, the first-ever Ethiopian docu-drama. Finally, the trio is made whole by the participation of Deloitte, a financial consultancy firm.

Nike Foundation is also implementing this project in Rwanda and Nigeria focussing its attention on the empowerment of young women as a viable means of eradicating poverty.

“When the Nike Foundation started in 2004, we sought the best investment with the highest returns. We traced the symptoms of poverty back to their roots, and it led us to an unexpected solution and a catalyst for change: adolescent girls,” says the Foundation’s mission statement.

It was with this goal that YEGNA was established. The five girls that were chosen for the project were given characters that, after extensive research, were determined as being representative of the different segments of Ethiopian society. Complete with nicknames and booklets filled with research on their characters’ personalities, the five young ladies have been put through rigorous physical, vocal and social training so as to put their best faces forward when representing the huge base that are adolescent girls. Ashenafe Endale, Special to Fortune, had the opportunity to be the first reporter to sit down with the girls where they shared their hopes, dreams and histories. You can read the full feature here…

Kidjo, 52, has adopted the mantle of the late South African singer Miriam Makeba as a political voice and campaigns for women’s rights and education in Africa

* The Best Cross Cultural-Collaboration went to Dub Colossus for the blend of Ethiopian roots, reggae and dub beats on their latest album “Dub Me Tender Vol. 1+2″.

African diva Angelique Kidjo was named Best Artist in Songlines magazine’s annual world music awards on Friday, lauded for her high-energy shows and her championing of social causes.

French veterans Lo’jo, who mix French folk with African and Arabic sounds, picked up the Best Group award and the young Zimbabwean band Mokoomba was chosen as top Newcomer.

Kidjo, originally from Benin, is one of Africa’s biggest singing stars. Over the years she has worked with Prince, sang at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and sold out New York’s Carnegie Hall.

The Best Artist award was given for her live “Spirit Rising” album but was also recognition of her career achievements, Songlines editor-in-chief Simon Broughton told Reuters.

“She’s been around a long time but she’s always inspiring,” he said. “What clinched it was a concert she gave in London in March for Women’s Day. It was breathtaking. I’ve never seen her so exuberant. She bonds people and really makes it special.”

Kidjo, 52, has adopted the mantle of the late South African singer Miriam Makeba as a political voice and campaigns for women’s rights and education in Africa.

“The award is also for what she stands for,” Broughton said.

Lo’jo, from southwest France, has also been around a long time and the band’s latest album, “Cinema el Mundo”, showed them to be as strong as ever.

“They are much better known in the Francophone world than elsewhere. They’ve not been tempted to become more mainstream,” Broughton said.

“They are a quality act, an unusual, interesting group, especially in their connections with West and North Africa.”

YOUNG BANDS AND FANS

The Newcomer winner, Mokoomba, is a young group from Zimbabwe but the horn-driven music is pan-African, bringing in the sounds of Congo, South Africa and other countries. Its “Rising Tide” album sealed the award.

Dub Colossus’ award was recognition of its work over the past 10 years in popularizing Ethiopian music and blending it with modern beats.

“It’s risen from being unknown to something hip and really getting an audience. There’s a lot of people fusing Ethiopian and Western sounds so they represent a wide movement and are bringing in a lot of young people,” Broughton said.

World music has had mixed fortunes in the past year.

The live scene was still healthy, with a host of performers filling venues in London and elsewhere, Songlines publisher Paul Geoghegan said.

But the recording scene was very difficult for artists, record labels and distributors due to the closure of record stores and declining CD sales. The collapse of British chain HMV, whose shops stocked a wide variety of world music, was a big blow, he said.

Reuters

Some of the films that are going to be screened includes ‘I am gay and Muslim’, ‘The Sea in Me’, ‘Small Small Thing’, ‘Blood in the mobile’ and ‘Swahili tales’.

The 7th edition of Addis International Film Festival is scheduled to kick off, from May 14th-19th with the theme ‘bridging the gap’.

Around 80 films from different countries that address issues like environment, migration, social change and disability will be screened during the week-long festival.

This film festival is organized by initiative Africa.

According to Kebour Genna, director of Initiative Africa, during this filmfestival the mainstream films will not be screened rather films which challenge the popular social attitudes will be the main focus. He says that the festival is also working to be a platform for independent and alternative films.

“There are so many disparities in this world. The contrast is clearly visible where few percentages of people enjoy the privileges where others are suffering. This year’s film festival is dedicated to show that so we can have a better world for everyone,” Kebour told journalists.

Some of the films, which will be screened this year, include ‘Suffering Grasses’.

This film is based on the saying when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers.

The on-going conflict in Syria left many thousands dead, abused and displaced. Many civilians are hurt and are still hurting by the civil war that they are not part of.

This film depicts the politics behind the civil war and the dynamics of the response of the international community and questions the integrity of NATO that gave fast response to Libya and not Syria.

Apart from that in this festival films that challenge the societal norms, culture and religion will be screened.

Some of the films that are going to be screened includes ‘I am gay and Muslim’, ‘The Sea in Me’, ‘Small Small Thing’, ‘Blood in the mobile’ and ‘Swahili tales’.

Apart from the films there will be a workshop for young aspiring filmmakers on how to make documentary films.

The films will be screened at the Addis Ababa Youth Center, British Council, Alliance Ethio Francaise and the Italian Cultural Institute.

Source: thereporterethiopia

Yegna (ours), a new radio show that uses art to create dialogues among the community and to aims at bringing attitude and behavioral changes concerning women’s right, is scheduled to be aired next Sunday.

Yegna drama follows the story of five very different girls whose shared love of music creates an unlikely, but strong, friendship. The girls go on to form a band, and each episode of the drama will feature a new song.

The first track (video) from Yegna – ‘Abet’, features special guest star Haile Roots and is produced by Abraham Wolde. This week the music video shot to the top of the ‘most-viewed’ music clips on Dire Tube with 35,000 views the clip also garnered some 25,000 views on You Tube. Future releases have been produced by Abegaz Kibrework Shiota and will feature more stars of Ethiopian music.

An invite-only launch event will take place at the Ethiopian National Theatre on Wednesday 24th April, and will feature the first-ever live performance by Yegna.

Elements from the show will be displayed again outside the National Theatre for the public to enjoy on the evenings of Thursday 25th and Friday 26th April.

The radio drama will be aired next week where more than 500 university students are trained as Yegna ambassdors to facilitate a special radio listening program.

This program is initiated by Yegna Bet and is collaboratively done by Emerge, Mango productions Ltd, and Deloitte Consulting. The program will run for three years.

The program is created and funded by Girl Hub Ethiopia, a strategic collaboration between the Nike foundation and the UK Department for International Development. The budget for the program for four years and a half is 5.4 million pounds.

The radio show will be aired on Sheger and Amhara FMs on Sundays at 1pm and will rerun on Thursday at 5pm.

Yegna Band Feat Haile Roots – Abet (አቤት)

The Amaa Awards are presented annually in recognition of professionals in the African film industry.

It may not be surprising to some that Nairobi Half Life has made the cut for the 9th annual Africa Movie Academy Awards (Amaa) scheduled for this Saturday April 20 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

The film created quite a buzz in the Kenyan film scene and has as such been duly selected for an award in nine categories among them for best film, best director and best film in an African language.

In the Eastern African region, Kenya produced the most entries for the award ceremony beating Tanzania which submitted no entries while other notable submission emerged from Uganda and Rwanda.

Among the Kenyans up for awards are David “Tosh” Gitonga for his film Nairobi Half Life, Ng’endo Mukii for her film Yellow Fever. Zipporah Kimundu also makes the list with two short films – Burnt Forest and Give Me Back My Home, both based on the Kenya post-election violence of 2007.

“There are several other entries from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi and even Dubai and other places outside Africa from Africans living in the Diaspora,” says Amaa regional director for Eastern Africa Ongova Ondego.

“There were no entries from Tanzania which is quite worrying and nothing also from Eastern Congo and Somalia but that is likely because of unrest in these areas.”

Entrants for the awards had to adhere to some strict guidelines – all films must be no longer than 120 minutes. They should also be director’s cut only,that is, no adverts or other marketing material are permitted within the submitted film. Additionally, only one entry per film is allowed.

“Nigerians, for example, can make up to five versions of the same film. We only need one version”, Ondego explains. “The films must be in English or subtitled with English translations.

Subtitles in English must also be given for any music played in a language other than English.” This year’s entries were made between January 2012 and Dec 2012 , meaning all submissions must be made within the year preceding the awards.

The majority of films from Tanzania are done in Kiswahili but according to Ondego, the accompanying subtitles are often not up to par. “The subtitles should make as much sense as possible as well as stay true to the Swahili meaning but in many cases the subtitles are often badly spelled or make no sense at all.”

As such, Amaa will by its 10th year disallow such glitches and thus disqualify any film submitted with these perceived errors.” Another change expected to be enforced next year is a cut in the film duration from the current 120 minutes down to 90 minutes.

The Amaa Awards are presented annually in recognition of professionals in the African film industry. Founded in 2005 by African Film Academy (AFA) founder Peace Anyiam Osigwe the awards recognise directors, actors, writers and other professionals in the film industry with the aim of promoting excellence in the African movie industry in addition to highlighting the contribution of the African continent via arts and culture.

The award presentation is attended by numerous international media representatives, Hollywood and Nollywood celebrities, Nigerian politicians as well as journalists, actresses & actors from all across Africa.

Source: thestar

Titi’s win was seen as a clear signal of greater acceptance of Ethiopian immigrants by the majority Jewish population.

Yityish “Titi” Aynaw was crowned “Miss Israel” just in time to be invited to meet with President Obama on his first presidential visit to Israel. Titi is the first black “Miss Israel,” and the first from Israel’s 130,000-strong Ethiopian immigrant community.

Titi has a compelling story. She lost her father as an infant and her mother at age 10 while still in Ethiopia, and came to Israel to join her grandparents who had previously made aliyah. In one decade, she became an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces, returned to Ethiopia to discover her parents’ story, and is now one of the most famous Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. A striking woman, at 5’9” and in heels, Titi towered over Israeli president Shimon Peres and even topped Obama.

The 2013 version of the 63-year-old Miss Israel competition is part beauty pageant and part reality show. Given that viewers vote online or by text, Titi’s success can at least to some degree be seen to reflect the will of the people. As Tzvi Gottlieb pointed out in these pages, Titi is not alone; another Ethiopian woman and a Black Hebrew woman along with a number of Israeli Arab women have scored big on reality TV, peaking with the victory of Lina Makhoul in the Israeli version of The Voice on Passover.

But how do members of the minority communities interpret this trend? To find out, I quizzed my Ethiopian friends and colleagues about their reactions to Titi’s coronation.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn that there has been an intense, Ethiopian-Israeli version of the “is it good for the Jews?” debate. The consensus, at least on the collective level, was deep satisfaction, pride and joy. For one week, there were positive news stories about an accomplished young Ethiopian woman rather than reports of social dysfunction. While there are no illusions that racist prejudice has disappeared, Titi’s win was seen as a clear signal of greater acceptance of Ethiopian immigrants by the majority Jewish population.

And Titi is seen as a role model. An Ethiopian colleague told me she and her daughter have spent long stretches on Titi’s Facebook page, where they admired her outspokenness more than her looks.

This points to a second internal debate that centers on the community’s anxiety about cultural valuation, related to, of all things, Titi’s beauty. On one side stand those who find her beauty indisputable, and her success a sign that Israelis are finally able to appreciate the beauty of a black woman. Titi’s image may soon be gracing billboards alongside that of Jewish Israeli model Bar Rafaeli.

But another colleague reported that his teenage sons complained that Titi was not “the prettiest candidate,” that she didn’t have the facial features expected of a beauty queen. He felt his sons were judging her too narrowly, exclusively by her face. He argued that Titi was stunning and had a magnificent presence, but to no avail. It turned out that this debate was not limited to my friend’s household.

I wondered if the question of beauty arose because Ethiopian Israelis are buying into the ideal of the blue-eyed blonde with perfectly symmetrical features. I was told by a female Ethiopian Israeli colleague that this was too simplistic; the concern was not that Titi didn’t match the white image of perfection, but that she didn’t reach the Ethiopian ideal. Isn’t it a good thing, I asked, that there are internal cultural standards of beauty? I know, for example, that there’s an internal Ethiopian hierarchy of attractiveness related to skin tone. It’s not about dark versus light skin necessarily, but rather about a scale of redness. The answer again was that it’s not so simple; the standard of beauty in Ethiopia has been impacted by western media, so there’s now an Ethiopian version of the global archetype, which means we may be circling back to the same place.

In any case, the underlying anxiety was about whether Titi deserved to win or whether she had been handed the victory as a kind of misplaced affirmative action. Insecurity about the success achieved by individual members of minority groups is not unusual, and has always dogged beneficiaries of affirmative action.

The kicker is that when my colleague asked his teenage sons if they voted for Miss Israel, they sheepishly admitted texting for Titi, because, after all, it was good for the community for her to win.

What impact will Titi’s reign have on other Israelis’ attitudes towards Ethiopians?

Writing in Salon recently, Andrew O’Hehir argued that “what we know about the world from our real lives and what we experience on TV tend to reinforce each other, and at the level of deep psychology we don’t necessarily tell them apart.” The effect is especially potent when personal experience reinforces what you see on the small screen.

The problem in Israel is that few Israeli Jews not working with or living adjacent to these minority populations will have direct personal encounters with Ethiopian—or Palestinian—citizens of Israel. Television may not be strong enough to alter attitudes on its own, but it might begin to break down stereotypes and dilute suspicion and enmity.

Source: thedailybeast.com

Ethiopian Orthodox Church Choir members playing the Begena

This time around during the lent season, while traveling in mini-bus taxis, having coffee at a café, or wandering around the churches one can hear the deep-sonorous voice.

Ten strings hanging from a short bar at the top joined by two parallel sticks and a leather-made sound-box at the bottom are the parts of this very ancient and biblically played instrument called the Begena (an instrument that belongs to the family of the lyre.) Begena, which is also named as the Harp of King David, has distinguishing features that differentiate it from the harp. The number of strings, the construction of the wooden frame in which the strings are coiled and the way the musicians handle it to play are the visible differences that anyone can point out. It is a kind of psaltery that dates back some five thousands years roughly estimated to be some 3,800 years before the birth of Christ.

Ethiopians were introduced to such a sensuous and spiritually powerful musical instrument through either of the two commonly cited ways. The first, that makes its argument depending on the analogy of Ethiopia’s archaeological evidences that puts it as the origin of human beings, and the second relies on the historical travel that the Queen Sheba made to King Solomon of Israel. Whatever the way to be introduced to the instrument, it at once became the most prestigious Ethiopian traditional musical instrument. Nevertheless, it has never come on the way it could be played together with others to perform a secular music because of the profound and rigorous relation it has with religion. It was first played in the palaces to enchant the kings and queens and also at ceremonious events inside churches and outside the churches like on weddings based on biblical and historical accounts.

Although a number of Ethiopians were playing it, including the kings and the queens, there were a few who became popular enough playing it on media and public gatherings. It was during the reign of Haileselassie I that the first preceptor, Aleka Tessema Woldeamanuel was called to the capital to teach at the Entoto Secondary School. The then 12-year-old Alemu Aga became one of the first boys who stepped into the classroom. Alemu, who is well acclaimed for playing the begena and of course enjoys much reverence, has been the most important musician to play the instrument. He has played a large repertoire of ecclesiastical songs with it and trained more than 600 students. Moreover, he has become very popular in the international arena playing the begena. He has had many opportunities to play it oversees, still having several concerts every year.

Today, Alemu is 62 years old and says that he is in absolute amazement of how happy and successful he has managed to become through his music. Now, he is someone who can teach, play and research.

“I was trained only because my parents wanted me to grow up learning religious practices, and it has influenced me much further, I couldn’t lead my life without it,” he told The Reporter.

The 8th London African Music Festival, World Harp Congress, International Council for Traditional music and Festival De Mosique Des Montagness Du Monde are some of the events he has attended so far. Éthiopiques Vol. 11, recorded by Buda Musique of Francis Falceto’s featured him exclusively. Other music producers in Europe also recorded his songs with other fellow musicians. Alemu sees himself lucky enough that he could always be remembered with begena, but there were other famous begena players before Alemu. The late Demissie Desta for example, who is often seen as a pioneer for playing begena in the emperor’s palace.

Begena, which is often listened to during the lent fasting season of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church, is almost never heard during other times. Due to its tremendous power and spiritual connectivity, it has always been preferred to be listened in the sacred days of dedication that connect the faithful with the Lord. The vibration of the paired strings produce a sound that deeply connects with the audience. Eventually, they will start to react calmly to the sound produced by the begena. According to many, the instrument has the power to calm people from stress. This is of course reveled in the Bible that the King Saul was elated by the play whenever the young David played it. According to some researchers who visited Alemu, the single string can vibrate a thousand times within a second. Vibration therefore remains a particular character of the begena. Stephanie Feser (Ph.D.) an ethnomusicologist from Belgium was one of the visitors who conducted research with him for her dissertation for two years.

At the time of the Emperor during lent, even the state broadcaster and music shop around town played begena compositions rather than other secular songs.

“There is no rule or principle that bans the begena from being played outside of the fasting seasons” Alemu says. There were attempts made by some artists to play the begena at other times than the fasting seasons, they further went on orchestrating it with other traditional musical instruments on stage; it, however, failed, since the public did not accept it. “The people didn’t want to listen to the begena outside of the fasting season and it didn’t have any harmony with the mixing of the orchestration either,” he says. The deep sound it produces and the vibration it releases cannot be harmonized with others musical instruments easily.

The begena is mostly associated with men because many believe that the instrument mostly produces shallow and thunder like sounds, which goes in line with the natural voice color of men. But nowadays women are playing the begena, and playing it perfectly. Empress Tayitu was one of the first women who played it wonderfully. Now, many young women, particularly in the church are playing it. One of those vibrant begena players is Genet Alemayehu. She has played it for seven years now starting it in her youth. Inspired by male players she often observed in the church and later became well aware of some women who played, including the Empress. What she feels is the euphoria that takes her into the kingdom of her Lord. An accountant by training and a begena teacher at Gorgorios Spiritual School, the only school where begena is taught, she feels that there will be more enrollments of young women who want to study the begena. She argues that what many feel about the traditional connection between the instrument and men does not mean that naturally, women cannot play it, since it can be played through a medium or low scale. “The begena can be adjusted according to the kind of voice one can produce, and it can be played in different styles unlike that of the men’s,” she told The Reporter.

Kinfu Weldegebriel is one of the million Ethiopians who adores the sound of the begena and always listens to it during the time of prayer and fasting. He plays it in his car in the morning and in the evening. He never listens to other music. He does not even turn the radio on. “This is the time that attracts me to my faith. The begena is something that makes me fell jovial when the fasting season is remembered,” he says.

Like many others, he does not have any trend that influences him to listen to it unless it is fasting season. He doesn’t even think of it at other times, but the very first thing he does when the fasting season approaches is purchase a begena tape or disk. In fact this is not a trend that Kinfu does alone, it seems to be a culture amongst many Orthodox Christians. Because of this religious tendency that makes the connection between the begena and Orthodox Christian fasting, most Muslims have never thought that they could listen to it like other traditional music. Murad Ahmed, spare parts retailer, says that it is only because of such thinking that many Muslims refrain from listening to it, likewise most Christians don’t listen to Menzuma, a religious music that often comes along with the fasting season of Ramadan. “Still I think it does not matter if we listen to it as traditional music,” he says.

What remains so contentious about its purpose as a traditional musical instrument is whether or not it could be used together with other instruments to compose songs. However for many, it seems unrealistic, considering there have been many failed attempts to prove it.

“It is impossible for the begena to be mixed with other traditional instruments because of its calm sound that would be swallowed by the sharp sounds produced by other string instruments like the Krar,” Alemu says. Many seem to agree that the begena is best when it is heard alone. For some, it is of course a band that plays a kind of grooved music in a complete rhythm. Even, there is no chance to think about others while listening to it. The vibration and the buzzing sound that comes out as the singer hums deeply would certainly make it a single-orchestration indeed. The begena is currently being promoted worldwide by Alemu and he believes that the opening of a school is one step. Still a lot of research needs to be done, he concludes.

Source: thereprterethiopia

Alberto Salazar says Kenenisa Bekele is the greatest distance runner in history and Mo Farah has a massive challenge if he wants to break Bekele’s “incredible” world records for 5000m and 10,000m.

In December the BBC quoted Salazar as saying he thought Farah was the greatest distance runner of all time. But in an interview in the latest issue of Athletics Weekly, the American coach says his words were taken slightly out of context.

Speaking to David Cox for AW, Salazar explained: “I was asked about how I thought he compared to others in history and I said that I thought what he did (in London) is as good as what anybody else has done. Because other people have won those events (the 5000m and 10,000m at the Olympics), but Mo has done it in an era where it’s much more competitive to 20 or 30 years ago.”

Salazar added: “But Bekele did it four years ago (in Beijing) and obviously he’s won a lot more world championships. I would argue that Bekele is probably the greatest distance runner of all time. If had to pick somebody I would pick him. I don’t know if right now there’s anybody that’s as good as he was at his best.”

In order to rival Bekele in the echelons of great distance runners, Farah would almost certainly have to break the legendary Ethiopian’s world records of 12:37.35 for 5000m and 26:17.53 for 10,000m.

“Those times are awfully fast,” Salazar says. “I think that the 5km is more reachable right now than the 10km because there just aren’t very many opportunities to do 10km. The 5km, there’s a lot of good races and I believe that Mo was certainly capable of challenging it last year.

“There are some Ethiopians who ran 12:48 and he’s definitely capable of running that. From there it’s another 10 seconds. You know that, it’s possible but to be honest we don’t really dwell on that or point at that. It would be so hard. Those times are just pretty incredible.”

“We concentrate on just beating the people that are running against him and try not to get too focused on times because when you start doing that, you forget about just trying to beat the people that you need to beat.”

In an interview that touched on various topics in the April 11 issue of AW, Salazar also spoke in detail about Farah’s controversial decision to run the first half of the Virgin London Marathon on April 21, his racing strategy ahead of the 2016 Olympics, plus details about how Farah will actually train prior to his full 26.2-mile debut.

Source: athleticsweekly

Sara Nuru the winner of 2009 Germany’s Next Top model was born in August 19, 1989 in Erding, Bavari, Germany form Ethiopian parents. Since she won the Top model contest she has been claiming the ladder of high fashion modeling. She has been featured in the cover of many fashion magazines including Cosmopolitan, Gala-Magazine, Shape, TV SpielFilm, Fit among many.

The Stunning 23 year old model announced on her face book page that she is the new face and ambassador of LASCANA a high end Fashion European company.

Lascana is one of the biggest in the fashion industry which has dizzying array of swimsuits, beach style bikinis, body-shaping, push bras and night ware products.

Lascana will have an international model contest and is looking for twelve beauties from twelve different countries for the new lingerie calendar 2014 the campaign “shows Lascana Flag”. Together with Sara Nuru in a live casting in Hamburg twelve winners will be selected to win a photo shoot for the Christmas campaign and for the calendar 2014.

The beautiful German Ethiopian Sara Nuru as brand ambassador for Lascana would be part of the judges in the international model contest.

“Different skin and hair colors have always been part of Lascana concept and with the new campaign, the international component to be further strengthened” said Lascana.

Video: Sara Nuru: Mein Tag in LASCANA

Feyse Tadese Boru of Ethiopia crosses the finish line Sunday to win the women’s title in the 37th edition of the Paris Marathon. (Getty Images)

PARIS – 24-year-old Ethiopian long-distance runner Feyse Tadese Boru won the 2013 Paris Marathon on Sunday.

In the men’s race fellow countryman Tadese Tola finished second behind Kenya’s Peter Some who won the 37th annual competition in the second-fastest course record time.

Feyse set her won record in the women’s race finishing in a historic time of 2:21:06, two minutes ahead of the runner-up, her teammate Merima Mohammed. Kenyan Eunice Kirwa came in third.

Contemporary Ethiopian artist Tamrat Gazahegn shows off one of his paintings at the Netsa Art Village in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 22, 2013. Tamrat is part of a collective of Ethiopian artists spearheading the contemporary arts scene in Ethiopia, which features experimental material, multimedia and unexpected aesthetics to create avant-garde art.

ADDIS ABABA (AFP).- Under a canopy of trees in a park not far from Addis Ababa’s National Museum, home of many of Ethiopia’s historic national treasures, a contemporary art revolution is quietly afoot.

It is here at Netsa Art Village that the experimental work made from shoelaces by Merhet Debebe can be found, or the vibrantly-coloured work of Tamrat Gazahegn, who uses tree trunks as canvases.

Nearby are the giant sculptures of jazz musicians, trains and horse-drawn carts made from metal scraps and trash by Tesfahun Kibru.

The collective, the only one of its kind in Ethiopia, is made up of 15 artists who are spearheading Ethiopia’s contemporary art movement, shifting away from endless copies of Ethiopia’s ancient Coptic Christian paintings.

Still in its infancy, the movement marks a daring shift away from the commercial art that dominates many of Ethiopia’s mainstream galleries, and seeks to put the country on the map in the international art world as a source for cutting edge work.

“We’re trying to say that Ethiopia is not just a place for cultural and historic and prehistoric treasures, but contemporary work too,” said Desta Meghoo, an art curator living in Ethiopia. “We don’t want to continue to be a footnote in art.”

Ethiopia held its first international art exhibition earlier this month.

The show, at the capital’s National Museum, co-curated by Meghoo, displayed the work of young, relatively unknown Ethiopian painters next to the works of famed international artists, including Brazil’s Oscar Niemeyer and Portugal’s Paula Rego.

For Ethiopian painter Merid Tafesse, who had two pieces in the show, the exhibition is an opportunity to tell the world that there is more to Ethiopian art than the kitsch sold to tourists.

“This is good not just for me as an artist” said the dread-locked artist, smoking a cigarette.

“Most Ethiopians cannot see where Ethiopia is in the fine arts industry, so this will give good exposure,” he added.

He said most buyers look for cliches in Ethiopian art — wide-eyed cherubs, traditional crosses, worshippers in white mantles — but he and his contemporaries are producing work outside that box, even if it means suffering commercially.

“It is easier for most people to connect with the commercial art because they see some motif of the church, or some cultural clothes, so they think that represents Ethiopia better. But the personal expression… of an artist is what makes it art nowadays,” he said.

Some artists, namely Tamrat, are using themes found in traditional Ethiopian art, but in experimental ways.

He paints scripture on traditional-looking scrolls, for example, but the words are his, not lifted from the Bible, and the scrolls are painted in vibrant greens, yellows and oranges, not a common palette in traditional art.

Emerged from modernism, stunted by lack of scholarship

As striking as the work is, Mehret said most artists struggle to make a living. Though the collective provides a space for artists to produce their work, it does not guarantee sales.

Merhet, one of the collective’s founders, hopes to see a time where “the artist is free of struggling to survive.”

“I am hoping to get that opportunity for the artists here. At this pace, I don’t know that it will come soon, but I hope, I hope,” she said, laughing off the notion that she can earn a living from her performance pieces in which she uses shoelaces.

“Commercially I cannot say it has been successful selling the art works,” she said.

Today’s contemporary art movement is an outgrowth of Ethiopian modernism, which emerged in the 1950s and 1960s to much international acclaim.

Modernism went quiet in the 1970s, with the takeover by the repressive Communist junta, called the Derg. Creativity was stunted and many artists fled, while those who stayed were permitted only to produce socialist-inspired revolutionary work.

Today, experimental creativity is reemerging, which Ethiopian art scholar Elizabeth Woldegiorgis attributes to greater access to the outside world through the internet and the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts, the only establishment of its kind in Ethiopia.

Elizabeth, who also runs the country’s only modern art gallery, said the absence of scholarship and critical analysis in the country is stunting contemporary art, making it difficult for artists to gain international acclaim and sell their work on the international market.

“An internationally-acclaimed artist has not been produced in Ethiopia,” she said.

To date, there have been no major sales by Ethiopian artists abroad, save for Ethiopian-born, American-raised artist Julie Merhetu who was commissioned by Goldman Sachs to create a mural in their New York offices for $5 million (3.8 million euros).

Locally, works sell for much less: typically the work of Tamrat and Merid fetch $1,500 (1,150 euros) to $3,000 (2,301 euros), paltry sums by comparison. But Meghoo remains optimistic, believing it is only a mater of time before Ethiopian work will be featured in the contemporary section of international galleries such as New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

“Merid’s work is in the MoMA’s archives, mind you, it’s not been on the walls yet, but the MoMA also declined Basquiat’s work,” she said, with a smile, referring to the acclaimed late New York-born graffiti pioneer Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Source: artdaily.org

Nowadays, it seems as though there are at least a couple of local films coming out every week, and last week was no different, with the release of two films: ‘Album’ and ‘Banchi Gize’.

‘Album’, a film made by Seble Film Production, reveals the story of a family torn apart because of property inheritance issues. The film follows individual members of this particular family who live in Addis Ababa and also looks into the up and downs of their love life.

This film may not have the most interesting story to tell or may not have come up with a new theme, but it has its moments of intrigue. Actresses and Actors such as Seble Tefera, Solomon Muye, Henock Berhanu, Martha Ayalew and many more, have parts to play in it. The film took a year and a half and 420,000 birr to produce. The second film that premiered last week was titled ‘Banchi Gize’ literally translating as ‘On your time’. This film is a love story that looks at the life of a young man who faces pressure of finding a fiancé. The young man then goes on a wife-hunting spree where, in the process, gets to meet plenty of ladies.

The film has a happy ending as the young man finally falls in love and everything falls into the right place. ‘Banchi Gize’ was made by Sofi Film Production and produced by Bahrain Keder, Dereje Gashaw and Elias Alemu.

It features actresses and actors like Helen Bedilu, Bahrain Keder, Melkam Yedeg, Elias Alemu and others. It took 6 months and 350,000 birr to produce. Both films are currently on show in cinemas around town.

Source: capitalethiopia.com

Debub music is a fresh sound to Ethiopian music and is somehow loved by the club scene, which made it very popular.

The question is, how many go beyond just drinking the coffee, to know the producers of the coffee, the farmers, their way of life, music and who they are.

Let alone people living abroad, those who reside here in Ethiopia do not know who the people behind the coffee are, what kind of culture they have or what kind of music they have?

Located in the Gedeo zone of the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State, Yirgachefe is renowned for its coffee not its music, or the people’s lifestyles.

If one does not go to the actual place there is no music or record in this country that gives a glimpse of their culture.

Since music also reveals human thinking and is driving forces for social, cultural and political action; it is a good methodology to know one society.

Not giving attention to the rest of the world, around 400 kilometers away from the capital city, Yirgachefe is a green paradise where children grow up singing ‘Ana disco,’ especially during New Year and Meskel celebrations.

The song is also popular in Dilla and in general in the Gedeo zone.

After having visited the place, the singing and melody was engraved in Abraham Belayneh’s mind.

After hearing that, he decided to interpret this musically, as he understood it and did one of the hit songs, Shalaye (the beautiful one.) Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Abraham somehow was also influenced by stories he heard from his close friend.

Going there, he witnessed the New Year and the Meskel celebrations through the different traditional (folk songs.) He recorded the song on his mobile phone and came back to Addis and made the song and says the song is his journey’s memoir.

Through a beautiful woman he calls Shalaye, he expresses the societal values, their living style, and the philosophy in their lives.

According to Abraham, the society does not take anything that does not belong to them, if they find materials they hang it on the tree no matter how expensive it is. He depicted this concept through a car rim he lost.

Even though the song became a hit it was not instant, rather it took almost a year to break through the market and to get into audiences’ ears.

The song brought him a lot of opportunities and gig after gig, including abroad. Especially performing this song in a bazaar in Dilla and Yirgachefe was very special, where the community also embraced and acknowledged his contribution.

He believes he gave a new flavor to the song by improvising, where he mixed a couple of folk songs into one song. Amanuel Yilma did the composition where drum and base dominated the song.

“As much as possible we tried to preserve the original touch but also expressed it in our own way,” Abraham told The Reporter.

After doing the song, the Gedeo Zone proposed he do another song, which they are financially supporting and he is currently working on.

“What I believe is that music can transcend all the possible differences that we think of and make us feel the rhythm,” Abraham explains.

Ethiopia mainly is identified or associated with the North’s culture, music, history or way of life, and for this, the control of power also played a vital role.

Many analysts say the unexplored history, way of life and culture of the South was assimilated through the northern culture and history.

Not only the history but also the music where it is categorized under Bati, Ambassel, Anchihoye and Tizita scale modes, dominating the music scene.

Amharic being the main one, Tigirigna, Oromigna and later Guragigna were the main ones.

Even though folk music (traditional music) still exists in the different nations and nationalities that are sung during different occasions, the commercial records were not available.

There were some trials, experiments and scholarly works when it comes to the South that were neglected for generations.

According to a masters degree thesis by Simeneh Betreyohannes entitled Music and Politics in Twentieth Century Ethiopia: Empire, Modernization and Revolution, Halim El-Dabh-an Egyptian composer and ethnomusicologist-was the first musician to establish the first orchestra in Ethiopia.

In 1963 he formed Orchestra Ethiopia, comprising of 40 traditional instrumentalists, vocalists and dancers from the different nations and nationalities of Ethiopia.

It was recorded that he had a hard time bringing the different groups together.

He also did research on remote southern music and did a lot of field recording.

Many recognize the works of Mulatu Astatke with a new idea that the roots of jazz are in Africa where he experimented on Derashe and Surma music blending it with jazz.

The rise of these musicians was aligned with the coming of the Ethiopian National Theater that was under the Ministry of Culture and Sports during the Derg regime.

During the Derg regime the concept of kinet flourished, where the motto was “integration, incorporation, and synthesis of the best of Ethiopian cultural heritage with Marxism and Leninism,” giving space to the diverse music.

Kinet, which had a motive of progressive culture, was established in many places, and included musicians with different backgrounds.

The Gish Abay Kinet was comprised of singers from Gumuz, Agew and Kunama.

With the coming of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Front (EPRDF) and introduction of Ethnic federalism as analysts say, also created a stage to the introduction of different types of music that became new phenomena.

The dominant Amharic songs are giving space to other types of music. Within two decades, many singers came with a new sound where many became very popular. Many of these songs are dance music, catchy by nature where they are played in many of the clubs and on radio. Yambule by Tadele Roba and Birhanu Tezera, Seleme by Teddy Afro, Chembelala by Yohannes Bekele, Elele Elele Aba by Birhanu Tezera, Shalaye by Abraham, Ibongo by Sintayehu and Sora by Kassahun Taye are some of them.

It is not only the South flavors but also Agewugna songs that introduced the new dancing or eskista style after the Sora video clip and also the melody around the Sekota area.

Apart from Agewugna, Kunamigna is one of the prominent songs from the North that flourished during this decade.

Many music analysts say the North is not explored yet, where there are groups that are assimilated through that division, and somehow the Agewugna (which shares some things with Tigirigana) and Kunamigna are the main ones.

The music somehow is not done as it is rather blended with other types of music, which created a new fusion sound and gave concept to folk music in the urban music.

According to Simeneh, “folk music, often called traditional music, refers to a wide range of musical style transmitted orally and regarded as the cultural heritage of a group bound by national, social or ethnic identities that are connected to childhood, adolescence, marriage and death.”

Those children’s songs, which are connected to shepherds, holiday style, form, rhythm and festivity or songs which are war chants, praise for the heroes, spirits and wedding are changing their elements and characteristics.

Many see it as a blessing to see the flourishing of this music and it seems one composer, Kamuzu Kassa, mainly monopolizes the composing and arrangement.

With the coming of this type of music, a wide range of rhythm, which is combined with harmony, is also introduced.

Raised in wolayta, the renowned international types of music like dancehall are not new phenomena to him, but is rather common to them.

“The renowned rhythms of music we hear internationally existed in wolayta starting from ancient times and it is very catchy,” Kamuzu told The Reporter.

He says all the debub music is a fresh sound to Ethiopian music and is somehow loved by the club scene, which made it very popular.

He does not hide the fact that with the introduction of these high tempo songs the slow melodies of debub songs are forgotten, that diverted the attention into one direction.

Wolayta, sidama, hadiya and gedeo are the popular ones and most of the songs are done for club music purposes.

Since most of the songs are club songs, percussion like instruments dominate the songs.

“If you go to Gamogofa you would be surprised by the harmony and the beautiful melody, and the same goes for Yem,” Kamuzu says.

He also believes these music is a fashion or a trend and that the market is leading it.

Most of the works are fused with chickchika and as much as he can he says he tries to study the musical instruments.

“I study the rhythm, the instruments and somehow add my creativity,” Kamuzu says.
He has done Wolayta, Afar, Somali, Sidama, Konta, Gambella, Benishangul Gumuz and Silte songs.

He has so many records but he also wants to include live records so it does not loose touch and sense of what the music was about.

Most of the songs are singles and according to Kamuzu, albums are not produced anymore: the main reason being shortage of money, copyright and the decline of album sales.

It is kind of a cliché and frustrating for him, where some musicians come and say do only a debub song.

It has been said that the South regional government supports and gives awards to musicians who are promoting the region, but Kamuzu says there was nothing they did for him.

The South Ministry of Culture and Tourism also discussed with him to produce an album for the fifty nation and nationalities of the south.

There are also works that are lined up for him to do the melody, music arrangement and composition for.

The popularity of the songs overwhelms him, particularly when he goes out clubbing and hears his songs

The different DJs also tell him how it is convenient to play the music in the club so they can dance.

Different from the high tempo sounds with soulful melodies, captivating sounds that catches the heart, Kunamigna music is new to the urban culture.

With a cork under his feet and stomping on the floor Kidane Haile sings Kunamigna, which is similar to Mali’s Tuareg music.

Kidane Haile played in the Ramid Band for 13 years playing guitar and kirar. It is not only for him but also did songs for Mahlet Gebregiorgis, Sophia Atsbiha and Tesfaye Taye.

Most of his songs are love songs and also a reflection of the four communities in the Kunama community. One of the songs, Kishomen Mentita, talks about how distance is affecting him and his love.

In a way he represented a cross border society that is in Eritrea and also a society that stretches from Shiraro to Humera and the areas in between.

He says his music is also famous in Eritrea among the Kunama community. As songs are part and parcel of the community when they farm, during the rainy season, they sing together.

The Kunama people, after coming back from work, sit together in the neighborhood and drink tella while singing Kotana.

It is not only when they sit but also while on the road coming from work that they sing asha, or during Easter they sing Kunda.

While making songs, apart from kirar and drum, he also introduced a new instrument, abangala, which is a two-string instrument, and Shoka, which is made of cork.

He was part of the Tigray People’s Revolutionary Front’s (TPLF) kinet group and sang kunamigna. After releasing his song, a lot of documentary films and songs about the community were produced.

His songs were a reflection of how the lifestyle is and how the music made it and he says he was capable of doing that.

Girum Gizaw, who is a member of the Meleket Band and a teacher at Mekanisa and Jazzamba Music School, also says that the rhythm and dance is a new and fresh sound which is close to West African beats, unique to the usual rhythms.

With the diversity and uniqueness, the band also blends the debub sound with a pentatonic scale and jazz.

“It is very rich and unexplored and unique to us somehow,” Girum says.

He believes Mulatu’s work is an icebreaker to introduce the fusion with Jazz and also it is an introduction of a repetitive manner, which is termed teri kal (chorus,) a unique thing.

“That repetitiveness has a meditative feeling. They repeat a lot of notes and the scale might not be pentatonic,” Girum says.

He says the songs, which are done commercially, lost their originality and touch, where the original songs are melodic. He says starting from the deep tone it is different, with the exception of some singers like Sintayehu who sings Ibongo who got the whole package right but for many singers who do debub songs it is somehow distorted.

“The urban singers do not know the culture where they did not get the tone which is very vital in the songs when they fuse it,” Girum says.

The band does songs from Gambella, Gedeo and fusion with jazz and also with Ethiopian rhythms.

He believes the improvisation, the rhythm and the beat gives it a new flavor.

According to him, the songs which express their mourning, sorrow and the deep melody is not explored yet but it is commercially successful where the dance rhythms are explored.

Some argue by saying that the synchronization and harmony of the fusions make these songs lost in translation. In the market, most of the songs are dance songs, which in a way eliminated the other folk songs.

According to Wube Kassye (Ph.D.) department of Curriculum Teachers Professional Development, College of Education and Behavioral Studies at Addis Ababa University who also teaches music education believes this might be a threat.

“In a way, the urban lifestyle leads the other part and one of the threats is that the younger generation is following in the footsteps of the renowned singers, not their own community, which is very dangerous,” Wube says.

There is a controversial issue when it comes to experimenting, fusing and translating music.

Some say urban musicians, who do not understand the psychological make-up of the society and are alien to the culture, do not get the soul of the society or the factors behind the making of the song.

Apart from that, people who believe culture is not static or that the fusion is inevitable think fusion is a post modernism movement, according to Wube.

Wube also believes that the new phenomenon, where the debub music is breaking in the music scene is because of that.

The coming of Ethnic federalism also gave way to a new stage, to the coming out of this new element and fresh sounds. Wube also believes that Amharic songs and beats have been explored for so many years so the coming of a new sound is inevitable.

Even though it is not static, some believe the interpretation and translation of these songs into the urban style is not done professionally.

This romantic comedy is both written and directed by Tewodros Teshome (Teddy Lee)

A new Amharic movie entitled ‘Kemeten Belay’, literally translated as ‘Above Limit’, is to be launched on Tuesday, March 5 , at the National Theatre.

The film is presented by Buze and Leepep film production companies and depicts a man who was adversely influenced during his childhood trying to find out whether what he thinks is right or wrong.

This romantic comedy is both written and directed by Tewodros Teshome (Teddy Lee). He wrote the script seven years ago and has been working on it to improve it since then. The writer/director has also played minor characters in a couple of movies and written subtitles for more than 30 films including Etege, Bethelhem, and Tilo Malef. He also played a part in Gemena I, a television drama broadcasted by Ethiopian Television. Tewodros is also a translator and teaches at the Albert Language and Computer School.

The film cost more than 1.2 million birr, and is 1 hour 42 minutes long, according to the director. He said audio visual production took more than 200,000 birr while about 600,000 birr was paid to actors and actresses. “Amanuel Yilma, a renowned music composer, who also did a soundtrack for the film, is the most paid,” Tewodros said. Among others, Mesay Wondimeneh, a famous television presenter, Helen Bedilu, Elias Wossenyeleh, Shewit Kebede and Tewodros Gashaw have also played a part in the film.

The film will have subtitles in six languages ; English, French, Arabic, Chinese, German and Italian. “I chose the languages to reach a large audience and due to the access I have to translators who are native speakers of these languages at Albert Language and Computer School,” Tewodros informed Capital.

The film has been screened at Edna Mall Cinema, Alem Cinema, Sebastopol, Eyoha, Embilta, Agona Serawit, Yoftahe, Wafa, Shalom, Habesha, Sina (Bethel), Hadmes (Alem Gena), Gym (Sebeta), Kafdem (Kaliti) Hiwot and Mormor cinemas (Adama) for the general public on Sunday, February 24 2013. It, however, will officially be launched on Tuesday, March 5 2013 at the National Theatre.

The shooting took place in Legetafo area, Addis Ababa and at the African Vacation Club, Langano. About 40 percent of the outfits seen in the film were designed particularly for the film by renowned Ethiopian designers.

Source: Capitalethiopia

Watch the Movie Trailer Kemeten Belay (ከመጠን በላይ)

This romantic comedy is both written and directed by Tewodros Teshome (Teddy Lee)

A new Amharic movie entitled ‘Kemeten Belay’, literally translated as ‘Above Limit’, is to be launched on Tuesday, March 5 , at the National Theatre.

The film is presented by Buze and Leepep film production companies and depicts a man who was adversely influenced during his childhood trying to find out whether what he thinks is right or wrong.

This romantic comedy is both written and directed by Tewodros Teshome (Teddy Lee). He wrote the script seven years ago and has been working on it to improve it since then. The writer/director has also played minor characters in a couple of movies and written subtitles for more than 30 films including Etege, Bethelhem, and Tilo Malef. He also played a part in Gemena I, a television drama broadcasted by Ethiopian Television. Tewodros is also a translator and teaches at the Albert Language and Computer School.

The film cost more than 1.2 million birr, and is 1 hour 42 minutes long, according to the director. He said audio visual production took more than 200,000 birr while about 600,000 birr was paid to actors and actresses. “Amanuel Yilma, a renowned music composer, who also did a soundtrack for the film, is the most paid,” Tewodros said. Among others, Mesay Wondimeneh, a famous television presenter, Helen Bedilu, Elias Wossenyeleh, Shewit Kebede and Tewodros Gashaw have also played a part in the film.

The film will have subtitles in six languages ; English, French, Arabic, Chinese, German and Italian. “I chose the languages to reach a large audience and due to the access I have to translators who are native speakers of these languages at Albert Language and Computer School,” Tewodros informed Capital.

The film has been screened at Edna Mall Cinema, Alem Cinema, Sebastopol, Eyoha, Embilta, Agona Serawit, Yoftahe, Wafa, Shalom, Habesha, Sina (Bethel), Hadmes (Alem Gena), Gym (Sebeta), Kafdem (Kaliti) Hiwot and Mormor cinemas (Adama) for the general public on Sunday, February 24 2013. It, however, will officially be launched on Tuesday, March 5 2013 at the National Theatre.

The shooting took place in Legetafo area, Addis Ababa and at the African Vacation Club, Langano. About 40 percent of the outfits seen in the film were designed particularly for the film by renowned Ethiopian designers.

Source: Capitalethiopia

Krar Collective, a trio Ethiopian traditional music band based in London, is now gaining worldwide fame. Their debut album, entitled Ethiopia Super Krar, recorded by Riverboat Records in 2012, has now been playing in many European countries following their successive tours in the continent.

Azmari bet, the local name given to the famous noisy, colorful houses from which sounds and screams of laughter emerge, are sadly seldom attended by local crowds due to their choice in music. However, tourists and foreign residents go to these clubs frequently.

Many of the local young people flock to more modern nightclubs late in the night. Still, many agree that live performance of traditional Ethiopian music is a stunning sight to see.

After the famous people to people musical tour held in the mid-1980s, putting out the idiosyncratic roots of traditional Ethiopian music, many are still struggling to break into the global music industry. Except, of course, for the few who have attempted to fuse local traditional sounds with the global sounds. What many would prefer to call ‘modern Ethiopian music’ is what many people are listening to in the urban areas of the country.

Even those songs and melodies of the traditional type, played in the countryside, are composed in a computerized music studio stuffed with keyboards, saxophones and guitars. Perhaps there might be a single string instrument to be used in order to maintain the intrinsic sound of that particular original area. Locally called traditional bands or cultural bands that play different ethnic-based grooves of Ethiopian music using traditional instruments such as the krar, masinko, washint and kebero are not as popular or loved as modern bands. They are solely found in cultural restaurants and those typically available night shows in town.

Krar Collective, a trio Ethiopian traditional music band based in London, is now gaining worldwide fame. Having been abroad for five years, the three musicians, who collaborated as one in many of their stage performances, have started impinging on the general audience of Ethiopian music abroad. Their debut album, entitled Ethiopia Super Krar, recorded by Riverboat Records in 2012, has now been playing in many European countries following their successive tours in the continent. Sticking to one of the most likable Ethiopian traditional string instruments of krar to name themselves they signify it by putting out in the cover of their official album. Their album is dedicated to the late renowned krar composer and traditional vocalist, the late Asnakech Worku, best known for her classic and spine-tingling song, ‘Endeyerusalem’ also included in the album.

According to various historical literature, krar is an ancient heritage of the country that is believed to have been descended from the Hebrew lyre (kinor) King David, and of course related to the ancient Greek Kithara. Widely used in songs of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, krar has been dubbed the most important traditional music that can be used in the place of any string instruments to compose music. Temesgen Zeleke, bandleader, told The Reporter that they appeared to be pertinacious in any way they could promote the traditional Ethiopian music along with its immense cultural heritages and traditional values.

“We are aiming at scaling our music in the global market, taking maximum care for its intrinsic values,” he says. Sebastian Merrick, the manager, points out that Ethiopian traditional music is unique among many of the African sounds, as the traditions and culture appear to be dissimilar in terms of diversity with the people. He believes that these talented young musicians would foster the authentic traditional values the country has to administer on the global stage.

Working with the band so closely for the last four years, he witnessed that the character and the discipline the musicians have is an asset for making the most out of. “I found them vibrant and creative when managing the different parts of their lengthy presentations on stage. They are three but they are many playing the many parts of those nations and nationalities in the country,” he says. Grum Begashaw, drummer, adds his own views on the words of his manager, stating that their dedication and communication every time and everywhere on the show has yielded unfailing ovations from the standing audiences who are, of course, usually yelling out for an encore. “ While showing together with other African counterparts in a special event called Africa Express in London last year, many were anxious to see us and stay more with us on the stage because of the diversified songs and plays we brought to them,” says Grum. Genet Assefa, the vocalist views the differences and the challenges between playing modern music and the traditional kind, running back over the previous experiences she had with modern bands that played Ethiopian pop and the like. “I have to play more tribal songs together with a slight demonstration that imitates the real culture along with changing the costumes and the materials to be used on stage. Since I’m collaborating with them, it would not be a problem that much,” she says.

Musically speaking, these are people who genuinely play music that demands tremendous energy and a harmonized form to move for their artistry through repeated jumping on the stage floor without terminating the instrument they play. Despite the light sounds the instruments produce, unlike modern instruments known for their hard and sonorous sounds, these Ethiopian traditional songs need more physical involvement of the entire body keeping the right track of the rhythm according to various musical instructors and choreographers. And they viewed this way that the noisier it is, the more profound it is. The one issue those musical experts are unequivocal about the traditional music is the primacy of live performance it delivers while playing on stage. People tend to think a piece of music is the way it is because that’s the way the musicians wanted to express their feelings. Likewise, these are the musicians who could bring their own expressions which they experienced and learned throughout their lives. “Why wouldn’t it be?” replies the manager when asked about their success in taking up a significant part in the history of Ethiopian music. Reviewed by the UK based Financial Times and featured by several entertainment outlets including the French art magazine of Songlines, this Ethiopian trio has gained praise and promotion worldwide. Comparing with the trio rock bands in the West known as the White Stripes, the manager accepts the limited member of the bands while the members would hope that there might be some to join them in the future, but they are still going strong to pursue their musical career, sparkling and engrossing indeed.

Source: thereporterethiopia

FOX13 News reporter Bofta Yimam accepting her Midsouth Emmy for segment on Kimberlee’s Law at 27th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, January 26th, 2013.

New York (TADIAS) – Ethiopian American Journalist Bofta Yimam, who is a reporter for Fox 13 News in Memphis, Tennessee, has won a Regional Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Nashville/Mid-South Chapter) for excellence in “Continuing Coverage” category.

The winners were announced Saturday night at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.

Bofta was given the award for her reporting highlighting Kimberlee Morton (as in Kimberlee’s Law) that was signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam earlier this year to keep convicted rapists in prison for their full sentence. Bofta interviewed Kimberlee for the segment.

The young journalist, who has been in the field for less than six years, is a native of Washington, D.C. and a graduate of University of Maryland, College Park. She was nominated in three categories including for two works in excellence for “Light Feature” reporting category.

As a general assignment reporter her work spans various topics mostly related to crime and politics. She covered the 2010 gubernatorial race in Georgia and once exposed a police chief who bought off voters to win his election.

Bofta represented the FOX13 News (WHBQ) at the ceremony and she was also asked to present during Saturday night’s awards program.
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Cover Photo: WHBQ via Twitter.

Many young DJ’s have made a career out of providing entertainment at weddings – an event that is traditionally catered to by live bands. DJ’s can easily charge anywhere between 4,500 Br to 20,000 Br for a wedding. Photo: Addisfortune

Daniel Omar, a.k.a DJ Danny Comoros, began his career distributing new film and music releases on cassettes and CDs, and then expanded to renting movies out of his shop.

Eight years later, in 2006, the now 31-year old, moved on and became a DJ. A year later he had an office, near the Bulgarian Embassy, on Roosevelt Streetin Kirkos District, and put up three billboards; one in Mexico, one in Meskel Square, and one in his own neighbourhood, in order to promote his new career.

After nine months of waiting, he finally got a job, DJing at a wedding. They paid him 900 Br, but he says he added 300 Br from his own pocket just to cover the costs.

There has been no data collected to establish the total number of DJs in Addis Abeba. Following the death of DJ Get, two months ago, one of the more popular figures in the business, Daniel started mobilising those in the business to form an association. By January 17, 2013, two hundred and three DJs had registered.

According to DJ Giovanni Fransoni, who has his own show, Global Sound, on Addis 97.1 FM, there are two types of DJs; radio DJs and those that offer their services for weddings, birthdays and club nights.

Disk jockeying, outside of the radio, particularly for weddings that involve a couple from different ethnicities or nationalities, requires a DJ to play songs that represent both groups.

Radio DJs, which came with the advent of FM stations, make money from advertising revenues, which they share with the radio stations. Giovanni, who started with Fana radio and is now with 97.1FM, of the Ethiopia Radio & Television Agency (ERTA), says he did not become a radio DJ to make money, but his revenues were growing steadily beyond his expectations. A 30-second advertising spot costs 300 Br, and a one hour sponsorship 3,000 Br, with the Agency taking 60pc and the programme owners, such as Giovanni, 40pc.

The wedding business, which got Daniel started with 900 Br, would, by 2009, earn him 2,500 Br to 3,000 Br an event. By then he was able to invest 115,000 Br in a mixer, speaker DJ mixer.

Abey Teshome, a.k.aDJAB, who has four billboards advertising his services in Addis Abeba, says that weddings are tough because the DJ will, for example, have to know the seven divisions and their music varieties within the Gurage ethnic group. And these DJs do not come cheap. Three weddings last year were charged at 7,500 Br, 8,000 Br and 15,000 Br respectively, Fortune learned.

The price differs according to the length of time that they are hired to play, and the type of equipment they use at an event, according to Abey. If a lot of amplifiers are used, or if they have to bring their keyboard, then the price can easily reach as high as 20,000Br.

Getting fully equipped has also been the preferred way for Daniel who has seen himself prospering, beyond his wildest dreams, over the last few years. The equipment set he has now, imported fromDubai, cost him 1.2 millionBr.The amplifier has 14 speakers and 8,600watts each. This is a big improvement from the days when he had only one 250watt speaker.

The two DJs also rent out their equipment, charging 1,000 Br to 1,500 Br a day for one speaker, depending on the number of hours used.

Many DJs are also now using dancers at the events where they perform.

Currently the minimum price Daniel charges for an event is 4,500Br.His main expenses are transportation and the wages of the three to eight dancers that he employs.

Wondesen Haile is a dancer at Segen nightclub, in Hayahulet Mazoriya. He makes 150 Br to 300 Br an hour dancing at various events, up to four times a week.

“Even if we may become tired, we secure 3,000 Br to 4,000 Br a month if we dance for three to five hours a day,” Wondesen said.

The DJ business has provided a livelihood for different types of people. These days there are also a few Protestant DJs. One of them, Ermiyas Tulu, has an office near Daniel.

“I opened the business, not for business, but to serve the people of Jesus,” Ermiyas said. “As far as I know, I am the only [Protestant] to start as a DJ, in addition to another guy who asked to gain some experience from me.” However, Fortune has spoken to two other Protestant DJ is inAdamaTown.

Ermiyas manages to make 3,000 Br to 4,000 Br an event, he says, but not more.

Nonetheless, the big money makers are DJs like Daniel. He has offered his services to the African Union three times. He was also the DJ for Yeshi Gabecha, when 1,000 couples were married at the Addis Abeba Exhibition Centre. In two months he says he is also going toDubaito entertain the Ethiopians there. He will be paid 40,000 Br for four days, he said, plus his expenses. On more than five occasions he has been paid more than 30,000 Br for an event.

Daniel has big dreams for his future, but currently he has his eyes on a big concert that he wants to organise in Addis Abeba, in six months time to raise money for unemployed citizens.

Source: addisfortune

“I was lucky to be singer at a time with few Oromo singers around. I got the chance to influence people and their thinking. To be a teacher. To engrave my thoughts in peoples’ minds.”

By Andreas Hansen

The rumors of Ali Birra’s death have been greatly exaggerated. During his career, Ali has not only been jailed dozens of times. He has also been reported death more than once.

First in the mid-70’s when the authorities in his home town of Dire Dawa told Ali’s father to travel to Addis Ababa to collect the corpse of his son. The father found Ali sleeping in hotel, rather hung over from the previous night’s performance, but still very much alive. In the past decade, the rumors of Ali’s death surfaced again and in 2009 he was announced dead on Wikipedia. In late 2012 in Addis Ababa, I met Ali – still alive and thriving – and he told me that the untimely obituaries and imprisonments are the price he has had to pay for playing Oromo music and promoting Oromo culture.

A story untold

The past decade has seen an implausible but well-deserved rediscovery of the astonishing Ethiopian music of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Artists like TilahunGessesse, Mahmoud Ahmed and AlemayehuEshete have become known and celebrated outside Ethiopia. However, the majority of the attention has been given to Amharic music from Addis. One important legacy that has until now been left largely untold is the music of the Oromos, the largest ethnic group of Ethiopia numbering around 30 million people and occupying a territory the size of Italy stretching from the Sudanese border in the west, to Harar and Dire Dawa in the far Eastern Ethiopia and to Borena in the south on the Kenyan border. With Ali Birra’s own words: “Oromo music is still a virgin that has been left yet untouched.”

For several decades from the mid-60’s and onwards, Ali Birra was the most prominent representative of modern Oromo music. He was part of a golden generation of Ethiopian musicians, performing with the greatest artists and orchestras of the time but being Oromo he was always an outsider in relation to the Amharic musicians of his time. Yet for many Oromos, he was a hero, fighting their cause at a time where the promotion of Oromo culture was illegal and singing in Oromo language banned.

Half a century on

Ali Birra left Ethiopia in 1984 and has since been back only sporadically. But he has not been forgotten. Heading for lunch we tried in vain to find a restaurant where devoted fans would not overwhelm Ali. Throughout the day his phone was red-hot with new and old friends checking in and while driving around Addis with Ali, we were met by a continuous honking and passengers shouting ’we love you Ali’ through the car windows. This was Addis 2012 but felt more like driving around with FelaKuti in Lagos in the 70’s.

Ali has returned home to Ethiopia to launch his own NGO called Birra Children’s Education Fund. He wants to give something back to Ethiopia and has started support programmes for children in one school in Dire Dawa and one in Galamso in West Hararge. “My father always told me that educated people know how to fight for their rights and to respect the rights of others,’’ Ali explains. He now hopes to expand the programme to other schools around the country.

He has also come back to Ethiopia for musical reasons. In 2013, Ali is celebrating his 50-year anniversary on the music scene and he is planning to commemorate this landmark with concerts in Addis and at home turf in Dire Dawa as well as with the release of one final record before retiring. During our chat, his wife Lily plays some of Ali’s newly recorded songs but Ali insists it is still a work in progress. “These things have to be done properly,” he emphasizes.

The Oromo teacher

“I was lucky to be singer at a time with few Oromo singers around. I got the chance to influence people and their thinking. To be a teacher.To engrave my thoughts in peoples’ minds. The young Oromo musicians now are tough but they have not achieved this yet,” Ali tells me. And things certainly were tough in Dire Dawa in the early 60’s when Ali aged 14 at the time formed his first band HiriyaaJaalalaa and soon after started performing with the group called AfranQallo orUrjiBachalchaa. Being an Oromo musician back then was risky business. Singing in Oromifa was illegal and the band members handed out their records to people on the streets as no Oromo music was allowed on the radio. “We were very young and courageous at that time,” Ali admits.

The emergence of AfranQallo can be considered an early dawn for modern Oromo music and it was at a concert with this group that Ali earned himself his screen name – Birra meaning ‘spring’ or ‘break of dawn’ in Oromifa – through the singing of the ’BirradhaBarihe’ song. In 1964, the group was invited to play in neighbouring Djibouti but the 11 band members were denied permission to leave Ethiopia and had their music instruments destroyed. They decided to split in smaller fractions and travel anyway but when Ali arrived in Djibouti, he was arrested and detained for a month. On New Year’s Eve of 1964, Ali and three of his band members returned to Ethiopia and the next day, January 1st 1965, they were again arrested. Ali who had now turned 16 spent the next six months in prison, jailed for singing in his own language and celebrating his culture. “I still remember it vividly. From that time on I knew that I wanted to fight for the rights of my people,” he recounts.

After his release Ali was still detained on numerous occasions, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months, until he in 1966 left Dire Dawa for Addis. But although he left Oromia and 20 years later left Ethiopia, Ali has never stopped being a strong and outspoken Oromo advocate. Seven years ago he met with the late Ethiopian Prime Minister MelesZenawi to discuss various Oromo issues and he has often encouraged the federal government to support arts and culture in Oromia by establishing a music school in the region.

The Ali Birra sound

Many of Ali’s early lyrics were strongly inspired by the revolutionary Oromo poet AbubakarMusaa. But singing in Oromifa was only one of the ways that Ali tried to distinguish his music from the dominant Amharic sound. He and fellow Oromo musicians used grace notes and played in diatonic instead of pentatonic scales creating a less Amharic and more Indian or Arabian sound. “Nowadays Oromo music sounds similar to the Amharic,” Ali deplores. But simultaneously he praises the many new Oromo musicians: “Back then it was mostly Ali Shebbo and I. Now you have new Oromo singers coming forth almost every day,” he says and starts listing some of his favourite heirs such as TadeleGemechu, JamboJote, Qamar Yusuf, HachaluHundessa and Elemo Ali among others.

While there truly are many talented young Oromo musicians out there, none of them have carved out a sound as unique as the one that characterizes many of Ali’s recordings from the 60’s and 70’s: the one of a guitar tuned as an oud. This was a sound crafted under rather peculiar circumstances. Ali and his childhood friend Ali Shebbo had learned to play the oud in Dire Dawa. In 1966, when Ali Birra went to an audition for Emperor Haile Selassie’s Imperial Body Guard Band, he was asked if he played any instruments. He replied that he played the oud but was then told they did not have an oud in Addis. Instead Ali was given a guitar, which he tuned like an oud because that was what he knew the best. Thus, the inimitable Ali Birra sound was born.

He has since tried to remain true to that sound. When I ask him about his musical philosophy, he explains: “I believe in small incremental changes to my music while staying faithful to its origins. I have tried to use new technological means while respecting the past. When I left Ethiopia, I was lucky to get the chance to study music in the US. It made me able to better analyse music and its scales. At the same time I can play many different instruments. Many new musicians today are only vocalists or they can only play one instrument.“

Stories from the palace

Ali is full of anecdotes. Some of the finest ones originate in his three-year spell with the Imperial Body Guard Band. Ali confesses that he enjoyed the prestige and fame related to the orchestra and that he was honouredto perform along with Ethiopian music legends such as BesuneshBekele, TilahunGessesse and Mahmoud Ahmed. But being a young and idealistic Oromo musician in the Emperor’s band also posed many challenges for Ali and he did not really fit into the military lifestyle.

One of the first times Ali clashed with palace protocol was during an official visit by the Romanian present. When the Emperor and his visitor strolled by the Imperial Body Guard Band in the palace’s hallway, all the band members were supposed to bow and lie down on the ground. However, Ali was not aware of this etiquette and stood straight staring into the eyes of the Emperor. Ali was then taken to jail but when asked about his misstep, he told his superiors that being a Muslim he was not allowed to bow for any human being.

On another occasion, Ali was caught in the palace chewing chat, which was then illegal in Ethiopia. Ali admits that he was naïve back then: “There were so many cultural differences between life in Dire Dawa and in Addis and I did not speak Amharic very well.” In 1969, Ali finally quit the Imperial Body Guard Band and for a few years he quit music as well. He worked as a water machine operator on the railway between Ethiopia and Djibouti until he in 1972 returned to Addis and to music.

The disarmament

Ali’s second stint as musician in Addis proved to be more successful than his time in the Emperor’s band. He started performing again at various hotels and clubs in Addis and touring throughout Ethiopia. In 1973, a concert at an Islamic School in Jimma in Western Oromia turned out to be the most profitable performance yet for Ali and his band members. Ali describes, how at first the audience was not really able to understand his Eastern Oromo dialect but when he started singing a classic Arabic song praising the prophet Mohamed, the crowd went berserk and started throwing money at the band. Ali repeated the song and in the end the floor was covered with money. The group was originally paid 400 birr to play the concert but ended up earning close to 10,000 birr that single night

In 1977, Ali joined the renowned all-star Ibex band and in 1980 the Ethio Star Band. Nevertheless, Ali also had his difficulties this time around: “When I joined the Ibex Band, I was disarmed my guitar. I was told that my guitar style did not match their vocal so I was left with singing together with Mahmoud Ahmed. At least, this gave me a bit more freedom to be a performer.” Some of the more serious artistic restrictions came from the Derg regime. “There was a lot of censorship during public concerts and the majority of the songs we recorded had to include some praise of socialism, Marxism or Leninism”, he elaborates.

Ali (standing in the middle) and his band mates in Jimma, Western Ethiopia, 1973

More than music

The night before Ali in 1984 left Ethiopia, he played with the Ethio Star Band at a wedding at the Hilton. “I never get paid for that job,” he notes. A few years earlier, Ali had met and married a diplomat named BrigittaAlstrom working at the Swedish Embassy. When Brigitta’s posting in Ethiopia ended, she was transferred to Los Angeles and Ali decided to follow his wife to the US. “My motivations for leaving Ethiopia were mixed. I wanted to be with my wife, to escape the harassment of the regime and to explore new opportunities abroad,” he tells me.

In the US, Ali studied music theory at the university and used most weekends touring the US and Canada with fellow Ethiopian diaspora musicians. Diplomatic life later brought Ali to Saudi Arabia and Sweden and he continued to perform and record music throughout this period. Ali now resides in Canada with his wife Lily.

Before I part ways with Ali, I ask him to reflect over the biggest rewards during his 50 years in music. His replies promptly: “The biggest victory for my music and for me is that people after so many years still have an interest in it. Even people from outside Ethiopia. But it also goes beyond the music. Oromo music is much more than music. It is a struggle and a freedom fight.”

The article first published by addisrumble.com.

Around for over four decades, Yared, which is part of Addis Ababa University, has become a special spot for budding musicians, often fresh out of secondary school.

One evening last month, the sounds of classical Spain could be heard in an unlikely place: the Ethiopian National Theatre in Addis Ababa. Onstage were the talented students of the Yared School, Ethiopia’s only institute of higher learning for music; directing them was Silvia Sanz Torre, conductor of the Metropolitan Orchestra of Madrid. And in more ways than one, the performance ended on a high note.

By Borja Santos Porras, Addis Ababa

“This concert has encouraged the students to continue studying and working a lot,” says Yared School director Tadele Tilahun. “In Ethiopia, there has not been an orchestra concert in the last 30 to 40 years purely formed by students or teachers of Ethiopia.”

Around for over four decades, Yared, which is part of Addis Ababa University, has become a special spot for budding musicians, often fresh out of secondary school. To enrol, candidates must all demonstrate musical talent. But aside from that, each student’s story is unique.

Inspiration from horticulture and Yanni
Take, Eyuel Mengistu. He plays double bass, though this wasn’t the 24 year old’s first instrument of choice. “I used to play the krar, a traditional instrument,” he says about his primary school days. In fact, Mengistu hadn’t even realized he wanted to pursue music until he had already begun a three-year study in horticulture – that’s when he started on the keyboard and that’s what led him to Yared.

“When I got accepted, I wanted to study piano, but there were too many students with the same preference,” he recalls. “Then I chose trumpet. But after six months, I decided to play double bass.”

After five years, Yared students are expected to have completed their studies, earning Bachelor of Art degrees. Most students are reported to find jobs as classical musicians.

Selamawit Aragaw is a case in point. “I have been an assistant at the Yared School and … will start being a lecturer,” she says. “But apart from that, I give a lot of violin private lessons and I have a quartet with which I play in different hotels.”

Aragaw’s career also began at Yared. “When I was 16 years old, I used to watch a programme on the TV every Saturday with a big orchestra conducted by the Greek musician Yanni,” she says. “From that, I knew I wanted to be violinist.” As the now 27 year old explains, around this time an ad for the Yared School caught her eye. And the rest is history.

Looking ahead

Mengistu, the bassist, has yet to complete his studies. But when he does, he, too, plans to pursue teaching. “Also, I would like to be a composer and start playing the double bass on stage in jazz places,” he says.

Until then, he is reliant on Yared. “Me and my friends can only study in the school, because the school lends the instruments, but we cannot bring them out from there,” he explains. Those, like Mengistu, who cannot afford the full tuition of 25,000 birr (about 1,000 euro), can take out a government loan, which they are expected to pay back once they begin working.

The school director notes other limitations. “The challenges are still big,” says Tilahun, “the students cannot afford acoustic instruments, which are expensive and difficult to find, so it is the school who needs to provide them. Also, the manpower is limited, so the quality and quantity need to be improved in order to maintain the increase of interest in classical music in Ethiopian society.”

But if the students at Yared are any indication, Ethiopia’s new generation of classical musicians has sweet-sounding career prospects. According to Aragaw, the violinst: “If you are active, classical musicians can work in different things in Ethiopia.” Her to-do list includes nothing less than giving solo concerts, going on tour and “finally to have my own music school”.

Source: rnw

African Mosaique is an event that promotes and celebrates African fashion and design.

Love fashion? Well, get ready for the biennial fashion and cultural gala, African Mosaique. This event will take place on January 4, 2013 at the Sheraton Addis.

African Mosaique is an event that promotes and celebrates African fashion and design. It will highlight 3 renowned African designers: Shaldon Kopman and Wetive Nkosi from South Africa, and Taibo Bacar from Mozambique.

South African designer Shaldon Kopman’s collection named, Naked Ape Summer 2013, is a multi-faceted compilation of all natural fibers in neutral colors with accents of warm red and bleached bone. It is stated that the line is inspired by the Nomadic lifestyle led by progressive Africans. The brand, Naked Ape, puts out the statement “Experience freedom this summer, breathe out, keep your feet on the ground, look to the sky and keep it real.” Along with international designers, six established and emerging Ethiopian designers will also participate in the event to showcase their creative designs. The Ethiopian designers list includes Fikirte Addis, Mahlet Afewerk, Bethlehem Belete, Ruth Woldeselassie and Lilly & Zeze Yohannes.

The show also includes celebrity models such as Huguette Marara from Rwanda, Percina Manjate from Mozambique, Laimi Mondjila from Namibia as well AsLetshego Melesi and Priyeshka Lutchman from South Africa. Besides the celebrity models, 20 professional models from Addis will also participate.

The event is not without a good cause; all proceeds is said to benefit Ethiopian Children’s Fund (ECF), an integrated development project for children and adolescents in Aleltu, 55km north of Addis Ababa. It comprises a school, a health clinic, a feeding program and environmental programs for 600 poor and vulnerable children, mostly orphans as well as several thousands of people from the surrounding communities, through its outreach programs.

Since the event’s establishment, over 150 designers and international models have graced Addis to show some of the continent’s leading designers’ talent. Over 500 guests, from the international and business community, as well as diplomatic and other high level officials have been a permanent presence at African Mosaique events.

Tickets are sold for 500 birr and will be available at the Sheraton Addis starting December 14th. Organizers warn that there are limited seats so make sure you book early. The event’s main sponsors are Ethiopian Airlines and Sheraton Addis.

Source: capitalethiopia.com

With his strong political criticisms of governments, unfair systems and police harassment, the legendary reggae star, Alpha Blondy, has been considered by many, to be the voice for the voiceless. Born in Côte d’Ivoire in 1953, he is one of the most renowned artists in Africa. He sings in Doula, his mother tongue, English and French, and has often been called “the messenger”.

Alpha Blondy coined a term, democrature (democratatorship) showing the fusion of democracy and dictatorship in Africa. For more than three decades he sang about peace in Liberia, about police harassment, bloodshed in Africa, using music as a weapon for his struggles. Blondy was also involved in student movements at a young age. As a musician he also created a new sound, a sound that is a blend of his Côte d’Ivoire roots and reggae music. He has managed to become a musical and political figure, passing his message along to the world and preaching about peace. Alpha Blondy has also had the pleasure of collaborating with the Wailers, Bob Marley’s band. He is also well known for his strong religious views, often singing about God, preaching unity between all religions. Internationally, he has won numerous awards and was nominated for the prestigious Grammy Awards in 2003. In Ethiopia, many know him for his single Jerusalem. Alpha Blondy recently came to Addis Ababa to participate in a festival held yearly called Selam Festival. The concert was held at the Ghion Hotel on December 8 and 9, Blondy performed on the 9th. During his stay in Addis Ababa, he met with local and foreign journalists for a press conference where he talked about music, politics and his contributions to Africa. Tibebeselassie Tigabu of The Reporter attended the press conference. Excerpts:

Question: Would you consider your presence in Ethiopia historic?

Alpha Blondy: I was longing to come to Ethiopia and last time I was transiting here when I was going to Israel. This concert is very special. It is my first time in Addis Ababa. This city is the seat of the African Union and, for me, as a reggae singer, coming to Ethiopia is a fulfillment of my passion. So, I am very excited to be here. My band and me are going to give the very best of us to please the Ethiopian people; my brothers and sisters.

Your songs mainly focus on politics and religious issues, starting from the famous song Jerusalem, to the song that was dedicated to Yitzhak Rabin (the former Prime Minister of Israel). Why do you focus on these issues?

First of all, I am not a politician. When I sing about our living conditions in the ghetto the journalists started calling my style of music engaging music. Talking about the poor living conditions, unemployment and how we don’t get jobs in the ghetto, so they labeled me a politician.

I talk about how wrong it is for a country to have only one party and one candidate and say it is a “democratic election.” When you are the only student in a classroom you can’t be number two. Talking about elections, if you are the only candidate and the only party, you are bound to be elected; that’s what we call threat elections back home. When we say democracy, it has to be at least two parties or more. Reggae is revolutionary music, but what did we do? We just talked about what was obvious.

I am not a politician, I was forced into politics and I am an anti-war activist. When I was in school in the northern part of my country we had confrontations with the Republic of Guinea. I used to see soldiers, tanks and helicopters while being in a classroom. It was a traumatizing experience.

African countries cannot afford war and military coups, if we want good development political stability is a must. When you ask the United Nations not to legalize any military coup, you are not a politician. I have met with many presidents and politicians and I try to record and analyze things but I don’t believe that makes me a politician.

For example, my song Yitzhak Rabin is about a guy who gave up his life for peace, and it is a tribute. He deserves to be respected for the sacrifice he paid, to have peace in the Middle East, for what he was trying to accomplish and his achievement. When you are poor and powerless, the power that you have or that you can have is God. I strongly believe in God and my love for God took me to Israel. When I was in Jerusalem I visited the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and other holy places. I am very afraid of politics. Politics is very frightening for me, that is why I say I am not a politician – I am a singer.

Did you bring any positive results to the issues that you are talking about like the Israeli-Palestinian issue and your country, which is also in crisis? Do you feel you brought any change to the matter?

Oh yeah! My career has been going on for thirty years and some politicians today were students when I was singing Jerusalem, or Apartheid is Nazism. So today those politicians, I think, might remember things Alpha Blondy was saying in his songs.

For instance, in my country when there was that stupid civil war, I think people remember my warning. I told them that when one tribe is in power for too long, eventually all the other tribes feel frustrated, and that will lead to military coups and wars. Even here, at the African Union, most of the leaders came to power by coup. They can’t talk about democracy, they don’t know about democracy, and some are against democracy. Africa has too much value. People talk about how China is rising. What about the rise of Africa? Africa will rise. Africa shall rise.

You sing in different languages: French, English, Arabic and your native tongue as opposed to singers who only use one language. What is the benefit and what is your contribution as a musician and what do you think you will contribute in the future?

I am lucky to speak French and English but I don’t speak Arabic or Hebrew. I know a few words in Arabic and in Hebrew.

I have been to Qur’anic School because my mother is a Muslim and my father is a Christian. Though we didn’t learn Arabic, they teach you to repeat prayers. It is a brainwashing thing. I do not speak Arabic but I have been singing in Arabic. I ask a few words and they taught me how to pronounce it. There was also a lady – may her soul rest in peace – who was like my mother and she taught me to write the verses in Hebrew.

I love to communicate in different languages because I want to touch people. As a musician the only power that we have is God. But we cannot be pretentious and say we are going to change the world. Are we going to do that? The answer is no. However, our fans have the power to change the world tomorrow. All we can do is give them hope, love and reason to live. We have to give the fuel to our fans since they are the source of our energy.

There is a Tafari Genesis Camp that you established to help children who are in need. The name sounds like Tafari Mekonnen. Is it named after him? What is your religious connection and how do you perceive Emperor Haile-Selassie?

I have some fan clubs around the world, sometimes they keep informing me what they are doing and sometimes they don’t. Maybe it is one of those fan clubs but I do not know about it.

I have respect for Ras Tafari, and then I went deep inside to find really why my brothers from Jamaica say that Haile-Selassie I is a living God. I was wondering why Jamaicans have been taken to be slaves from Africa. There was an assumption that the black people were doomed. Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican freedom fighter at that time who was living in England, Told them about the crowning of Haile-Selassie I as emperor of Ethiopia.

King Solomon is in the Bible, the Quran and the Torah and that was a spiritual hope, a spiritual salvation for the Rastafarians.

It made them say that black people are not doomed. One of us is the descendent of King Solomon and that gave them strength and that become an identity; a new one as we are not lost and we belong somewhere.
We all belong to the twelve tribes of Israel because they needed to belong to something; to hang on to something. That’s why even when Emperor Haile-Selassie I said that he was not God they said ‘Oh yeah he is very humble, he got to be God.’ Eventually, he became a source of hope for them.

I heard that the Emperor gave the Rastafarians land in Shashemene. You cannot imagine what that means for them. It is a known fact that many Africans were taken away from their homeland and spent 400 years in bondage and 100 years being colonization.

I know that we were bound to live together and work together. So Rastafarians talk about Africa and there is something that I did not accept and I was very frustrated. When there was famine in Ethiopia when Bob Geldof did “We are the world,” I did not see any reggae movement to collect money. I personally am afraid of religion when they ask me ‘Alpha you talk about Adonay, Jesus, Allah but what religion do you follow?” I am afraid to answer that because religions have a tendency to divide us but God brings us together, and I chose that.

The common denominator of all those religions is God. So I took God since I don’t like spiritual quarrels. I don’t want my faith to be divided. So when I go to a church it’s not because I am Catholic, it is because that is a house of God. I also feel the same way about mosques and synagogues.

Wherever God is mentioned I want to be there. The danger is not with the prophets, the danger is with the disciples. Some people today use the name of God to go and kill but the Bible, the Quran and The Torah all tell us not to kill. It is not us who decide whether someone has the right to live or to die. Did I answer your question?

More or less, but how do you perceive Emperor Haile-Selassie?

I see Emperor Haile-Selassie I in a respectful way. He is a great man. He was the man behind the Organization of African Unity. So I have deep respect for him. I think that the AU should follow the teachings of the old people who built that institution. They should not wait for the UN to intervene in conflicts. In Congo, six million people have been killed. What is the AU doing about that? They are having a “big” meeting to find the date for the next meeting while there is war.

A couple of months ago we witnessed what happened in Ivory Coast. What was your opinion regarding what happened and how Laurent Gbagbo left and how the current president, Alassane Outtara, came to power?

In the beginning I warned them. I know Laurent Gbagbo very well, he came to my house, I know Alassane Outtara very well too since we come from the same village. Before going to the elections, I told them to deal with the concept of Ivority; the concept that started the political crisis. The concept is about one being more Ivorian than the other.

The politicians use the ethnic superiority by saying this tribe is superior than the other. Secondly, the northern part of Ivory Coast was in rebellion because of the Ivority business.

So you can’t go to the election when the peace agreement of Ouagadougou is not completed. For that peace agreement to be completed the two armies have to be unified.

In Africa, democracy is very new and that will be a danger. Before the elections I was asking a hypothetical question like what if Outtara turns out to be a winner and all are in favor of Gbagbo and say Outtara cannot be the winner and vice versa.

Outtara went deep into the country, talked to the people, gave them a program and then he won the election. The question was who had the courage and the guts to tell Gbagbo that he did not win. I don’t understand why he didn’t accept this proposition from France and the US to go there. His decision led the country into a stupid civil war. They said three thousand people died but it is a lie. Only in Abidjan, one hundred thousand people were killed. So I did what I could to avoid that but they don’t listen. Power is like a hard drug. It is more than cocaine and heroin. When they want power they sacrifice everybody; the militants, friends and family. Today this government is working hard to rebuild the country. When two things are broken mending is not easy. Whether you are a politician or not, when a country is in danger you have to point that out.

You have been passionately singing about Jerusalem, so much impact on many people. What would be your response if somebody tells you Jerusalem belongs to both Palestine and Israel, would you be an activist for this cause?

Coming to the Palestine Israel issue that issue is too big for me. My contribution is to encourage peace.

Would you agree if Jerusalem could be divided between the two countries?

I don’t know.

What is your personal opinion?

I can’t give you my personal opinion about Jerusalem. I love Jerusalem; that’s what I know. Should Jerusalem be divided or not? My mouth is too small for that and I do not want to get into that. But all I can say is that I have hope that one day there will be peace between Israel and Palestine.

Source: thereporterethiopia.com

Yirga finds his way into Ethiopian standards, displays his flair for jazz over solo and ensemble pieces, and performs effortless homages to vintage soul, holding everything together with voracious talent that helps him savor each musical flavor.

By Milo Miles

Although he’s only been playing for 10 years, Yirga is quite the sponge. His mix of folk vernacular and jazz improvisations in vintage Ethiopian tunes most recalls a similar folky fluency in South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, who likewise has no use for categories of high and popular art. Yirga ranges around even further on Guzo [his debut album] with his reworking of “I Am the Black Gold of the Sun,” originally recorded in 1971 by the group Rotary Connection. Yirga revitalizes the graceful beauty of the tune without going lush or sentimental. All that dates the track is the corny words, and those are handled with understatement by singers Nicolette and Mel Gara.

I didn’t expect Guzo to be one of the stronger arguments for the album format I’ve heard in quite a while, but it is. Yirga finds his way into Ethiopian standards, displays his flair for jazz over solo and ensemble pieces, and performs effortless homages to vintage soul, holding everything together with voracious talent that helps him savor each musical flavor. This is much more impressive when Yirga develops momentum and unity over the course of 11 tracks that show how much more he is than his parts.

Be sure to check out Yirga’s website for extra music and videos, particularly a vibrant live recording in London. Those who want to hear him as part of a band should explore his work with the group Dub Colossus. And anyone who wants to know more about Ethiopian music in general should grab the recent anthology The Rough Guide to the Music of Ethiopia, which includes classics from the Golden Age as well as Samuel Yirga and other adventurous moderns. While the Golden Age of Ethiopian music is in the past, a new one may be beginning.

Source: WBUR.org

Selam Seyoum Woldemariam, founder and member of the legendary Roha Band and guitar supremo, talks about his upbringing, history and the need to rediscover the magic of good music.

Tell us about your background?

I was born and grew up in Addis Abeba but later on moved to Asmara due to my father’s working position. My interest in the music world begun when my grandfather with his bare-foot knowing his son’s interest , Habte’ab Woldemariam, my uncle sold one of his oxen and bought him a musical instrument. Although my grandfather’s intention was strictly religious, I was fascinated by his decision for a very long time. As a result, I believe the love of music was instilled in the whole family. That’s when I decided to use Woldemariam as my last name and now my children use my grandfather’s name as their last name.

While I was in Addis, my father used to work in a school run by missionaries. They brought various records of spiritual songs that all students were required to sing so. Upright pianos were the main instruments. My siblings and I used to study some of the songs and sang them at the Mekane Yesus Church in Addis Abeba. We also owned an acoustic guitar at home and practically all of us tried to play it but I took it seriously the most.

From the point of music, who’s Selam Seyoum?

Four friends and I formed a Quintet choir group during the mid 60s; we became popular and pulled hundreds of followers in the church where we performed. Later, we included a Swedish drummer but it became too noisy for the elderly congregation and we had to discontinue playing. This was the time of the Beatles, Santana, Jimi Henderix, Woodstock, Watstax, Kagnew Station and other popular musical phenomena that truly inspired me. In Asmara, I used to be inspired by local musicians and bands. Tewolde Reda was one of them and we used to copy his style of playing the guitar and to this day, I am fascinated by how he was able to come up with that unique sound. One of his signature styles will be included in my upcoming instrumental CD.

Is it all about the guitar or do you play any other instruments?

I love to play all kinds of music instruments-bass guitar, drums, a little bit of piano- but I am totally devoted to my guitar. Otherwise, I would become jack of al trades, master of none. I have owned my Gibson 335 ES for 31 years now. This same guitar did almost all of the recordings in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

You were a founding member of Ibex Band- how did it all come about? And who were the members of the band and what was the musical relationship like within the band?

I was offered a contract at the Venus Club and went back to Addis Ababa. Relatively speaking, Addis night life seemed better that Asmara. After working for a year or so at the Venus, Ibex Band-I guitar player, A Zimbabwean called Andrew Wilson, asked me to replace him at the Ras Hotel. During this time, Ibex-I was dominated by two foreigners- Ismail Jingo, vocalist and percussionist and Andrew Wilson, lead guitarist. At the time, most foreigners were leaving Ethiopia and Jingo and Wilson couldn’t stay. As a result, re-forming the band in the form of Ibex-II became essential. After I joined, we decided to bring in Girma Chipssa as an English vocalist, Hailemariam Ghiorghis from BSB as a keyboard player and Ali Birra as Aderigna vocalist. Mahmoud Ahmed was already in the group. The first recording we did was Mohmoud’s Ere Mela Mela album around 1975 which was later to become the first ever CD in Ethioipian history released by good friend, Francis Falceto.

Did you guys have a recording studio?

The only studios then were that of Philips or other governments owned radio stations. When we recorded our Ibex instrumental album, we included Tekle Tesfazghi famous song Kemd’layey which opened the door for Tekle to join the band towards the end of the 70s.The album was recorded by a Swedish friend, Carl Gustav, an engineer at the voice of the Gospel studio. The all new four track mini-studio that he brought was a big deal for us. Later, most of our recordings were made either at Ras Hotel, Hilton or Ghion. Of all those places, Ghion was the most comfortable because the buildingitself was separate and we were able to use it day and night.

When Ibex band disbanded in 1979, three of the members – Giovanni Rico, Fekadu Andemeskel and yourself went on to create Roha Band – probably the single most successful band in the history of the Ethiopian music. How did the development go and how was the experience like?

Ibex was disbanded because most of its members left for the Sudan. Mahmoud also left for US. Me, Giovanni, Fekadu and by this time, Tekle and Levon Fondacci, son of one of the forty Armenian marching band members who came to Ethiopia during the 1920s, were left. We were short of a keyboard players and a drummer. Dawit Yifru joined us as a keyboard player but we were not able to find a drummer so Tekle remained as our drummer while in Hilton. The main shareholders of Roha were the six of us. Tekle passed away in the US. Now, the permanent members of the Roha are four people – two are still in Addis Abeba and the other two, including me, in the US Roha Band hasn’t yet disbanded officially.

How was it like to work with the legendary Tekle Tesfazgi?

Tekle, may he rest in peace, was an incredible human being and a super fine musician. We were able to do Tigrigna weddings because of him and he was versatile and was ready to participate in all fields. I did an instrumental in his memory while in Addis in 1994 and his songs remain sweet and live for ever.

How many albums did you guys produces as Ibex band and Roha Band?

While at the Ghion, we recorded over 250 albums. It was a revolution and Ghion was our version of Motown in a way. Motown was a studio, but at Ghion, we were able to provide space for music shop owners who in turn came with their own recording machines. All recordings were made on a single track and we will repeat a number again and again if one of us made a mistake. As Roha, we travelled to Dijbouti several times and to UAE, France, Spain, and the US. The now famous Mulatu Astatke joined in our tour to Paris and Spain.

As well as being a musician, you are also a bit of history buff. In fact, you majored in history in your first degree, how did this fit in with your music?

Giovani and I used to go to AAU even while we were performing. It was really hard for us because usually, our shows abroad and exams coincided. Sometimes, we had to withdraw and re-register at later time. Fortunately, we were able to graduate.

Your final thesis for your BA degree focused on history of music in Ethiopia? Tell us about that?

I graduated in history and I wanted to concentrate on the music history of our region, the horn of Africa. My senior essay was titled the Origin and Development of Zemenawi Music in Ethiopia, 1896-1974(1988). I’m currently trying to put together a book dealing with all aspects of my experience as a musician. In the US, to further synergies those various experiences, I graduated as Legal Assistant from Georgetown University in Washington DC in 2006 specializing in Intellectual Property Law.

You currently conducted a worldwide music tour with some legends of Eritrean music –how many countries did you guys cover?

Yes, we started a couple of years ago. Efrem Tesfayesus and I are asked by Haile Gebru to rearrange his ‘Oldies and Goodies’ which we are currently putting together on two CDs. We also strongly believed that bringing about a change to how we performed by bringing back the ‘full band’ era. While doing this, we decided to tour and promote ourselves. We also wanted to show all youngsters that we had beautiful music during the 50s, 60s, and 70s and encourage them to fuse those oldies with modern rhythms, be it Jazz, Rap, Pop or Reggae. Our first tour to Europe was in 2009/2010. We were very successful and were very much encouraged. Our tour took us to Stockholm, Gutenberg, Rotterdam, Rome, Milano and other places.

How was the experience like?

It was not easy tour because we had to give up whatever luxury we had in order to minimize our cost. We some times stayed five to six people in a single room with a single toilet. The second tour was in 2010/2011 and this time, we expanded our tour to include Germany, Great Britain and Norway. This time also we had a blast and the result was better than the previous years. It’s interesting to note that our audiences in Europe were much relaxed and appreciated instrumental music. I wouldn’t want to pass this opportunity without thanking Haile Gebru and Habtom who sacrificed a great deal to be part of the tour. Haile’s CD – part one – will be out soon and we encourage all music lovers to buy original CDs and support this noble cause.

Do you think the revival of the full band will help take Eritrean music to the next level?

Well, I don’t mean the full-band formula in itself will bring about change- a solo acoustic guitar player or a solo piano player, a duet, trio or quartet can also deliver the needed change. Creativity will come about when only we are ready to put 100% of our effort in to the music and not let the computer do it for us. One has to be creative and use computers to further one’s creativity not enslaved by it. In other words, all I’m saying is that, let the music be organic. Any change will take time and at this time all we need is few supporters who would act as ‘disciples of change’.

What do you do now days?

Currently, besides performing with the legends, I spend most of my time in Brooklyn, New York with Tomas Doncker band. We have a couple of projects and one has already come to fruition in the form of the already released small world part 1(deluxe edition) album. The second one will be out soon and I am working as a production consultant while also doing fusion guitar work on some of his compositions.

source: shabait.com

A few months after the new band called Jano, was formed by young men and female, all new to the industry, Janinites all-female rock band, the first and the only such band in the contemporary Ethiopian music industry came into the picture, writes YETNEBERK TADELE, FORTUNE STAFF WRITER.

* Preparation for 1st album afoot behind closed door

It is a dream that came true for Mistre Getahun, moving her sticks fast to bang the drums and rock in Janinites all-female rock band, the first and the only such band in the contemporary Ethiopian music industry.

When she dropped out of the Mathematics department of the Addis Abeba University and joined Yared Music School, she was confident to realize the dream she had had since childhood. Unfortunately, after her graduation, she found herself teaching children in a primary school. She has moved on to another profession, which she does not want to be identified, but still unrelated to music.

“Unwanted journey,” she says.

Looking every opportunity to get in to the music sector, she exerted efforts a lot but unsuccessful.

“Even if I have the potential, it was very hard to get recognition in any of the bands in the city to play,” she remembers.

It was the same for Messeret Gezahegn, the band’s base guitarist. She was looking for any crack to inter to the music scenario and meet what she says is her destiny.

She graduate from Yared Music School, and started out as a DJ, went on to become a full time reporter at Fana Broadcast Corporate (FBC) as well as playing guitar at the band. Determination does a lot for Messeret.

“It has been eight years waiting for such a chance,” she says.

The band has now nine members, three vocalists, Emnet Gezahegn, Hermon Baraki, Melat Bogale; two lead guitarists, Betelehem Engda and Abaynesh Abach, a base guitarist, Messeret Gezahegn, Tegest Sime on the keyboard and Mistre Getahun on the drum. All of them come together six months ago under Jananites, formed by Addis Gessese to play Ethiopian music with rock flavour.

Addis Gessese has been in music since 1980, when he first saw his younger brothers perform on stage in Chicago, USA. The brothers would later form the Dalol Band.He says that music has taken him from Chicago to New York and Jamaica, where he was involved with Ziggy Marley and the Melody makers and Lauryn Hill.

He was involved with Ejigayehu Shobabaw (Jiji) and Tedy Afro. He had been manager of Tedy Afro for six years.

Coming back to Ethiopia four years ago, he started to move ahead forming his own bands.

“Each generation has its own sound, and I want to bring that out,” he says.

And the first band was Jano, formed 16 months ago. The band was formed of young men and a female, all new to the music industry.

This band has been rehearsing for several months in the same villa house where the new band, the Jananites, is rehearsing.

“Girls can rock too,” is the simple message that he wants to get across through the Jananites.

On Friday afternoon, October 26, 2012, the new band was performing their rehearsal at the villa located off Churchill Street, surrounded by old trees. With no audience to watch their performance, they rehearsed their own songs and other local and international songs like there was an audience in front of them.

“We feel like we have been a band for years,” says Emnet. “This is a great success story I have encountered. It is all about rock.

For Mistre and her friends, it looks like the moment they had been waiting for years has at last come.

“We waited for long time,” she says.

Yeshi Demelash, a singer and a one time Ethiopian Idol judge, compliments Mistre.

“They will soon be models for those who are at school,” she says.

The ladies are happy for the moment that they are rehearsing in private in a villa, instead of playing in clubs where there is a lot of partying.

The Jananites are the first all-female band for years, since the Wubit Band, of three ladies. Their style and power will be up for public judgement when they release their albums. Work on this album is to begin in two months.

source: addisfortune

Jacky Gosee – Chirash (Making the Video)

By Tibebeselassie Tigabu

For some people, watching music clips is like traveling in a time machine. It creates a nostalgic moment, particularly for those who had passed through that specific time. One of the oldest Ethiopian music clips, the late Tilahun Gesesse’s Felige Asfelige, is imprinted in the Ethiopian music clip history.

The music is about how he was searching for his beloved and accidentally saw her in one of the neighborhoods of Addis.

Driving his BMW, Tilahun wanders around looking for her. He just gets out of the car and walks around the old neighborhood of Cazanchis, Mercato, Piazza and Arat Kilo. The clip also gives a glimpse of how the neighborhoods were back then.

Some of the scenes are surprising. While looking for her, he also looks into the window if she is in one of the shops.

The seven minute and 11 seconds long music clip, which depicts the young funky Tilahun, was popular even some 15 years ago when it used to be aired on ETV frequently.

Those video clips that were shot in black and white were part of many generations. It started with black and white TV and continued to be aired when color TV came.

Many reminisce what they call the good old days in which ETV made a generation speak one language despite the cultural background differences creating an urban identity. The generation of that time remembers all the songs, the TV series and the shows.

Since there was no VCD, DVD, tablet computers, iPods and DSTV, every Saturdays families used to sit together to watch Yesamintu Talak Film (Feature film of the week).

Back then it was only one channel and one VCR and there was one popular music show – Hibre Tiret. The show was aired every Tuesday and every Saturday before the feature film of the week and the English news.

Betel Melaku, 28, says, “It it is part of my childhood.” On the show not only Ethiopian music but also music clips of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Mark Morrison, and Boney M were aired.

Betel says that she cannot forget Melkamu Tebeje’s Dehna Hugni Fikre, a music clip which depicts a man whose love is set to travel abroad.

The music clip was filmed at the old terminal of Bole International Airport and is also a reminder of how Addis Ababa was back then. One of her favorite scenes is the hand-waving when she departs in the airplane, leans back on her chair and again waves her hand.

Betel thinks these video clips are like archives which tells the musical history of Ethiopia. In a way the clips depict the political, economic and societal life of the people back then.

“To learn about one society or a particular period of time, understanding music is one of the things which helps us know the sociological makeup,” Bethel says.

The music clips were shot in 16 mm format like cinemas. Alemu Tolossa, who is a director in Ethiopian Television, has been a cameraman since 1979.

Most of these music clips were done by ETV cameramen. At the beginning, most of the music clips were shot outdoors with Bihere Tsige Park taking the lion’s share.

The format of most of the music clips did not allow them to be edited or corrected. So Alemu says there was no place for mistakes.

With the coming of the music clips, there were two ways of doing it: one, the artists are shot live in a silent mode, two, the script was written and the sound was synchronized later.

From the silent ones there is Tilahun’s clip that was shot in Bihere Tsige. He walks in the huge garden and shows the young Tilahun in a bedazzled coat. Walking in the grass, passing by the trees he interacts with the trees, the camera zooms in and out.

One of the music clips that has a script and was synchronized was Melkamu Tebeje’s Dehna Hugni Fikre that was done by the late Esayas Lemma.

The responsibility of making the music clips was given to the then ETV camera crew who can be considered as filmmakers: Kasa Mihretu, Beyene, Desta and Esayas Lema.

One of the other entertaining music clips that are now also found on YouTube is the collaboration of the trio: Tilahun Gesese, Tamrat Molla and Mahmoud Ahmed.

In this black and white music clip, they perform the song Tazgilen Nebere Bewunetu live for a crowd. One of the highlights of the music clip is the dance by the crowd that is a fusion of eskista, merengue and salsa. And, any movement that can not be identified as a genre is also witnessed.

One of the captivating moments is when one of the ladies with an afro hairstyle, tucking her t-shirt inside, comes, kisses all the singers and starts dancing passionately. The dancing might seem off the beat with the fusion of many dances and movements.

Apart from that, during the black and white music clip era, there were also those that were done in the studio.

Alemu reminisces that the studio was located in Municipality’s building, third floor.

The then Kibur Zebegna, Yemidir Tor and Yetor Serawit used to come with their big bands and vocal singers while the camera rolls.

After a while the music clips started to be shot by three cameras which was given as a gift by the late Emperor Haile Selassie and the editing also introduced there. On the 10th revolutionary celebration, in 1984, color TV was introduced and the first music clip in color also came. It was Bizunesh Bekele’s that has a background of Tis Abay Falls.

After the introduction of the color TV, video clips also replaced the music clips that were shot in 16 mm.

Alemu appreciates the different music clips. He says that, with respect to the essence or the content, music clips have evolved like other things.

“The music clip is a story telling technique and back then it expressed how the lyric was,” Alemu told The Reporter.

One of the filmmakers in Ethiopia, Yonas Birhane Mewa, did around 50 video clips. He says that the making of a music clip in cinema format is completely replaced by blue screen and chroma.

Most of the video clips use color correction and also cartoons are introduced now. He started doing most of the video clips seven years ago and did video clips of Tamrat Desta, Nini, Tigist Woyiso and Michael Belayneh.

He believes that the contemporary music clips are “MTV style” video clips with the cutting, graphic and the way they are done.

Yonas says that music clips have experimental notion where there is no standard way of doing it. Rather, one just needs to be creative.

A few years ago one video clip cost around 2,000 birr which later increased to 4,000 birr. Then the cost escalated from 10 thousand to 20 thousand birr.

Now, since the production is done massively the cost has also gone down to some eight thousand birr.

Usually these video clips take two days for shooting and three days to edit. So, it takes only a week or two finalize it.

These video clips under go different phases. There was a time when only musicians came to ETV studio and did a studio video clip. The trend was that they sing accompanied by a couple of dancers.

Obsessed with old music clips, Robel Tadesse (not his real name) is one of those people who treasure the old times. He watches these video clips on TV and also searches them on YouTube and watches it again and again and never seems to get tired of then.

These music clips entertain him. He calls the music clips of today “vacuous”.

“The old music clips have value, beauty and carry the soul of the music while the color is black and white with the cherry on the top,” Robel states. His favorite music clips are Tilahun’s Wub Aynama. There are those he calls dramatic ones like the collaboration of the trio

Melkamu Tebeje’s Dehna Hugn Fikre, Alemayehu Eshete and Kuku Sebisbe’s duet Engida, and Neway Debebe’s and and Tsehaye Yohannes’s also have a special place in his mind.

In these music clips he see enthusiasm, how they get the music and the artistic value. But when it comes to the contemporary ones, he has his own reservation.

Robel also pictures some of the old songs and does music clip in his head like Menelik Wosnachew’s Fiker Basterguami and regrets not seeing music clips for the song he treasures.

Back in the days when he watches TV, what he wants to see was the music clips. Now flipping it back, he avoids the contemporary video clips since he believes that they have no artistic value.

With the old music clips, it was not only the story but also the movements that were able to transcend time and generation like Chira Keresh’s Lomi Biworewur.

There were also interesting contemporary video clips which take one by surprise like Abrish the Gate’s Edmeyen bemulu in which he is seen sitting on the asphalt, opening his leg wide and laying back on the hood of the car.

Since most of the songs are love songs there is always a girl that laughs modestly with decency.

Betel says that most of them do not have a good quality and the other video clip that surprised her was Abeba Desalegn’s Worewun Semchalehu. In this video clip Abeba Desalegn goes out covering herself with a towel and also the dancers do the same thing. From the contemporary ones, she liked Teddy Afro’s Tikur Sew.

She does not see traditional songs’ video clips as something interesting since they are all the same featuring only eskista.

Tsige Belachew, owner of Master Sound, loves traditional music and says that there is a market for it.

Whenever she produces their music, she signs an agreement with the musicians to make a music clip. She did a couple of traditional music clips in the past. Even though the music shop has been in business for 21 years, she started doing the music clip four years ago.

The reason she started is that there was a demand by many people to buy it, especially during the holidays. She believes the traditional video clips are the same: they go to the field and do their eskista featuring the singer. She believes this is what the market wants. She usually hires cameramen and choreographers like Abyot Demeke.

Some video clips were able to get international recognition like Jhonny Ragga’s Kulfun Sichign, whihc took the Channel O award. The clip was directed by Aida Ashenafi who also collaborated in the past with renowned American rappers like Busta Rhymes. She did the new video clip by Jano entitled Ayrak.

Source: thereporterethiopia

Whenever Teddy came back on the stage, the crowd went crazy and one of the highlights was Teddy changing his outfits.

By Tibebeselassie Tigabu and Mihret Aschalew

Taking a glimpse of their short miniskirt outfits, their straightened hair, makeup, mascara and lipstick, one can guess that they were preparing themselves for a special occasion. On Saturday night, at Ghion Hotel, four girls were standing close to the employees’ canteen.

One of the girls, with her infectious love, was saying, “If I don’t do it for Teddy Afro who will I do it for then?”, explaining about why she straightened her hair.

It was not only these girls who came for the Teddy Afro concert, outfitted in short skirts and high heels. Other women were also in miniskirts and hight heels.

Their excitement and hype seem to make them forget the cold. Then they headed to the small underground toilet. Inside the toilet, which does not have light, three girls were changing from jeans to miniskirts. After a while, they came out and joined the crowd.

At the main gate, crowds were shoving and inside couples were lying on the grass while some were queuing up to get drinks. Before the star attraction came music, which was being played by the DJ.

From the day of the announcement everybody thought that tickets would be sold out. So many of his fans bought their tickets early.

On the concert day, the entire road was swarming with people. The road that takes to the stadium, to Ambassador Theater and on the opposite side to Meskel Square, was so crowded. Apart from that, there were rumors that fake tickets were being sold.

On that day, one of the issues was parking. Some also used the nearby clinics to park their car.

The queue was on two sides, the longer queue was on the road to Ambassador and the other on the road to Meskel Square. Then after a little while the crowd rushed to the gate, pushed the security guards and broke in. The security guys were forced to beat up some of them.

When the crowd was entering the concert room, one of the coordinators, who was sitting in a pickup car, was shouting on the microphone saying: “Please hold up your tickets.”

Without any checking, unlike some strict concerts, people started to get in pushing and jostling one another.

One of them in the crowd was the renowned composer Abegaz Kibrework, who also had composed the song Tikur Sew.

After entering the placed they scattered to find spots while some preferred to go straight to the drinking spots and the food area.

Despite all that hustle, still many people were waiting patiently for the highlight of the night – Teddy Afro.

Around 9:30Pm Teddy Afro’s song came and many jumped on the stage. But it was a short documentary film about the artist.

This short documentary film depicts the inception of Teddy Afro’s music, the people who mentored him and also the inspiration behind his music and lyrics.

Whenever new songs come on the film, the audience were cheering and applauding. Finally, the highly anticipated singer came on the stage. That was also featured by the crowd going insane with shouting, cheering, clapping and jumping.

Teddy started the night with a song from his earlier album, Abugida, featured by Abugida Band. The crowd seemed to know each word, verse, rhythm in the song and they were singing along like a national anthem.

Apart from Teddy the staging, which is designed by the Ethiopian makeup artist Tesfaye Wondmagegn, was also decorated with writings of Tikur Sew. The lighting that changed from minute to minute turned blue, yellow and other colors.

Since it was very difficult to see Teddy further, apart from the stage, the crowd was trying to have a good view. Some were standing on the beer casket and climbing on a tree.

Teddy mixed up the songs from his recent and his earlier album; all in all more than 20 songs were performed that night. One of the songs entitled Yasteseryal, which is considered to be controversial, was sung. Many did not expect this song to be performed. It was a mixed up feeling among the audience, especially when repeating one of the verses.

In the meantime, like in the past, he was interacting with the audience with his short sayings “Fiker” (love) and the audience response was “Yashenfal” (wins). Since the theme of the concert is Wode Fiker Guzo (journey to love), Teddy was preaching about love. Some seem to be intoxicated with joy and expressed that with jumping and being out of control.

Whenever Teddy took a break, the DJs of the night also played the fast tempo songs. One of the popular sounds of Nigeria, a song entitled “Chop My Money”, by P-Square featuring Akon, also made the crowd to go crazy.

Far from the stage, people were still lining up for drinks, for toilet and also some were lying on the grass holding each other intimately.

Whenever Teddy came back on the stage, the crowd went crazy and one of the highlights was Teddy changing his outfits.

The sound was appreciated by many when the sound engineer named Philip Christopher Strong, an expert who worked in the past with personalities like Kanye west and Black Eyed Peas, was also involved in this.

Teddy entertained his fans not only with his songs but also with Shimels Ararso’s and Mahmoud Ahmed’s and was finally wrapped up with his song Tikur Sew.

Even though it was a bit late the audience did not want to let go of Teddy and were asking for more songs.

Even though there were euphoric moments many people were disappointed with the crowd management and the hustle they faced. One of them was Behailu Fedlu, who actually got into the concert without showing his card. His was not a special case because there were many who did that too.

He believes that the crowd was too much to handle. The place could not accommodate them. So there were gaps when it came to service. In addition, there were many pickpockets.

“They have been promoting the concert for a while but they did not prepare well when it came to hosting the crowd,” Behailu told The Reporter.

Behailu believes that since there was no checking at the gate, many people had smuggled in drinks, which have high alcohol content and they were also throwing bottles.

Even thought there were security guards, they were very small in number especially when it is compared with the crowd.

He also observed four incidents that ended up in fights and throwing bottles at each other.

Since he did not feel safe at that moment, he was forced to leave with his friends before the end of the concert.

One thing that amazed him was when he was asked by some who claim to be coordinators why he was filming.

“There was so much confusion to know who was who and since it was not advertized that filming was not allowed. How would I know if it is allowed or not,” Behailu asks.

Some of the embarrassing things he recalls are looking at people who were peeing on the grass and encountering four people who fainted.

Apart from that he does not believe Teddy played Mahmoud song well and in some instances the musical instruments were bit fast for Teddy.

Even though he was disappointed with the hustle at the gate, he appreciated how the stage was designed, which has an Ethiopian color. The smoothness of the sound system, the lighting and also how Teddy managed to perform well and controlling the stage was some of the good things he observed.

Many in the audience were a bit disappointed when it came to crowd management but were happy with Teddy’s performance, stage design and lighting.

On his part, Ashenafi Zeleke, general manager of the organizer Adika Communication and Events, says that this concert has taught them a good lesson.

He says that everything was smooth when it was all started. After a while things went out of control when the crowd broke in while pushing away the security guards at the gate of Ghion Hotel.

“We could not control what was going on. We learned that there was a crowd that had a different motive. There was no other choice but to let that crowd in,” Ashenafi told The Reporter.

Apart from that he said that many pickpockets were also caught red-handed.

According to Ashenafi, the checking responsibility was given to Ghion Hotel and coordinating the queue was for Adika.

He says that this breaking in is becoming a trend in Addis’s concerts, citing Jah Lude’s concert as an example.

Apart from that, Ashenafi explains that their agreements with Ghion were not fulfilled, such as adding portable toilets.

The food and beverage also was supposed to be taken care by Ghion and Ashenafi explains that they asked them to make it available on different spots but that that was not possible because they could not have many cash registers.

According to Ashenafi, since it is not a good idea to use glasses or bottles during concerts on that occasion, they prepared around 40,000 plastic cups and a responsible team to pour the beer but most of the beer caskets were stolen. So a mix-up was created. On this concert, around 12,000 people came and Ashenafi says that the crowd was very difficult to manage.

“We have past experiences but this was a bit difficult to manage. Looking at the crowd, maybe it would have been better if we did it at a different venue. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way,” Ashenafi states.

source: thereporterethiopia.com

With a focus on Eco-fashion, Antoine Lindley takes a closer look at garment making in Ethiopia.

As the fashion industry is looking for something new, something different, Africa has become the emerging source of inspiration. With a focus on Eco-fashion, Antoine Lindley takes a closer look at garment making in Ethiopia using hand woven cotton and the transformation of modern Ethiopian designs. Antoine also goes behind the scenes for exclusive coverage of the making of “Hub of Africa Fashion Week.”

Video: Insight with Antoine Lindley: Made in Ethiopia

A sequel for the highly successful action comedy F.B.I. is now showing. The first film that is both written and directed by Netsanet Workineh and explores the life of a young woman, a character played by Bethlehem Demissie, who has to decide between an arranged marriage and true love.

Netsanet Workineh is well known for writing, directing and acting in his comedy movies which include “Mr. X” and “Yanchi Leba”. He is one of the few artists who can crack audiences up with his humor.

The sequel, F.B.I 2, promises to give the same kind of laughter that people saw in the first movie. It is produced by Pagume Film and Theater Production with actors like Mahader Assefa and Girma Tadesse participating.

F.B.I 2 is currently showing at Edna Mall – Maffi Cinema.

Source: capitalethiopia

Known as the “Golden Era” of Ethiopian modern music, the 1960s and 70s played host to some of the most talented and loved music legends that transformed Ethiopian modern music.

From the brass sounds and timeless vocals of Ethiopian swing to the fusion of international cross over appeal, Antoine Lindley takes a closer look at the history and rise of Ethiopian modern music and the influence it has had on today’s Ethiopian music.

Antoine sits down with some of Ethiopia’s top music artists and legends: Alemayehu Eshete, Kuku Sebsebe, Girma Negash, Tsedenia Gebremarkos, Bahta Gebrehiwot, Dawit Tsige, Johny Raga, Merawi Sitot, Chachi Tadesse and more. Also, a heartfelt interview with Roman Bezu, wife of the late Tilahun Gessesse.

Video: Insight with Antoine Lindley: Journey of Ethiopian Music