A conversation between The Root Editor-in-Chief Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nobel laureate and DNA pioneer James Watson about race and genetics, Jewish intelligence, blacks and basketball and Watson’s African roots.
James Watson: I’ve thought about these things a lot over the last couple of months, because those who know me well, you know, I’m mortified by those three sentences in the Sunday Times article. I’m not a monster, and yet, if you took them at their face value, I seem to be nasty.
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: But Dr. Watson, on behalf of the African Americans who admired you, studied your work, and read The Root.com, where in the world did those words come from?
JW: One sentence was just taken out of my book. It was [that] we shouldn’t expect that people in different parts of the world have equal intelligence, because we don’t know that. [Some] people say that they should be the same. I think the answer is we don’t know. … With the other two sentences, I talked to [the Times reporter] for eight hours. When I read the [quotes], I had no memory whatsoever of ever saying them. Because if I’d said anything like that, it was so inappropriate!
HLG: Well, are you gloomy about the future of Africa?
JW: Not if we educate them. I think we’ve got to focus on education.
HLG: As soon as you were quoted in The Times, David Duke posted on his Web site. He said, at last, the smartest white man in the world, the man who identified DNA, has confirmed what we’ve known all the time. …
JW: I [am appalled by] the fact that that remark was associated with me because I don’t believe it. You can’t tell me that Ethiopians are stupid. Jesus. So they test very low on IQ, but I know enough of them—they’re bright.
Above:Ethiopian Americans register to vote at St. Gabriel
Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Washington, D.C.
Sunday, June 1, 2008. Photo: Ethiopians for Obama.
Publisher’s Note:Tadias received the following press release from
Ethiopians for Obama.
Press Release
Monday, June 2, 2008
Washington, D.C – Ethiopians for Obama kicked-off “Project Yechalal” Virginia voter registration drive at St. Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Washington, D.C. (2601 Evarts St NE), where a large number of Ethiopians from Virginia attend church. Volunteers were deployed at the church on Sunday and registered voters on a non-partisan basis. The excitement from the Ethiopian-American congregation was overwhelming.
“I was excited to see Ethiopians registering other Ethiopians.” said Nadew Hailu. “I was looking for a way to become involved and to register to vote. When I saw the registration drive, I instantly felt a part of the process”
Nadew took on the responsibility of letting others in the church know about the registration drive and guided Ethiopians to the table in droves. His enthusiasm was contagious.
Ethiopian-Americans from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC were elated to have the opportunity to register. This is something new in the Ethiopian-American community; few have witnessed this level of effort to make sure that Ethiopian-Americans take part in the political process. This is truly the beginning of a new era, Ethiopian-Americans are motivated and excited to vote unlike any election in recent memory.
Alemseged Gelmariam is a registered voter; he took note of the Ethiopians for Obama volunteers and their dedication. Alemseged understands the value of voting, he said that most Ethiopians don’t think their vote makes a difference. However, he knows full well that Ethiopian-Americans have a responsibility—if not a duty—to vote.
Ethiopian Americans register to vote at St. Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church
in Washington, D.C. Sunday, June 1, 2008. Photo: Ethiopians for Obama.
“It does not matter who you support because voting is a responsibility that we should all take seriously”, stated Alemseged. “I was so encouraged by seeing Ethiopians take it upon themselves to organize and register other Ethiopians.”
There seems to be hesitancy to register to vote amongst many in the Ethiopian-American community. Some explain this phenomenon as one borne out of fear—political involvement has not always been an encouraged activity amongst the Ethiopian community. In fact, out of the many people who stopped by to find out about the Ethiopians for Obama effort, over 70% were not registered.
Genene Tufer became a citizen only a few months ago. He understands fully the value of voting, he knows that there are millions who wait every year to become citizens—voting is a right that should not be taken for granted. He always followed politics on CNN and C-SPAN and has a passionate belief in the electoral process. He is a big supporter of Senator Obama, he believes that Obama is the best person for the job in a critical time. Genene believes that Obama is the one person who can fix the mess that Bush has created in the past eight years.
“I can’t wait to vote this year, I waited for years to become a citizen,” said Genene. “I finally have a chance to vote and I get to vote for a man of honor and principle.”
Regardless of whom one supports, it is vital that Ethiopian-Americans register to vote. The policies that are enacted in the United States has impact throughout the world. As citizens of the United States, Ethiopian-Americans cannot take for granted the precious right to vote that countless others do not enjoy elsewhere. It is easy to criticize or to complain from the sidelines, but the vote is the one powerful tool that all citizens can exercise to deliver change. America is our country, as citizens, we have a duty to vote—our actions today will have an influence on the lives of our children tomorrow.
—- If you would like additional information on our voter registration efforts or would like to join Ethiopians for Obama, you can email theodorefikre@yahoo.com. You can also join our yahoo group so that you get up to date information and event notifications.
Publisher’s Note: Tadias received the following press release from
Ethiopians for Obama.
Project Yechalal Virginia
Press Release
May 30th, 2008
Virginia – Ethiopians for Obama is kicking off Project Yechalal Virginia . Our goal is to identify and register 10,000 Ethiopian-Americans who live in the great state of Virginia . Virginia is home to the largest community of Ethiopians in the United States. Our ability to register and vote presents a tremendous opportunity for us to be a significant voting bloc in the coming and future elections. Those who don’t vote don’t count—Ethiopians for Obama is encouraging every Ethiopian-American to be involved and register to vote.
Ethiopians for Obama will start a registration drive this weekend. We will be fanning out to various locations where Ethiopians have a robust presence. In addition to voting, we encourage as many Ethiopians to join our group so that we can be successful in our ongoing efforts.
Our emphasis on Virginia does not mean that registration efforts in other states are not important. To the contrary, Ethiopians for Obama has members in almost every state where the Ethiopian community is vibrant. We are a large network of Ethiopian-Americans who are working together—united by our common hopes—to elect Senator Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States . Wherever you are located, it is vital that you register to vote and take part in the political process.
Ethiopians for Obama at an event held at Duke City in Washington, DC.
If you would like additional information on our voter registration efforts or would like to join Ethiopians for Obama, you can email theodorefikre@yahoo.com. You can also join our yahoo group so that you get up to date information and event notifications.
You can join Ethiopians for Obama at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ethiopiansforobama/
Above: Outside the world-famous Apollo theater in Harlem.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008. Photo by Tadias.
By Tadias Staff
Published: Friday, May 30, 2008
New York (Tadias) – Tuesday was an evening of harmony at the world-famous Apollo theater in Harlem, where the African American and Jewish communities of New York paid homage to Israel’s 60 years of independence.
The event, which was attended by more than 1200 people, featured a performance by the
Israeli-born Grammy Award winner Miri Ben-Ari. The hip-hop violinist, an Apollo legend
herself, launched her musical career on the same stage at Apollo where she delivered a
moving musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Tuesday evening. “To be celebrating
Israel’s 60th anniversary is special,” she said, “but to be celebrating it here at the Apollo
is really very exciting for me!” Ben-Ari mentioned that if you survive the Apollo audience on
Amateur Night, then you can survive and do well on any stage.
Since her Apollo debut Ben-Ari has gone on to collaborate with today’s big name artists, including Grammy award winner Kanye West, Jay Z, Patti Labelle, and John Legend.
The evening also included stellar performances from three African American gospel choirs: Allen
Cathedral, Bethel Gospel Assembly Church, and the Christian Cultural Center. The audience rose
to their feet on several occassions and joined in the celebrations of Harlem’s vibrant choirs.
Above:Photo from IsRealli. From left – Consul General Asaf Shariv; Miri Ben Ari, Founder
of Gedenk and hip hop violinist; Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of the Foundation
for Ethnic Understanding. Photo Credit: Shahar Azran.
David Ushery of News 4 New York played host for the evening. Prominent speakers included the
First Lady of New York, Michelle Paige Patterson, Congressman Charles Rangel, Israeli Consul
General Asaf Shariv, Israeli Consul for Media & Public Affairs David Saranga, and Rabbi Marc
Schneier from the Foundation of Ethnic Understanding. A Video Greeting from Russell Simmons, as Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, was also shared.
Consul General Asaf Shariv shared with the Apollo audience that Israel is the only country,
besides the U.S. that officially commemorates Dr. King’s birthday.
According to Israel Today: “Consul for Media and Public Affairs David Saranga said that Tuesday’s performance was part of a series of events and projects in New York with a goal of commemorating Israel’s 60 years including the screening of top celebrities congratulating Israel in Times Square.” Banners showing the diverse faces of Israel are also on display on Fifth Avenue.
New York (Tadias) – The Millennium extravaganza will kicks-off with a concert at Joe’s Pub on Saturday, May 31, 2008. The show features Abebe Teka and rising star Mimi (Asresash Meshesha), Washington, D.C.’s newest sensation; have you been to Dukem lately? The event also highlights New York’s own DJ Sirak, who will spin World Music in between performances.
The celebration is organized by BINA with the support of several organizations and businesses, including The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The NYC Council Manhattan Delegation (State Senator Bill Perkins, Council member Inez E. Dickens), The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, The Russell Berrie Foundation, The Jewish Community Relations Council, Bikkurim, Artimus, and Tadias Magazine (media sponsor).
“The Ethiopian Millennium Celebration is a series of works to encourage Ethiopians and others to celebrate our rich history and culture through music, film and the arts”, said Beejhy Barhany, the millennium events coordinator. “We believe the enormity of the third Millennium requires a celebration like no other, bringing together a variety of people that have been inspired by Ethiopia.”
Above:Left– Mimi (Asresash Meshesha), is a talented vocalist who began singing professionally at 16. She has performed in many venues around the United States and has gained increasing popularity in the Ethiopian community. She is working on her debut album. Right – Artist Abebe Teka was introduced to music at an early age. Born and raised in Gondar, Ethiopia, Teka’s career began in the mid ‘80s with the Army Band. As a budding artist he left the countryside to tour in the capital city, Addis Abeba, with the famous Medina and Savanes bands. His first recording ‘Sew’ was released in 1996. Three years later, he settled in Washington DC and quickly connected with the Ethiopian music scene playing at Dukem, Roha, Dynasty, 2K9 and other local venues. He has toured extensively in Europe with several other noted Ethiopian singers including Abonesh, Hana Shenkute, and Hibist. He is working on a new album due to be released in 2009.
In a related news, the Lincoln Center announced its free Out Of Doors program for summer 2008 (from Aug 7th -24th), which includes an evening featuring some of Ethiopia’s most celebrated musicians in collaboration with western Jazz and Rock artists. Alèmayèhu Eshèté and Mahmoud Ahmed with The Either/Orchestra, and saxophonist Gétatchèw Mèkurya in his New York debut with Dutch avant-punks The Ex.
Ethiopians inaugurated the third millennium in September 2007, according to the nation’s unique and ancient calendar. The Ethiopian calendar is seven years behind the Gregorian Calendar.
——————————- Ethiopian Millennium Celebration Concert, Saturday, May 31, 2008, 11:30 PM (doors open at 11pm ). Ticket Price: $25 in advance, $30 at door. Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette Street between East 4th and Astor Place in New York’s East Village). Tickets can be purchased online at www.joespub.com. Or call 212-284-6942. More info at: www.binacf.org
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s supreme court on Monday sentenced to death former Marxist ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam, granting a prosecution appeal that argued a life sentence he was given for genocide was unequal to his crimes.
But Mengistu, who has lived a life of comfortable exile in Zimbabwe since he was driven from power in 1991, is unlikely to face punishment unless Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe loses a run-off election next month and cedes power.
“Considering the prosecution’s appeal that a life sentence was not commensurate to the crimes committed by the Mengistu regime, the court decided to sentence him to death,” the court said in its ruling.
The prosecution in July appealed a life term handed to Mengistu in January 2007, after he was found guilty of genocide for thousands of killings during a 17-year rule that included famine, war and the “Red Terror” purges of suspected opponents. Read More.
Above:Bekele Geleta will soon head to Geneva to take over
as secretary general of the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The new head of the world’s largest humanitarian organization is a former Ethiopian political prisoner who made a new life for himself in Ottawa after arriving as a refugee in 1992.
Bekele Geleta’s appointment as the secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies was announced in Geneva late Wednesday.
The position, which carries a term of three to five years, means Geleta will oversee the Red Cross secretariat of more than 500 people, including staff in Geneva and on missions and delegations around the world. The secretariat co-ordinates the relief efforts of the federation’s 186 member Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.
Geleta, 64, is currently the general manager of international operations for the Canadian Red Cross. He spent five years in prison in Ethiopia, and later served as a cabinet minister and the Ethiopian ambassador to Japan.
Geleta came to Canada as a refugee in 1992, settling in Ottawa with his wife, Tsehay Mulugeta, and four young sons. He soon started building a new career in humanitarian work, serving with Care Canada, the Red Cross and other organizations. Read More.
WASHINGTON – Democratic officials say Barack Obama has begun a top-secret search for a running mate.
Democratic officials said Thursday the party’s likely nominee has asked former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson to begin vetting potential vice presidential picks. Johnson did the same job for Democratic nominees John Kerry in 2004 and Walter Mondale in 1984. Read More.
DES MOINES — Senator Barack Obama took a big step toward becoming the Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday, amassing enough additional delegates to claim an all but insurmountable advantage in his race against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
While Mrs. Clinton’s campaign continued to make a case that she could prevail, Mr. Obama used the results from Democratic contests in Kentucky and Oregon to move into a new phase of the campaign in which he will face different challenges. Those include bringing Mrs. Clinton’s supporters into his camp; winning over elements of the Democratic coalition like working-class whites, Hispanics and Jews; and fending off attacks from Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, especially on national security. Read More.
New York – Skoto Gallery will present Darkness Ushers Dawn, an exhibition of recent mixed media paintings and drawings by the Lebanese-born artist Sumayyah Samaha. This will be her first solo show at the gallery. (The reception is on Thursday, May 29th, 6-8pm and the artist will be present).
Atmospheric and emotive, Sumayyah Samaha’s paintings are at once expressive and internal. Saturated color and overlying textures demonstrate a command of medium, giving a multidimensional feel to the work. Although abstract, the artist’s compositions often allude to figurative elements, particularly those found in nature. This is most visible in Samaha’s work of the late 90s in which the Catskill Mountains and the dramatic landscapes of her native Lebanon serve as inspiration. In these oil paintings, vibrant reds, rich browns and, deep blues and purples give way to imposing mountainous forms that overpower moody and tumultuous skies. Suggestive of an earth that is in constant dialogue with the cosmos, these compositions overpower the viewer with colorist interpretations of the forces of nature. In a previous series, these interpretations appeared in more evident forms such as flowers or human figures.
Above: The Blues, 2007, watercolor, mixed media on paper, 22.5×17.5 inches
Also included in the exhibition are several works on paper that reveal another aspect of the artist’s oeuvre. In recent years Samaha has been creating work that communicates the catastrophic nature of current Middle Eastern political conflicts. After traveling to Lebanon in 2001 and witnessing the disintegrating state of political affairs in the region, she was overcome by an intensifying sense of urgency. Upon returning to New York, she began to explore different ways of articulating the delicate nature of lives held under siege. It is at this point that her work began to change, as she explored the affect of war and occupation on civilian life. Using a variety of media—including watercolor, ceramic, charcoal, monoprints and thread—Samaha strived to capture the adversities of violence. Fragile, solemn and pensive—although executed with bold hues and vigorous brushstrokes—this series engrosses viewers in a perpetual state of devastation, as we are unable to escape the profound nature of the work. Her most recent series—a departure from such mournful examples—speaks of a new stage, one distinguished by pulsating eruptions of color in which volcanic textures create depth and dimension. Such progression has inspired the title of her latest solo exhibition, Darkness Ushers Dawn.
This recent series of oil paintings has Samaha returning to her signature vivid palette. In these works we find the vertical division of the canvas, indicating an epicenter from which explosions of energy are expelled. An innate tension is evident—perhaps resonating from the previous political series—as brilliant blue, red and orange oceans crash into darker, earth-toned hues of black, brown and grey. Although it is a near-violent collision, the dramatic meeting of light and dark, these works are optimistic and speak of life and motion.
Sumayyah Samaha was born in Shweir, Lebanon in 1939. She received a MFA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1965. Samaha has been exhibiting her work since the late 1970s and has held twelve solo exhibitions in New York—where she is based—in addition to being featured throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East. As co-founder of 22 Wooster Gallery in 1978 and an active member of the gallery for ten years, she was instrumental in creating an independent space for artists in the New York art scene. She is recognized as one of the leading Arab artists in the country.
—- Maymanah Farhat is an art historian based in New York City.
Above:Teshome Denek on Sax will accompany the vocalists
at the Millennium Celebration kick-off concert at Joe’s Pub on
Saturday, May 31, 2008.
By Tadias Staff
Published: Monday, May 12, 2008
New York (Tadias) – New Yorkers will mark the Ethiopian Millennium in the city this summer with a series of high profile events that include a concert, a photography exhibition, a film festival and a panel discussion.
The Millennium extravaganza, which kicks-off with a concert at Joe’s Pub on Saturday, May 31, 2008, is organized by The Beta Israel of North America (BINA) cultural foundation, in collaboration with several organizations and businesses, including Tadias (media sponsor). The concert features Abebe Teka and rising star Mimi (Asresash Meshesha), Washington, D.C.’s newest sensation; have you been to Dukem lately? The show also highlights New York’s own DJ Sirak, who will spin World Music in between performances.
“The Ethiopian Millennium Celebration is a series of works to encourage Ethiopians and others to celebrate our rich history and culture through music, film and the arts”, said Beejhy Barhany, director of BINA. “We believe the enormity of the third Millennium requires a celebration like no other, bringing together a variety of people that have been inspired by Ethiopia.”
Above:Left– Mimi (Asresash Meshesha), is a talented vocalist who began singing professionally at 16. She has performed in many venues around the United States and has gained increasing popularity in the Ethiopian community. She is working on her debut album. Right – Artist Abebe Teka was introduced to music at an early age. Born and raised in Gondar, Ethiopia, Teka’s career began in the mid ‘80s with the Army Band. As a budding artist he left the countryside to tour in the capital city, Addis Abeba, with the famous Medina and Savanes bands. His first recording ‘Sew’ was released in 1996. Three years later, he settled in Washington DC and quickly connected with the Ethiopian music scene playing at Dukem, Roha, Dynasty, 2K9 and other local venues. He has toured extensively in Europe with several other noted Ethiopian singers including Abonesh, Hana Shenkute, and Hibist. He is working on a new album due to be released in 2009.
The occasion will highlight not only the diversity of Ethiopians, but also showcase the role of artists, filmmakers and scholars in preserving and disseminating the Ethiopian diaspora’s culture and history.
“Our celebration will include film screenings of Caravan 841, A Walk to Beautiful and Live and Become on June 15th at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) in Manhattan. We will then present a conference and panel discussion, to be held at the Schomburg Center for Black Research, located in Harlem, on June 22nd, on Ethiopia and the Three Faiths, which focuses on the historical role that Ethiopia played in the development of Judaism, Christianity and Islam”, Beejhy said. “We see this as a small tribute to a great time in our history, and to encourage artists and musicians to continue inspiring us and to invite everyone to come celebrate with us.”
In a related news, the Lincoln Center announced its free Out Of Doors program for summer 2008 (from Aug 7th -24th), which includes an evening featuring some of Ethiopia’s most celebrated musicians in collaboration with western Jazz and Rock artists. Alèmayèhu Eshèté and Mahmoud Ahmed with The Either/Orchestra, and saxophonist Gétatchèw Mèkurya in his New York debut with Dutch avant-punks The Ex.
Ethiopians inaugurated the third millennium in September 2007, according to the nation’s unique and ancient calendar. The Ethiopian calendar is seven years behind the Gregorian Calendar.
——————————- Ethiopian Millennium Celebration Concert, Saturday, May 31, 2008, 11:30 PM (doors open at 11pm ). Ticket Price: $25 in advance, $30 at door. Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette Street between East 4th and Astor Place in New York’s East Village). Tickets can be purchased online at www.joespub.com. Or call 212-284-6942. More info at: www.binacf.org
New York (Tadias) – An Ethiopian-Israeli play, based on a true story told from a perspective of a ten-year-old boy named Andargay, is making the rounds in the United States in conjunction with Israel’s 60th anniversary. I managed to catch One of a Kind at the New Victory Theater in New York (42nd street, just west of Broadway).
The show, which made its US premiere in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 24th, is written by Yossi Vassa (the adult Andargay) and director Shai Ben Attar. One of a Kind, which chronicles Vassa’s exhausting childhood expedition from Ethiopia to Israel, from a humorous vantage point, was first produced in Hebrew in 2005 and was named Israel’s best play of the year in 2006.
Tadias Magazine featured Vassa five-years-ago this month (during our first year of publication) following his appearance at Stanford University during the U.S. tour of his one-man show, It sounds Better in Amharic, a lively comic relief about the socio-cultural differences between growing up in Ethiopia and Israel.
Just like his previous stage stint, One of a Kind is based upon Yossi’s own real-life experience. His family is one of the 20,000 Ethiopian Jews who left their homes between 1977 and 1985 to partake in a clandestine mass departure to Israel. Told through the brilliant and hopeful eyes of the 10-year-old Andargay, the play focuses not as much on the travails of the long trek by foot from Ethiopia to Sudan, but on the candid curiosity and bliss discovery of youth. Yet, the play does not hide the journey’s difficult moments: Andarge’s grandmother (played by Tihitina Assefa) dies under miserable conditions in a refugee camp in Sudan, while the rest wait for their turn to be flown to Israel, along with the added burden of having no money to bribe the Sudanese authorities. Life in Sudan’s harsh desert stood in stark contrast to the spectacular Gonder highlands they left back in Ethiopia, where Andargay’s father, Asmamo (played by Shai Fredo), was set to start a dairy farm business with his future son-in-law, Isaac (played by Roy Zaddok).
Above:From left – Yossi Vassa, Mahereta Baruch, Sky Gete, Benny Gatahon,
Tihitina Assefa, and Roy Zaddok. New Victory Theater. New York.
Friday, May 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa.
The part that made me cringe is the rather cartoonish depiction of Andargay’s Amharic teacher (played by Benny Gatahon), the show’s only non-Jewish Ethiopian character. The geez alphabet instructor is portrayed as both goofy and a bigot. The racist and foolish gentile administers corporal punishments on Andargay for no more a crime than the young boy’s Ethiopian Jewish identity. He refers to him as “smart alec Jew” and screams “Jesus Christ” every time he swings his dula (stick) at the poor kid, whom as a result banishes himself from school at age ten, never to return again. Although, it’s done with humor in mind (the teacher is actually very funny, when he is not spewing antisemitic remarks), the play unnecessarily risks negatively stereotyping Ethiopians as anti-semetic to western audiences, which in turn gives the false impression of the actual diversity and relatively peaceful co-existence of the three Abrahamic faiths in Ethiopia. Certainly, not all Ethiopian teachers subscribe to identical religious principals – Ethiopia, often referred to as the cradle of humanity, has been home to Christianity, Judaism and Islam for far longer than most of us are willing to acknowledge.
So, I asked Vassa, who studied theater at University of Haifa and served in the theater section of the Israeli army, what he thought of my feelings. “I recently returned to Ethiopia and saw this harmony and coexistence personally,” he replied, “but our story takes place between the regimes of Sellassie and Mengistu. This Marxist/Communist regime had a lot of anti-semitism that was expressed on every level up to the point that we were called “Falashas”- strangers without a land only because people clung to their Jewish religion.”
Back at the theater performance, I had overheard one woman ask her friends, “What did you think of the play?” as we prepared to exit the theater. Her friend, who spoke with a hint of Slavic accent, hesitated for a moment, her facial expression suggesting that she was still searching for the right words. “Too heavy? The first woman assisted, rephrasing her question in a suggestive manner. “Different”, came the answer. “It’s different, it’s very different.”
Although mixed with humor, uplifting music and dance, the harsh reality of refugee camps may be a bit depressing and the cultural settings might indeed be “very different”. However, the ‘edutainment’ value of One of a Kind is not lost on Beejhy Barhany, whom as a seven-year old girl, had made the same risky journey from Ethiopia to Israel, via Sudan. The story might as well have been hers, except that she was three years younger than Andargay and she did not live in a refugee camp in Sudan. She now lives in New York City, where she serves as Director of the Beta Israel of North America (BINA) Cultural Foundation, Inc., an organization dedicated to preserving and advancing the culture and history of Ethiopian Jews.
“It is educational and entertaining as well. For those who don’t know much about the Ethiopian Jewish experience, it is a brief introduction into the journey of Ethiopian Jews immigrating to Israel”, Barhany said. “Plus, it’s delivered in an entertaining and humoristic way. I definitely recommend it for people with families to go and see it.”
Monica Haynes-Kassa of Brooklyn, who was present with her daughter Farah Wiggan, was also impressed: “My daughter and I throughly enjoyed One of a Kind, so many funny scenes woven into a very serious topic of faith, hope and redemption”, she said. ” I loved the role of the grandmother who had so much love and hope for her family in seeing that they kept her life-long dream to migrate back to Israel, even though she sacrificed her own life in helping them to achieve that dream along the way. The animiation was a special touch and very creative. I was also surprised at how well the actors performed in English. Congrats (mazel tov) to Yossi Vassa on an excellent job.”
More than the play itself, what caught our attention mainly was the young and remarkable stars of the Nephesh Theatre, the most celebrated Ethiopian acting group in Israel, according to the program’s literature.
“All of the cast except Roy Zaddok are from Ethiopia (Roy is from Yemen)”, Howard Rypp, the show’s Producer and Artistic Director, told Tadias via an email interview. “It has been a gratifying experience seeing how the production has been so well received in the U.S.”
Above:Actor Shai Fredo and Beejhy Barhany. New Victory Theater. New York.
Friday, May 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa.
Above:Roy Zaddok and Mahereta Baruch. New Victory Theater. New York.
Friday, May 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa.
Above:Monica Haynes-Kassa of Brooklyn (far right), who was present with
her daughter Farah Wiggan (left), is pictured here with Beejhy Barhany.
New Victory Theater. New York. Friday, May 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa.
Yossi Vassa is popular, having had regular appearances in the Israeli prime time television program, Israel Live as well as being featured in Dan Wollman’s film, Foreign Sister. Vassa has starred in three movies in Amharic, and has appeared with the Nephesh theatre in Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is Dead. Speaking about his performance in One of a Kind, Vassa notes, “I feel we as an ensemble that presents their story..we are writing our history..there is special significance that we have lived this experience and sharing it through the writing and the entire body.”
Vassa also appreciates the support of the Ethiopian American community: “Their responses are good and positive – I see how they look at the Ethiopian side of me with pride and I am happy when we have this meeting in a neutral place where we can hug each other. My connection to Ethiopia is important to me.” Vassa points to the growing success of Ethiopian youth. “There is a huge motivation among the Ethiopian Jews in Israel and we will see many more successes in many fields in Israel. I see my success as a mirror to the younger generations to look at their past and at themselves as an inspiration” he tells us.
Shai Ben Attar is the co-writer with Vassa of One of a Kind. After studying at the Telma Yellin Arts School Attar directed both the one-man show It Sounds Better in Amharic and One of a Kind. His play More Hana than Laslow has won the Best Entertainment Show award in 2004 and recently toured North America. Attar has also worked as head writer for Israeli Television’s National Channel as well as for the Educational TV Channel.
The other casts of One of a Kind include, Tehitina Assefa, a dedicated nurse as well as member of the acclaimed Itim Ensemble; the elegant Mahereta Baruch, a graduate of the University of Haifa’s Psychology program who finished second place in the Israeli reality program based on The Apprentice; Sky Gete, a graduate of Beit Tzvi’s School for Stage Art and whose acting experience includes performances of Macbeth, Hair, and Peter Pan; Shai Fredo, a graduate of Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and producer of the one-man play Judean Lion; Benny Gatahon, a graduate of the University of Haifa’s Theatre Department, and featured in the television series The Champion; and Roy Zaddok, a graduate of the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and Tel Aviv’s University’s Faculty of Law, whose screen appearances include Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Vonnegut’s Catch 22, as well as various guest spots and commercials on Israeli television.
The Nephesh Theatre will be playing on Broadway until May 12th, in Seattle from May 14th through the 18th, and in Toronto on May 20th. Additional information about the Nephesh Theatre shows can be found on their website: www.nepheshtheatre.co.il
Ethiopia Reads’ Yohannes Gebregeorgis is a CNN Hero
Thursday, May 1, 2008
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopia Reads, a non-profit organization led by the celebrated children’s author Jane Kurtz, has announced that its co-founder and director Yohannes Gebregeorgis has been named a CNN Hero and will be featured by the network during the week of Thursday, May 1-Thusday, May 8. The feature story, as well as additional material and footage, will be available on CNN’s web site.
In early April, a CNN crew visited Shola Children’s Library, the first free public library for children in Ethiopia, which opened in 2003. Today Shola is one of several programs operated by Ethiopia Reads: Under Yohannes’ direction, the organization plants libraries for children, publishes high-quality multi-lingual books and even operates a Donkey Mobile Library, which serves rural children who don’t otherwise have access to books.
A one-time political refugee, Yohannes spent nearly two decades in the US, where he worked as a children’s librarian in San Francisco. In 2003, Yohannes returned to Ethiopia to persue his dream of building a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. A librarian, writer, reader and lover of books, Yohannes has introduced books to tens of thousands of children in Ethiopia, a country where libraries and books for children are uncommon.
A “global search for everyday people changing the world,” the CNN Heroes series profiles a different changemaker every week, in an effort to raise awareness about innovative ideas at work in our world. Previous heroes include educators, doctors, businesspeople and environmentalists creating positive change in their communities and countries. Each Hero’s story remains on the website until the end of the year.
New York (Tadias) – For over two decades, Ethiopian-born artist Wosene Worke Kosrof has experimented with the aesthetic potential of language, using written Amharic as the major compositional element in his bold colored and textured works.
According to the artist’s website, in his paintings, the calligraphic forms of Amharic are broken apart, abstracted, and reconfigured to create a new visual language that draws upon the artist’s Ethiopian heritage while incorporating his experiences as an expatriate living in the United States.
Photo: wosene.com
Photo: wosene.com
The Contemporary African Art Gallery in New York has been showing Kosrof’s work long enough to remember his early exploration in transforming these symbols into contemporary fine art.
Word Play presents an evolved body of work that shows how Wosene employs these language characters as discrete script-images that move beyond his Ethiopian cultural boundaries to an international language.
The gallery, owned and operated by Bill Karg & Reese Fayde, has extensive inventory and collection, which include works by the legendary Ethiopian artist the late Skunder Boghossian, among other notable African artists.
Wosene, 2003. (wosene.com)
Kosrof’s works have been collected by institutions as varied as the United Nations, the Volkerkunde Museum in Zurich, Switzerland and The National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian, as well as many other domestic institutions and private art lovers.
— Opening reception is scheduled for Thursday May 1, 2008, 6:00-9:00pm.
330 West 108th St. #6 (at Riverside Drive.) New York, NY 10025
Phone: (212) 749-8848 or (212) 662-8799. More at www.contempafricanart.com
New York (Tadias) – I recently ventured to Gansevoort Street, the heart of the Meatpacking District in Manhattan, to interview Marcus Samuelsson at Merkato 55, his new restaurant venture named after the largest open-air market in Africa. Samuelsson’s dishes, a sundry assortment of appetizers and entrees hailing from all four corners of the African continent are paving the way for Pan-African fusion to be the next big thing for New York foodies.
Certainly, traditional African cuisine has long been around in this city, teeming with immigrants, and we have had our share of authentic Senegalese, Moroccan, or Ethiopian dishes, but what Samuelsson’s Merkato 55 aspires to provide to our palates is a distinct culinary adventure. It is as much a subtle re-introduction of traditional African flavors to the western taste as it is an advertisement for the continent’s food contribution to the world.
Simulating the architectural hues, warm brown colors and landscapes across the African continent, Merkato 55’s interior, designed by Dutch architect Menno Schmitz, is a two-story restaurant and bar, capable of holding approximately 150 people. It is the largest African restaurant in New York. It’s menu is equally daunting in its extensive offerings.
Above:Upstairs dining area . Photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias.
Above:The bar downstairs. Photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias.
Samuelsson, who was born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, is best known as the co-owner of New York’s finest Scandinavian restaurant, Aquavit. After having excelled at the Swedish side of his culinary heritage, Samuelson travelled extensively throughout the African continent, culminating his trips by sharing with us some of the most profound lessons that he learned about food and the sharing of food within African cultures, in his award-winning book aptly entitled The Soul of a New Cuisine.
Merkato 55 offers this new cuisine – a fusion of the old and new tastes, flavors, colors, and even sights of the scintillating diverse heritage of Africans.
“This is about adding something new to the New York landscape of restaurants”, Samuelsson says to me. “It’s an ambitious and grand New York African restaurant”.
It is indeed daring to launch the largest African restaurant in New York, bound not to one region or ethnic food, but rather infusing Africa’s indigenous foods with Samuelsson’s own chef-inspired artistic experiments.
Above:Marcus Samuelsson sat down for an interview with Tadias
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at Merkato 55. Photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias.
Samuelsson is unpretentious about the fact that his African-inspired dishes might not have the same authentic taste as those dishes that he watched being prepared, and which he tasted on his travels. He points out that what most New Yorkers consider as African restaurants mainly consist of Ethiopian, Moroccan and Senegalese ethnic eats. He mentions to me some of the great ones such as Ghenet, Queen of Sheba, and uptown Senegalese eateries.
Merkato 55, however, is very much an effort to introduce the flavors of various African cultures not only to Westerners but also to each other as Africans. Samuelsson points out, “We are very proud of our own food, but we know very little about each other’s food. We know pan-African music, but we don’t know pan-African cuisine. An Ethiopian might know music from Mali, but not food from Mozambique”.
I can recall, in my case, not hesitating to mix an occasional meal of Mexican black beans and rice alongside Caribbean-inspired deep fried plantains, all in one sitting. But when it comes to Ethiopian food, I usually wouldn’t venture to use our kibe (spiced butter) or the fiery mitmita pepper on anything more than my favorite kitfo (beef tartar) or our traditional stews.
In true fashion, I had carried this same cautious tradition when I dined at Merkato 55 with Tseday Alehegn, editor of Tadias, and our friend Assefa, an Ethiopian New Yorker from Brooklyn. After scouring through the menu for something ‘Ethiopian’, and hence familiar, we settled on a main entree of Dorot Wot (chicken stew) and Dulet (spiced tripe) preceded by an appetizer of Plantain Chips and Spicy Shrimp Chili. The Doro Wot was familiar enough with the traditional injera bread and cottage cheese in the pot, but the Dulet took us all by surprise. It tasted nothing like the tripe we grew up eating in our parents’ and grandparents’ homes so we spent a few minutes debating whether it was really Dulet or not. Yet, it was the dish that we unanimously voted was the best tasting one. Needless to say, the only thing that mattered is that it was simply delicious. Now, of course, we know that we can eat Dulet in more ways than one.
This is the genius of Marcus Samuelsson’s fusion of African cuisine that brings creative “unity and harmony through food.” Samuelsson’s Merkato menu plainly asks us to be more assertive in our choices: How about a Berbere rack of Lamb with Grains of Paradise and Spring Garlic instead of the traditional Berbere with Injera? Perhaps even Grilled Shrimp Piri Piri as a side dish?
Beyond the borders that we place on what is or is not authentically African, there is a space, where Africa’s culinary gifts are not left relegated to basement ‘mom & pop’ stores – segregated into national and ethnic enclaves.
Samuelsson puts it more succinctly, “We are trying to show Africa in a different light, without the masks.”
How many of us know, for example, that the peanut butter that we fondly call ‘All-American’ was introduced to us straight from West African traditional cuisine? Rice, now a necessary global staple, has been part of the traditional West African diet since the 1500s and was successfully cultivated in the New World by the first Africans in the Carolinas. Spices such as coriander, grains of paradise and tamarind, and vegetables such as cucumbers and okra originated in Africa. Grains such as millet, quinoa, sorghum and teff, now popularly re-introduced in natural food stores as alternatives to wheat, have a long tradition of being served alongside spicy currys, breads or beans in East and West African cuisines. Even the beans for our daily fix of coffee are said to have originated in the Ethiopian highlands.
When we pause to reflect, we are already familiar with many of the ingredients commonly found in African-inspired menus. But Merkato 55 is bold – not only for mixing East and West, North and South, but also for unveiling the depth of African variety, the richness of the flavors, both those which are indigenous and those brought over to the continent through historical and colonial trade routes.
“I do know food and I have deep knowledge and love for African food” Samuelsson says.
And indeed it’s time for a true connoisseur of food to give Pan-African cuisine its limelight and to break down our self-imposed restrictions of how to savor African cuisine.
I have learned my lesson. After my interview, Samuelsson prepared for us Grilled Shrimp Piri Piri Baby Romaine, inspired by a dish from Mozambique. I also had a taste of North African Hummus and Baba Ghanoush, Spicy Shrimp Chili and Apricot Blatjang with Mint from the Kidogo Sample, which includes an assortment of African Breads.
Above:The Kidogo Sample. Photo by Jeffrey Phipps.
Above:Marcus Samuelsson prepared for us this Grilled Shrimp Piri Piri.
Monday, April 14, 2008. Photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias.
Next time I am in the Meatpacking District, I may just as well try the Steak Dakar with Coriander Butter and Merkato Fries, and a glass of South African Wine.
Check back for Hot Shots: Photos from our interview with Marcus Samuelsson.
—— Liben Eabisa is Founder and Publisher of Tadias Magazine.
Additional reporting by Tseday Alehegn
Unity Starts with Honesty, Honesty Starts with Me (Opinion)
By Teddy Fikre
Published: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
New York (Tadias) – Watching Barack Obama’s historic speech about race and it’s omnipresence in the lives of all Americans had a profound impact on me. I was inspired by his honesty and his blunt assessment of our collective and individual deeds that perpetuates the divides within communities all across this nation and throughout the world. It was this powerful moment that led me to some introspection into my actions and how I perpetuate the intangible, yet real, walls that separates neighbor from neighbor, co-worker from co-worker–and in some instances–friend from friend.
I was born in Ethiopia and immigrated to America at the age of seven. Though I always kept my Ethiopian identity, I also grew up as an American. The experiences that construct my life narrative are those of being an Ethiopian who grew up in the United States from an African-American perspective. This duality of roles has given me the ability to view the gap that divides the African Diaspora by straddling that very chasm. I am a member of a proud black Fraternity–Omega Psi Phi. Yet the memories of Addis Ababa –memories of my neighborhood, school, and my grandmother in Ethiopia –keep me tethered to my Ethiopian identity. Sometimes I feel blessed because I have a connection to many cultures; at other times, I feel as though I walk an invisible line–vacillating between my Ethiopian culture and my African-American culture.
Above:Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island (right) posed for a
photo with Teddy Fikre during a rally at American University in Washington,
DC, on January 28th, 2008.
It is this binary life–this distinction between two “cultures”–that challenges the notion that I have transcended the divide between the African-American culture and my Ethiopian culture. I often get asked by my African-American friends why it that Ethiopians don’t embrace non-Ethiopians. At the same time, I see in the African-American community a hesitation to fully accept Ethiopians and those that have emigrated from Africa . If we are honest with ourselves, the divides between Africans and African-Americans are real. There are those few in both cultures who either view African-Americans as deserving of their plight or view Ethiopians–and Africans as a whole–as free-loaders who benefit in America at the cost of African-Americans. There are those on both sides who denigrate and deride others simply because they were not born in the right country or are not of the same ethnicity.
The racial divide that Barack Obama spoke about is not constrained by the quarters of black and white Americans; it is an undercurrent that exists within people of the same color and, in some cases, of the same country. It reaches out beyond black and white, extending the reaches of division on the microscopic basis of dark and light, African and African-American. Moreover, this very virus of division infects countries in every corner of the world. The division between Serbs and Croats, Hutus and Tutsis, Aborigines and Aussies, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, Pakistani and Indian to name a few reveals a world where communities who have similarities are often rife with soft-apartheid on the basis of ethnicity, complexion, or religion.
I assumed that my experience walking the line between my Ethiopian and African-American identities had cauterized this discordant mindset. I figured that I was enlightened, that I transcended the ethnic divides simply because I have many friends of many cultures–Ethiopians, African-Americans, whites, Latino, Asian and those from countries from every continent. However, this weekend, I planned a trip to Pennsylvania to galvanize the Ethiopian community and to volunteer for the Barack Obama campaign. I reached out to the Ethiopian community to make the trip up to Philadelphia to register voters. Concurrently, I reached out to my fraternity brothers to volunteer and do additional work once the outreach to the Ethiopian community was accomplished.
While I did not realize it at the time, my honest effort to galvanize voters to register perpetuated–subconsciously–the very divides which I thought I transcended. Why is it that I segregated the two efforts? Why is it that I sent out one email to the Ethiopian supporters while sending out another email to my fraternity brothers? At the time, my aim was to have the most impact by focusing varying constituencies to various efforts. I failed to see that my well-intentioned plans served to further the very divide which I sought to narrow. This contradiction did not crystallize until I arrived in Philadelphia and entered the beautiful Ethiopian church of Kidus Ammanuel (St. Emmanuel). I listened to the moving words of Abba Danachew and felt connected to the congregation that welcomed me into their church as one of their own. However, the most moving part of my experience occurred after the sermon, when one of the church elders stood up to congratulate a Jamaican couple who baptized their child in that very church. He went on to tell them that he was brimming with pride that they chose Kidus Ammanuel as their church and that they are a part of a family that will always welcome them–a church that will always be there for them. The congregation clapped effusively; I paused to ponder my own failings.
It was at that moment that my fraternity brother called me, and I told him to come meet me in the church to help me register voters. Instantly, I realized that I, at times, stand just as guilty of the myopic thinking that I repudiate. To one degree or another, we are all guilty of the practices that keep us divided; the very victims of discrimination can often be the perpetrators of it. The hatred that has taken centuries to fester claims as victims those who preach it and those who are its target. Discrimination does not reside in the narrow confines black and white, it permeates all societies–the impacts of which are felt trans-racially and trans-ethnically.
I love my Ethiopian heritage, I love my African-American experience, and I love my American journey; however, my own journey towards true inclusion and unity is far from achieved. That is the power of Barack Obama’s message, that in our own ways we all have our failings which contribute to the divides that exists between our communities. Nonetheless, these failings do not define us–we are not static–and we can grow beyond the walls that have defined our experiences to attain the true meaning of unity; to achieve the essence of E Pluribus Unum–out of many one.
—- About the Author:Teddy Fikre is a business consultant. He resides in Virgina. Teddy was born in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, and immigrated to America at the age of 7. He is a volunteer and a member of Ethiopian Americans for Barack Obama. Teddy believes that Barack Obama is the one candidate who can move us past the political rancor of the past 20 years and deliver a broad and diverse coalition that can tackle the tough issues that face all Americans in the 21st century. (The photo below shows Teddy Fikre at the Barack Obama Headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 15th, 2008).
New York (Tadias) – The Queen of Sheba Ethiopian restaurant in New York was featured at the first Choice Eats tasting event organized by The Village Voice, the nation’s first and largest alternative newsweekly. The event took place on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at the historic Puck Building in Manhattan.
Queen of Sheba Ethiopian restaurant was one of thirty-three favorite restaurants of Voice food critic Robert Sietsema, author of Secret New York. Sietsema has reviewed more than 2,000 restaurants in the last 14 years and this year’s Choice Eats cover samples from all corners of the world.
Among those dishing out delicious and eclectic cuisine was Philipos Mengistu, owner and Executive Chef of Queen of Sheba, and his wife, Sara. For the event, they prepared injera rolls with fillings of either spicy lentil or beef sauces. Eager tasters waited patiently in rows to pick up the wraps. In it’s description of the Queen of Sheba restaurant, the event publication wrote: “New York finally has its own Queen of Sheba, providing intriguing and sometimes fiery spice combinations.”
More than a thousand foodies packed the Puck Building for a tasting extravaganza, according to The Village Voice.
Tadias was there with a camera. Here are hot shots from the event.
Above:Philipos Mengistu, Sara, and Belaynesh Teshale (the cook
at Queen of Sheba) prepare for the event at the Puck Building in Manhattan.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York. (Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).
Above:Eager tasters waited patiently in rows to pick up the wraps.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York. (Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).
Above:Mickey Dread and Tseday Alehegn on the background. At the Puck
Building, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York. (Photo by Liben Eabisa).
Above:The event sampled food from all corners of the world. At the Puck Building,
Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York. (Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).
Restaurants from Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx and Queens where featured.
At the Puck Building, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York.
(Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).
Above:Philipos Mengistu, Sara, and Belaynesh Teshale (the cook at Queen of Sheba).
At the Puck Building, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York.
(Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).
Other culinary delights hailed from The Dominican Republic, South Africa, Belgium, and Australia. For a complete list of participants at the VillageVoice’s Choice Eats event you may visit their website at: www.choice-eats.com.
Tadias OP-ED
Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Publisher’s Note: We first met Zelela Menker (above) while covering an Obama rally here in New York on Feb 2, 2008. She had stopped by to take part in the “Women for Obama” rally at Columbus Circle. Zelela was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College (MHC) in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she majored in Critical Social Thought. The concentration of her academic studies has been Health Disparities and Healthcare Policy.
In the following opinion piece, Zelela Menker discusses her thoughts on Senator Obama.
False Binaries: Talk vs. Action, Style vs. Substance, Inexperience vs. Experience
By Zelela Menker
New York (Tadias) – Let us not undermine Senator Obama’s candidature and appeal by pigeonholing him as an inspirational speaker. We as voters are well aware that it will take more than a cheerleader, or a life coach to address the various social, political, and economic issues we are currently facing. Senator Obama’s advantage in this race should not be merely attributed to his choice and delivery of powerful and moving words, but more importantly the wisdom that resonates in his speeches and in his proposed policies.
One of Senator Obama’s greatest strengths has been his humility. In his acknowledgement that change is a process, that it will neither happen over night, nor will it suddenly surface “on day one” because Americans elect an African American, a Woman, or any one individual as president. The president we elect does not constitute change, but rather, at best will represent our broadest of ideals as a nation. The policy making process is highly complex, imbalanced, and there are no quick fix solutions to our problems. The success of our economy, the quality of our healthcare, and the efficacy of our education system can only improve to the extent that citizens, political parties, and interest groups are willing and able to meaningfully engage and collaborate in what has become an increasingly charged and partisan climate.
Senator Obama’s superior leadership has not only been reflected through his ability to change the minds and hearts of ordinary citizens, but also in his proven track record in government. During his twelve years of legislative experience, Barack Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096. It is worth mentioning that by the end of his first year in the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama had authored 152 bills, co-sponsored another 427, and successfully passed over 4 bills on highly controversial and partisan issues such as immigration, government ethics, nuclear weapons, and healthcare reform.
Unfortunately, Senator Obama’s impressive track record in politics has received little public attention, while his opponent has ironically been granted the status of political icon for a noble, yet unsuccessful, attempt at national healthcare reform. It is important to remember that Senator Clinton’s initiative for national healthcare reform failed not because the issue lacked overwhelming support from the general public, but because of the Clinton administration’s flawed strategy that it would not settle for anything less than Universal Healthcare.
This approach not only proved to be ineffective in addressing the issue at hand, but was extremely detrimental to the Democratic Party’s standing in government. The administration’s inflexibility on the issue was used by the Republican Party to portray President Clinton and Democrats at large as untrustworthy purveyors of a big and out-of-control government. Ultimately this not only hurt the administration’s image, but opened the door for more undemocratic social, political, and economic outcomes by enabling Republicans to sweep into Congress in the 1994 elections.
Above: From Right – Zelela Menker, Sara Haile-Mariam, and Tseday Alehegn.
(Columbus Circle, New York City, Sat, Feb 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa).
I support Senator Obama because he takes into account an important lesson Senator Clinton appears to have missed from her past failures in government. Change requires more than personal passion, drive, and commitment: it requires a leadership that is aware of the limits of individual power and has a solid understanding of the political realities and constraints of the current legislative process.
It is my strong belief that if we are serious about improving our healthcare system, our economy, or this country’s standing in the global community, we have to elect the candidate that not only inspires us through his words, but has time and again demonstrated he possesses the insight, judgement, and leadership skills necessary to “sign, seal, and deliver” our aspirations of a better and stronger society.
—- About the Author:Zelela Menker was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She moved to the United States to attend Mount Holyoke College (MHC) in South Hadley, MA where she majored in Critical Social Thought (CST). The concentration of her academic studies has been Health Disparities and Healthcare Policy. She views herself to be the product of the boundless time, compassion, love, and dedication of her parents, her sister, Sara, her Professors in the CST department at MHC, and numerous other intelligent, sensitive, authentic souls that have crossed her path. The following words of wisdom from a dear friend have touched her life forever: “When life takes you to the edge you only have two options. You jump and land on solid ground, or you’ll learn to fly.”
By Tadias Staff Writer
Saturday, February 23, 2008 Above:Members of the Stanford Genomic Resources team.
(Photo: Stanford News Service)
New York (Tadias) – Three new genomic studies released last week provide the most detailed road map yet of human diversity, offering insight into how humans spread from Ethiopia to populate the globe over the last 100,000 years.
Two of the studies appeared in Nature on Thursday, while a third appeared in Friday’s edition of Science.
The research supports the previously held notion that humans originated in Ethiopia, migrating outward until they reached all parts of the globe. But, according to GenomeWeb Daily News, an online news organization focused on advanced research tools in genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics, “the genetic work brings a new level of precision to human migration studies, with each group finding subtle and intriguing details that shed light on different aspects of human genetic variation and ancestry.”
The studies offer evidence that our ancestors left what is now Ethiopia and went on to colonize North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, southern and central Asia, Australia and its surrounding islands, the Americas and East Asia.
The story of human migration revealed by DNA “compliments what’s known through history, linguistics or anthropology,” said Jun Li, the University of Michigan human geneticist who led the Science study.
According to GenomeWeb, in the largest of the three studies, a group of researchers based primarily at the Stanford Human Genome Center assessed 642,690 SNPs from 938 individuals from 51 populations. Their results, published in Science, provide a peek into the genetic variation both on a global scale as well as within relatively small geographic areas.
The research also suggests Ethiopians are the most genetically diverse, while Native American genomes exhibit the lowest genetic diversity. Middle Eastern, Asian, and European populations, on the other hand, fall somewhere in between.
“Diversity has eroded through the migration process,” University of Michigan geneticist, biostatistician, and evolutionary biologist Noah Rosenberg, said.
The study found evidence for decreasing haplotype heterozygosity in people as they moved further away from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
They also found genetic evidence for differences in ancestry within populations. For instance, some individuals from the Middle East, such as Palestinians, Druze, and Bedouins, had ancestors from the Middle East as well as Europe and parts of South and Central Asia.
The results of these studies, while intriguing from a human ancestry perspective, may also provide insights into interpreting the genetics of some diseases, since they provide a framework for understanding genetic variation.
“One of the biggest problems … is that when you don’t take population or geographic origin into account in a large genetic study for studying something like heart disease — one of the complex traits — for instance, you end up confounding the study such that you don’t actually get real signals,” senior author Richard Myers, a geneticist at Stanford University said in Science magazine’s weekly podcast.
New York – We contacted a volunteer for Senator Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign and sent our questions via email. Here is our interview with Adey Fisseha, law student here in New York and Harlem resident.
Tadias: Adey, thank you for agreeing to do this interview. We understand that you attend law school here in New York. Please tell us a bit more about yourself.
Adey: Before going to law school, I worked in DC in a number of policy positions but had never participated in politics until the 2004 Presidential elections. I was so disillusioned by the results of the 2000 election that I volunteered to go to Florida and “get out the vote” in the week immediately before the election. It was another disappointing result.
Tadias:How did you get involved in the Obama campaign?
Adey: Like many, I first heard Senator Obama speak when he gave the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I was impressed by Senator Obama’s oratory skill and was moved by his message – that we have to redraw the political map by appealing to the many issues on which a large cross section of the population agree. I decided to get involved because his candidacy is drastically reshaping how Americans view and practice politics. His vision moves us away from politics rooted on false divisions based on race, gender, ethnicity, and region towards one based on shared goals.
Adey Fisseha
In his first book, “Dreams of My Father,” Senator Obama recounts his experiences organizing among the low-income residents of Chicago’s South side. It is the skills developed working among disenfranchised people – of seeing complicated issues from multiple vantage points, bringing people who were on opposite sides of the spectrum together that I think are critical for the next President. The next President will have the monumental task of re-establishing civil and Constitutional Rights dismantled during this administration. Who better for the task than Senator Obama who taught Constitutional law and practiced as a Civil Rights lawyer.
Tadias:What is your role as a campaign volunteer?
Adey: This is a grassroots campaign. Volunteers can create their own events or participate in events that have been organized by other volunteers. For instances, on Thursday a classmate and I created a post on the Obama website that we planned to stand outside of the Union Square subway and hold up signs and hand out materials. At least 10 other Obama supporters signed up through the website and joined us. On Friday, I joined a group of people who had decided to do a visibility event outside of the 145th street subway station.
Tadias:We also understand that you have been active trying to reach Ethiopian Americans. How are you doing that?
Adey: There is a massive outreach scheduled for this weekend in Harlem. As a part of that effort we have asked Ethiopians’ who support Obama to pass out literature at the two churches based in Harlem.
Tadias:A significant number of older Ethiopian Americans, at least those that we have talked to, say that they will vote for Hillary because Obama will not win the general election. How do you answer that?
Adey: In the general election, the Democratic candidate will not only need the support of the democratic base but will also need to attract the independent vote. In Iowa and New Hampshire, Senator Obama picked up a significant portion of the independent vote. Further, he has also shown the ability to appeal to republicans. These indicate that he would make a strong contender in a general election.
Tadias:There was a high profile Harlem endorsement recently that was widely covered by the media. Reverend Calvin Butts, head of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, who led a 150 member delegation to Ethiopia this fall, has endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton. How serious a blow is that to your efforts?
Adey: I believe that Senator Obama has strong support among the residents of Harlem.
Tadias:The media is split on the question of whether Harlem is for Hillary or Obama. But a recent article by the New American Media had a headline that declared “Obama Has Harlem Locked.” Is Harlem really Obama country?
Adey: I believe that Senator Obama has strong support among the residents of Harlem.
Tadias:How can people get involved?
Adey: There are a number of ways that people can help. One: Vote. New York’s primary is on Tuesday, February 5th. Polling stations are open from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. You must be a registered Democrat to vote in the Democratic primary in New York. Every vote counts — the New York primary is not winner-takes-all. Delegates are awarded proportionally so it is critical that everyone go out and vote. If you are registered, you can vote now at the Board of Elections’ Borough Offices. The Manhattan office is located 200 Varick St., 10 Fl. Borough Offices are open this weekend and on Monday 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. and on Election Day until 9 p.m.
Two: Recruit. Talk to at least five additional people about why you support Senator Obama. Call and remind those people to vote on Tuesday.
Three: Contribute. 22 states are voting on Tuesday and buying ads, airtime, posters etc costs a tremendous amount of money. The race for the Democratic nominee is unlikely to be a decided on Tuesday as the race continues the campaign will require funds to continue to get its message out to voters. The purchase of T-shirts, sweatshirts and other items from the Obama Campaign website is also another way to donate to the campaign. To contribute go to the Obama website. To purchase T-shirts etc go to the Obama online store.
Four: Volunteer. Even if you only have an hour there are plenty of volunteer opportunities. The website lists volunteer opportunities throughout the country. New York residents can find volunteer opportunities at http://newyork.barackobama.com. Residents of other states should go to the main website www.barackobama.com and click on state.
Steven Ivory has been a music and culture journalist for more than twenty-five years. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Essence, Vibe, and The Source, among other publications. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
This article had been published on the Electronic Urban Report (EURweb.com) and the African-American Village prior to its publication here with the author’s permission in January 2003.
Steven told Tadias that Ethiopians who have read the essay have responded to him with warm words and expressions of regret.
“So many Ethiopian people have written in kindness and apology”, he said. “There is no need for this, I know that the actions of a few don’t speak for a whole race.”
We have selected this piece from our archives with a hope that it might spark a healthy debate on the issue.
My Own Kind
By Steven Ivory
For several years, I’d passed the restaurant while driving through that side of town. It looked like an interesting spot; I said I’d stick my head in there one day.
But when that day finally came, it reminded me of the scene in the movie “48 Hours,” where Eddie Murphy ventures into a bar that happens to be a white country & western joint. My arrival was not nearly as spectacular, but I did elicit my share of curious glances.
A bartender can set the mood for a patron, and the man pouring my drink was pleasant. However, our good-natured chat about the weather and the day’s headlines wasn’t enough to take the chill off this room. I casually looked around the place and couldn’t find one face that appeared to hold much love for a newcomer.
Taking another sip of my beer, I told myself that maybe it was just me. What did I expect, a welcoming committee? I reminded myself that many social establishments often react a little coolly to non-regulars. Maybe what I was feeling didn’t have a damned thing to do with anything but familiarity.
The restaurant was more than half full, but I had the tiny bar all to myself, so I was glad that two men and a woman in the mood for libations joined me. For all the acknowledgment made, though, I might as well have been invisible. When another man moseyed in and took a seat at the end of the bar, he somehow ended up in the trio’s jovial conversation. So they weren’t blind or anti-social, after all. I deduced that it had to be my cologne.
Or, just maybe, it really WAS me. And maybe I really DIDN’T come in here for just a drink and cordial camaraderie. Maybe, deep, deep down inside, I’d come in here to make some kind of point. I certainly was open to conceding as much to myself.
And so, with very little chance of my self-examination being interrupted, I sat there and gave it all serious, honest consideration – and confirmed that I truly did have honorable intentions. I figured I’d come in here, have a drink, dig the atmosphere and thus add it to my list of places to go. For reasons that evaded me, it wasn’t working out that way.
I couldn’t ignore the irony, of course – the very notion that hundreds of years later, there’d be the issue of us getting along. For many years, I’ve heard all the reasons. Inevitably mentioned are issues of culture and the idea that any problems among us are, ultimately, the residual affect of slavery in America. Did that sinister deed, besides everything else, somehow drive a wedge between brothers under God’s sun, a division that, after all these years, still remains?
And who says that we, in particular, must get along, anyway?
But we SHOULD … shouldn’t we?
Once again alone at the bar, I was pondering it all when the bartender spoke.
“My friend, may I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you come here tonight?”
I explained that I’d never been here before and I thought it adventurous to try something new.
“Just a drink? Or did you also hope to meet some of our women?”
It all sounds so offensive now, but you had to be there. His words came sincerely – out of curiosity more than anything else and, I suppose, concern. I thought about his question.
Maybe, I replied, I ventured in here hoping, perhaps, to discover some measure of kinship. Or, as corny as it might sound, just a little bit of myself.
“But it’s Friday night, my friend,” he said.
“There are many other places in this city for you to be. Would you not want to be with … your own kind?”
I know – it all could have made for some compelling banter. However, after seeking conversation over the course of two beers, all I wanted to do now was leave. I tried to pay my tab, but the bartender simply smiled.
“It is on the house, my friend,” he said.
Translation: Just leave, my friend. Please.
As a Black man born and raised in America, I’ve dealt with prejudice, racism and mistrust in many configurations. Sometimes it is subtle and other times not so subtle, and you can encounter it anywhere, from anybody. Still, it never occurred to me that I’d face any of those things on a Friday night in an Ethiopian restaurant.
From the tiny bar I gathered up my pride and headed out in search of “my own kind” – and hoped that I’d know them when I saw them.
New York – Slate Magazine reports that a story discussing HIV-positive Harlem children in the current issue of Nature Medicine, includes a photo taken in Addis Ababa, which suggests to depict the Harlem children.
The picture, showing a black toddler standing in a crib – “one of nine paint-chipped, closely packed cribs occupied by other toddlers” – was taken by photographer Klaas Lingbeek-van Kranen in Ethiopia at an orphanage run by nuns, according to iStockphoto, the stock photography house where Nature purchased the image.
The photo was published with the vague caption that read “Foster children took part in trials of AIDS drugs.”
Juan Carlos López, Editor of Nature Medicine, told Slate that he approved the photo, but was not aware that it was taken in Ethiopia.
“He says the journal’s production editors routinely identify images for it and that this particular image was not queried by the publication’s fact-checker”, wrote Jack Shafer of online magazine Slate.
“Although the image’s vague caption does not state that the scene was captured in Harlem, Lopez concedes the unnecessary confusion it may have caused.”
Big confusion, indeed. Read the full story at Slate.com.
New York – Here is a timely article: 2007 has been a difficult time for many Ethiopian-American home owners, as a large number have defaulted on their payments. However, there is a brighter side to the crashing real estate markets. In the following piece, Mesfin Ayenew, a former senior executive with Union Bank, Metrobank, Comerica Bank, First republic Bank and a developer of mixed use residential and retail developments, argues that the current bust can be a bonanza for smart investors.
Market Meltdown as a Buying Opportunity
By Mesfin Ayenew
The TV pundits and the headlines would have you believe that we are headed for economic armageddon. If you fall for such fear mongering, you would conclude that the only thing that makes sense is to sell all your assets and buy gold bullions and head for the covers.
But we have been through such scenarios many times over the last 30 years. It is precisely in times like these that the greatest opportunity exists! As one of the greatest investment minds of our time, John Templeton who created the Templeton Funds, once said that the greatest opportunities lies in times of maximum uncertainty.
Ironically, banks do not listen, let alone act upon the economic advice of the wise, like John Templeton. Instead, they are swept up along with the madness of the crowd, and lose their bearings when times look “hipper good” or hipper bad”.
Banks do not act counter cyclical to irrational behavior. Instead they fuel it. For one thing, the Government Regulatory Agencies, such as the FDIC, State and federal regulators pressure banks to cut their loses and run when there is bad news in the air and yet they seem to let them run unregulated when they lose their head and make idiotic decisions such as lending to mortgage companies that have no interest in economic prudence. To top it all, the banks see the profits the mortgage companies make and when the cycle is about to end, they too throw caution to the wind and jump in the same game. We have gone through this same scenario in the 70s, 80s, 90, and now repeated in ’07.
But look what has happened to economic growth, the values of stocks and real estate after each one of those economic panics has passed. Economic growth has been stronger and values have been higher than anyone expected. When times look good the pundits and the headlines are filled with endless optimism, and so the cycle goes on. It is said that the market is driven either by greed or fear. This is true. When the desert winds of fear have passed, most people will say, “I wish I had bought then!”
Advise You Can Bank On:
When the market is hot, banks lend excessively to developers. Since developers pay themselves a hefty sum of money from the loan proceeds while they are in the process of developing the real estate project, they have every incentive to keep building regardless of the over supply of inventory in the market.
In addition, the builders get their construction loans based on the future values of the condominiums or houses they propose to build. Therefore, they have every incentive to paint a rosy picture of demand for their products at ever higher prices as if prices go up in a straight line without any corrections. Herein lies the opportunity.
When economic reality hits, the banks panic; the regulators are embarrassed for not having done their job and the developers lose their credit supply and are pressured to sell their inventory as fast as possible. If the pressure is too high and the developer can not service the debt, they will simply give the property back to the bank. The bank regulators step on the accelerator and force the banks to write down the loan to what they believe is the “real” economic value of the units of inventory which of course is likely to be an over correction. If the bank ends up owning the inventory of condos, they are forced to report every quarter as to what actions they have taken to reduce the amount of inventory they are holding in their problem loan portfolio. This means the banks will take whatever measure they can to sell the units.
This will be the best time for you to negotiate with the banks or for that matter with the developer while they are under pressure from the banks to unload their inventory.
If the bank owns the condominium project, then the bank is paying for all the expenses of running the building such as taxes, utilities, insurance, security, maintenance and so forth. Since the bank now own inventory at a lower value than the developer estimated, and since they have the added burden of paying for all the monthly expenses, they have all the incentive in the world to bend backwards to sell the units to anyone that ventures to ask. You can buy the units at a much lower prices than the developer has been asking.
More importantly, you can ask the bank to finance the unit below market rate and you can ask the bank to pay the home owners association fees for your unit for a number of years or until the building is sold out! That can take several years. If you are among the first buyers in a development project, you may be able to negotiate as much as 5 years of no home owner’s association fees!
What all this means is that you are buying at near the holding cost of the bank which is probably 30% to 40% lower than the developer’s asking price and you get the bank to carry the home owner’s monthly fees for an extended period of time. When the market swings back you would already have built equity. When, once again, everybody begins to be swept up with greed, you will be in a position to cash out and wait for the next economic panic!
This strategy works best when the project is a big building complex where it takes the bank several years to unwind their ownership in the building. This is not about chasing one-off foreclosed properties that is hyped up by brokers just to get you in the door.
— Mesfin Ayenew holds MBA from Drucker Management Center of Claremont University. His career in banking includes senior executive positions with Union Bank, Metrobank, Comerica Bank and First republic Bank. He also served as a senior executive with Worldspace Corporaton, a global satellite company. He develops mixed use residential and retail developments. He lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife and three children.
New York – U.S. Senator Barack Obama’s Kenyan grandmother told Reuters that her grandson is “full of surprises” and will come back from defeat in New Hampshire’s primary to become the first black U.S. president.
“I know my son will be number one because he is very bright,” Obama’s grandmother said from Kenya, where a contested election has led to riots. “He keeps a lot of secrets and is full of surprises. I am very confident he will win the race and become president.”
Just a week ago, Senator Barack Obama’s commanding victory in Iowa grabbed the attention of the world, and it seemed that Americans were being swept away by Obama’s promise of change.
Obama’s dramatic triumph has fired the imagination of Americans of all stripes and political beliefs. Whites, African Americans, Asians, Latinos, Native Americans – men and women, young and old – Democrats, Independents and Republicans are all beginning to think out loud that maybe – just maybe- we might be ready for the first black President.
Left – Obama’s Kenyan grandmother. Right – Senator Barack Obama meets his grandmother Sarah Hussein Obama at his father’s house in Nyongoma Kogelo village, western Kenya, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006. (AP Photo)
Even the Kenyans downsized their violence to cheer for Obama. According to Time Magazine, one of the more remarkable stories of the Obama campaign has been playing out behind the scenes as Obama has been working to calm things down in his grandmother’s homeland, where a disagreement over ballots have led to riots and instability.
Obama called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice On January 1, the day after violence rocked the Kibera slum in Nairobi, where hundreds have died in rioting over disputed presidential elections. Rice returned the call the same day and Obama spoke to her on the road from Sioux City to Council Bluffs, Iowa. She asked him to tape a Voice of America message.
The Kenyans apparently got the message. Presidential challenger Raila Odinga, who says President Mwai Kibaki rigged polls to win re-election, was quick to claim that Obama was his cousin. But, Obama’s uncle made a slight correction. “Odinga’s mother came from this area”, he told the press. “so it is normal for us to talk about cousins. But he is not a blood relative.”
Obama’s father was born and raised in a small village in Kenya, where he grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British. Obama Senior later won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his education in America at the University of Hawaii. It was there, during their school years, where Obama’s parents met. His mother was also a student there. The two separated and Obama’s father eventually returned to Kenya, where he worked as a government economist until he died in a car crash in 1982. Obama grew up with his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983.
“Of course, it’s not just in Kenya where Obama has cousins in high places”, writes Joshua Keating on a blog by the editors of Foren Policy. “Vice President Dick Cheney is also a distant cousin of Obama, according to his wife Lynne.” “There is always a black sheep in the family,” Obama joked at a recent campaign speech. “It doesn’t help that you put my cousin, Dick Cheney, in charge of energy policy.”
Obama is hugged by his American grandmother Madelyn during high school graduation ceremonies. His grandfather is at right. Source: obamabarack.blogspot.com
And what do Ethiopian Americans think about all this? Meaza Siraj from Minnesota posted the following description on the Ethiopians for Obama, a community blog on the Obama ’08 official campaign website: “More than 2000 people were able to attend in this cold winter weather… when it comes to Barack, no excuse is good enough to stay behind. His vision to this country is something you wouldn’t miss. His dream is the people’s dream. His campaign is a movement for change.”
“With a ballot, not a bullet, Iowans took a shot at the status quo and delivered a might blow for change—a shot that is being heard around the world today,” writes another supporter.
Under the headline Why I am voting for Obama?, a blogger, with the alias VA4Obama, on the Ethiopians for Obama site shares his enthusiasm: “While there are some offering immeasurable experience in this art of scorched earth combat, Barack Obama offers a chance to break free from the experience of discontent and replace it with the novelty of hope…”
And back at home in our neighborhood….people respect the Clintons here in Harlem, where the Clinton Foundation is located. But New American Media recently posted an article which included the following editor’s note:”If Harlem’s opinion still matters in the African American community, this groundview snapshot shows Sen. Barack Obama pulling ahead of New York rival Sen. Hillary Clinton.”
New York – With a half-mile left in the ING New York City Marathon women’s professional races today, 2004 champion Paula Radcliffe, 33, of Great Britain ran one step ahead of Ethiopia’s Gete Wami, who had followed her closely for the entire race.
It ended in the same order. Radcliffe won after a dramatic duel with Gete Wami, who finished second, good enough to claim the first-ever World Marathon Majors (WMM) title and its $500,000 jackpot prize.
Two-time defending champion Jeļena Prokopčuka of Latvia came in third.
Gete Wami and Jelena Prokopcuka were the only two athletes with a real chance of winning the World Marathon Majors jockpot prize of $500,000. Gete came into the race leading with a total of 65 points and Jelena was second with 55 points. Berhane Adere, also from Ethiopia, was tied in second place with Prokopcuka at 55 points, but she did not compete in New York City Marathon.
Prokopcuka would have won the title if: she was second and Wami placed fourth or lower, or she was third and Wami placed below the top five.
But, the coveted prize went to Wami, who placed second at 2:23:13. And Prokopcuka finished the race third place at 2:26:13. Radcliffe, the British world-record holder covered the 42.2-kilometers through the five boroughs of New York City in 2:23:09.
“I’m so happy to be the first World Marathon Majors winner,” said the 32-year old Wami, according to the Bangkok Post, which quoted a story on the majors’ website. “I came to New York to win the jackpot, and I did it. The race felt good and I’m happy.”
Paula Radcliffe, 33, of Great Britain ran one step ahead of Ethiopia’s Gete Wami, who had followed her closely for the entire race. Photo: ING New York City Marathon
Radcliffe, who was returning after a two-year break to have a child—and then to recover from a stress-fractured sacrum that resulted from the birth—also simply loves to race.
“It was great fun today,” she said. “Way more than crosstraining in a pool. And I’m just so glad to be back.”
It was a competition among friends. Wami had commented about Radcliffe prior to the race: ““I consider myself to have grown with Paula since our track and cross country days, and I’ve appreciated our competition over the years.”
From left: Jeļena Prokopčuka of Latvia, Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain, and Gete Wami of Ethiopia. Photo: ING New York City Marathon
Gete Wami’s strong showing today comes only 35 days after winning the Berlin Marathon.
Gete Wami, racing 35 days after winning the Berlin Marathon, finished second, clinching a $500,000 prize for the women’s World Marathon Majors title. Photo: ING New York City Marathon
Wami’s 500,000-dollar prize will be awarded on Monday in New York by the consortium of the World Marathon Majors, an organization of five major marathons – Boston, Berlin, London, Chicago and New York – set up two years ago.
The inaugural Marathon Majors covered the races in New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin and London in 2006 and 2007, plus the world championship race this year in Osaka.
The awards will be made to Wami and the men’s aggregate winner, Kenya’s Robert Cheruiyot, who secured his half-million-dollar jackpot with two wins in Boston plus first place in Chicago 2006 and fourth place there this year.
———————————— Wami v$. Prokopčuka: Battle for $500,000
By Tadias Staff
New York – Two-time defending champion Jeļena Prokopčuka of Latvia (above left) and World Marathon Majors (WMM) Series leader Gete Wami of Ethiopia are among the ING New York City Marathon 2007 favorites, according to ING NYC Marathon’s website.
Both are aiming not only to win the race but also to claim the first-ever WMM title and its $500,000 jackpot prize.
2007 real,- Berlin Marathon champion Wami, 33, arrived from her home in Ethiopia today to prepare for her race on Sunday. Berlin was only five weeks ago, and her attempted double is unprecedented among top-level professional runners, who typically run only one or two marathons per year. Everyone is wondering what kind of shape she’s in.
Heading into this second major fall marathon, Wami says, “I was happy I was able to win in Berlin. Had Berlin worn me out, I wouldn’t be here.”
When asked specifically about her physical condition coming into New York, ”I am well prepared to compete in this race,” Wami says.
She eased up at the 30K mark in Berlin to cruise in for a 2:23:17 win.
Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia (left) and World Marathon Majors (WMM) Series leader Gete Wami of Ethiopia (right). Photo: ING NYC Marathon
In a testament to the WMM Series, which was created to increase the visibility of professional marathon running worldwide, Wami noted that “yes, the fact that the WMM Series was taking place was an important factor in my decision to come here to New York.”
But she maintains a respect for the physical realities: “I have to listen to my body and know what it is telling me.”
Having fared well on flat, fast courses in the past, Wami is counting on her experience with this course (she placed seventh here in 2005, after giving birth to her daughter, Eva, now 4), and her training on flats, uphills, and downhills back home, to carry her to victory this year. “I know it’s tough terrain, and each athlete’s stamina will be a deciding factor,” she said.
Prokopcuka, 31, has achieved star status back home in Latvia, where she says, “people pay more attention to running now” after her second victory. Coming off her two wins here in New York, and a strong second-place finish at the Boston Marathon in April, she is ready to break the tape in New York yet again.
“The [ING] New York City Marathon is my favorite,” she said today, adding, “it is really exciting for me to have a chance to win for the third time and win the World Marathon Majors [Series].”
Prokopcuka is well aware of her second-place status in the WMM standings and the fact that there is only one race left to decide the winner of the $500,000 prize purse. With a three-peat in New York, Prokopcuka would add her name beside Grete Waitz, the only other woman able to best this race more than twice and also become 2006-2007 WMM Series victor, a title that will be presented for the first time on November 5. Challenger Wami has set her sights on the very same title. Only one woman can win.
Prokopcuka and Wami are quick to mention the other top contenders entered in Sunday’s race, especially world record-holder and ING New York City Marathon 2004 champion Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain.
“[The competitive field] will make November 4 exciting for me,” said Prokopcuka. “These women, especially Paula, don’t like to run slowly.” Wami commented, “I consider myself to have grown with Paula since our track and cross country days, and I’ve appreciated our competition over the years.” Also affecting the race on Sunday, world champion Catherine Ndereba and Boston’s reigning champion, Lidiya Grigoryeva will be taking the field.
“It’s a pretty complicated matrix of who ends up where. But each runner controls her own destiny if she wins,” said ING New York City Marathon race director Mary Wittenberg.
Wami leads the WMM Series with 65 points right now, and Prokopcuka is right behind her with 55. If either Wami or Prokopcuka takes the gold in New York, the champion of the five boroughs will also earn the WMM Series crown. Prokopcuka will win the title if: she is second and Wami places fourth or lower, or she is third and Wami places below the top five. In the case of a tie, the first WMM title will go to the winner in head-to-head competition, and Prokopcuka will take the coveted prize. In any other race-day situation, with Wami placing top-five, in a scoring scenario, she will take the WMM Series crown. But with two titles on the line this Sunday, only the race itself will provide definitive answers.
The 38th ING New York City Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, November 4, 2007.
The race through New York’s five boroughs (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan), unites dozens of culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhoods, passing over five bridges, and finishing up at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
The event attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $600,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and 315 million worldwide television viewers.
New York – Kassahun Kabiso (above), the top New Yorker to finish the race in 2003, 2004, and 2006, will participate in the 38th ING New York City Marathon on November 4, 2007.
The race through New York’s five boroughs (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan), unites dozens of culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhoods, passing over five bridges, and finishing up at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
Kabiso, 23, who was profiled by the New York Times two years ago, is from Awassa, a lakeshore town about 130 miles south of Addis Ababa. He left behind 16 brothers and sisters in 2002, and eventually ended up at the “Mecca for African runners in New York: the Westchester Track Club.” His fellow Ethio-New Yorkers and running mates from the Bronx include, Worku Beyi, 20, and Demesse Tefera, 24.
“The Africans come, they arrive, they fall from the sky,” Coach Mike Barnow, founder of the club, told the New York Times.
“Who knows how these runners get here, but they get here.”
The Ethiopian headliner at this year’s event is the reigning Berlin-Marathon champion Gete Wami, who is poised to take home $500,000 champion’s prize purse that will be awarded to the winner of the inaugural 2006–7 World Marathon Majors series, according to ING NYC Marathon’s website.
Currently ranked second in the WMM points standings behind Latvian favorite Jeļena Prokopčuka (Winner of New York City Marathon in 2005 and 2006) , Wami will have a chance to vault into first place in New York without winning gold, that is if Prokopčuka does not finish first.
Wami, a three-time Olympic medalist on the track, has a marathon personal best of 2:21:34, set in Berlin in 2006. She placed second at the 2007 Flora London Marathon and was seventh in New York in 2005, her only previous appearance in the race.
The ING New York City Marathon is one of the world’s great road races, drawing more than 90,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $600,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and 315 million worldwide television viewers.
Publisher’s Note:We ran this article on Wednesday,
October 17th, 2007. Today’s edition includes photos by
Stuart Tyson (courtesy of WWO) from the gala. Enjoy!
Co-Chairs Janet Kagan and Mary Knobler announced that the organization had raised approximatley 1.4 million dollars.
Dr. Aronson and Mary-Louise Parker
Tony award-winning actress Mary Louise Parker presented the Honorary Orphan Ranger Award to Supermodel Liya Kebede for her work in promoting maternal health in developing nations, while ABC news co-anchor Cynthia McFadden presented another Honorary Orphan Ranger Award to Silda Wall Spitzer, First Lady of New York and founding chair of the non-profit Children for Children.
Liya Kebede after being presented the Honorary Orphan Ranger
award by Mary-Louise Parker.
Silda Wall Spitzer also received the Honorary Orphan Ranger
Award
Cynthia McFadden presented the Honorary Orphan Ranger Award
to Silda Wall Spitzer
Katie Couric, anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News, introduced Jane
Aronson, founder of Worldwide Orphans Foundation.
Katie Couric, anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News
Aronson said she was proud to announce the opening of the WWO Academy in Addis Ababa, the same day as the gala in New York. The kindergarten offers schooling for children with HIV.
The gala program was interspersed with vignettes showcasing previous orphan rangers, who are medical students, health professionals and therapists who gave their time to working with orphanages in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa.
The event included entertainment by Tony-award winning Broadway stars Christine Ebersole and Donna Murphy, and the cast of Grease on Broadway.
The cast of Grease on Broadway.
Tony-award winning Broadway stars Christine Ebersole and Donna Murphy.
Liya Kebede with Dr. Aronson’s son Desalegn. She received the Honorary Orphan Ranger Award
New York – U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA), founded by Ethiopian-American social entrepreneur Ted Alemayuhu, presented its 1st Annual New York Gala Benefit last night, October 17th, at Cipriani Wall Street (55 Wall Street), honoring extraordinary philanthropists, including Russell Simmons (Chairman/CEO, Rush Communications).
Dr. Judy, Ted Alemayhu, Russell Simmons and USDFA’s Anthony Severini and Lee Sorensen. Photo by Johnny Nunez
The evening included a performance by Alex Band of The Callingand teen band Creation, messages from screenwriter John August and USDFA founder Ted Alemayhu; as well as a video presentation by fromcomedian/actor/producer Bill Maher (HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher). The evening also featured a live auction and four-course gourmet dinner.
Founder of USDFA Ted Alemayhu with the cast of “Guiding Light.” Photo by Johnny Nunez
“This event is one of many”, says Ted Ted Alemayhu, Founder & CEO of USDFA. “Including a recent benefit in Los Angeles honoring actor Chris Tucker—helping us bring 200 mobile clinics to African citizens in rural areas where medical services are currently unavailable.”
The Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has joined forces with USDFA and is overseeing the project by helping arrange all logistical needs and necessary governmental partnerships.
The first mobile clinic being deployed to Ghana was onsite last night for guests to tour.
Volunteer medical staff Carmen Walker gave tours of the mobile clinic; General Counsel of Ghana Joseph Ngminebayihi; Ted Alemayhu and USDFA’s Lee Sorensen. Photo by Johnny Nunez
Celebrities and VIPs that attended included honorees Russell Simmons, Warren Rosen (Founder/Chairman, Rosen Companies and Harmony Insurance Brokerage), Eric Pulier (Executive Chairman/CEO, SOA Software) and Paul Hunter (Founder/CEO, Hunter Manufacturing LTD), as well as screenwriter John August (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle”), USDFA founder/CEO Ted Alemayhu and performer Alex Band (of The Calling).
Russell Simmons, guest and Ted Alemayhu outside mobile clinic. Photo by Johnny Nunez
Other guests included Leighton Meister (co-star of “Gossip Girl” & USDFA Host Committee
member), director Bret Ratner, Yankees alum Jim Leyritz, Miss Info (on-air radio personality Hot 97 FM, “MTV News”), Shon Gables (Host, “Black Enterprise Business Report”), cast members of “Guiding Light”: Ricky Paull Goldin, Nicole Forrester, Michelle Ray Smith, Jessica Leccia, Caitlin Zandt, Marcy Rylan, Rachel Smith (Miss USA 2007), and Liben Eabisa (Founder & Publisher of Tadias).
Ted Alemayhu and Dr. Judy inside the mobile clinic being deployed to Ghana. Photo by Johnny Nunez
Tickets for the event ranged from $500.00 – 1,000.00 per seat.
New York – Ethiopian-born celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson is introducing an exclusive line of professionally styled cookware, manufactured by Regal Ware Worldwide.
The new stainless steel cookware line named Marcus, which will be available at major retailers this fall, is aimed at the home chef who wants to prepare food like a professional.
“After cooking for so many years I wanted to make a switch in my cookware. There are far better stoves with higher heat appearing in home kitchens and I wanted to create a product to match,” says Samuelsson.
“MARCUS Cookware embodies my vision for every home chef to have the best products for their culinary experiences. More and more, real working pots and pans are being displayed in kitchens. Home chefs should be proud of their tools – that’s why I created such a sleek and contemporary line of cookware.”
Marcus Cookware is manufactured and distributed by Regal Ware Worldwide, the leading manufacturer of high quality stainless steel cookware in the United States. “We are pleased to partner with a chef of Marcus Samuelsson’s caliber in bringing this product to the retail market,” said Jeff Reigle, President and CEO of the Wisconsin based company. “MARCUS cookware reflects our tradition of offering the world’s finest cookware to promote the health and wellness of families today.”
Photo courtesy of Regal Ware Worldwide
According to a press release by Regal Ware Worldwide, a portion of all proceeds from the sale Marcus cookware will be donated to charities close to Marcus Samuelsson, which help to improve children’s lives.
The Marcus Cookware line consists of two Covered Stock Pots (8 quart and 5.4 quart); three Covered Sauce Pans (3.5 quart, 2 quart and 1 quart); two Covered Sauté Pans with Helper Handle (11.75 inch and 10 inch); three Fry Pans (11.5 inch, 10 inch, 8 inch); and a Pasta Set. Every item can be used on gas, electric, ceramic glass and induction stoves.
Born in Ethiopia, Marcus was adopted at age 3 and raised in Sweden. By the time he was 6, Marcus was spending countless hours in his grandmother’s kitchen, watching and learning from her. At 14, Marcus enrolled in cooking school, going on to apprentice in France, Austria and Switzerland. At the young age of 23, he became Executive Chef of Aquavit restaurant in New York City. Today, Marcus Samuelsson is recognized as one of the premier chefs throughout the world. From the James Beard Foundation to the culinary Institute of America, Marcus has received more accolades than most chefs receive in a lifetime.
Photo courtesy of Regal Ware Worldwidemarcuscookware.com
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New York (Tadias) – Yes, Beyoncé is slated to appear in Ethiopia this week.
According to the singer’s upcoming international tour dates published on her website, the 26-year-old R&B star is scheduled to perform at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on October 17, 2007.
It was rumored during the summer that Beyoncé would appear in Ethiopia on September 12, 2007 (The day ushered in the new millennium according to Ethiopia’s ancient calendar). Instead, the big party in Addis Ababa featured a headline performance by US hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas, which was attended by several heads of state, including Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.
It is not clear how much the Grammy Awards winner is paid for her appearance in Ethiopia. The summer rumors inlcluded a figure of one million dollars (plus pay for the transportation of her band and equipment).
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles rose to fame as the creative force and lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny’s Child, the world’s best-selling female group of all time.
Beyoncé performing “Listen” during her The Beyoncé Experience tour in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
She also achieved success in the film industry, starring in such Hollywood films as the 2006 comedy The Pink Panther and the 2006 musical film Dreamgirls, which earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations — one for acting and other for the song.
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On Thursday, March 23, 2006, Ted Alemayhu (above), Founder & CEO of U.S. Doctors for Africa, became the first Ethiopian to ring the closing bell on NASDAQ.
By STAFF WRITER
Los Angeles – U.S. Doctors for Africa, a California based non-profit organization, founded by Ethiopian-American social entrepreneur Ted Alemayuhu, will hold its annual gala in New York City on October 17th at Cipriani on Wall Street.
Last year’s gala was held at the World Bank building in Washington, D.C.
This year’s event will highlight USDFA’s Mobile Clinic project that is set to start late November 2007 in partnership with the government of Ghana.
According to the event’s website, the Vice President of Ghana will be among other hot shots attending the event.
The gala will honor music and fashion mogul, Russell Simmons, and three other extraordinary philanthropists.
Russell Simmons at Emory University. Photo by Brett Weinstein. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution.
He is the fourth richest Hip-Hop entertainer, having a net-worth estimate of $325 Million. He is only behind Jay-Z at $547 Million, 50 Cent at $440M now (estimated 800M after 2008), and P Diddy at $358M.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Simmons joined 22 other top executives in the apparel and home fashions industry to form Fashion Delivers Charitable Foundation, Inc. to unify the apparel and home fashions industry to donate new product to help needy individuals and families who fell victim to one of the USA’s worst natural disasters. In supporting the new charity, Phat Farm underwrote a t-shirt design contest with 100% of the proceeds going to Fashion Delivers.
The other honorees include Eric Pulier, Chairman & CEO of SOA Software, Paul Hunter, Founder & CEO of Hunter Manufacturing, and Warren Rosen, Founder & Chairman of Rosen Companies and Harmony Insurance Brokerage.
USDFA is a non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing volunteer U.S. doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals in order to fulfill the overwhelming medical manpower needs across the African continent.
On Thursday, March 23, 2006, its Founder & CEO Ted Alemayhu became the first Ethiopian to ring the closing bell on NASDAQ.
Ted Alemayhu, Founder and CEO of US Doctors for Africa, signs in at the Closing Bell. Thursday, March 23, 2006
As one of the few internationally respected young Humanitarian leaders, Ted Alemayhu envisions a future for Africa in which it produces and invests the economic wealth, intellectual capital and human resources required to provide medical care to its entire people.
Among numerous honors and recognitions, Ted has been praised and recognized by Head of States of African Nations, Members of Congress and Senators, The World Bank and The IMF, former Secretary General Kofi Annan, former President Clinton, NASDAQ, as well as numerous Head of Corporations and Foundations.
New York – 3.3 million years ago, a three year old girl died in present day Ethiopia, in an area called Dikika. Though a baby, she is providing us with unique accounts of our past as a grand mother would! Her completeness, antiquity, and age at death combined make this find unprecedented in the history of paleoanthropology and open many new research avenues to investigate into the infancy of early human ancestors.
Through his Dikika Research Project (DRP) in the Afar desert of Ethiopia, he found Selam, the earliest known skeleton of a hominid child of the species Australopithecus afarensis. She is a member of the same species as Lucy, discovered nearby in 1974.
Alemseged’s research program focuses on the discovery and interpretation of hominid fossil remains and their environments with emphsise on fieldwork designed to acquire new data on early hominid skeletal biology, environmental context, and behavior.
In the following video from Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED.COM), he talks about what he has found and how Africa holds the clues to what makes us human.
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Born in 1973, Fikru G/Mariam has been practicing art ever since his parents enrolled him at the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts children’s program at the age of eleven.
In 1986, he takes part in the children’s competition organized by the International Children’s Painting Exhibition in Beijing, wins a reward and what was at the beginning just a hobby became a real passion.
In 1995, he graduates from the School of Fine Arts and decides to dedicate his life to full-time painting. At that time, most of his works were concentrated on religious and traditional african themes.
Fikru in his Paris Studio – 2005
After traveling in the Harrar region and in Northern Ethiopia, Fikru finds new sources of inspiration, especially in Harari women. According to him, those women are “highly decorative in the way they dress and do their craft” (The Reporter, 03/10/1999). The Dream – 120×120 cm – Oil on canvas – 2004. Upcoming shows – 2007: solo exhibition National Museum, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 2007: May 1-30: solo exhibition, Galerie François 1er, Aubigny sur Nère (18700), France. Opening on May 5th at 5pm. 2008: summer: Galerie Alternance Guy Lignier, Hardelot, France.
Blue dream 100×81 cm Oil on canvas 2004. Painting by Fikru G/Mariam (Addis Ababa & Paris).
Over time, his style has diversified: some depict stylized, elongated African masks, richly decorated.
Between 1995 and 2003, he has exhibited 13 times in Addis Abeba, the last one was at the National Museum of Addis Abeba in February 2003. Fikru also showed his works abroad. In 1999, he exhibited for one month in Dublin (Ireland) and between 2002 and 2005 he exhibited 9 times in Paris and in different parts of France. In 2003, he participated in a group exhibition in Maryland (USA) and in November 2004 he will exhibit in Washington DC. In 2005, he exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in Paris.
Now, Fikru shares his time between Addis Abeba and Paris. His works are displayed in many private collections in Ethiopia, France, Ireland, Spain, Germany, England, United States, Canada, Cap Verde, South Africa, Italy, and the Netherlands. Leran More about Fikru .
Related Stories:
London – In pictures: Ethiopia’s forgotten archive (BBC)
An exhibition of previously unseen photographs from Ethiopia between 1963 and 1982 is opening in London as the country marks its millennium celebrations. They were taken by Shemelis Desta who was the official court photographer for Emperor Haile Selassie. See More Photos, Click Here
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Photo from Tadias archives: Hot Shots from Seattle – Ethiopian-born Yaddi Bojia, member of the Crucialites reggae band, performing at the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle, Washington.
Seattle Ethiopians to mark millennium with 3-day event For local Ethiopians, new year brings hope for peace (The Seattle Post via MSNBC)
Other large U.S. cities also will mark the millennium. Seattle’s will last from Friday through Sunday at Warren G. Magnuson Park, where thousands are expected to participate in fireworks, a soccer tournament, dancing and a symposium of scholars. Read More
San Francisco: FREE CONCERT – Ethiopian millennium, Welcome 2000, Welcome peace
A special concert to wish for peace among Christians, Jews, and Muslims will be presented
on Saturday, September 15, 2007, 7:30 pm, at Temple United Methodist Church, located at 65 Beverly Street in San Francisco. This is near San Francisco State at the intersection of Junipero Serra and 19th Avenue. It’s on the Muni M-line and the 28. Seating is limited so call 415- 586-1444 to reserve.
Boston: The Either/Orchestra with Mulatu Astatke, Hana Shenkute, Setegn & Minale
Saturday, September 29, 8:00 PM
Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square
Somerville, 02145
Reserved seating
$28.00 (includes Somerville Theatre $1.00 restoration fee)
Over the past decade, the Either/Orchestra has been creating a unique sound that blends the exotic and melodic music of Ethiopia with the orchestra’s trumpets, trombone, saxophones, keyboards, bass, drums and Latin percussion. For this rare concert, the ten-piece band will be joined by very special guests Mulatu Astatke, Ethiopia’s most famous instrumentalist and composer of the haunting music featured in the Bill Murray and Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers; renowned singer Hana Shenkute; Setegn Atanaw on masinko (Ethiopia’s signature one-string violin) and Minale Dagnew on krar (a five-string Ethiopian lyre). Learn More.
Arts on Foot 2007 Outdoor Street Festival
Saturday, September 15
Rain or Shine
11:00am – 5:00pm
FREE
8th and F Streets, NW
Metro: Gallery Pl-Chinatown
Marking its 15th anniversary, Arts on Foot is a one-day, multimedia Festival that kicks off the fall arts season in Downtown DC’s Penn Quarter. Incorporating visual art, music, theatre, dance, film, and creative cuisine, it’s an interactive celebration the whole family will enjoy. With a lively outdoor street festival as its centerpiece, Arts on Foot also invites you to explore the neighborhood’s museums, theaters, galleries, cultural organizations, and shops. From traditional classics to cutting edge, Arts on Foot offers something for the arts and food lover in everyone! Read More.
Atlanta: Above: Chachi (www.chachi.info.) The Atlanta Ethiopian Millennium Festival.
Activities include music (reggae and African), dance, traditional Ethiopian New Year’s performances, free coffee in traditional tents, and an African market.
September 8, 2007
$10
Woodruff Park
Peachtree Street at Auburn Avenue
Atlanta GA 30303
Phone: 410-375-9931
Website: www.ema2000.com
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Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose) Ethiopian Millennium Celebration in the Bay Area
“This year’s New Year’s celebration, hosted jointly by the San Jose group and the Ethiopian Community and Cultural Center of Oakland, aims to bring together families and friends who live miles apart in the Bay Area.” – Oakland Tribune
At San Jose City Hall, the green, yellow and red Ethiopian flag will fly alongside the American flag Sept. 7 through 14, proclaimed Ethiopia Week last year in San Jose.
In Oakland, Sept. 11 was proclaimed Ethiopia Day two years ago.
Los Angeles Above:Little Ethiopia in Los Angeles, located on Fairfax Avenue between Olympic and Pico Boulevards. is the first neighbourhood in the U.S. to be named after Ethiopia. Ethiopian Millennium Celebration in Los Angeles
September 15-16th
FREE
Rancho La Cienega Sports Complex
5001 Rodeo Road (LaBrea & Rodeo)
Website: www.ethioy2kla.org
Washington DC Above:Mahmoud Ahmed, winner of the BBC Radio Awards for World Music from Africa, and Neway Debebe, Ethiopian pop favorite, will team up at the DC Armory on September 8, 2007, for the Ethiopian Millennium performance. Organizers have dubbed the event: Once In a Thousand Year. Once In a Thousand Year
September 8, 2007
DC Armory
Tickets: Ticketmaster.com
Millennium Ethiopia Art Exhibition
Opening Reception
September 10, 2007
Howard University
Blackburn Art Gallery
Starting 6:00PM
Exhibition will remain open until October 10, 2007 Curated and Coordinated by Roberta McLeod &Mekbib Gebertsadik
Webiste: Millennium Ethiopia Art Exhibition
People light fires as they celebrate the approach of the Ethiopian Millennium at a stadium in Addis Ababa, September 11, 2007. Photo by Radu Sigheti (REUTERS)
People cheer behind a security line as the Black Eyed Peas entertains the crowd during celebrations of the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa, September 12, 2007. Photo by Barry Malone (REUTERS)
Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas entertains the crowd during celebrations of the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa, September 12, 2007. Fireworks burst over Addis Ababa and couples kissed as crowds cheered the “end of the dark ages” in Millennium celebrations, seven years after the rest of the world according to their ancient calendar. Photo by Barry Malone (REUTERS)
Two men shout from the top of a van during celebrations marking the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa. Photo by Radu Sigheti (REUTERS)
Women dance during celebrations for the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa. Photo by Radu Sigheti (REUTERS)
A man carries a goat for slaughter during celebrations for the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa, September 11, 2007. Soldiers stood guard, partygoers changed into national costume, and goats were slaughtered in the countdown to Ethiopia’s celebrations to ring in the new Millennium seven years after the rest of the world. Photo by Radu Sigheti (REUTERS)
People pose for photographs in front of a sign marking the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa, September 11, 2007. Fire crackers popped, goats were slain and thousands of Ethiopian partygoers danced into the final hours of the old Millennium. Photo by Radu Sigheti (REUTERS)
A man arranges a banner marking the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa September 10, 2007. Using a different calendar to the West, huge crowds of Ethiopians shimmied to traditional music at a free concert to see in the 21st century, seven years after the rest of the world. Photo by Radu Sigheti (REUTERS)
An acrobat entertains the crowd gathered for the celebrations of the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa. Photo by Radu Sigheti (REUTERS
A man waves a flag as vehicles stop on the streets during celebrations marking the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa. Photo by Radu Sigheti (REUTERS)
Ethiopian Millennium celebration events & photos from around the world
In pictures: Ethiopia’s forgotten archive (BBC)
An exhibition of previously unseen photographs from Ethiopia between 1963 and 1982 is opening in London as the country marks its millennium celebrations. They were taken by Shemelis Desta who was the official court photographer for Emperor Haile Selassie. See More Photos, Click Here
This week we highlight MIKE-E, a multi-faceted Ethiopian-born artist from Detroit, Michigan. He has performed on HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry and was part of the Detroit Slam Team to the 2002 National Slam Poetry Championship.
His work as a model has appeared in several national publications, including Vibe, The Source, XXL, and Rolling Out. Detroit’s Metro Times once wrote of him: “He looks like a model, talks like an activist…he’s the type of cat folks get mad at just for having the whole package. But dude’s too focused to pay attention.”
MIKE-E has teamed up with the American Cancer Society to present the 2007 Afroflow tour, an anti-tobacco initiative aimed at historically black colleges and universities.
His single, Ethiopia (Everything Will Be Alright), is Tadias’ music video of the week!
New York – The big party in Ethiopia featured a headline performance by US hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas, which was attended by several heads of state, including Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame. So who are these guys?
They’ve transcended their vigilant hip-hop roots and have become a global phenomenon, the likes of which the music world has rarely seen. Ever-curious and ever-confident, that group is The Black Eyed Peas, and after energizing crowds ’round the globe with the monster-stomp of Elephunk, it’s time for the quartet (William, Fergie, apl.de.ap and Taboo) to get down to business – Monkey Business, that is.
Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas entertains the crowd during celebrations of the Ethiopian Millennium in Addis Ababa, September 12, 2007. Fireworks burst over Addis Ababa and couples kissed as crowds cheered the “end of the dark ages” in Millennium celebrations, seven years after the rest of the world according to their ancient calendar. Photo by Barry Malone (REUTERS)
2003’s Elephunk was a breakthrough album for The Black Eyed Peas, vaulting them to a level of success unparalleled by any other hip-hop group. The accolades are quick to recite: 7.5 million albums sold worldwide, 4 Grammy nominations, 1 Grammy award, and an unforgettable performance on the 2005 broadcast. But fitted with loose rhymes, buoyant anthemic funk and an ebullient live spirit, the album also heralded a new sound for the modern age – one that is inspired by hip-hop, eschews boundaries and inhibitions, and cuts across ages, races and backgrounds. It is a sound that can be described only as One Nation Under A Black Eyed Peas Groove.
But if Elephunk was the group being crowned prince of the castle, then Monkey Business, their fourth album, is The Black Eyed Peas conquering the throne to become King. It is an album that further intensifies their passion for making music together, for connecting with their audience through the most fundamental ways: making people have a good time. It is a credo that has inspired the group since they formed in the late 1990s, earning their keep in the nurturing environment of Los Angeles’ vibrant hip-hop underground. Even then, the group possessed a magnetic spirit that helped them establish a worldwide following through their first two albums, 1998’s Behind The Front and 2000’s Bridging The Gap.
The group was in Ethiopia earlier this week, where they delivered another unforgettable performance to usher in the new millennium.
Here is the video: Black Eyed Peas at the millennium bash in Ethiopia
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Melbourne, Australia – My favorite subjects to photograph are Ethiopians and their beautiful & colorful ways of life. Ethiopian youth in Melbourne, Australia, organized a festival to celebrate the New Millennium. Here are images from the event.
We braid it, cornrow it, plait it, dread it, straighten it, relax it, flat iron it, curl it, put in extensions, put in a weave, fade it, and grow out an afro. What do we NOT do to our hair?
Hair may seem like a simple feature to many people. However, I’ve noticed that hair has turned into a feature with social and political issues surrounding it. Watching movies like “Barbershop,” I began to notice to a larger extent how central a role hair plays in many communities. It goes without saying that in African and African diasporic communities, actual hair and the process of doing hair provide plenty of stimuli for conversation and social gathering. When I first moved to the United States and to Stanford, one of the points on which I could immediately relate to other black students was hair. For one, I discovered that a lot of us shopped at that whole separate aisle at Wal-Mart for “ethnic hair products”. Hair is a point of commonality across Africa and the African diaspora.
I can trace back my first memories of awareness of my own hair to the day I got my first Barbie. I must have been 4 or 5 years old. This Barbie had long, straight blond hair like most dolls that were available on the market at that time. (This was always a point of confusion for me growing up in Ethiopia since I was always busy trying to figure out why their hair did not look the way mine did.)
As soon as my mom gave me the doll, she told me not to put her in water because that would ruin her hair. And right after my mom left, I plunged the doll in water and her hair came out looking very raggedy. Then, I asked my aunt to help me blow-dry and straighten it before my mom came back. I’m still not sure what compelled me to do that, but I do know that it shows a level of awareness and understanding about the importance of hair in the society I was raised in. That doll was to go through several forms of torture in my possession, eventually having all her hair shaved off and her head pulled off her neck. Needless to say, my mother was not impressed with the way I handled my toys.
The hair issue also came up in a more academic setting, my Popular Culture in Africa class. Looking at ads circa the 1960s advertising hair perms and relaxers, we came up with the idea that by straightening, relaxing or perming their hair, black people were trying to appear white.
Growing up in Ethiopia, issues dealing with race had never played a major role in my life. After my first year in the United States, however, I found myself reflecting a great deal more upon racial matters. When describing the United States to people back home, I often found myself using the word “racialized.” The hair issue became a sub-category of this racialization.
In my classes at Stanford, Madam C.J. Walker was lauded for being the first African-American woman entrepreneur and millionaire, but criticized for creating hair products that further led to a dislike of typically “African” traits among African- Americans. And I was thinking: Hold up, I know I have a perm in my hair and I straighten it occasionally, does that mean I’m trying to appear white? I knew there was no such intention in the back of my head. So what were these people talking about?
A girl in my Popular Culture in Africa class broke it down for me that fateful day when we were discussing those ads. I realized that I straighten my hair for the same reason that I braid it or leave it curly . . . because I like the way it looks! There is no deeper psychological process to this, it’s pure and simple popular culture. I don’t know what the roots of this “fashion” are. But regardless of roots and origins, black hair fashion today is not an imitation or fabrication; it is its own entity unlike anything before. It evolves with the times and is sometimes a reflection of the times and other times it just looks good.
The 70s brought the black power movement and Afros worldwide from New York to Paris to Dakar. The 80s and 90s brought the popularization of a spiritual pan-African consciousness and dreadlocks became popular. 90s hip-hop culture made cornrows acceptable as a fashionable hairstyle, and not just a hairstyle for those bum days. And although a lot of these hairstyles and dos can be traced back to what people on the African continent have done for centuries, each generation has added its own twist and flair to make black hair what it is today.
Love it or hate it, hair is more than just fashion in today’s world. It is social, cultural, political, you name it. And that is what makes it all the more interesting. Entire political statements are made through hair (think dreadlocks in the Rastafarian movement). In the film “Barbershop”, for instance, it provides a setting for social and intellectual gathering.
All I know is next time I go to have my hair braided, straightened or twisted, I’m going to look into it a little deeper.
About the Author: Meklit Workneh is a graduate student at Yale University. She wrote this piece when she was a junior at Stanford University. The article was first published on Tadias in the spring of 2004.
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Dream, by Jennifer Wade, participating artist at the Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour. Wade is an artist and an art therapist based in New York City.
New York – Here is a show you won’t want to miss this weekend: The 3rd Annual Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour is scheduled for Saturday, October 6, and Sunday October 7, 2007.
The event features two notable Ethiopian-Americans: Harlem resident artist Tesfaye Tessema (62 West 120th Street) and newly arrived and emerging artist Helina Metaferia.
Tessema (Tess as he is known in Harlem), whose work is also on display at the Schomburg (Black Art: Treasures from the Schomburg, May 12, 2007 through December 31, 2007 Latimer/Edison Gallery), stands as the only contemporary Ethiopian artists to display his artwork at established institutions like the Guggenheim Museum in New York. His art has been exhibited at various universities throughout the U.S. as well as internationally in France, Germany, England, Japan, and many other countries.
Above: By Tesfaye Tessema. Harlem Ber, mixed media.
In her article entitled “Bridging Cultures Through Art: A Harlem Moment with Tesfaye Tessema”, Tseday Alehegn, editor-in-chief of Tadias Magazine, wrote: “Walking through Harlem with Tess two things become quickly evident: The first being that this neighborhood has, as the artist tells us, “a feeling of home.” And the latter, that his love for this community fuels his art.” Photo by Liben Eabisa
The other artist, Helina Metaferia, a new Harlem resident and an emerging artist from Washington D.C, whose work is also part of an exibit honoring the Ethiopian Millennium in the United States Congress ( Hosted byRep. Mike Honda, October 10, 2007 5-7pm at 1300 Longworth HOB), was the featured guest artist at the Addis Heights Millennium Arts Exhibition Series in Harlem last spring.
Above:Helina Metaferia. Photo by Matthew E. Above:Free Womban, acrylic, pastel and charcoal on paper, 18” x 24”
Open studio events have become a staple of many artistic communities, allowing hundreds of neighborhood residents and visitors to see where and how contemporary works of art are conceived. Art lovers have a chance to meet the artist in a relaxed atmosphere and learn about the creative process directly from its source. By bringing visitors directly into artists’ studios, the event creates an awareness of the culture of modern Harlem.
With help from Cuba by the end of the 1970s Mengistu
presided over the second largest army in sub-Saharan Africa.
Photo by Shemelis Desta(BBC)
By Rebekah N. Kebede
Editor’s Note: In 1979, under Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile-Mariam, the Ethiopian government sent thousands of Ethiopian children to Cuba to be educated. Cuba, an ally of Ethiopia in the Ethio-Somali war, offered housing and education for war orphans. The Cuban government accepted 2,400 Ethiopian students, aged seven to fourteen, to study at Escuelas Secundarias Basicas en el Campo (basic rural secondary schools) – on the small island of Isla de la Juventud.
Photographer Aida Muluneh is filming a documentary, The Unhealing Wound, about their lives in Cuba. Earlier this year, Tadias interviewed her about the film.
Above:Teenage Ethiopian Girls in Cuba
TADIAS: How did you become interested in the “Ethio-Cuban” story?
AIDA: I went to a group photo exhibit in Havana in 2003 and prior to my trip I had heard about the Ethiopian students in Cuba. After searching for them, I finally met around 30 students who had been in Cuba for over twenty years. It was an amazing experience meeting these fellow Ethiopians. I soon realized that I had to come back. So in 2004, I went back and begun interviewing them to start telling their story and also to help them get out of Cuba.
Above:Ethiopian boys in Cuba
TADIAS: Why haven’t they left Cuba? And why haven’t they returned to Ethiopia?
AIDA: They have had the opportunity to leave Cuba and return to Ethiopia; however they have no means of supporting themselves in a country they left twenty years ago. There is no incentive for them to go back to Ethiopia and resettle because life would be just as difficult, if not worse in Ethiopia. As for other countries i.e. Europe or North America, the remaining student just recently qualified for their UN refugee number. This basically means that they can get in line for a chance to immigrate to those countries.
TADIAS:This was a coordinated effort between the Cuban and Ethiopian governments. What efforts did Cuba make to help Ethiopian immigrants adjust to Cuba?
AIDA: The Cuban government has been extremely supportive within their means from day one. Even prior to the students arriving, Cuba played an instrumental role in helping Ethiopia during the Ethio-Somlia war. Therefore, upon the student’s arrival, the children were given the basic necessities in order to become acquainted with life in Cuba. One thing that needs to be put into perspective is that as a young child, it is difficult to adjust to any place that is foreign, especially when one is so far away from home. The Ethiopians expressed to me that as children they had missed their country more then anything and I believe this yearning to return is what made it extremely difficult for many. The Cubans have gone above and beyond in providing support to the Ethiopians to this day.
Above:Teenagers in Cuba
TADIAS: Although The Unhealing Wound focuses on those Ethio-Cubans still in Cuba, I understand there have been a number who have managed to leave Cuba and live elsewhere. When did they leave and where do they live now?
AIDA: In addition to providing primary education, the Cubans have also educated University students during this time period. For many of the Ethiopian students who attended universities in Cuba they have managed to return back to Ethiopia and find viable means of supporting themselves. In fact during the Derg period, many of the students that completed their education were given housing and job opportunities upon their return to Ethiopia. However, after the fall of the Derg government, many of the students felt that returning back to Ethiopia would lead to further economic hardship. In 1991, the Soviet Block fell and many of the students begun leaving to countries such as Spain, Greece, Holland, U.S., etc. I am not exactly sure how many returned to Ethiopia and how many went to other destinations. My assumption is that the greatest number of Ethiopian-Cubans are in Spain.
Above: Aredo. Photo by Aida Muluneh
TADIAS: Is there a network of Ethio-Cubans abroad that help others still in Cuba to immigrate to other countries?
AIDA: As far as I know, there is no organized effort by Ethio-Cubans that continuously assists the Ethiopians to leave Cuba and resettle to a third country. Although it is a tightly knit community in Cuba, once abroad, it’s more so through the efforts of individuals helping new comers than an established network.
Above:Motbaynor. Photo by Aida Muluneh
TADIAS: What kind of relationship do Ethio-Cubans have with Cuba? Do they identify in any way as Cubans?
AIDA: From my observation of the Ethio-Cubans, there is a special relationship between the Cubans and these Ethiopians. It is clear that they still identify themselves as Ethiopians but they have fully taken on Cuban mannerisms and cultural habits in the ways they interact with others and express themselves.
TADIAS: You mentioned that many Ethio-Cubans faced challenges in adjusting to their new environment when they moved to Cuba. What were some of those challenges?
AIDA: The challenges were similar as any immigrant faces when they arrive to a new country, but imagine that through the eyes of a ten year old. The first problem that they had was the climate. The temperature was a big issue. They were moving from the highlands of Ethiopia to a tropical island. The second was the food. The food in Cuba consisted of pork, rice and beans in contrast to eating Injera their whole life. Then, of course, language and homesickness were major issues.
Above: Teddy. Photo by Aida Muluneh
TADIAS: You left Ethiopia as a child as well. Is there a relationship between your interest in the Ethiopian students in Cuba and your own experience?
AIDA: There was definitely a relationship to my life. I went to boarding school at a young age in Cyprus away from my family. One of the things that attracted me to the whole story and enabled me to empathize with them was the struggle I faced as a child who felt alone in a foreign land.
Above:Filmmaker Aida Muluneh
TADIAS: Does the Ethio-Cuban story fit into the themes that you address in your photography work?
AIDA: My beginning as an artist is in photojournalism and this story at first was supposed to be a series of photographs about these Ethiopians. However, I decided that their story was too compelling to be told solely in still photography. The Unhealing Wound is an exploration of themes that captivate me as a photographer and a filmmaker. It all comes down to capturing life and in this case it is capturing our past history and also documenting the history as it is happening. I hope that thirty years from now, anyone can look back at this film and have a better understanding of our struggles, triumphs and sacrifices as Ethiopians in the landscape of the immigrant life.
TADIAS: What is the current status of the film?
AIDA: We are hoping to release the film in the spring of 2008. I am currently in the process of collecting more interviews and archival materials to complete the story. Most recently The Unhealing Wound received fiscal sponsorship from IFP, an organization that is in the forefront of providing support for independent filmmakers to cultivate their artistic endeavors.
I left Ethiopia at the age of thirteen. After a 29-year absence, I returned to my native land as a photographer eager to capture the vibrant memories of my youth. I arrived to find an unfamiliar Ethiopia. The trees had disappeared. Wildlife that had crossed the roads not far from the region where I grew up was absent. Many of the ancient religious sites were crumbling away. Unemployment, relocation, political differences and health concerns had reshaped the lives of the population. Devastated, I didn’t know where to begin documenting my dreams.
I traveled farther away from urban areas into the countryside. I thought about those who had given their lives for Ethiopia through wars, poverty and sickness. Gradually, I rediscovered my purpose and created a body of work that expressed my feelings. There were times when the photographs seemed to find me. I became attached to the images and realized that it was my responsibility as an Ethiopian photographer to honor the beauty that remains. Unfortunately, time did not allow me to capture every region of the country.
Above:Roadside market in the fog, kombolcha
Ethiopia is in crisis and needs alternatives to burning wood for fuel. A country once covered by trees has only a small percentage of forest left. In each region, new, indigenous trees must be planted to replenish the land. Deforestation continues to cause flooding and soil erosion. In a couple of decades, Ethiopia will become a desert incapable of rejuvenating itself. The animals and vegetation will be gone. The Ethiopian people will not be able to sustain themselves.
I want my images to inspire a call to action. We can still save this extraordinary habitat. I hope these photographs of Ethiopia allow you to hear with your eyes and see with your ears.
Above: Inside Abune Aron Church
Above: Gate keeper of Zege Kidane Mihiret monastery
—– About the Author: Ethiopian-Born Andarge Asfaw, a graduate of the Hallmark Institute of Photography, is an award-winning commercial and fine art photographer based in Washington, D.C. His New Book, Ethiopia From The Heart, is available at:www.ethiopiafromtheheart.com
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NEW YORK — On September 15, The Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, one of the oldest African-American institutions, announced that it’s continuing its 18-month bicentennial celebration by returning to its roots — Ethiopia.
This journey is a core component of a series of major events and activities commemorating the
church’s 200th anniversary in November 2008.
Ethiopia, which follows the Coptic calendar (seven years behind the more common Gregorian), is poised to celebrate the Millennium on Steptemer 11, 2007.
In 1808, after refusing to participate in segregated worship services at a lower Manhattan church, a group of free Africans in America and Ethiopian sea merchants formed their own church, naming it Abyssinian Baptist Church in honor of Abyssinia, the former name of Ethiopia.
In 1954, former Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie I, presented Abyssinian’s pastor, Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., with the Ethiopian Coptic Cross. This cross has since become the official symbol of the church.
Above:Emperor Haile Selassie presenting the cross
to Reverened Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., on May 27, 1954.
Photography by Marvin Smith.
“As we celebrate 200 years of Abyssinian Baptist Church as an empowering center of spiritual and community transformation, we are eager to embark upon this befitting journey to our native land of Ethiopia, especially during this time of the Ethiopian Millennium,” said Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, pastor of Abyssinian.
“The African-American church has long been a galvanizing force in the active building of beloved
communities in the United States. We seek to further advance that cause as part of our global mission – gaining first- hand knowledge during our pilgrimage that will aid in our consideration of a viable, long-term course of action supporting the people and progress of Ethiopia.”
During the trip, Dr. Butts and members of the 150-person Abyssinian pilgrimage will assess economic, health, education and social needs of the Ethiopian people to determine how The Abyssinian Baptist Church can specifically apply its resources to encourage advancement in the country.
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian American social entrepreneur Ted Alemayuhu, Founder & Chairman of U.S. Doctors for Africa, will be one of the featured keynote speakers at this year’s Annual Health Disparities Conference at Columbia University in New York on Saturday, March 8th, 2008.
The two-day conference, which opens Friday, March 7th, at Teachers College will provide an opportunity for varied professionals to gain exposure to evidence-based approaches to reducing/eliminating health disparities and moving society toward equity in health for all, in addition to state-of-the-art practices being utilized by practitioners, according to TC’s website.
The event in 2007 featured Professor Cornel West as keynote speaker.
“It is a great honor and privilege to be invited by Columbia University to be a keynote speaker”, Mr. Alemayuhu told Tadias.
“The event is being hosted by the ‘Teachers college’ at the university and every year they host a similar conference highlighting global health. This year the focus is Africa and they have chosen USDFA to be a key highlight of the conference.”
Asked for details, Mr. Alemayuhu said his keynote address will focus on USDFA’s mission.
“I plan to present the organization’s mission and vision as well as current and upcoming projects”, he said. “Particularly, our mobile clinic initiative”.
Above:Ted Alemayuhu, Founder & Chairman of U.S. Doctors for
Africa, will be one of the featured keynote speakers at this year’s
Annual Health Disparities Conference at Columbia University in
New York on Saturday, March 8th, 2008.
According to the University, the annual conference concept was created as an annual project organized by the Research Group on Disparities in Health within the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, while enjoying support from the Center for Educational Outreach and Innovation (CEO&I), and numerous co-sponsors. The goal of the conference is to foster movement from current inequity in health to equity in health as a mission spanning the 21st century by beginning with disparity reduction, while aiming toward disparity elimination as goal to be reached, perhaps by the end of the century, according to the conference website.
“We are expecting the conference to be a dynamic setting for the discussion of global health issues, such as HIV/AIDS, as well as approaches to closing gaps in health being pioneered in places such as India and Africa, and across the United States”, said a statement posted on the conference website.
“Toward this end, our keynote speakers include: Ted M. Alemayhu, the founder and chairman of U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA), a non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing volunteer doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals to fulfill the overwhelming medical manpower needs throughout the African continent.”
New York, (Tadias) – The first Ethiopian-American owned online money transfer company, announced that it will start operations next month.
BirrituExpress.com, the Pennsylvania based company, owned by Global Financial Exchange Holdings LLC, aims to tap into the growing Diaspora remittance back to Ethiopia.
“Birritu Express was created by Ethiopians to meet the specific needs of the global Ethiopian community, said the company’s press release sent to Tadias Magazine. “It is designed to be the most inexpensive, convenient and secure way to transfer funds to Ethiopia from abroad.”
The Ethiopian Diaspora’s annual income is estimated to be tens of billions of dollars , about equal to Ethiopia’s gross domestic product, according to Precise Consult International, organizers of The World Bank and USAID backed annual Ethiopian Diaspora business conference. Crude calculations using remittance figures ($1.1 billion in the first 9 months of 2006 & 2007 alone) show that the gross income of Ethiopians in the Diaspora is in the range of 10-20 billion dollars per year, roughly equal to the home country’s GDP of $13 billion in 2006.
Birritu faces stiff competition from industry giants like Western Union and Money Gram. But, the new company says it’s prepared for a fair competition.
“In the past Western Union has been the primary fund transfer player in Ethiopia based on an exclusive relationship with the Ethiopian government”, said the press release. “That relationship ended on June 1st which opened the door to competition.”
According to the company, which has already established links with Banks and the national Postal Service in Ethiopia, it intends to provide better and efficient service, while offering customers lower transaction fees.
“Typical transactions via BirrituExpress.com will cost much less than the western and traditional competitors in Ethiopia,” Dr. Munir Idriss, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, told The Reporter in Ethiopia last week.
“We will be a worthy competitor in being able to arrange fund transfers through the convenience of personal computers, lower fees, and top security. Recipients pay no fees and can receive transferred funds at hundreds of convenient locations throughout Ethiopia.”
According to the COO, the company will charge $8.29 for transferring one hundred dollars, while its transfer fee for sending five hundred dollars is set at $10.29. However, he suggested that the company reserves the right to adjust its service fees based on the dynamics of the market.
“We may, in accordance to the market and in considering the capacity of our customers, adjust our service fees”, he warned. “But the fees will always remain better and competitive ones. We will also transfer funds computing against the best exchange rate, thereby increasing the benefit to the recipient.”
The Company has partnered with PayQuik, provider of money remittance technology for Banks and money transfer companies. “Our proprietary programs have taken the worry out of cross-border fund transfers by incorporating industry-leading security features.” says Jeff Slowik, PayQuik’s senior Vice President.
As a standard feature, PayQuik encrypts all Birritu Express electronic fund transfer data. All costs are known at the time of the transaction and the sender can personally track the funds until they arrive in the hands of the recipient.
According to Dr. Idriss, the company will adhere to the US regulatory compliance requirements – US Patriot Act, Anti-Money Laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, as well as the laws of Ethiopia and regulations of the National Bank of Ethiopia.
The electronic money transfer business was started by Western Union in 1871.
Above:By Steve Donnelly. The Sidewalk: acrylic on canvas; 24″ x 30″. Featured Piece.
New York: The Girls Gotta Run Foundation, Inc., raises money to buy athletic shoes for Ethiopian girls to support their participation in sports and help them continue their formal education.
In her December 2005 Washington Post article (“Facing Servitude, Ethiopian Girls Run for a Better Life”), Emily Wax pointed out that Ethiopian girls’ enrollment in school is among the lowest in the world, and women and girls are more likely to die in childbirth, due to early marrige, than reach sixth grade.
Ethiopia also has the highest rate of vaginal fistulas, a tearing of the vagina during childbirth that requires painful reconstructive surgery, often unavailable, in the world; and one of the largest caseloads of AIDS, forcing many girls to quit school to care for sick or widowed relatives.
Today, however, seven of the 10 top-earning athletes in Ethiopia are women.
Many girls and their parents have begun to see careers as professional runners as viable options in a country where girls as young as 12 can be sold as brides by parents desperate for dowry payments.
Many who train in order to stay in school and keep their options open, can, with the help of caring others, overcome many of the obstacles in their way.
Getting athletic shoes, however, is tremendously difficult. Inspired by their spirit and determination, and moved by their plight, a group of artists and committed others came together in early 2006 to form an organization to raise money to buy shoes for the girls; the Girls Gotta Run Foundation was born.
The group has organized an exibition at Phoenix Gallery in New York titled “Shoes, Shoes, Shoes”. The show will open on September 5, 2007.
Above:By Kay Bailey. Run a Mile in Her Shoes: quilt; 18 x 18″, with pictures on it including a linoleum cut printed onto cotton with acrylic paint and two photographs printed on cotton with an ink-jet printer. The quilt was machine pieced and sewn with free-motion stitching. Featured Piece.
Inside the Fistula Project (Tadias, OCT-NOV 2003)
“It is the oldest medical cause in the world. There is currency dug out of pyramids containing images of fistula, yet in the 21st century it is the most neglected cause,” Dr. Catherine Hamlin tells us. While the last American hospital for fistula patients closed its doors in 1895, the first one of its kind opened almost 8 decades later in Ethiopia. Since its inception in 1974, the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital founded by Dr. Reginald and Catherine Hamlin has treated over 25,000 women, the majority of whom have been cured and have returned to their villages to live healthy, normal lives. Inside the Fistula Project
New York – “From the 16th to the middle of the 19th centuries, virtually the whole of the Middle East was under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire”, writes Dr. Negussay Ayele, a California based author and Ethiopian scholar in his article: Ethiopian Monks maintain the only presence by black people in Jerusalem.
“When one of the Zagwe kings in Ethiopia, King Lalibela (1190-1225), had trouble maintaining unhampered contacts with the monks in Jerusalem, he decided to build a new Jerusalem in his land. In the process he left behind one of the true architectural wonders known as the Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela.”
A new documentary film titled Lalibela–Wonders and Mystery by Addis Film Production will screen in New York this weekend (Sunday, October 28, 2007, Purina Screening Room, 245 West 54th Street. Show time: 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm. Ticket Price: $10. More info: 201.220.3442).
The film examines, with help from scholars, the mystery behind the design and architecture of the churches. The geometric precision of the construction of the Rock-hewn Churches still amazes modern architects. The sewage system is still intact. Some major events of the bible are symbolized and are part of the architecture of the churches.
Above: Ted Alemayhu and Dr. Judy inside the mobile clinic
being deployed to Ethiopia. New York. October 17th, 2007.
Photo by Johnny Nunez.
Tadias Exclusive
By Liben Eabisa
Published: February 14, 2008
New York (Tadias) – The following is an exclusive interview with Ethiopian American social entrepreneur Ted Alemayuhu, Founder & Chairman of U.S. Doctors for Africa. His organization presented its 1st Annual New York Gala Benefit last fall, at Cipriani Wall Street (55 Wall Street), honoring extraordinary philanthropists, including Russell Simmons, Chairman & CEO of Rush Communications.
USDFA will hold a press conference next week in Washington DC in partnership with The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to introduce its Mobile Clinic initiative to the US Government and other international entities dealing with Africa’s health care issues. Ted Alemayuhu told Tadias: “I am happy to say that we are ahead of schedule and our first clinic will be on its way to Ethiopia soon.”
We spoke with Ted in Los Angeles and also had a chance to ask him about his views on the current U.S. elections.
Ted Alemayhu. Photo by Johnny Nunez
Tadias: Ted, it’s great to have you back on Tadias.
Ted: Glad to be back! I’ve always admired the service that Tadias is providing to the Ethiopian Diaspora as well as Ethiopians back home.
Tadias: U.S. Doctors for Africa recently held a high profile gala here in New York at Cipriani on Wall Street, honoring extraordinary philanthropists, including Russell Simmons. How did that go?
Ted: It went very well. Being our first event in the New York area, we’ve exceeded our expectations. I was impressed by the great turn out and the overwhelming support we’ve received from the people as well as from the local and national media. Besides honoring extraordinary individuals such as Russell Simmons for their great community service and support of US Doctors For Africa, our guests were inspired by our Mobile Clinic program; the first of which to be deployed to Ethiopia soon.
Tadias: We understand that you plan to hold a press conference next week in Washington DC in partnership with The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. What announcements should we expect at the press conference?
Ted: Well, the main purpose of the press conference is to introduce our Mobile Clinic initiative to the US Government and other key stakeholders on Africa’s health care matters. During the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), we made a commitment to launch 200 mobile clinics to various countries across the African continent by the year 2020. I am happy to say that we are ahead of schedule and our first clinic will be on its way to Ethiopia soon.
Tadias: What is the mobile clinic initiative?
Ted: The Mobile clinic initiative is a unique approach to the growing demand for health care delivery and services across the African continent. As most people know, that over 85% of Africa’s population live in “rural” areas – far from big cities where most health care institutions and providers are based. Unfortunately, the majority of the people who are dying of “treatable” and “preventable” diseases are those who live in a rural settings. Our hope is that by introducing mobile clinics as a key tool in the health care delivery effort, we expect to play a life-saving role by bringing health care where the people live.
Tadias: USDFA has other projects in several African countries, including Ethiopia. Can you tell us about your projects, besides the mobile clinic initiative?
Ted: Absolutely. We are engaged in several countries in Africa as well as here in the United States where we continue our effort to provide health care services to the people affected by hurricane Katrine and Rita.
As far as in Africa, we continue to expand our services to more countries. Currently, we are developing projects in Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, and in South Africa.
Ethiopia is our first partner country on the mobile clinic initiative. I am impressed by the overwhelming support from the ministry of health as well as other health officials in the country.
Tadias: We have learned that you will be a keynote speaker at this year’s Annual Health Disparities Conference at Columbia University here in New York on March 7th, 2008. Can you give us details for our readers who might be interested in attending the event?
Ted: Sure. First and for most, It is a great honor and privilege to be invited by Columbia University to be a keynote speaker. The event is being hosted by the “Teachers college” at the university and every year they host a similar conference highlighting global health. This year the focus is Africa and they have chosen USDFA to be a key highlight of the conference. I plan to present the organization’s mission and vision as well as current and upcoming projects…particularly, our mobile clinic initiative. The conference is open to the public – for more info they can go to Teachers college, Columbia University, website.
Above: Ted Alemayhu and Dr. Judy inside
the mobile clinic being deployed to Ethiopia. New York.
October 17th, 2007. Photo by Johnny Nunez.
Tadias: Does USDFA have any plans to endorse a candidate in the current presidential election?
Ted: The organization have no desire to participate in any political activities. Although we wish the best of luck to all candidates (Democrats and Republicans), we remain focused on our work.
Tadias: This question is not intended to you as Chairman of USDFA, but as an individual, as an Ethiopian American. How do you feel about this historic election?
Ted: Well, it is rather impressive and encouraging as well. It is also exciting to see a woman and an African candidates going head to head for the presidency. Regardless of who wins the party nomination, it is history in the making.
Tadias: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Ted: Well, yes. I would like to simply encourage everyone to do what they can in helping our beloved country – Ethiopia!
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Welcome back to Tadias TV!
Here is an Ethiopian Millennium song that has been making the rounds on You Tube and other music websites. It was played on 97.8 FM in Addis for the special Millennium music program.
We asked Maki Siraj (vocal) from Harlem to tell us about the Millennium Song project.
Maki: I got a call from Chachi that she wanted to do a song for the Ethiopian Millennium and asked me if I’m interested. So, I got on board and introduced to Isaac Haile Selassie and we hit it off! We decided the song will be a gift to our beloved country on her 2000 Year B.Day! Many talented artists and Musicians got involved from East and West coast, amazing musical talents: Isaac Haile Selassie who produced it, Chachi who wrote the lyrics and I am on vocal and vibes. The song was recorded in three different cities: New York, Atlanta, and California. All the music was recorded at Hughe Drive in California and all the musicians were from “The North Huntington Beach” Neighborhoods.
Credits: Chachi Taddesse (Lead Vocal), Isaac Haile Selassie (Songwriter/Vocals/Producer), Maki Siraj (Vocal), Shawn Taylor (Chief Engineer/Producer/Perc./Vocal), Pasquale DeRosa (Bass), Phil Simpkin (Guitar), Kristen Wyma(Flute), Bryan Watson (Trumpet), George Ordonez (Sax), Beza Taddesse (Backing Vocals), Joey Jonson (Backing Vocals), Kevin Bayless (Pick Guitar), Carlton Menues (Engineer-New York), Oga Otumala (Engineer-Atlanta), Tosin Bamgdose (Piano)
The way Henok Tesfaye’s mother smiles as she serves up some spicy doro wat in her U Street restaurant wasn’t part of the business plan that got Tesfaye a $35,000 microloan. But it’s certainly part of the result.
The story of how Tesfaye, who immigrated from Ethiopia at 16, was able to give his mother her own restaurant begins in the mid-1990s. Taking college courses and valet-parking cars in downtown Washington, he dreamed of bigger things. “While I was working, my mind always wanted to open my own business,” he says.
At 24, he had enough savings to rent a parking lot near 12th and U streets NW for $800 a month. But back then, in 1998, it was such a rough block that few people wanted to park there. So he turned half the space into a used-car lot, buying vehicles from nearby auto auctions and putting up for sale three or four at time. He made just enough to pay the bills.
In 2000, a potential buyer — a fellow Ethiopian, like most of Tesfaye’s customers — said he planned to finance his purchase with a loan from the Ethiopian Community Development Council’s Enterprise Development Group. When Tesfaye called to check, he learned of the group’s microfinance program and was told he could probably qualify for a loan.
Months later, he applied. EDG staffers pulled his credit history and reviewed his business plan. He told them that he wanted to expand and needed financing to enable him to bid on contracts to operate parking garages and open a second used-car lot.
“I tried maybe a couple of banks. They said, ‘No, you don’t have good business history.’ I was not in business for enough years,” Tesfaye said.
But EDG gave him a chance. Putting up a used Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Maxima and a Jeep for collateral, Tesfaye got a $35,000 loan at an interest rate of about 11 percent in 2003. He used it to buy more used cars — Hondas, Toyotas and Fords, he says, priced between $3,000 and $4,000 — and open a second small dealership in Bladensburg. He paid off the loan early.
The car businesses did well and Tesfaye’s cash flow increased. Relatives who immigrated to Washington joined his company. When a younger brother graduated from college, he helped oversee the business.
Today, Tesfaye’s company manages the 1,000-car parking lot at the old Washington Convention Center, as well as valet parking for several Washington area restaurants and clubs, including Fogo de Chao and Republic Gardens. His 50 employees are mostly immigrants, mainly from Ethiopia and Mauritania.
At 32, Tesfaye spends most of his time being a boss. But just in case he’s needed at one of the locations, he still keeps a red valet jacket in his car.
“I came to this country with no money, and I’m okay. I have a good life, you know,” he said.
Which brings the story back to his mother, Tiwaltengus Shenegelgn. Two years ago, Tesfaye and a brother made enough money to try a different kind of investment — they bought their mother a place at 9th and U streets NW. She turned it into a stylish Ethiopian restaurant called Etete, her Amharic nickname. The chicken dish called doro wat is a specialty of the house. The proprietor’s broad smile is a bonus.
“I am very happy to have my restaurant,” Shenegelgn says, clasping her hands before her chest.
Models pose for the Ethiopian Millennium Tee by Bernos. Read about Bernos’ Ethiopian Millennium PhotoShoot.
By Ayele Bekerie, PhD
“Ethiopia has existed for 3,000 years. In fact, it existed ever since the first man [person] appeared on earth.” (Emperor Haile Selassie responding to an interview question by Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci on Sunday, June 24, 1973).
A Japanese historian observes that those who control their time, control their destiny. As we approach our millennium, it is appropriate to take inventory of our time, our historical time. How old are we? What is the significance of the human fossil discoveries in the Afar region of southeast Ethiopia that are dated in millions of years? How can we integrate different reckoning of time by our people into an Ethiopian sense of temporality? Such questions, responses to them and the consensus we reach are useful in shaping the present and planning for the future. The purpose of this article is to rethink the Ethiopian sense of time and to suggest an alternative organization of it.
Since the middle of the twentieth century, our understanding of historical time has changed, thanks to the scholarly works of archaeologists, paleontologists, historians, biologists, and geologists. Our sense of time has been stretched to seven digits into millions. Even though we are preparing for a grand celebration of the Ethiopian millennium, we all agree, thanks to the works of paleo-anthropologists, our time begins with the beginning of humanity. The evidence obtained from the Afar region, among other useful sites in the vast Rift Valley, suggests that southeast Ethiopia may have been the cradle of human beings. In other words, our sense of time has expanded beyond the 2000 years we want to acknowledge with grand celebration. Simply put, we are a million years old people. Such a time scale should help us to place our present language based differences in a proper perspective. We are time-endowed people with a claim to uninterrupted long human development.
Reckoning of time in the past, primarily concentrates on the events and traditions of northern Ethiopia. Of course, we salute the contribution of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the establishment and keeping of the time period that we know as Amate Mehret (Year of Mercy). We are grateful to them mapping out a time scale that embraces our conception and understanding of werat (months), ametat (years), and zemenat. We are also appreciative of the Church for the maintenance of Zemene Fitrit (Era of creation). Just as we recognize the diversity of our people, it is equally important to recognize the diverse reckoning of time by Ethiopians. Thanks to the Ethiopian Muslim chroniclers, time and events in the lowlands, coastal regions and in the southeastern part of the country have been recorded based on Islamic calendar. The Oromos have Gada system of time and community organizations based on age-grade. There may be numerous other ways of time reckoning in our country and we should study them and find ways of incorporating into our Ethiopian collective sense of time.
As I pointed out earlier, it is increasingly becoming clear that our sense of time has been greatly influenced by the discovery of early human fossils in the southeast part of the country. Dinqnesh (She has multiple names, including Lucy) has permanently registered in our psyche a sense of ancestral and resultant diversity. We do not argue about the ethnic origin of our eponymous ancestors. Time has placed them at the center of our origin and it will not be honest if we fail to include the ancestors in our calculation of self and community regardless of our immediate identity. Besides, Dinqnesh (Lucy) is the mother of all mothers and all the 6 billion people on earth can claim her. She is the universal ancestor and it is exciting to note that our beginning, given its universal dimension, as I stated earlier, is postmodern, postpositive, if I may use the discourse of our age. The tribal and ethnic entity that we currently debate about is subdued by time. Time ties us together.
A full-sized model of Dinqnesh (Lucy), the 3.2 million-year-old member of the Australopithecus afarensis, is displayed at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, Texas, on Aug. 29, 2007. Photographer: Craig Hartley/Bloomberg News
To organize our time, we may want to establish four general divisions: millions, thousands, millenniums, and centuries. Millions refer to the time period for the emergence of our ancestors. The foundation of our diversity is established during this period. Our ancestors moved in and out of our motherland in search of suitable locations for habitation. Significant human evolution has also taken place during this period.
Thousands coincide with the emergence of modern human beings. Researchers such as Sileshi Semaw have found reliable evidence to affirm our modernity. During this time, there was a movement out of Africa to populate the rest of the world. The process continued until thirty or forty thousand years ago.
Millenniums are regarded as a revolutionary period because the ancestors of this period succeeded in domesticating plants and animals. They were even credited for establishing one of the original sources of plant and animal species. Thanks to their diligent work, we now have four main occupations associated with our ecology: grain producers, meat and milk producers, inset producers and fishers. Oral traditions have also identified, together with some recorded history, the period as time of empire and international trade. Here I am particularly referring to Queen Makeda and her journey to Jerusalem.
Centuries are a time period measured in centuries. This is the period of great written and oral records. It is a period of events, including reorganization, tumultuous interaction, royal rule and egalitarian social formation. As we transition to the Ethiopian millennium, we should strive to cultivate participatory democracy.
Let me make another observation regarding the Ethiopian chronology or detailed recorded time lines of our past. The study of ancient Egypt begins with ancient Egyptian chronology, which was developed by Manetho in the third century B.C., at least 2, 800 years after the establishment of the first dynasty. Manetho identified thirty Egyptian dynasties in the historical period of 3100 years. The dynasties were divided into three major kingdoms: old, middle and new Egyptian kingdoms. Regardless of the location of the capitals of the dynasties, they always remained Egyptian dynasties and not Memphite, Thebite, or Napatan dynasties. The benefit of the Egyptian chronology is that it ties all the dynasties as one historical epoch. This is not what we find with Ethiopian chronology.
The name of the chronology shifts with the changing capitals of the Ethiopian rulers. We have chronological time calculated on the basis of events that took place in the northern part of Ethiopia, such as Damot, Aksum, Zagwe, Gondar, and Shoa. Even then the names of the different periods in the chronology give an impression as if there is no continuity or relations.
Furthermore, the chronology does not present the whole historical time encompassing all Ethiopian historical events. I am proposing to reckon and organize Ethiopian time in such a way that we will have Ethiopian Time I at Afar (4.4 million years to 18, 000 years), Ethiopian Time II at Teffland, Ensetland, and Pastoral land (18, 000 years to 1, 000 years), Ethiopian Time III at Damot (1,000 years to 300 BCE), Ethiopian Time IV at Aksum (300 BCE to 1,000 CE), Ethiopian Time V at Zagwe (1200 to 1400 CE), Ethiopian Time VI of Oromo Kingdoms, Afar Sultanates and others (1400 to 1600 CE), Ethiopian Time VII at Gondar (1600 to 1800), Ethiopian Time at Kaffa, Konso, Anuak, Shoa and other states as well as the movement towards a federal republic (1800 to Present). This new proposal also helps us to incorporate all Ethiopian autonomous states, such as Kaffa kingdom, Jotte kingdom, Afar Sultanate, particularly in the southern part of Ethiopia.
As we prepare to celebrate the Ethiopian millennium, it is perhaps appropriate to place our historical time in order. It is also important to organize our historical time so as to promote “the cardinal rule of unity in diversity.”
Our sense of time should assist us to develop a sense of unity. It is important to remember that we are celebrating our second millennium where we can demonstrate continuous and free living. It is an important mark of time that certainly deserves a big celebration. However, we should always be aware of the fact that our age is measured in millions of years. That should also help us to place all our immediate differences in some kind of proper perspective.
——————— About the Author: Ayele Bekerie was born in Ethiopia, and earned his Ph.D. in African American Studies at Temple University in 1994. He has written and published in scholarly journals, such as , ANKH: Journal of Egyptology and African Civilizations, Journal of Black Studies, The International Journal of Africana Studies, and Imhotep. He is an Assistant Professor at the Africana Studies and Research Center of Cornell University. He is also a regular contributor toTadias Magazine.
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Palo Alto, CA – The Idan Raichel Project is musical proof that Israel may be the most multicultural country in the Middle East. With Caribbean-inspired rhythms, ancient Yemenite lyrics infused with electronic beats, Hebrew prayers, Eastern European and Gypsy strains, and Amharic (Ethiopian) chants, the music blasts preconceptions of what it means to be Israeli.
While some may call it world music, that’s a term Idan Raichel avoids.
“For us, we’re doing Israeli music,” he says during a phone interview from Tel Aviv. “It’s not world music for us. It’s based on the sounds of the streets of Tel Aviv. For people outside Israel, they consider it world music. They can hear the blend, the melting pot.”
Accompanied by seven musicians and vocalists, Raichel will bring that unique Israeli blend to Stanford University’s Memorial Auditorium on Nov. 4. The event, the Idan Raichel Project’s second concert at Stanford, is supported in part by Hillel at Stanford and the Taube Center for Jewish Studies.
While the musicians’ cultures include Surinamese, Uruguayan, Georgian, Iranian and Ethiopian, all are Israeli. Raichel’s talent lies in fusing elements from a variety of traditions in a single album, sometimes within a single song.
“Mi Ma’amakim” (“Out of the Depths”) contains a counterpoint from a traditional Ethiopian song, “Nanu Nanu Ney.”
“Bo’ee” (“Come With Me”), with electronic instrumentation, features an Ethiopian chorus as well as spoken word, while “Brong Faya” (“Burn Fire”) is unabashedly Caribbean. “Ulai Ha’Pa’am (“Maybe This Time”), by contrast, is a lyrical ballad of heartbreak with a more traditionally Israeli melody line.
“A lot of their songs have been a major instrument in bringing people together,” says Samuel Alemayehu, a Stanford senior and Hillel board member from Ethiopia. Raichel, he says, gives new life to the music he grew up with in Ethiopia, taking it “to a new level, with Hebrew lyrics and modern musical instruments,” along with the traditional verses and instrumentation. After Raichel’s first album came out five years ago, it was “the first time the Ethiopian Jewish community was celebrated and highlighted in Israeli pop culture. (Now) the minority culture is getting center stage.”
Publisher’s Note:Mik Awake is a contributing editor of Tadias
Magazine. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. The following commentary
is from his personal blog.
The Brain Drain in Action
I get this Ethiopian news feed on my rss, and whenever I click through I end up at this pretty suspect site called Ethioblog, which is somehow related to a fairly reputable Ethiopian news site called Nazret.com.
The articles are straightforward, if mundane; I get the feeling they pretty much run a Google news search on the word “ethiopia” or “ethiopian” and then they post the first ten links or so. Most of the time, it’s crappy stuff about Ethiopian guys in Kentucky getting arrested for robbery. But as with many sites I visit, more than the actual articles, I find that I spend more time reading the comments to them.
Can I just put this out there: there are some crazy fucking Ethiopians with internet access. You don’t believe me? Read on!
Below are excerpts from a string of comments written by various people to a single post on this Ethioblog site. I have rendered them exactly as they appear on the site, spelling mistakes, emoticons and all. Very important to keep in mind: the original post everyone’s responding to is about how a newspaper in Addis Ababa INCORRECTLY stated that 50 Cent and Janet Jackson would be performing at the heavily-anticipated millennium celebration in Ethiopia, which will occur in September of this year.
(N.B. Ethiopia runs on an ancient calendar that’s seven years behind the Western one, and Ethiopian New Year has always fallen, coincidentally, on September 11. Perhaps it’s no surprise that in recent years Ethiopians–with our swarthy, Semitic looks and our Arabic-sounding language–have tried to keep stateside celebrations on the low-low.)
What I love about the comments, which are usually written in all caps with emphatic syntax and punctuation, is the vehemence with which they all seem to be written. You get the sense that whoever wrote them was gnashing his teeth and pounding out the words on a keyboard, the space bar splitting in half. So, it’s not unusual to read a comment in response to an article, say, about Ethiopia’s Prime Minister that reads: “Death to the rotten Meles vampire and all of the Tigray tribe. Blood of their children will be drink by winners of democracy.”
Anyway, just so that this is clear, I have to repeat it. The article these comments are responding to is about how Fifty and Janet will most likely NOT (I repeat, NOT) be performing in Ethiopia.
People complain about the great brain drains that are afflicting many developing nations like Ethiopia. Sadly, after reading these, I think they might be on to something.
Sigh…
“That is what i call millenium.”
“I dought it that they will go in to their grave.”
“Go 50 cent and show them whats up for my ppl and yo will be remember forever.”
“how about country music ? that is for G”
“I heard the rapper Game and Jarule going to be there too, Fidy needs to watch his back..ain’t no Federal police going to help him.”
[Mik:Halfway down the page, where at last count there were 24 comments, a person simply identified as “Man” left a message that seemed to redeem everything that came before it. Here’s what he said:]
“lol send John bolton, thats what ethios love…not 50.”
[Mik:At first, when I read this, I was thinking, Wow, that’s a bit cryptic, but pretty deep. You want America to send the cantankerous Bush crony, John R. Bolton, who was the US Ambassador to the UN during the lead-up to Iraq? Are you being serious or sarcastic? Why do Ethiopians love him? Do you think Ethiopians want to give him a talking to? Do you want him to explain why he resigned in 2006 after Bush offered him another position? Please don’t leave us hanging, Man!]
[Mik:Then he ruined everything by commenting again.]
Man: “I meant michael bolton…the dead singer….”
[Mik:Sigh. Regardless of what people on hold or in elevators may wish, Michael Bolton is still alive.]
“Fifty don’t risk your life in Addis. There are many angry people over there. It is going to be heavy. Heavier than New York street. We have got a lot of time bombs to waiting to pop up. Some don’t see it coming…Soda Pop. Da Da”
“who gives a dum”
“That is a good expectation.Welcom both of you for the biggest ever event in Ethiopian history, the millennium festival. I can’t wait to happen it.”
—————————-//——————————————- Message From the Tadias Team
Dear Tadias Reader:
We are happy to share that it is finally here!! We would love to send you the Print issue of our pre-millennium issue. It is the biggest and the best designed issue we have produced since the magazine was conceived four years ago. We are also happy to announce that we will be traveling to Addis to producing a special Millennium issue from Ethiopia in September. Please subscribe to Tadias for an annual payment of only $19.99. Click Here
Best Regards,
The Tadias Team
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