GIBE DAM III

Ethiopian Music Festival

Ethiopian Music Festival: from Cultural Conservation to International Exposition

This year’s Ethiopian Music Festival was yet another rich exhibition of both local and international bands all bound together by a love for Ethiopian music. All events were open to the public free of charge, including events at the Goethe Institute, Alliance Ethio-Francaise, National Theatre, and even Club Alizé.  Ethiopia is known for its uniqueness in history, language, geography, flora, fauna, and food. Its music is no less unique and special, as has been demonstrated by the growing number of performers that come to the festival. When the festival was first launched in 2001 by Heruy Arefeaine, Francis Falceto and Lucien Roux (then the Alliance Ethio-Francaise director), the purpose was to protect and promote Ethiopian music. Now Heruy and Falceto are the artistic directors, with the Alliance still providing most of the logistical support. Since 2004, the Ethiopian Music Festival has been inviting foreign bands with Ethiopian influence in the music they play. For example, uKanDanz, one of the bands from France in this year’s festival, blends ethiogroove with modern rock and jazz creating an explosive, throbbing sound. Fred Escoffier alternately provides the background tunes or melodies on the keyboard, while Lionel Martin really stands out and sets the band apart by giving it a unique sound with his sax playing. He does it with so much gusto that anyone who dares to stand in front of him would be blown away. It is downright spectacular to watch him play. Damien Cluzel is almost as powerful on the electric guitar and plays a mean guitar solo when Martin needs a break from all his hard work on the sax. Even Guilhem Meier steps in for drum solos at times and otherwise maintains the beat with certitude and flair among such high power players. The guest of uKanDanz for the festival this year was Asnaqe Gebreyes from Addis Abeba, who provided swelling, powerful vocals that fit the ebb and flow of the band’s music. ETH, another band from France, headed by Singhke’o Panya, a Frenchman of Laotian and Vietnamese heritage, blends 1970’s urban music from Addis Abeba with “dub, Indian ragas, funk, rock and of course Nigerian Afro-beat…drawn in by the guembri gnawa, Tuareg blues and Javanese gamelan.” When Panya, who plays the sax, seprano sax, and kalimba, first heard Ethiopian music 10 years ago, he thought he was listening to Africans playing Japanese music. This is partly due to their common pentatonic scale, though the beats are much different, he explained. Also a music teacher, Panya really gets into the music being created on stage in a Jack Black-esque way (for those who have seen the movie “School of Rock”). His partner, Anne Moret, also dances on stage playing the trumpet, while Alexandre Debuchy adds a calm and confident guitar, Charlie Dubois a playful bass, and Baptiste Deslandes some serious drumming, which rounds out the quintet. Their music can be just as powerful as uKanDanz, but what sets them apart is their music’s emotion and sense of suspense. These two bands demonstrate the influence that Ethiopian music can have on the international stage, which is almost exclusively introduced to the genre through Ethiopiques, now in its 25th edition. Since the addition of international musicians in 2004, having the local bands is all the more important to show where these musical compilations and infusions get their inspiration from. This year, the duty of sharing the traditional roots fell primarily on Ethiocolor with such classical instruments as the washint (Ethiopian flute) played by Abu Gebre, the kebero (Ethiopian drums) played by Misale Legesse, the mesenqo (single stringed fiddle) played by Yesak Moges and Indris Hassen, kirar (acoustic harp) played by Fasika Hailu, and the bass hhh played by Anteneh Teklemariam. Vocals from different languages were shared by Bekele Arega, Selamnesh Zemene, Tesfaye Taye, Hawa Kalen (Somali), Tokato Menna (Waliyta), and Timnit Kiros (Tigray). Group leader Melaku Belay headed up the amazing dance troop of Ethiocolor including Zinash Tsegaye, Dagmawi Negash, Fregenet Alemu, and Frehiwot Teshome. Luckily, even though the next festival is a year away, Ethiocolor can be seen every other Friday night at Fendika Azmari Bet in Kazanchis (the rotation skips this week). Many foreign bands interested in Ethiopian music are inspired as much by the less traditional, now famous ethiojazz of the waning imperial era. This delightfully supreme style of jazz was represented at the festival by Nubian Ark: Henock Temesgen (bass), Nati Tessema (drums), Girum Mezmur (guitar), Yishak Dawit (trombone) Misale Legesse (percussion) and Johnny Aklilu (sax) featuring Jorga Mesfin (also on the sax). Another way the festival aimed to preserve and promote Ethiopian music was through acknowledging the past. The festival itself was a tribute to singers Getachew Debalqe and Merawi Setot, who received recognition for their lives’ work at National Theatre on Monday night. There was even an exhibition opened at the Goethe Institute in Addis Abeba on Saturday, March 13, commemorating the historic recordings of azmari Tessema Eshete. Recorded 100 years ago, they were the first audio recordings by an African nation except for a few possible recordings made by colonial governments only a few years earlier. Not only are 16 of the 17 recordings around, they are being produced on CD complete with sound enhancement, to the delight of grandson Tadele Tessema who was part of the international panel and presided over the opening of the exhibition. The whole festival is conducted nonprofit style, according to Heruy, with support this year from the Spanish Embassy, French Embassy, CFEE, Goethe Institute Addis Abeba, CulturesFrance, Spedidam, Total, BGI, Groupe Castel, Club Alizé, National Theatre, National Museum, UNESCO, and the Minister of Culture and Tourism. Heruy’s vision for the Ethiopian Music Festival is to set up a year-round association that can more adequately help artists develop programmes, rent larger venues for the festival, and expand its overall size. He wants more people to be involved, from musicians to attendees to organizers, especially young people.       By HANS LARSON SPECIAL TO FORTUNE

Mike-e - Ethiopia

K'NAAN-OFFICIAL FIFA 2010 WORLD CUP ANTHEM (waving flag

Welcoming Guests for the 12th Ethiopian Pastoralist Day held in Jigjiga

One Million Trees For Ethiopia

Breaking Barriers

Deepee Shinde - Wub Hager Ethiopia

Music about women's rights - ethiov.com

Music about women's rights - ethiov.com

Ethiopian Patroitic Instrument-Girma Mogus-Che belew

Zara Yaqob rebuilds Ethiopia in the Fifteenth Century

Zara Yaqob rebuilds Ethiopia in the Fifteenth Century

By Richard Pankhurst

We looked in our last article, dear Reader, at the Royal Chronicle of Emperor Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia (1434-1468), who was one of the country's most important and, as we saw, fearful rulers of the country. We continue today by examining what his chronicle has to say about state-building, the erection of churches, the crushing of rebellions, the establishing of religious orthodoxy - and the founding of a new capital - Debra Birhan. After describing the monarch’s coronation at Aksum (which we saw last week) the chronicler records that Zara Yaqob also founded churches and regulated religious affairs in other provinces, and continues: “Arriving in the land of Sahay in Amhara, he went up a high and beautiful mountain, the site of which he found pleasing; at the top of this mountain and facing east he found a wall which had been raised by his father, King Dawit, with the intention of erecting a shrine. His father, however, had not had the time to complete the work, in the same way that the ancient King David, who planned to build a temple to the Lord, could not accomplish his task, which was completed by his son Solomon. Our King Zara Yaqob fulfilled his father’s intention by building a shrine to God on the west of the mountain. Everyone, rich and poor alike and even the chiefs, were ordered to carry the stones with the result that this edifice was speedily erected. They embellished this locality, which underwent a great transformation; two churches were built there, one called Makana Gol and the other Debre Negwadgwad. The King attached to them a certain number of priests and canons to whom he gave grants of land. He also founded a monastery and placed in it monks from Debre Libanos, whom he endowed in a similar manner”. *** Later, in 1441, the seventh year of his reign, the Zara Yaqob visited Tegulet where he celebrated the festival of Timkat, or the Epiphany. Describing this event the chronicle observes: “While he was there he received a message from the patriarch, Abba Yohannes, informing him that the Muslims [of Egypt]had destroyed the monastery of Metmaq in Egypt. They had done this because they were enraged that our Lady Mary had appeared in that locality and because a large number of Muslims who had witnessed this miracle had been converted to the faith of the Christians. “When he received this message, our King Zara Yaqob burst into tears, and was profoundly stricken, as were all his court and the pilgrims who had formerly made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, to console himself and to restore his courage and that of his people, he said to them: ‘Do not weep, O Christian people; do not be sad that the monastery of Metmaq in Egypt has been destroyed. We will build a church here to our Holy Virgin Mary and will call it Debre Metmaq.’ “Our King at once commanded the construction of a church at that place and gragnted it land in the district of Tagulat.... In accordance with his declaration and oath he called it Debre Metmaq”. *** While still in the area of Debre Metmaq, Zara Yaqob learnt of a rebellion to the east: a certain Arwe Badlay of Dawaro was embarking on a war against him. The Emperor at once marched forth with a small force to crush his enemies. The chronicle says: ‘When our King Zara Yaqob came upon Arwe Badlay and his innumerable army, he was dismayed by it; he invoked God, girded his loins with the power of the Holy Spirit, and got ready to do battle with his small force. The Aqabe Sa’at, Amda Seyon, made the following remark to him: ‘Are you not too eager, O my master, to do battle without waiting for your army to come to your aid? You have only weak forces here; you are not prepared and have not put on your armour nor placed your army in battle array.’ “Our King took up the conversation and replied, ‘Know you not the words of the prophet David, “There is no King saved by the multitude of an host; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety.” (Psalm XXXIII, 16-17)? As for myself, I have put my confidence in the Lord. He will come to my aid in His mercy.’” Zara Yaqob thereupon ordered his men to raise the royal umbrellas, blow the trumpets and beat the drums; at the same time he commanded the standard-bearers to begin the advance on the enemy. “Everyone,”. we are told, Arwe Badlay in particular was ‘’perplexed and seized with fear” as he had been led to believe that the attacking force was commanded not by the Emperor but by a minor chief. Arwe Badlay ... said to his people, ‘’Did you not tell me that it was not the King who was marching against us but his chief Hasaba Wasan, while it is in fact the King himself who is at the head of his troops’ “While they were thus discussing, our King Zara Yaqob cut his way through the army of the unbelievers, routing one of its wings and coming face to face with Arwe Badlay. A soldier then threw a dart in the latter’s face which Arwe Badlay broke with his hand; he then threw himself at the King in order to seize him, but his rashness was his undoing. God made him fall by the King’s hand. The King plunged his lance into his neck and cut his throat. All those who were around the King rejoiced at this but he himself gave praise to the Trinity”. Arwe Badlay’s army, according to the chronicle, then took flight, and that of Zara Yaqob “pursued them killing them with their swords and lances or hurling them down precipices. The number of those killed was formidable; not a soldier survived out of the army of the enemy. War, dear Reader, is an unpleasant thing. *** Zara Yaqob then returned to his capital in Shoa; and the chronicle continues; “Not long afterwards a wonderful light appeared in the sky. A light was seen in the sky and remained visible in all the land for several days. This caused our King to take a fancy to this locality, which he named Debre Birhan [i.e. Place of Light’]. He built there a magnificent church which he dedicated to our Lord Jesus Christ.... The light appeared for a second time when the Mass was being said, and for a third time during the night when the choristers were singing in the church the hymn, ‘God reigns.’’’ What was all that?, you may ask, dear Reader, It was the appearance of what scientists know as Halley’s Comet which was seen in the year 1453! *** Throughout this period Zara Yaqob continued to occupy himself with affairs of state. As the chronicle notes: ‘During his stay at Debre Birhan, our King arranged all the institutions of his kingdom: it was then that men were put to death and that others were condemned to exile for crimes against God or His anointed; it was then too that those who carried out the will of God and obeyed the King were rewarded and heaped with honours” The fortunate ones.

Telling facts and figures about Ethiopia!!

Tsehaye Debalkew Washington DC.

Ethiopia has significantly made deep going transformative headways in the last nineteen years after the irreversible debacle of the heinous and nefarious Fascistic Military Dictatorship and installing in its place a new and dynamic democratic politico- economic order and a just social milieu. Since the onset of this historic moment, the country has irrefutably witnessed the sprouting and steady burgeoning of the equality of all nations and nationalities that abound to-day in its embryo.

It is indeed, in the last two decades that the inalienable human and democratic rights of its populace were ascertained protected by the law of the land as enshrined in the country’s ever Constitution written and ratified by the unrestricted participation of the citizenry. After having laid the quintessential basis and fundamental cornerstone for the unobstructed and unabated development of a parliamentary democratic social system, Ethiopia has traversed along the surest path of popular elections that run every five years empowering the electorate and eventually the entire population to effectively gauge and decide on the modus operandi of its governance which has ascended currently on its fourth ladder of national and regional elections electrifying and engulfing more popular tide in the wake of the ever increasing participation of the people.

Concomitantly, the Ethiopian government has been strenuously exerting an all round effort with a dogged determination to extricate the nation from the bondage of age old economic backwardness and liberate the people once and for all from the grinding poverty that has been ravaging them for millennia on end and put the country on par with the middle income countries of the globe where it rightly deserves to be, in the not too distant future.

The following few and select facts and figures amply demonstrate and attest to the huge march that the people and government have been underscoring to make poverty history and a thing of the past in our cherished country Ethiopia which is renowned as the cradle humanity.

Population: 83 Million/2009/

Gross Domestic Product/GDP/ As Purchasing Power Parity/PPP/ $76 Billion

Per Capita Income/As PPP/ $900.00

GDP Composition by sector: /2009/

Agriculture: 42%

Industry: 16%

Services: 41%

Labor Force: 40 Million

Number of projects owned by foreigners and expatriate Ethiopians:

27--- /2001/

4600---/2009/

Electric Power Grids:

Newly Built: Tekeze, Gilgel GIBE 1, Gilgel Gibe 2, Tana Beles/ Soon to be Commissioned/ Gilgel GIBE 3/ to be inaugurated in 2012

Electricity Coverage:

500/ medium and satellite towns/ in 2001/

3550/medium and satellite towns/in 2009/

Telephone:

1 Million main lines/2009/

7 Million/ Mobile/2009/

Roads:

33,000 kms. All-weather and asphalted /2001/

60,000 kms. All-weather and asphalted /2009/

International Airports:

Addis Ababa, Aksum, Assossa, Bahir-dar, Debrezeit, Diredawa, Gambela, Jigjiga,

Jimma, Lalibela & Makelle Awassa, ,Combolcha, Goba & Mizan-Tepi/under construction/

Elementary Education Coverage:

60% /2001/

97%/2009/

High School Coverage:

29% / 2001

65%/2009/

Universities:

2—Universities/1992/

8—Universities/2001/

21—Universities/2009/

11—Universities currently under construction.

Additional Facts

Ethiopia is:

Fastest growing Economy in Africa:

One of the five fastest growing Economies in the world, and Second to China as the fastest growing none-oil economies of the world.

Recently Surpassed Kenya and became the largest economy of East Africa.

The Chief negotiator and leader of the world Climate Summit along with the UK.