New York (TADIAS) – As Ethiopians worldwide prepare to usher in a New Year, early celebartions have begun in California. L.A.’s Little Ethiopia held its 10th street festival this past weekend, while San Jose is gearing up for the 7th Annual City Hall flag raising ceremony.
According to the San Jose event organizers, the flag raising scheduled for Thursday, September 8th at noon is the first in a series of programs designed to celebrate Enqutatash. It will be held a few days before the official date on September 11, which this year also marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. “The San Jose City Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and City Council Members will be in attendance,” announced the Ethiopian Americans Council — a grassroots policy advocacy organization that is the main host of the ceremony. “The EAC especially wants to thank the citizens of San Jose for their recognition of the diversity that has made this country so great and offering the Ethiopian-American community a time and a place to come together and take pride in their heritage.”
The press release adds: “The flag raising will mark the beginning of a week-long celebration of the Ethiopian New Year. As with any immigrant population in this nation of immigrants, Ethiopian-Americans cherish living in the United States of America. Though they are thankful for the peace and prosperity that comes with citizenship in America, they also cherish the remembrance of their lives in Ethiopia, of their families and friends, and of the way of life, that are all so far away.”
——– If You Go:
New City Hall
Thursday, September 8,
at 12:00 noon.
San Jose, California
Los Angeles (TADIAS) – The Little Ethiopia Business Association in Los Angeles hosted its 10th outdoor festival this past Sunday. The diverse crowd celebrated the upcoming Ethiopian New Year with live music, cultural dances and a fashion show, interspersed with speeches and ceremonies.
Among the dignitaries present at the celebration were Congresswoman Karen Bass, Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel, former City Councilman Nate Holden, as well as LAPD Captain Eric T. Davis. “The city council and the state of California also presented certificates of recognition to the The Little Ethiopia Business Association and the Little Ethiopia Cultural Resource Center,” Mr. Berhanu Asfaw, President of the Business Association, told us.
Mr. Asfaw accepted the certificate on behalf of the association. “We were honored by the acknowledgment and especially grateful by the presence of Mr. Holden who was one of the earliest supporters of Little Ethiopia,” he said in an interview on Monday. “Overall we are happy. The day after, looking back, given the current economic situation, we are satisfied.” He added: “It was encouraging to hear the speech by Captain Davis. He applauded the community for revitalizing the neighborhood into a vibrant business district, and stating ‘you’re the new face of Los Angeles.’ His words were inspiring.”
Photographer Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan, who covered the event for Tadias Magazine, described the participants as “young people, older people, children, families, all ages.”
Here are few photos:
Attendees watch live stage performances at the 10th Annual Little Ethiopia Cultural Street Festival on Sunday, September 4th, 2011 in Los Angeles. (Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
Children dance to live music. (Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
Festival attendees. (Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS
People gather outside of Little Ethiopia businesses to watch the on-stage entertainment. (Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
Booth highlighting Ethiopian Olympic boxer Seifu Mekonnen “Tibo. (Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
Cultural dance performers. (Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
Nate Holden addresses the crowd. (Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
Awards given to Little Ethiopia Business Association and Little Ethiopia Cultural & Resource Center by Los Angeles City Officials. (Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
Woizero Negest Legesse, director of the Little Ethiopian Cultural & Resource Center, after accepting the Certificate of Recognition from the California State Assembly. (Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan for TADIAS)
New York (Tadias) – A special celebration honoring the life and work of Ethiopia’s Poet Laureate, the late Tsegaye Gebremedhin, will be held in Addis Ababa and Washington DC throughout the year.
“Family and friends of the late Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin are celebrating the poet’s 75th birthday anniversary and his work,” the press release states. “Author of around 34 plays in Amharic and about 10 plays in English, along with several volumes of poetry Gabre-Medhin is widely recognized as among Ethiopia’s most prolific and acclaimed writers. As part of an ongoing effort to keep his literary legacy alive, family and friends are organizing a year-long series of events in Addis Ababa and Washington DC.”
A few years ago, in an essay entitled A Short Walk Through His Literary Park, Professor Negussay Ayele described the writer’s earliest influences: “Poet Laureate Tsegaye is of the generation—numbering a dozen or so who are extant — of Ethiopian men of letters who were born during the crucible of the Fascist invasion of Ethiopia in the 1930s. As such, his early childhood gestation period was molded by the trauma of that war of aggression against which his patriot father fought. Born in the vicinity of Ambo and the environs of the source of Awash River in Shewa region, the young Tsegaye was also influenced and shaped by the subcultures, languages and the blending of his Oromo and Amhara heritages. Indeed, as he was to relate later on, he considers himself as one who represented an Ethiopian amalgam or bridge between the two cultures. And it did not take long for this child prodigy not only to absorb Oromifa and traditional Zema and Qine in Ethiopic (Ge’ez) as well as Amharic in the traditional neighborhood church school but also to rapidly learn English in the contemporary modern school or Asquala. Indeed, the young genius, Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin, was barely a teen when in 1942 (Eth.Cal.), he wrote his first play, The Story of King Dionysus and of the Two Brothers, and saw it staged in Ambo Elementary School. It was watched by, among others, Emperor Haile Sellassie himself.”
And one of our most favorite definitions of Ethiopia comes from our own Poet Laureate. “The Ethiopia of rich history is the heart of Africa’s civilization,” he wrote. “She is the greatest example of Africa’s pride. Ethiopia means peace. The word ‘Ethiopia’ emanates from a connection of three old black Egyptian words, Et, Op and Bia, meaning truth and peace, up and upper, country and land. Et-Op-Bia is land of upper truth or land of higher peace.” No one has put it more eloquently. Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin is a revered soul who brought out the best of his homeland – her stunning peaks and valleys, her triumphs and struggles, and always reminding us to rise and grow into our best selves.
— If You Go:
26th August,6:30 pm – Book launch Historical Plays of Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (in Amharic)
(Addis Ababa University Press, 2011)
Performance of excerpts by Taytu Cultural Center
Admission: Free
Unification Church, 1610 Columbia Rd. NW
Washington DC
The official biography of Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin Soaring on Winged Verse: The Life of Ethiopian Poet-Playwright Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin By Fasil Yitbarek
(Tsehai Publishers, 2011)
December 2011 – Book launching (biography in English), Washington D.C.
August 2012 – Book launching (biography in Amharic), Addis Ababa
For more information, please contact: tsegayegm75@gmail.com.
Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – The 6th Annual Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum is scheduled to take place in Washington D.C. today.
In an emailed press release organizers state that this year’s gathering will include both public and closed events, designed to promote diaspora investment back home. According to the press release, the public portion of scheduled activities includes a panel discussions on a range of business topics related to attracting Ethiopian-American investments in Ethiopia’s economy, as well as a networking cocktail hour – sponsored by ModernETH and Altour Travel of Ethiopia.
“This year’s Forum will pay special attention to the issue of financing diaspora investments with special emphasis on how to raise capital from the Ethiopian Diaspora in the US in a legal and ethical manner,” the announcement said. “Other panel presentations and discussions include: USAID’s African Diaspora Marketplace II $100,000 business plan competition, Investment Opportunities in Ethiopia, Ethiopia’s WTO Accession and Diaspora, and the Ethiopian Government’s Proposed Diaspora Policy.”
The conference will include a private dinner and award ceremony featuring businessman Zemedeneh Negatu as the keynote speaker. Other special guests include the D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray, and VP of OPIC Mimi Alemayehou.
The event is hosted by the website The Ethiopian American and by USAID VEGA AGOA.
———– If You Go:
6th Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum,
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Grand Hyatt Washington at Washington Center
(1000 H Street NW) , Washington DC
Contact phone: 202-527-0980 Event Program & Time:
1:30 PM Registration
2:00 – 5:30 Opening & Discussion
5:30 Cocktail Hour
7:00 – 9:00 Dinner Click here for the latest update about this event.
To attend, you can register at www.theethiopianamerican.com.
New York (Tadias) – The following is our video coverage of the 2011 Lincoln Center Out of Doors concert at the Damrosch Park Bandshell in New York, which also featured Debo band and special guest Fendika. We had the opportunity to interview the band members, as well as the Director of Public Programming for Lincoln Center. The event was attended by thousands of people. It was described by The New York Times as “generous, warm, high-spirited real entertainment for a big audience. It was a delight to watch them.” The Debo/Fendika collective became only the second Ethiopian music ensemble to perform at the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors event, following in the footsteps of Ethiopia’s leading musicians Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, and legendary saxophonist Getachew Mekuria, who made a historic appearance here in 2008.
Los Angeles (Tadias) – The Fowler Museum at University of California, Los Angeles presents Todd Simon and friends for an evening of Ethiopian rhythms and melodies on Sunday, August 14.
Todd Simon is a trumpeter, composer, and arranger, well-versed in the Ethiopian Jazz tradition, having performed with Mulatu Astatke for the inaugural Mochilla Timeless concert series. On this special occasion, Todd Simon’s Ethio Cali Ensemble will pay homage to the golden era of Ethiopian Jazz, along with original compositions from Todd’s forthcoming project.
The group includes Mark De Clive, Kamasi Washington, Kirubel Assefa, Alan Lightner, Woody Jackson, Dexter Story, Kelela Mizanekristos.
DJ Sonny Abegaze starts the set with traditional Ethiopian Jazz.
— If You Go: Summer Sunset Concert: Todd Simon’s Ethio Cali Ensemble
Sunday, August 14, 2011
4 pm
Free concert Learn more at the Fowler Museum’s website.
New York (Tadias) – Debo band and special guest Fendika staged a memorable concert on Thursday, August 11th, in New York at the 41st annual Lincoln center summer music festival — one of the longest-running, free, outdoor festivals in the United States.
The Debo/Fendika collective became only the second Ethiopian music ensemble to perform at the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors event, following in the footsteps of Ethiopia’s leading musicians Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, and legendary saxophonist Getachew Mekuria, who made a historic appearance here in 2008.
“There were an estimated 4,500 people in attendance,” Marian Skokan, the event’s Senior Publicity Manager, told Tadias Magazine.
As The New York Timesput it: “At the end of a day of perfect New York summer weather on Thursday, the mood established by the Lincoln Center Out of Doors two-part event of dance and live music at the Damrosch Park Bandshell was just right: generous, warm, high-spirited real entertainment for a big audience.”
Tadias crew was there and we had the opportunity to interview the band members, as well as the Director of Public Programming for Lincoln Center.
New York (Tadias) – Debo band and Fendika dance group will perform near Los Angeles’s Little Ethiopia at Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts at MacArthur Park on Friday August 6.
The group is also expected to make its first appearance in Northern California this coming weekend when they perform live at the “Historic Sweets Ballroom” in Oakland. The Oakland event is being hosted by the Ethiopian Arts Forum of the Bay Area and will take place on Saturday, August 6th.
In the East Coast, “Ethiopian funk invades Washington as Debo welcomes Lounge Lizards to the Kennedy Center’s Atrium on the roof terrace level for an extraordinary happy hour,” reports The Washington Examiner. The D.C. concert is slated for August 8th.
The band will then head to New York for an outdoors performance at the Lincoln Center – Damrosch Park, scheduled for Thursday, August 11th.
Debo, the Boston-based Ethio-groove ensemble, and Fendika, the Addis Ababa-based cultural dance group, have been collaborating on joint international shows since 2009. “U.S. audiences went crazy for the traditional dancing of [Fendika],” said Debo’s band leader Danny Mekonnen in an interview with Tadias Magazine in regards to the group’s recent tour. “I think seeing the dance of a culture immediately creates a greater appreciation and understanding of the music.”
Watch: Debo Band Tour 2011 from Ashley Hodson on Vimeo
Debo is an Ethiopian American band. And its unique instrumentation – including horns, strings and accordion – was inspired by the Golden Age of Ethiopian music in the late 1960s and early 70s, but its accomplished musicians are giving new voice to that sound.
The Ethiopian traditional dance and music troupe, Fendika, includes amazing young Azmari artists led by one of Ethiopia’s leading dancers Melaku Belay. Belay, who is one of the most active arts advocates in the Addis Ababa scene today, is an innovative and virtuoso interpreter of Eskista. Belay performed at the Lincoln outdoors concert in 2008 with legendary saxophonist Gétatchèw Mèkurya and The Ex band.
Regarding the collective’s upcoming NYC show – which will be held at the same venue where the historic concert featuring Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, and Getachew Mekuria took place three years ago – Danny said he is eagerly anticipating his New York gig.
“I can’t tell you how I excited I am to present Debo Band with special guests Fendika at Lincoln Center Out of Doors!”, he said. “I was at the historic concert in 2008 with Getachew Mekuria, Mahmoud Ahmed, and Alemayehu Eshete.”
Danny adds: “I loved the collaborations with saxophonist and The Ex and vocalists and The Either/Orchestra. I think that audiences will remember Melaku as the dancer with Getachew and the Ex. I’m honored that my band is the next group to present Ethiopian music to Lincoln Center audiences. Also, I’m thrilled to have Melaku as the project’s co-leader. He is a visionary Ethiopian artist and his work with Fendika is second to none.”
Los Angeles Friday August 6 at 7PM
Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts – MacArthur Park
230 West 6th Street Los Angeles, CA 90057
Info: FREE – call 213-384-5701
For more details: http://levittla.org/en/calendar.html
Oakland Saturday August 6th at 9PM
Historic Sweets Ballroom
1933 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Door: $20.00
Venue phone: 510-501-3413
More info at: ethiopianartsforum.org
Washington, D.C. Monday August 8th at 6pm
Where: Kennedy Center Atrium, Millennium Stage
Who: Debo Band / Fendika
When: Lounge opens at 5:30 p.m.
Info: Free, 202-467-4600 or kennedy-center.org
New York City Thursday August 11 at 7:00pm
Lincoln Center – Damrosch Park
Lincoln Center’s Plaza
B/N Broadway & Amsterdam Avenues
West 62nd Street to West 65th Street
Visit LCOutofDoors.org for complete schedule
Call 212-875-5766 to request a brochure.
Direction to Lincoln Center – Damrosch Park:
Take No.1 IRT to 66th Street/Lincoln Center Station)
OR the A, B, C, D and No. 1 trains to 59th St/Columbus Circle.
Video: Addis Ababa Bete – Debo Band with Fendika Dancers at Joe’s Pub, NYC, September 2010
New York (Tadias) – The Boston-based Ethio-groove ensemble, Debo, and the Addis Ababa-based cultural dance group, Fendika, are set to collaborate on another exciting NYC summer concert. This time, the collective will perform on August 11 at The Lincoln Center Out of Doors, the same venue where the historic concert featuring Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, and Getachew Mekuria took place in 2008.
Debo is an Ethiopian American band led by Danny Mekonnen. The band’s unique instrumentation – including horns, strings and accordion – was inspired by the Golden Age of Ethiopian music in the late 1960s and early 70s, but its accomplished musicians are giving new voice to that sound.
The Ethiopian traditional dance and music troupe, Fendika, includes amazing young Azmari artists led by one of Ethiopia’s leading dancers Melaku Belay. Belay, who is one of the most active artists and arts advocates on the Addis Ababa scene today, is an innovative and virtuoso interpreter of Eskista. Belay performed at the Lincoln outdoors concert in 2008 with legendary saxophonist Gétatchèw Mèkurya and The Ex band.
Below is our recent interview with Debo’s band leader Danny Mekonnen, standing front-right in the above photograph.
Tadias: The last time your band was in town, we danced all night. The lead singer makes it very easy.
Danny Mekonnen: Bruck is charismatic and humble, but he’s also a very serious musician! I definitely think having him as a front man makes it easy for audiences to get into our music, even if they don’t understand what he’s singing about. One of the things that inspires me is knowing that what we do is unique — there’s not a group anywhere in the world quite like us. Playing a diverse musical set is important to us because we love music from across the country and throughout Ethiopia’s musical history. To only play music from the 1970s would miss out on great contemporary artists like Gossaye and Tsehaye Yohaness; we’ve played and studied several arrangements by Abegaz Shiota, as well. And to play only Amharic music with a chic-chic-ca beat, would miss out get Tigrigna and Oromo music, too. Ethiopia has a reach musical landscape and we try hard to honor that.
Tadias: How was Fendika received by U.S. audiences?
DM: U.S. audiences went crazy for the traditional dancing of Melaku Belay and his partner Zinash Tsegaye. I think seeing the dance of a culture immediately creates a greater appreciation and understanding of the music. And Melaku and Zinash are the best at what they do! We started working with Fendika (Melaku’s group) in May 2009 on our first tour in Ethiopia. It helped that Debo Band’s members hung out at Melaku’s azmari bet – also called Fendika – every night that we weren’t playing! So the friendship and bond grew in a very organic way.
Tadias: How excited are you about your upcoming appearance in New York this summer?
DM: I can’t tell you how I excited I am to present Debo Band with special guests Fendika at Lincoln Center Out of Doors! I was at the historic concert in 2008 with Getachew Mekuria, Mahmoud Ahmed, and Alemayehu Eshete. I loved the collaborations with saxophonist and The Ex and vocalists and The Either/Orchestra. I think that audiences will remember Melaku as the dancer with Getachew and the Ex. I’m honored that my band is the next group to present Ethiopian music to Lincoln Center audiences. Also, I’m thrilled to have Melaku as the project’s co-leader. He is a visionary Ethiopian artist and his work with Fendika is second to none.
Tadias: Any plans to come out with a CD?
DM: I hope to do more touring with Debo — this summer we are going to California for the first time. And hopefully we’ll do our first European tour in 2012. Yes, we are planning to release a CD next year. I’m really excited about all that we have going on right now.
Tadias: On a personal note, we also hear that you recently became a father. Congratulations!
DM: Thanks so much. My daughter is a year and a half now. I’m not sure I have quite learned to balance work and family! It’s always a struggle, but it helps to have a wife who’s supportive of my band. It also helps that she’s an artist and business owner herself!
Tadias: What kind of music do you listen to at home?
DM: I listen to all kinds of music. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Fleet Foxes, a great indie-folk band. But I go through phases where I listen to nothing but hip hop or experimental or Ethiopian music. My inspiration comes from all over including from my friends who are great musicians.
Tadias: Is there anything that you would like to add?
DM: I just want to add that this summer’s tour with Fendika wouldn’t be possible without the support of Lincoln Center. New York is lucky to be home to one of the largest and most artist-friendly performing artists institutions in the world. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Bill Bragin, Director of Public Programming at Lincoln Center, who is a big fan and supporter of both Debo and Melaku.
Tadias: Thank you Danny and good luck.
—-
If You Go: All events are free and take place on Lincoln Center’s Plaza between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues, from West 62nd Street to West 65th Street (except where noted). Debo will perform on August 11th. Take No.1 IRT to 66th Street/Lincoln Center Station) OR the A, B, C, D and No. 1 trains to 59th St/Columbus Circle. Visit LCOutofDoors.org for complete schedule or call 212-875-5766 to request a brochure.
Photos courtesy of Debo band.
Video: Addis Ababa Bete – Debo Band with Fendika Dancers at Joe’s Pub, NYC, September 2010
New York (Tadias) – At a fundraiser on Monday, June 27, a sold-out crowd donated $30,000 to a campaign aiming to raise funds to help renovate a recently purchased building in West Orange, New Jersey to house Amanuel Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the state’s first Ethiopian owned church property, organizers said.
The event held at Mesob Restaurant in nearby Montclair was an intimate dinner, which brought together a diverse group of people that gave at least $100 per person.
“The kick-off fundraising event is one of many efforts to raise funds to convert the building we are buying into a church,” Tezeta Roro, a member of the Church’s Fundraising Committee and the event’s Master of Ceremonies, said via email. “As you may know, renovating funds are not usually granted for non-residential properties along with a mortgage so we are tasked with raising enough funds for the renovation for which this event is one of many to come.”
The Debre Genet Amanuel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was founded in West Orange, New Jersey, in 2006. “Before that a few of us used to go to Church in New York…I went to Church in New York for about 18 years,” said Mr. Tekeste Ghebremicael, Vice Chairman of the Church’s Board of Directors. “Yes, this is the first Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in the state of New Jersey. We are making history. We hope to open several other Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churches in New Jersey in the future.”
Mr. Tekeste adds: “During the [previous] 18 years the Ethiopian and Eritrean community in New Jersey grew big enough that it is now able to establish and sustain its own local church.”
Regarding the Kicking off dinner, Tezeta stated: “Our goal was to raise $30,000 at the event. Tickets were sold out. The event went very well. The fundraising committee worked diligently by holding late night conference calls and working with our networks to make the final product fruitful. We are more than satisfied with the turnout. It shows how Ethiopians, non-Ethiopians…can come together to make a difference.”
The building is located at 15-19 Meeker Street in West Orange, New Jersey.
Video: Slideshow of Photographs – The kick-off Fundraising Dinner at Mesob on June 27, 2011
Speaking about the property, Mr. Tekeste said the following in an emailed statement:
“The new Church will be located at 15-19 Meeker Street West Orange, New Jersey. It is only about 8 houses from where we are now worshiping. The new Church will have 3 different buildings. In the front there is a building that has two three bedroom apartments on the second floor and an office with a warehouse on the first floor. This building is fully rented. In the back there is this huge two floor building that stores 14 to 17 antique cars in the first floor and the second floor is rented for now, however it will be converted to a church and an assembly hall with a full kitchen and male and female bathrooms. On the side there are 5 bays and one small office that are rented to different contractors. There is space to park about 45 to 50 cars. We have completed negotiations to purchase the building with the sellers. However, we are awaiting approval from the West Orange Township Zoning Department for Zoning Variance approval. We have hired Zoning expert Lawyers, Architects, Traffic experts, and Structural Engineers to help us process this application. It will take about 3 months from now for the whole process to be completed. Our experts do not expect any complications during the approval process. It is just a formality that is required to legally change the use of the building from a warehouse to an assembly hall (Church). The remaining part of the building will generate an income of $7,000.00 per month excluding the 2nd floor we are going to use as a church and assembly hall. We are buying these 3 buildings for $725,000.00 and we are borrowing $500,000.00. We do have a written Mortgage Commitment and our monthly mortgage payment including Insurance and Property Taxes will be less than $7,000.00. This means once we conclude the purchase of these buildings they will generate enough income to support the monthly mortgage payment while we are using the Church and Assembly Hall for free.”
— Publisher’s Note: This story was updated on Sunday, July 3, 2011 with additional comments from Mr. Tekeste Ghebremicael, Vice Chairman of the Church’s Board of Directors.
You can learn more about the renovation project of the newly purchased building and/or donate online at www.aeotc.org.
Above:Ethiopia’s Gebre Gebremariam finished runner-up at
inaugural B.A.A. 10K race held in Boston on Sunday, June 26.
Tadias Magazine
Sports News
Updated: Sunday, June 26, 2011
New York (Tadias) – Defending Boston Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won the inaugural B.A.A. 10K on Sunday morning in Boston, finishing the race in 27 minutes, 19 seconds.
The 29-year-old Kenyan bolted to the front after half-way, leaving Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam and the rest of the pack behind.
Gebre Gebremariam, the reigning New York City marathon men’s champion, came in second.
Boston Marathon runner-up Moses Mosop of Kenya finished third.
In April, Mutai won the Boston Marathon in 2:03.02, the fastest marathon ever recorded.
Gebre Gebremariam, who is also scheduled to represent Ethiopia at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, in late August, finished the B.A.A. 10K race in 28:11.
On the women’s category, Caroline Kilel of Kenya finished first, while Kim Smith of New Zealand came in second. Misiker Demissie of Ethiopia was third.
2011 Boston inaugural B.A.A. 10K winners Geoffrey Mutai and Carolyn Kilel. (The Runners Vibe.com)
Below are the results from Sunday’s inaugural B.A.A. 10K competition held in Boston.
—- Cover Image: Gebre Gebremariam at a victory dinner on Monday, November 8, 2010 at Queen of Sheba Restaurant in Manhattan following his surprise win at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 07, 2010. (Photo by Marie Claire Andrea for Tadias Magazine)
Sliver Spring (TADIAS) – Celebrate all things Ethiopian from fashion shows to cultural performances and food at the annual Ethiopian festival in downtown Silver Spring today.
The event, scheduled from 3 to 9 pm, is billed as a festival of Ethiopian lifestyle and culture, featuring a variety of lively programs at 908 Ellsworth Drive.
Highlights include live musicians, fashion shows, and traditional arts and crafts exhibit.
Entertainers include Tseday Ethiopian Band, Kebebew Geda, Nesanet & Taya, Berhanu Tezera, Tadele Roba, Tadele Gemechu, and Desalegn Melku.
Wub Abyssinia Fashion Models will showcase designs by Mulu Birhane who makes her first U.S. appearance, as well as works by U.S. based designers, including Betelhem Fashion, Arada Wear, Markos Design, and Hewan Design.
If you Go:
Ethiopian Festival, Sliver Spring
Saturday June 25 from 3-9 PM
908 Ellsworth Drive
Downtown Sliver Spring
Call: 202-390-5182
Minew Shewa Entertainment
Tebabu & Associates
New York (Tadias) – Buzunesh Deba of New York City ran the 11th-fastest marathon in the world this year in scorching the course on Sunday at the Dodge Rock n’ Roll San Diego Marathon.
Deba, an Ethiopian, won the event by nearly two minutes after completing the first-half of the course alongside fellow countrywoman Misikir Mekkonin. She finished the race in 2:23:31, while Mekkonin, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was runner-up in a personal best time of 2:25:21.
Deba’s performance on Sunday was described by elite runners coordinator Matthew Turnbull as “one that will make people stand up and take notice.”
It also raises the question: are Ethiopian runners in the United States closing the competitive gap with their compatriots from home?
During the course of the running season in the United States and Canada, major events often come down to a contest between Ethiopians who reside in America and Ethiopians who live in Ethiopia — with many of the runners who travel direct from Addis Ababa being members of the Ethiopian National Athletics Team.
Add in highly competitive Kenyan runners, both those who train in North America and others who travel direct from Kenya, and North America-based Ethiopian runners face a daunting challenge at every competition.
In an attempt to level the field, U.S. based Ethiopian runners are abandoning New York City and Washington, D.C., and seeking high-altitude training grounds of their own
Alemtsehay Misganaw, one of the most consistent athletes on the North America running circuit the past five years, escapes winters by going home to Ethiopia and training at high-altitude from early December to late March — essentially experiencing a second summer each year.
In this seasonal migration she is not alone among runners in the United States. There is a cadre of Ethiopians and Ethiopian-Americans who have found athletic success in America. Serkalem Abra, Genna Tufa and Atalalech Ketema – all seasoned veterans on the North American circuit, also spent last winter at various training sites in and around Addis Ababa, returning to the United States just in time for the spring start of the running season.
With a foot in both countries, either as permanent U.S. residents or traveling with multi-year athletic visa, the runners’ winter mission is to gain enough benefit from Ethiopian altitude-training to be competitive from April to November in races in North America.
Deba, Mekkonin, and other runners who do not spend winter in Ethiopia are training at mountainous locales in this country so they, too, can travel direct from altitude to competitions.
Alemtsehay Misganaw, center, and Mikael Tesfaye, to her left, with
Ethiopian National Athletics Team member Abraham Yilma, right, at
the Jan Meda training course in Addis Ababa. (Photo by Jason Jett).
Belainish Gebre, who won the 2010 Honolulu Marathon, has trained the past three years in Flagstaff, Arizona. Aziza Aliyu, winner of the 2011 ING Miami Marathon, trained last winter in Albuquerque.
Successes speak well for Diaspora athletes, but can they actually catch up to runners who both live and train in Ethiopia?
Misganaw, who won the Virginia Beach Yeungling Shamrock 8K in March and April’s Kentucky Derby Festival Mini-Marathon, said she still has a good base from winter altitude-training and only wishes she could import her coach from Ethiopia.
Mikael Tesfaye has coached Misganaw the past two winters in the absence of her coach-brother Sofonias Ajanew, who in 2009 relocated from Addis Ababa to Luanda to train the Angolan Olympic Team’s track squad.
Tesfaye, a protégé of Ajanew, is an elite runner in his own right, having finished 10th in the 2007 Lebanon Marathon and served as a pacemaker in finishing the 2009 Poznan (Poland) Marathon. Misganaw said her chief benefit from Tesfaye’s coaching comes when pacing through rugged training sessions at sea level in New York City’s Central Park.
Misganaw trained six weeks in the summer of 2009 with Gebre in Flagstaff, and after returning to New York City decided expert coaching and a quality pacemaker can help offset a lack of year-round altitude training.
Retta Feyissa, the coach and manager of Aliyu, said training in Arizona or New Mexico is an option but there is nothing comparable to the rigorous workouts to be had in Ethiopia.
He said, “Many of the Ethiopian runners living in the USA cannot afford to go back and forth to Ethiopia to train for specific races. Training in New Mexico is advantageous, but it is not like training in Ethiopia where you can eat organically and readily find training partners.”
Bill Staab, president of West Side Runners’ Club, which sponsors and advises a large number of international runners based in New York and Washington, said “ideally an Ethiopian runner in the U.S. might live in, say, New York City, go to Albuquerque in the winter and then once a year travel to Ethiopia for two months of intense training for a specific event such as the ING New York City Marathon.”
However, Deriba Merga and Dire Tune, both dominant Ethiopian distance runners, do not see the gap between runners based here and there being closed in World Major races such as the Boston Marathon or the ING New York City Marathon.
“In Ethiopia the conditions are better, the altitude is greater,” Merga, winner of the 2009 Boston Marathon, said after winning the Ottawa 10K last week. Tune, speaking in Amharic, agreed.
“Also, the coaching is better,” added Merga. “Here, one runner has this coach and another has that coach. Runners have their own coach.”
“In Ethiopia we all have the same coach, we are a team,” he said, pointing around a lunch table to 2008 Boston Marathon winner Tune and 2004 Olympian Ejegayehu Dibaba.
“And the culture is different in Ethiopia,” Merga added. “There is more discipline, and a focus on training.”
Asked if such discipline and focus means day-after-day cycles of only running, eating and sleeping, Merga said there is free time in the runners’ schedules.
“I have a car, and I take my girlfriend out to the movies or to a restaurant,” he said. “We like to have a good time.”
Dibaba smiled, and then put her hand over her mouth and the discussion came to an end. Speaking in Amharic, Dibaba said she has free time but “that part of my life is private.”
—
Video: Post-race interview with Buzunesh Deba at the 2011 Dodge San Diego Marathon
About the Author: Jason Jett is a New York based freelance journalist.
Cover Image: The photograph shows the first two women to come through Petco Park during the 2011 San Diego Rock-n-Roll marathon. The location is past near the 5 mile marker. The runner in front is Buzunesh Deba, the eventual winner of the marathon. She finished the race in 2:23:31, the fastest time ever run by a woman in California. (Photo by Justin Brown).
—
New York (TADIAS) – Woven LLC is hosting a fundraiser in June 2011 for a feature length film entitled Woven, which is based on a fictional story that weaves together the lives of Ethiopian and American families. The independent film is written and produced by Ryan Spahn, Salome Mulugeta and Kristin Hanggi. Charles Shyer is the Executive Producer. Woven features multicultural characters who explore themes of forgiveness following a tragic accident that unravels family secrets, lies and deception. The film opens with a scene of a ferocious early morning thunderstorm and a deadly car crash involving one of the Ethiopian-American characters. The detective investigating the tragic accident soon discovers that this was no ordinary traffic incident.
The film’s co-writer and co-producer Salome Mulugeta says Woven is more than a mystery movie. “This is also a story about love, loss and forgiveness, it follows the Ethiopian family and their culture as an emigrant family living in America,” she says. “The accident brings two families that are from different parts of the world together to understand that they maybe different externally but the same internally.”
“We have an unequivocal belief in Woven — both its content, and its potential to appeal to a far-reaching audience,” the producers said via their website regarding the fund-raising effort. “We are acquiring all monies for the production of this film through private equity, and on selling the finished film to the highest bidding distributor.”
The event is scheduled for June 28, 2011 at Studio Twenty-One in Manhattan. It includes dinner catered by Spur Tree Restaurant as well as raffles and auctions.
— If You Go:
A Fund Raising Event for the Film Production of “Woven”
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Studio Twenty-One
59 West 21st Street
New York, NY 10010
Entrance: $150 per person
Learn more at: www.wovenfilm.com
Above:Harlem’s Dwyer Cultural Center presents Ethiopian
church music on Thursday, May 19th, New York at 4:00pm.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Thursday, May 19, 2011
New York (Tadias) – As part of the Folk Art series on gospel music in Harlem, the Dwyer Cultural Center will be featuring tenets and traditions of the Ethiopian Church. Archdeacon Gabreyesus Tesfaye of the Ethiopian Orthodox Medanialem Tewahedo Church will be discussing and demonstrating mezmur (gospel singing) followed by a Q&A session facilitated by the Dwyer Youth Docents.
Dwyer Cultural Center (DCC) is a state-of-the-art multimedia cultural center devoted exclusively to the culture, traditions, and history of Harlem. The Center offers a year-round calendar of activities including ongoing educational and youth leadership programs, workshops, interactive curricula-building, and tours of current exhibitions.
—
If you go:
Ethiopian Gospel in Harlem
Thursday, May 19th, 2011 at 4pm
Dwyer Cultural Center
258 St. Nicholas Avenue
please RSVP at RSVP@dwyercc.org or call 212-222-3060
Above:Debo Band will stage a show at 92y Tribeca in NYC on
May 28, 2011. (Photograph courtesy of Amael Tesfaye, 2011)
Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam
Published: Wednesday, May 11, 2011
New York (Tadias) – The Ethio-jazz group Debo Band will return to NYC later this month to perform at a special concert featuring Ethiopian, Sudanese, and North African music. The event is set to take place at the 92Y Tribeca on May 28th, 2011.
Led by Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen and fronted by charismatic vocalist Bruck Tesfaye, Debo’s performances bring together the best of the last forty years of Ethiopian music, with a reverence for the vintage sounds of the 1970s and a commitment to discovering contemporary gems, as well as developing new compositions.
At the upcoming show in New York, Debo will be joined by Nettle — a band that was founded by DJ/Rupture when he lived in Barcelona. Nettle will release their second album in Fall 2011 entitled El Resplandor: The Shining In Dubai, a soundtrack to an imagined remake of The Shining, set in an abandoned luxury hotel in Dubai.
The other musical ensemble set to share the stage with Debo is Alsarah & The Nubatones. The band came together out of a collective love for Nubian music and a genuine belief that Soul transcends all cultural and linguistic barriers. Inspired by the pentatonic scale they blend a selection of Nubian ‘songs of return’ from the 1970s with original material and traditional music of central Sudan. Their set is a musical journey through the diaspora viewed through an urban lens.
“We’ve never done a show quite like this,” says Debo bandleader Danny Mekonnen, speaking about his team’s NYC gig. “We’re really interested in seeing how these different bands will compliment each other.”
Debo is also scheduled to make an appearance at The Lincoln Center Out of Doors this Summer, which is the same concert that featured Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, and Getachew Mekuria in 2008.
“Very exciting time for us,” says Danny.
If You Go:
Saturday, May 28
8pm Doors, 9pm Show
$16 cover. All ages.
92YTribeca
200 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013
212.601.1000 www.92y.org/92ytribeca/
Video: Debo Band – “Lantchi Biye” Live: SXSW 2011 Showcasing Artist
Above: Episodes in the Life & Times of Emperor Haile Selassie
is one of the films that will be screened at the 8th film festival.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Monday, May 9, 2011
New York (Tadias) – Now in its eighth year, the Sheba Film Festival is set to begin on May 15th in New York. The annual event, organized by BINA Cultural Foundation Inc., primarily focuses on movies that pay homage to the rich legacy of Ethiopian Jews as well as the global Ethiopian community.
In addition to the film screenings – running from May 15 to June 2 – at four different locations (Faison Firehouse Theatre in Harlem, The JCC in Manhatan, The Schomburg Center and Kane Street Synagogue), the program also includes an art exhibition organized in conjunction with the International Agency for Minority Artists Affair (IAMAA). Opening reception is scheduled for Sunday, June 5th (5:00PM) at 163 west 125th Street in Harlem.
Here is the schedule for the 8th Sheba Film Festival:
Sunday, May 15th 2011 3pm (Admission: $12)
Faison Firehouse Theatre in Harlem
6 Hancock Place, New York NY 10027
(West 124th Street between St. Nicholas and Morningside Avenue). Director: Duki Dror (Israel 2010), 58 min, Amharic, Hebrew, English subtitles
Tuesday, May 24th 2011 7:30PM (Admission: $10)
JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave, at 76th St. Director: Curt Fissel (Uganda/USA 2010), 40 min, English
Synopsis:
Living in the lingering wake of the Idi Amin regime of terror and intolerance, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Ugandan coffee farmers challenged historical and economic hurdles by forming “Delicious Peace” Cooperative. Their mission was to build harmonious relationships and economic development, and they are succeeding. Partnering with a Fair Trade US roaster, the farmers’ standard of living is improving, peace is flourishing, and their messages of peace and fair wages are spreading to their coffee customers in the US.
Synopsis:
Using archival footage and photographs, the film explores key moments, both public and private, in the life and reign of Ethiopia’s last emperor Haile Selassie (1892 – 1975).
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 7PM (Admission: $12)
Kane Street Synagogue (236 Kane Street Brooklyn, NY 11231) Director: Benjamin Mandell (Ethiopia/Israel 2010), 27 min, Amharic, English subtitles
Synopsis:
Ethiopia entered the new millennium on September 11, 2007 nearly eight years after the rest of the world. The celebrations are riotous. Desaly Goshu left his birthplace of Ethiopia seventeen years ago. As a young boy, his family immigrated to Israel. For the first time, Desaly returns to Ethiopia to remember his past and to celebrate the coming of a new era.
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 7PM (Admission: $12)
Kane Street Synagogue (236 Kane Street Brooklyn, NY 11231) Director: Ruth Mason (Israel 2010) 30 min, Hebrew English subtitles
Synopsis:
Ethiopian Jews’ multiple names reflect the richness, wisdom and beauty of their culture — and every name tells a story. In the film, young Ethiopian Israelis share their journeys toward their names: stories of love and connection, survival and loss, anger and pride. The characters’ original names – changed without their consent upon arrival in Israel – take them back to their childhoods in mountain villages, to the hunger and fear in Sudan, to longing for loved ones who died or disappeared on the journey to Israel, to denial of their identity…and reclamation of their roots.
Above:The Arba Minch Collective, multidisciplinary group of
diaspora Ethiopian artists overlooking Arba Minch, photo ’09.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Monday, May 9, 2011
New York (Tadias) – The “Music Without Boundaries” festival under way this week in Ethiopia showcases a lineup of international bands and artists, hailing from at least five countries including Italy, Germany, Spain, Rwanda and the United States.
The roster of Ethiopian American artists taking part in the concert includes: Grammy nominated R&B singer Wayna, up-and-coming jazz vocalist Meklit Hadero, singer Munit Mesfin, as well as hip hop artists Gabriel Teodros and Ellias Fullmore. The participating Diaspora artists are organized under an umbrella group named the Arba Minch Collective, founded two-years ago by Meklit Hadero.
“In 2009 I had the idea to gather a group of ten outstanding Ethiopian Diaspora artists from multiple disciplines to travel to Ethiopia as a group (that we called the Arba Minch Collective). In December of that year we had our first epic trip, ” Meklit said in a recent fundraising letter sent to friends and supporters. “Together, we traveled through the country’s southern region, witnessing and documenting traditional and contemporary music and culture. We performed, gave workshops, visited schools, and met with Ethiopian artists who are reshaping Addis Ababa’s creative landscape. This May, we’re going again, this time to perform for the people at the Music Without Boundaries Festival, taking place in Harrar, Gondar, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.”
According to the organizers, the events in two of Ethiopia’s oldest cities – Harrar and Gondar – are free and open to the public. The show, which opened in Addis on May 6 will conclude in Gondar on May 14.
Per Meklit: “The music festival is not able to pay us for our trip, but because it is such a huge opportunity, we decided to make this happen anyway. The money we raise will go primarily to the cost of airfare. Other costs include accommodations within Ethiopia and ground transportation. Finally, during the entire trip, I’ll be taking photos and will have a photo blog on the National Geographic World Music website.”
—-
The tour by the Ethiopian American artists is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
New York (Tadias) – Now in its eigth year, the Sheba Film Festival is set to begin on May 15th in New York. The annual event, organized by BINA Cultural Foundation Inc., primarily focuses on movies that pay homage to the rich legacy of Ethiopian Jews as well as the global Ethiopian community.
In addition to the film screenings – running from May 15 to June 2 – at four different locations (Faison Firehouse Theatre in Harlem, The JCC in Manhatan, The Schomburg Center and Kane Street Synagogue), the program also includes an art exhibition organized in conjunction with the International Agency for Minority Artists Affair (IAMAA). Opening reception is scheduled for Sunday, June 5th (5:00PM) at 163 west 125th Street in Harlem.
Here is the schedule for the 8th Sheba Film Festival:
Sunday, May 15th 2011 3pm (Admission: $12)
Faison Firehouse Theatre in Harlem
6 Hancock Place, New York NY 10027
(West 124th Street between St. Nicholas and Morningside Avenue). Director: Duki Dror (Israel 2010), 58 min, Amharic, Hebrew, English subtitles
Tuesday, May 24th 2011 7:30PM (Admission: $10)
JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave, at 76th St. Director: Curt Fissel (Uganda/USA 2010), 40 min, English
Synopsis:
Living in the lingering wake of the Idi Amin regime of terror and intolerance, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Ugandan coffee farmers challenged historical and economic hurdles by forming “Delicious Peace” Cooperative. Their mission was to build harmonious relationships and economic development, and they are succeeding. Partnering with a Fair Trade US roaster, the farmers’ standard of living is improving, peace is flourishing, and their messages of peace and fair wages are spreading to their coffee customers in the US.
Synopsis:
Using archival footage and photographs, the film explores key moments, both public and private, in the life and reign of Ethiopia’s last emperor Haile Selassie (1892 – 1975).
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 7PM (Admission: $12)
Kane Street Synagogue (236 Kane Street Brooklyn, NY 11231) Director: Benjamin Mandell (Ethiopia/Israel 2010), 27 min, Amharic, English subtitles
Synopsis:
Ethiopia entered the new millennium on September 11, 2007 nearly eight years after the rest of the world. The celebrations are riotous. Desaly Goshu left his birthplace of Ethiopia seventeen years ago. As a young boy, his family immigrated to Israel. For the first time, Desaly returns to Ethiopia to remember his past and to celebrate the coming of a new era.
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 7PM (Admission: $12)
Kane Street Synagogue (236 Kane Street Brooklyn, NY 11231) Director: Ruth Mason (Israel 2010) 30 min, Hebrew English subtitles
Synopsis:
Ethiopian Jews’ multiple names reflect the richness, wisdom and beauty of their culture — and every name tells a story. In the film, young Ethiopian Israelis share their journeys toward their names: stories of love and connection, survival and loss, anger and pride. The characters’ original names – changed without their consent upon arrival in Israel – take them back to their childhoods in mountain villages, to the hunger and fear in Sudan, to longing for loved ones who died or disappeared on the journey to Israel, to denial of their identity…and reclamation of their roots.
Above:Tigist Tufa, left, and Alemteshay Misganaw after their
third- and fourth-place finishes in the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile.
Tadias Magazine
By Jason Jett
Published: Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – Ethiopian runners demonstrated swagger aplenty at major road races across the U.S. last weekend.
“Yes, I expected to win,” Lelisa Desisa said to a question about his confidence level after winning the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run here Sunday morning, some 24 hours following a victory at the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, S. C. “He wants to compete all the time,” said Haddis Tafari in translating for Desisa immediately after the Sunday morning race that started and finished beside the Washington Monument as part of the nation’s capital annual Cherry Blossom Festival. When asked were he fatigued, Desisa nonchalantly replied “a little bit,” then added it is not too tiring to run back-to-back races when you win both.
“I am happy,” he said smiling
Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia completed the same back-to back challenge in the women’s division of the two events, finishing third in both Washington and Charleston.
Sharwege Alene of Ethiopia won the women’s race of the Cooper River Bridge 10K in 33:06. “I came here to win, and that’s what I did,” Alene told reporters after the race.
Finishing two seconds behind Alene was Janet Cherobon Bawcom, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Kenya. Tufa’s time was 34:02 and Aziza Aliyu of Ethiopia was fourth in 34:29. Four-time Boston Marathon winner Catherine Ndereba of Kenya finished fifth in 34:34.
Kenyan Julliah Tinega won the women’s division at the Cherry Blossom, with countrywoman Risper Gesabwa a second back at 54:03. Tufa was third in 54:13 and Alemtsehay Misganaw of Ethiopia was fourth in 55:17.
Misganaw also doubled during the weekend, finishing fifth in 33:52 at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, Va.
Four Ethiopian men finished in the Top 10 of that Saturday-morning event, won by Julius Kojo of Kenya in 29:02. Tesfaye Dube finished second in 29:07 and Abiyot Endale was third in 29:18. Derese Deniboa was eighth in 29:43, and Ketema Nigusse finished ninth in 29:43.
Lelisa Desisa, Allan Kiprono, Ridouane Harroufi, Lani Kiplagat, Macdonard Odara, Tesfaye Sendeku, Stephen Muange, Simon Cheprot, Joseph Boit and Girma Tola with their awards at the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run.
A victorious Lelisa Desisa celebrates with Girma Tola, left, and Derese Deniboa.
From left: Julliah Tinega, Risper Gesabwa, Tigist Tufa, Alemtsehay Misganaw, Claire Hallissey, Kelly Jaske, Michelle Miller and Sharon Lemberger with their awards.
Tesfaye Dube finishing second in the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, VA.
In California, Ethiopians swept the Carlsbad 5000 — a 5k event that in past years featured Meseret Defar, Tirunesh Dibaba and Markos Geneti and which perennially is dominated by runners from Ethiopia and Kenya.
Dejan Gebremeskel won the competition in 13:11, defeating Eluid Kipchoge of Kenya by three seconds. The competitors swapped finishing positions from a year ago, when the Ethiopian was runner-up.
Aheza Kiros (15:13) claimed the women’s victory by a second over Kenya’s Pauling Korikwiang. Kiros also won the event in 2009, and finished second to Defar last year.
Overall some 8,500 runners participated in Carlsbad, a record 41,314 registered in Richmond, all 15,000 available slots were filled in the 10-mile event and another 1,000 for a 5K run-walk here at the Cherry Blossom, and there were more than 34,690 finishers in Charleston.
Desisa won the South Carolina competition with a decisive kick for a two-second gap over Kenyan Simon Ndrangu in 28:59. Ethiopia’s Bado Worku Merdessa was third in 29:15, the same time as fourth-place finisher Ezkyas Sisay — yet another runner who competed in two races in two days along the East Coast.
The weekend’s focus was on Washington, were Desisa broke the course record by two seconds with his 45:36 finish. The race was virtually an African championship event, with the Top 12 comprised of six Kenyans, five Ethiopians and a Moroccan.
In addition to Desisa, for Ethiopia Tesfaye Sendeku was sixth, Girma Tola, 10th, Sisay, 11th, and Tesfaye Assefa 12th.
Desisa battled side by side with Kenyan Allan Kiprono over the final two miles of the race, twice surging ahead only for Kirprono to close the gap until decisively pulling away in the homestretch.
“He’s a good runner,” Desisa said of Kiprono and the back-and-forth during the final miles. “I was testing him. I realized he was a good runner, so..”
So Desisa said he waited until the end to out sprint Kiprono because he knew his finishing kick was stronger than the Kenyan’s.
Desisa was runner-up at the 2010 Cherry Blossom in a controversial finish. He charged Kenyan Stephen Tum used an elbow to nudge him off a straight path to the finish-line tape, but after a review of photos and video race officials declared Tum the winner.
Two months later Desisa’s experience in winning the 2010 Bolder Boulder10K in Colorado was in sharp contrast to that contentious finish in Washington. He was declared the winner in Boulder after joining hands with countrymen Tilahen Regassa and Tadese Tola in a show of camaraderie that saw them cross the finish line in a 1-2-3 Ethiopian sweep that was as stunning as exemplary in a sport that obsesses over individualism.
Asked if he considered such a gesture as he and Kiprono approached the finish line Sunday, Desisa smiled and said emphatically, “No, no, no.”
“We (he, Regassa and Tola) are the same group,” Desisa stressed, noting that national pride is a big motivation for Ethiopian runners.
—
About the Author: Jason Jett is a New York based freelance journalist. He writes on human interest stories as well as specialized reports for niche audiences on various subjects including sports and fitness. He has worked in the news business for thirty years.
New York (Tadias) – Last night, President Barack Obama made an appearance at Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Harlem, where the Democratic National Committee was holding a fundraiser. The event marked Obama’s first trip to Harlem since being elected as the nation’s first African American President.
The gala ($30,800-a-person) was attended by about 50 people, including Harlem’s long-serving congressman Charles B. Rangel. Reporters were briefly allowed inside the private event “at the new and wildly popular Red Rooster restaurant,” which is owned by Ethiopian-born Chef and Entrepreneur Marcus Samuelsson. Per NYT: “Telling the donors this is “a challenging time,” Mr. Obama said, “I could not do what I do” without the knowledge “that I have a lot of people rooting for me, a lot of people supporting me.”’
“It was an honor to host the event and to share the food with the President, his team, and all the guests at our restaurant,” Samuelsson, who also prepared the Obama’s first State dinner, posted on his website. “After an amazing experience cooking at the State Dinner back in 2009, I am proud to host Mr. Obama at Red Rooster. It means a lot to bring the conversation to Harlem, and I wish him the best as his campaign continues.”
The President also made a stop at the Studio Museum, a few blocks away, where he met with about 125 special guests and supporters.
A much larger crowd, though not all rooting for Obama, had stood outside the restaurant hoping to get at least a glimpse of him. According to AP: “Among the people gathered at barricades on 125th Street and Lenox Avenue was Elizabeth Simmons. The 29-year-old teacher said she was excited the president was visiting a restaurant in the neighborhood Tuesday. She said she was glad to see him supporting a community establishment. Others talked about his tenure, saying he had lacked the time to deal with the problems facing urban communities like Harlem. Thirty-year-old Malcolm Woods said, “He’s only one man.””
Others said Obama needs to do more to alleviate the nation’s economic woes. Nellie Hester-Bailey, director of the Harlem Tenants’ Council, told Sky News: “There is a real sense of anger that there is this major disconnect. It’s a slap in the face when people, not just in this community but across America, cannot find jobs or support themselves. It is particularly difficult when you look at the cost of America’s actions in Libya, and working people are being asked to bear the brunt of budget cuts.”
And per New York political consultant Hank Sheinkopf: “Harlem is the symbolic African-American capital of America, the most Democratic of places. He’s got to re-energise the people who helped get him to the White House. Obama is saying ‘Hey, remember me? The Republicans are coming and I need your help’. The 2012 presidential race is really not that far away, and in classic American style, it’s starting now.”
The Harlem events were expected to net $1.5 Million for the Democrats.
—
Above:She’s no ordinary model. In the upcoming Desert Flower
the designer & WHO Goodwill Ambassador tells a tale of triumph
the world won’t soon forget. (Photograph Credit: David Roemer)
Desert Flower opens in New York and L.A. on March 18, 2011.
There’s a gravitational pull toward Liya Kebede. The slight frame, the uncertain smile … these are obvious attractions. But it’s her eyes from which there is no escape. Deep, dark, and soulful, they command the attention of all in her orbit. Among her biggest supporters: Tom Ford, whom she credits with her first big break in 2000; Dolce & Gabbana; and Proenza Schouler. In 2003, the Ethiopian native became the first woman of color to represent Estée Lauder. Having walked countless runways and shot a slew of ad campaigns (and had two children), the world-famous model turns her focus toward the big screen. The film Desert Flower—based on the book of the same name—is the true story of Waris Dirie’s journey from tribal Somalia to top model. In the lead role, Kebede takes on Dirie’s every anguish. The most excruciating: Dirie’s crude female circumcision as a child. As Dirie’s confidante, Golden Globe Award winner Sally Hawkins serves as comic relief Marilyn, much needed when Kebede’s eyes, welling with tears, shoot straight into your soul. It’s a tale for all women—and those who love them. Here, Kebede discusses her life’s story thus far.
Above:Members of the Armenian Diaspora of Ethiopia (1929)
included the conductor K. Nalbandian – whose nephew Nerses
Nalbandian later became music director at the main Theater.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Thursday, March 3, 2011
New York (Tadias) – The Either/Orchestra, which in 2004 became the first U.S. big band to appear in Ethiopia since Duke Ellington’s Orchestra in 1973, has launched a Kickstarter.com campaign to raise funds for a return trip to the country. This time, the group hopes to participate in a musical tribute celebrating the work of Nerses Nalbandian, an Armenian musician who found a home as Ethiopia’s maestro from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Seven decades prior to the E/O’s arrival in Ethiopia, Mr. Nalbandian, who had cultivated hundreds of musicians and arranged numerous Ethiopian compositions, had left an imprint on modern Ethiopian music. Nerses Nalbandian, was the nephew of Kevork Nalbandian, the bandleader of Ethiopia’s first official orchestra. The elder Nalbandian moved to Addis from Jerusalem in 1924 as a music instructor for Arba Lijoch, a group of 40 Armenian orphans who had survived the Armenian Genocide in Turkey, and were later adopted by Haile Selassie then Crown Prince Ras Tafari. Wiki notes: “He had met them while visiting the Armenian monastery in Jerusalem. They impressed him so much that he obtained permission from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem to adopt and bring them to Ethiopia, where he then arranged for them to receive musical instruction.”
Kevork Nalbandian would eventually compose the sound for Marsh Teferi, the Imperial Anthem (words by Yoftehé Negusé), which served as the national hymn from 1930 to 1974. His nephew, Nerses Nalbandian, who was appointed the first music director of Ethiopia’s National Theater in 1956, is also credited for his contribution to modern Ethiopian music through his mentorship of some of the country’s talented musicians.
Photo courtesy of ArmeniansWorld.com
The Either/Orchestra recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and in a recent press release stated that the band was invited by Alliance Ethio-Francaise to return to Addis Ababa. The upcoming tour will be the second collaboration between the Addis Ababa branch of the French cultural organization and the Either/Orchestra. During their previous trip to Ethiopia the band was introduced to Mr. Nalbandian’s children who suggested that the group, under the leadership of its founder Russ Gershon, help to revive the works of their late father. Per the E/O: “Daughter Mary and her siblings invited the band to their home for a sumptuous Ethio-Armenian feast during the visit, and after dinner began pulling out boxes of their father’s old scores. By the end of the festivities, Mr. Gershon had been convinced that the E/O should play one of Maestro Nalbandian’s arrangements at their concert. A few days later, they performed a song called Eyeye in the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel, the first time this arrangement had been played in a half century. ”
The band hopes to repeat the same experience in May of 2011. The Kickstarter.com campaign aimes to raise $10,000 in 30 days to partially fund the tour. The band is also preparing for two more concerts this month featuring Mahmoud Ahmed. The E/O and Mahmoud have been collaborating for five years, but this is the first time they will perform together in the band’s home state of Massachusetts.
New York (Tadias) – This video features upcoming events in March 2011, as well as a highlight of various programs that took place last month, including clips from Aster Aweke’s NYC concert.
Highlight of Upcoming Events
Chester Higgins Jr., Staff Photographer for the New York Times since 1975, will be exhibiting a series of 13 Ethiopian portraits at NYU’s Kimmel Center. The selection of photographs for the outdoor exhibit were taken by Higgins between 2007 and 2010 in Ethiopia, and will be on 24-hour display at Windows at Kimmel Center from March 1st through May 1st, 2011. An opening reception will be held on Friday, March 11th at the 2nd floor lounge of Kimmel Center from 6:30 to 8:30pm.
Ethiopian Students Association International (ESAI) will hold its 11th annual summit at the University of Pennsylvania, from March 18th to March 19th, 2011. Learn more at ESAI.org.
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If you would like to suggest an event for our consideration, please email us at info@tadias.com.
Above:The benefit will support Truth AIDS’ efforts in raising
awareness about HIV/AIDS and domestic violence in Ethiopia.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Wednesday, Februray 23, 2011
New York (Tadias) – The 2011 TruthAIDS Benefit will be held on February 24th at The Box in New York. According to the organizers, proceeds from the benefit will be used to support TruthAIDS’ efforts in raising awareness about HIV and domestic violence in Ethiopia. All donations are 100% tax-deductible.
The non-profit organization — founded by Dr. Mehret Mandefro, a Primary Care Physician and HIV prevention researcher — raises awareness about HIV transmission in the hardest hit communities in urban America and sub-Saharan Africa and trains peer educators to help get people HIV tested in their communities.
TruthAIDS’ web site promotes the view that HIV prevention must go hand in hand with violence prevention in order to be effective. “Widespread sexual and domestic violence robs many women of control over their bodies and is widely prevalent. For these women, negotiating condom use risks the threat of violence.”
Did you know, for example, that “globally, more than four-fifths of new HIV infections in women result from sex with a husband or primary partner?”
According to research data compiled by the organization from various sources: “In Sub-Saharan Africa, 57% of adults with HIV are women, and young women aged 15 to 24 are more than three times as likely to be infected as young men.” The story of gender gap in the United States is not much diffrent either: “Most women with AIDS were diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 44 (71%), indicating that many were likely infected at a relatively young age.” And “Women of color are disproportionately affected by the epidemic: African American and Hispanic women together represented about 24% of all US women, yet they account for 80% of HIV/AIDS diagnoses reported in 2005, with African American women making up 66% of the total alone.”
TruthAIDS aims to reverse these numbers by empowering disadvantaged communities through educational projects, such as the documentary Oblivion – a film based on a true story about a girl who refused to get married. The narrative takes place in Ethiopia and will be in production this year. And as part of the group’s communication strategy Dr. Mehret Mandefro filmed a Truth Circle on the connections between violence against women and HIV/AIDS at the 2008 United States Conference on AIDS. (See video below).
If you Go:
Doors open at 8:00PM. Program includes an auction and box show. To buy tickets and learn more about TruthAIDS go to www.truthaids.org.
THURSDAY || FEBRUARY 24 || 2011 || 8:00-11:00PM
@ THE BOX 189 CHRYSTIE STREET
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
8:00PM Cocktails and Hors D’Oeurves
9:00PM Auction
9:30PM Entertainment
$200/Person
New York (Tadias) – Chester Higgins Jr., Staff Photographer for the New York Times since 1975, will be exhibiting a series of 13 Ethiopian portraits at NYU’s Kimmel Center. The selection of photographs for the outdoor exhibit were taken by Higgins between 2007 and 2010 in Ethiopia, and will be on 24-hour display at Windows at Kimmel Center from March 1st through May 1st, 2011.
The exhibit entitled “Stars of Ethiopia: Photographs by Chester Higgins Jr.” features images measuring 70″ x 80″ on the public sidewalk for pedestrians and vehicular traffic to see. At night the images will be backlit, and Higgins says “so for 24 hours a day during these two months the Washington Square public will be treated to a little of Ethiopia in Greenwich Village.”
The official press release notes that Ethiopia “is a land of contrast and heterogeneity. The northeastern African nation is composed of more than 80 ethnic groups speaking over 80 languages, with cultural practices and traditions dating more than 3,000 years. With each portrait, Higgins seeks to create a dialogue with the viewer, revealing his subjects’ diverse homeland through their eyes.”
Higgins’ work has been printed in several publications including The New York Times, Life, Newsweek, Fortune, Essence, The Village Voice, and The New Yorker magazine. His photography is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. For Higgins, taking pictures has grown “into a life-long mission to show the decency, dignity, and virtuous character of people of African descent.” He has also published books on themes such as the nobility of aging, the experience of Black American women in the seventies, trans-Atlantic communities in the African Diaspora, and an autobiographical journey entitled “Echo of the Spirit,” which recounts his life as a photographer and an artist. Higgins cites Romare Bearden, Cornell Capa, Gordon Parks, P.H. Polk, and Arthur Rothstein as individuals whom he considers to be his mentors.
Higgins’ photographs invoke the power of the collective voice, and he recounts his three decades of traveling across South America, the Caribbean, and the African continent to document the culture, history and daily life of Africans in the Diaspora. “I made more trips in search of the missing pieces to fill in the harmony and add rhythm to make my symphony,” he says. “It came together as my fourth book: Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa.”
Photographer Chester Higgins Jr. Courtesy Photo.
Solo exhibitions of Higgins’ award-winning work have been displayed at the The Smithsonian Institution, the International Center of Photography, Musée Dapper Paris, The Museum of African Art, The Museum of Photographic Arts, The New-York Historical Society, and The Schomburg Center in Harlem. Emphasizing the presence of a visual language Higgins states that “a camera can’t compose a picture. Only your eye can. Seeing and recording with a camera is a special process that has its own language — a visual language…It takes practice to learn a language. A visual language takes just as much time and commitment. When you become fluent in it, you will be ready to handle the split second decisions necessary to make exceptional photographs.”
An opening reception for the Stars of Ethiopia exhibit will be held on Friday, March 11th at the 2nd floor lounge of Kimmel Center from 6:30 to 8:30pm.
The exhibition is curated by Lydie Diakhaté, Adjunct Curator at Grey Art Gallery, and coordinated in collaboration with the Institute of African American Affairs at NYU.
If You Go:
March 1st through May 1st NYU Kimmel Center
60 Washington Square S
New York, 10012
New York (Tadias) – Saxophonist and Composer Russ Gershon is the founder and bandleader of Either/Orchestra (E/O), the large American jazz ensemble also known for its Ethiopian song selections and notable collaborations with musicians such as Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, Teshome Mitiku, Getatchew Mekurya, Tsedenia Markos, Bahta Hewet, Michael Belayneh, and Hana Shenkute.
As Gershon tells it, his first introduction to Ethiopian music came in 1988 when he heard Mahmoud’s Ere Mela Mela. But he did not fall in love with Ethio-jazz until his encounter in 1993 with a compilation album entitled Ethiopian Groove: the Golden 70’s – produced by Francis Falceto as part of the Ethiopiques CD series on the French label Buda Musique.
Later, as a graduate student at Tufts University, Gershon named his masters thesis The Oldest Place, a string quartet inspired by the music and instruments of Ethiopia. His team eventually traveled to the country at Francis Falceto’s invitation to perform at the 2004 Ethiopian Music Festival in Addis Ababa. Either/Orchestra became the first U.S. big band to appear in Ethiopia since Duke Ellington’s Orchestra in 1973. The 2004 concert resulted in a remarkable double-disc set called Ethiopiques 20: The Either/Orchestra Live in Addis, which was described by critics at the time as “the best live album of the year—in any genre—and one of the E/O’s finest albums.”
Ethiopian music is just one of the many international sounds that E/O is known for. The band members are an eclectic bunch hailing from several countries, including the U.S., the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Mexico. The ensemble experiments with various grooves, often mixed with Afro-Caribbean and African influences.
Gershon, who was born in New York in 1959 and grew up in Westport, Connecticut, credits his global taste in his youth to the time that he spent summers working for his grandfather in New York’s Garment District, not far from the record stores and concert venues of Manhattan.
Either/Orchestra celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and will mark the event with a reunion show at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on February 11th, 2011.
We recently interviewed Russ Gershon.
Above: Mahmoud Ahmed, Francis Falceto and Russ Gershon, Paris 2006.
Tadias: Please tell us a bit about how Either/Orchestra was first formed and
what kind of music you wanted to create/play.
Russ Gershon: I started the E/O in 1985 as a rehearsal band, never expecting to tour and make records, to have the fantastic adventure we’ve had. I was coming off of a year at Berklee College of Music, following several years of playing in fairly successful original pop bands, and I was just getting a handle on writing arrangements and understanding the techniques of jazz. I was a big admirer of Sun Ra’s Arkestra, Gil Evans, and other unconventional large jazz groups, and wanted to do something like that. I should also add that I had been a radio DJ for many years, and was used to having all the recorded music in the world at my fingertips, trying to put together interesting combinations of music from all over the map.
So I invited a motley mob of musicians to come to my house and play music I was writing. Everybody had a good time, liked the music, and within a couple of months we had our first gig, in the children’s room of the Cambridge MA public library. We were immediately semi-popular and just went from there, making albums and touring. I think my experience in pop and dance bands made me more aware than most jazz musicians of connecting with audiences.
Tadias: Your music infuses Caribbean, Latin American and East African beats, tunes, and rhythms with the free-flow of jazz. Would you consider yourself an international jazz band?
RG: The E/O is indeed an international jazz band in several ways: we have members from the US, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico; we play music with many Afro-Caribbean and African influences, and of course we’ve gotten thoroughly involved with Ethiopian music. All American music has such a huge African component, through [African-Americans], so that the music of three continents flows naturally and easily together. I’ve also been a big fan of African music, starting with Fela Kuti, South African jazz and field recordings of traditional music.
Tadias: Over the years, you have worked with some of the best-known Ethiopian musicians. Who/what was the catalyst? How did you discover Ethiopian music?
RG: In 1988 I heard Mahmoud’s “Ere Mela Mela” LP and it made an impression, and I heard Aster Aweke live in about 1990, but I really fell in love with Ethiopian music in 1993 when a friend brought back the compilation “Ethiopian Groove: the Golden 70’s” from France, where Francis Falceto had assembled it from some of the best tracks recorded in Addis at the end of the imperial period. I loved the horns, the passionate singing, the modes, the way it took American influences and spiced them with musical berbere, making something familiar and new at the same time.
After a couple of years I started arranging Ethiopian songs as instrumentals for the E/O, and both the band and the audiences loved it immediately. Teshome Mitiku heard our recording of his song Yezamed Yebada, and called me up, we became friends. Soon after that, Francis contacted me and began telling me about the history of music in Ethiopia and playing rare recordings for me — material that he has been releasing on the Ethiopiques series. In 2003, he and Heruy Arefe-Aiene invited us to play in the 2004 Ethiopian Music Festival, and we got deeper into the music to prepare for the trip. While we were in Addis in January 2004, we met Mulatu, Alemayehu, Getachew, Tsedenia Markos, Bahta Hewet, Michael Belayneh and others and invited them to play on our concert, which was eventually turned into Ethiopiques #20. This led to collaborations with Mulatu in the States, Mahmoud in Paris in 2006, Hana Shenkute, Setegn Atanaw and Minale Dagnew, and on and on. Most recently we finally started working with Teshome, debuting at the Chicago Jazz Festival. He’ll be featured in our upcoming 25th Anniversary Concert in New York on February 11, and we’ll be playing with Mahmoud in Cambridge, MA on March 24 and Amherst, MA on March 25.
Mulatu Astatke and Vicente Lebron of Either/Orchestra, Addis Ababa, 2004
Teshome Mitiku and Either/Orchestra at the Chicago Jazz Festival, September 2010
Setegn Atanaw, Minale Dagnew, Hana Shenkute, Joel Yennior, Colin Fisher, MA 2006
Tadias: You are also credited for helping to popularizing Ethio–Jazz in the U.S., especially through the Ethiopiques CD release as well as subsequent tours and performances. What would you says is your most memorable concert featuring Ethiopian artists?
RG: There have been so many amazing concerts with our Ethiopian friends that I can hardly pick one. The concert in London with Mahmoud, Alemayehu, Getachew and Mulatu was pretty great, one in Milan with Mulatu and Mahmoud was off the charts, Chicago with Teshome….
Tadias: What’s your favorite Ethiopian tune?
RG: More than a favorite Ethiopian tune, I’ll say that anchi hoye is my favorite mode. We jazzers love dissonant harmonies, and we can find them in anchi hoye. I even wrote string quartet – violins, viola, cello – based on it, thinking about masinko and with a section called Azmari. I also arrange Altchalkum (bati minor) for the Boston Pops Orchestra, and they played it beautifully.
Tadias: Regarding your trip to Ethiopia, what was that experience like?
RG: The visit to Ethiopia in 2004 was a wonderful, life-changing experience for me and the band. We were concerned that people wouldn’t approve of how we were playing Ethiopian songs, but instead they were very interested and enthusiastic. Also, hearing Ethiopian music at the source – and seeing the dancing – really helped us to understand the rhythms and melody. And finally, it is an important experience for Americans, with our wasteful, materialistic culture, to have a chance to see an African city, where so many people have so few things and get by on little. It reminds us that the most important things in our lives are our relationships with friends, family, everybody – and that music is a beautiful way to develop and expand these relationships, across borders, languages, generations. In the U.S. it’s easy for people to hide in their own space, to play with their toys, to NOT relate to other people. Of course it’s great to have the comfort, safety, conveniences that we have here – but it’s not nearly enough.
Tadias: In a recent article Boston Globe noted that your “wide-open sensibility” is rooted in your exposure to the New York Music scene in 1970s. Can you describe your time in New York and how it influenced you?
RG: NY in the 70’s was an exciting place to hear jazz. The spirit of Coltrane was still very much alive, Miles and his former sidemen and others were bringing electric instruments and grooves into jazz, the Midwestern avant-garde was arriving in town. There were concerts at Carnegie Hall, traditional clubs, and artists were taking advantage of the decline in the city’s economy to find cheap space and open performance lofts. Every generation of jazz, from Count Basie and Benny Carter to Lester Bowie and Woody Shaw, was alive and playing. I was an avid concert and club goer from about 1975 on, and I feel fortunate to have heard just about every living legend and the rising generations.
The Either/Orchestra at the Yared School of Music in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 2004
E/O trombonist Joel Yennior with the Yared School Trombonists, Addis Ababa, 2004
Tadias: Please tell us about your upcoming 25th Anniversary concert in New York.
What should your fans expect?
RG: The 25th Anniversary Concert will be an amazing collection of players who have all contributed to the E/O over the years. We’ll have the ten current members of the band plus 16 former members, plus Teshome. Four drummers, seven saxophones, five trombones, and so many more. The alums include jazz stars like John Medeski, Matt Wilson and Josh Roseman, and great hard working sidemen. We’ll touch on all the eras and styles of our music, and sometimes have 25 musicians on stage. It will be spectacular, Teshome is representing our Ethiopian connection, and we’ll play Yezamed Yebada and a new Ambassel that we wrote together last summer. We may even play an instrumental version of Muluquen Mellesse’s Keset Eswa Bicha.
Tadias: Is there anything else, you would like to share with our readers?
RG:Le Poisson Rouge is not a really big place, so I recommend buying tickets in advance and showing up on time. The show is 7 to 10 pm, very early, then we’re done. We can all go out for injera!
Tadias: Thank you Russ and see you on February 11th.
—
They were gathered last Sunday to mark Timket, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of the Epiphany. For the faithful, the holiday commemorates Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan and his revelation as the son of God.
Los Angeles’ Timket celebration is the largest in the United States. It takes place over a January weekend each year in a parking lot outside the Forum in Inglewood.
Ethiopian immigrants flock from across the country and Canada to receive blessings from church bishops who wear elaborate beaded cloaks and full gray beards. Organizers say it may be the largest gathering of Ethiopians outside that nation in the Horn of Africa. Read more.
Photo: Choir members including Mengisthiu Mamo, Ashanafi Abebe, and Yemane Kassa, from right, sing and dance during a celebration of Timket. (Christina House/For The Times / January 22, 2011)
Video: 2010 Ethiopian Epiphany (Timket ) in Los Angeles
New York (Tadias) – Internationally acclaimed Ethiopian singer Aster Aweke will perform at The Sounds of Brazil (SOB’s) in New York City on Friday, February 4th, 2011.
Per Masinko Entertainment, the event’s organizers, the upcoming concert marks the artist’s first appearance in the city in more than six years. The comeback coincides with the release of her latest album entitled Checheho.
The Singer/Songwriter has often been dubbed “‘Africa’s Aretha Franklin’ for her compelling combination of driving grooves and soulful vocals, singing of love, loss and life.”
Aster Aweke was born in 1961 in Gonder, Ethiopia and launched her professional singing career at Hager Fikir Theater. In the late 1970s, she began performing at Addis Ababa night clubs, cultivating her songwriting and singing technique and emulating Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and other Western vocalists whose records were popular in the local discos. She performed at various clubs and hotels, including Hotel D’Afrique, Wabi Shebelle and Ras Hotel, accompanied by the Continental Band, Shebele Band, and Ibex Band (before they became known as the Roha Band).
Aster began her recording career in Ethiopia with two 45 vinyl record releases, followed by nine cassette releases. Her last cassette, Munayë, was released in 1981, coinciding with her departure from Addis Ababa to the United States. This recording cemented her status as an enduring musical tastemaker among music lovers in Ethiopia.
Upon arriving in the United States, Aster first settled in northern California, later relocating to the Washington D.C. area – home to the largest Ethiopian community in the United States. There, she began singing in various Ethiopian restaurants. In the late 1980s, Aster was discovered by the London-based independent label, Triple Earth, an event that marked her entrance into the World Music scene. Shortly thereafter, she secured a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment and released two major albums, Aster and Kabu, on their Columbia label.
Following her widespread popularity in the United States and Europe, Aster appeared on several radio and TV shows, including the acclaimed Night Music on the NBC television network, where she appeared as a special guest of the host, David Sanborn. She has also appeared on CNN, BBC radio and television, PBS radio and television, CBC, and London’s Channel 4 Big World Café. Print appearances include Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times.
Aster’s songs have become anthems to her fans in Ethiopia, as well as to Ethiopians living abroad. Her latest release, and 23rd album, is named after a city in Gondar that is nearby the singer’s birthplace. According to Kabu Records, Checheho was produced in collaboration with her longtime arranger, Abegasu Kibrework Shiota, and also features the work of several new producers, including Elias Melka, Abiy Arka, and Dawit Tilahun. “This electrifying album is sure to delight long-time and new fans alike.”
Aster is currently working on another album featuring compilations of her hit songs.
Las Vegas – Social Entrepreneur Ted Alemayhu, Founder and Chairman of US Doctors for Africa, will be launching the Africa-USA Business Executive Conference in Las Vegas from February 14-16th, 2011.
The event is the first of its kind and is a venture by the California-based private firm Africa-USA Trade & Investment. The conference aims to support strategic business networking opportunities between US and African-based private firms as well as their respective governmental entities. The event web site states: “Top executives from key industries, such as banking & finance, agriculture, oil & gas, telecom, aviation, travel & tourism, construction & development, information technology, health & education, and mining will be attending this historic convention. Events for the final night of the conference will include the Chairman’s Dinner Reception with the theme “America Honors Africa.” The dinner will honor African Ministors and business leaders and will be hosted by Mr. Alemayhu and the Mayor of Las Vegas.
New York (TADIAS) – Either/Orchestra, the Boston-based jazz band that popularized Ethiopian music in the United States through collaboration with legends such as Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, Teshome Mitiku and saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya, will celebrate its 25th anniversary at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on February 11.
“The show at Le Poisson Rouge will be a special occasion, the spirited union of several generations of musicians, ranging from 20 to 56 in age, from all over the U.S. and Latin America, who collectively make up the ongoing endeavor known as the Either/Orchestra,” the band said in a press release.
“An added bonus will be legendary Ethiopian singer Teshome Mitiku, who began collaborating with the E/O in a headlining performance at last September’s Chicago Jazz Festival. Teshome was a member of the Soul Ekos, one of the most popular band in East Africa in the 1960s, and a pioneer in bringing American styles into Ethiopian music.”
The event will feature more than two dozen musicians that have collaborated with the band over the years including John Medeski, Matt Wilson, and Josh Roseman, among others. Per the venue’s website: “The concert will survey 25 years of original music, radical reinterpretations of jazz and pop tunes, and include a healthy dose of Ethiopian flavor, represented by the legendary singer Teshome Mitiku.”
If you Go:
Either/Orchestra 25th Anniversary
February 11, from 7 to 10 pm.
New York’s Le Poisson Rouge
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
Video: The Either/Orchestra with Ethiopian Singer Mahmoud Ahmed: Bemin Sebeb Litlash
Above:The Ethiopian Students Association International will
hold its 11th annual summit in Pennsylvania. (Photo by ESAI)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Wednesday, January 5, 2011
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian Students Association International (ESAI) will hold its 11th annual summit at the University of Pennsylvania, from March 18th to March 19th, 2011.
According to the organizers, the two-day event will feature various seminars, workshops and keynote speakers, including a talk by young entrepreneur Eskat Asfaw, founder of College Shuttle, and Lull Mengesha, author of The Only Black Student.
The upcoming summit will be hosted by the Philadelphia Ethiopian Students Association. ESAI was founded at Marymount University in Virginia in 1999 as an inter-campus network among Ethiopian students. Each year local student groups compete for a chance to host the annual gathering in their city. Last year’s conference was held outside the United States for the first time in Toronto, Canada.
Entertainment programs at the Philadelphia summit will include the annual cultural show mixed with fun highlights of eskista and a history contest.
If You Go:
11th Annual ESAI Summit
University of Pennsylvania
Houston Hall
March 18-19, 2011
9:00 a.m-3:30pm
3417 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA, 19104
(At the Bodek Lounge Room 100)
Learn more at: www.esai.org
Cover image: At the 10th Annual ESAI Summit in Toronto, Canada. (Photo ESAI via Flickr)
Above:Aster Aweke is scheduled to perform live this weekend
in Washington, D.C. at an event ushering in the new year.(CP)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Wednesday, December 29, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Aster Aweke, one of Ethiopia’s best known contemporary musicians, will perform live at a New Year’s Day concert in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, January 1st, 2011.
According to the organizers, the Singer/Songwriter — who will soon mark the beginning of her fourth decade as an artist in the U.S. — will treat her fans to samples of her popular classics as well as new songs from her recently released album entitled Checheho.
Aster has often been dubbed “‘Africa’s Aretha Franklin’ for her compelling combination of driving grooves and soulful vocals, singing of love, loss and life.”
“For more than 30 years, Aster Aweke has been entertaining audiences across the globe,” says her label, Kabu Records, in its introduction of her new CD. “Her songs have become anthems to her fans in Ethiopia, as well as to Ethiopians living abroad, and she continues to win the hearts and minds of world music lovers.”
Her latest release, and 23rd album, is named after a city in Gondar that is nearby the singer’s birthplace. According to Kabu Records, Checheho was produced in collaboration with her longtime arranger, Abegasu Kibrework Shiota, and also features the work of several new producers, including Elias Melka, Abiy Arka, and Dawit Tilahun. “This electrifying album is sure to delight long-time and new fans alike.”
Aster is currently working on another album featuring compilations of her hit songs.
If You Go:
EthioStar Entertainment Presents:
Aster Aweke Live on New Year’s day
Saturday, January 01, 2011 at 10:00 PM
At DC Star (2135 Queens Chapel Rd)
Washington, Dc 20018
For VIP & more info: 240.478.5513 or 301.957.1116
Also, you may visit: EthioStarEnt.Com
Buy Tickets at: Asterawekeindc.eventbrite.com/
Video: Aster Aweke’s New Release – Checheho (Posted by WorldAfricaMusic )
Washington, D.C. – The African Heritage Dancers/Drummers and Little Ethiopia DC will jointly celebrate Kwanzaa – a week-long celebration created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga to strengthen Pan-African culture and community – and Genna – Ethiopian Christmas event celebrated on January 7th. The event takes place on December 26, 2010 at the African Heritage Center.
“The upcoming Kwanzaa/Genna celebration will proactively highlight the shared African heritage of both the African-American and the Ethiopian communities,” organizers said in a press release.
“The ‘People To People- A Shared African Heritage’ celebration will present performances and ceremonies by the African Heritage Dancers and Drummers and also include candle lighting, Ethiopian coffee, and libation ceremonies. There will be guest performances by Ethiopian artists Kuri, Assefu and Almaz.”
If You Go: People To People Holiday Celebration
Sunday Dec. 26, 2010
African Heritage Center, 1320 Good Hope Road SE, Washington DC 20020
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 P.M.
Contact Mel Deal 202-355-8183 or Tamrat Medhin 202-255-1400
New York (Tadias) – Chef Entrepreneur Marcus Samuelsson opened the doors of Red Rooster Harlem to friends, neighbors and media at an event last month designed to give a sneak peak of his new restaurant.
The evening, co-hosted by Uptown Magazine, attracted an eclectic group of New Yorkers – including Harlem residents, business leaders, politicians, artists, museum curators, TV personalities and more. The two-floor space, decorated for the event with stunning photographs featuring local artists, includes a lounge downstairs where guests were treated to a memorable piano performance and live DJ music.
In the following video, Marcus gives Tadias a brief tour of Red Rooster Harlem. Samuelsson notes the availability of this new space for world music entertainment programs, including live shows by Ethiopian singers and performers.
New York (Tadias) – Artists for Charity hosted its 4th Annual Holiday Benefit Art Auction this past weekend. The network of artists, volunteers and donors operate a home for HIV positive orphans in Addis Ababa. The 2010 gathering took place on Saturday, December 4th at the WVSA Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Here are images from the event:
Auctioneer Steven Talbot, AFC Founder Abezash Tamerat and her daughter getting ready to start the live auction.
A painting of Cherkos up for bid.
Omo Valley portrait.
Addis street scene by Solomon Asfaw.
Steven Talbot and Michael Astatkie discuss an AFC child’s art.
Bidders at the 2010 AFC art Auction.
At the 2010 Artists for Charity Fundraiser.
— Learn more about AFC at Artistsforcharity.org.
New York (TADIAS) – Early last month we attended a fundraiser for the Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Organizers had hoped long-distance legend Haile Gebrselassie would be the featured guest speaker. Haile, who had injured himself a day earler at the New York City Marathon, had flown directly home from NYC following the race and could not attend the gathering. The event, co-sponsored and hosted by the Chevy Chase Running Company, took place on Monday, November 8th, 2010 at the Chevy Chase Running Company store.
According to GGRF, portions of the proceeds from the event will help to “subsidize scholarships for girls to attend training at the Yaya Africa Athletics Village, an athletic center in Sululta, Ethiopia, which is presently under construction and in which Mr.Gebrselassie is a partner.” GGRF was established in 2006 to provide funds for athletic shoes, clothes, meals, coach subsidies, and other training-related expenses for disadvantaged Ethiopian girls who are training to be professional runners. One of its sponsored athletes, Dinknesh Mekash Tefer of Running Across Borders, recently broke the women’s course record for the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon in Scotland, winning her first international race.
The following video features Tigist Selam’s conversation with Dr. Patricia E. Ortman, Executive Director of the foundation, as well as footage of additional speakers at the event.
Above:Dawit Kebede, Editor of Awramba Times newspaper in
Ethiopia, was honored with CPJ’s 2010 press freedom award.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Wednesday, November 24, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based advocacy group that monitors the well-being of media professionals around the world, held its 20th Annual Awards Dinner on Tuesday, November 23rd in New York City. The event recognized four journalists: Dawit Kebede of Ethiopia, Nadira Isayeva of Russia, Laureano Márquez of Venezuela, and Mohammad Davari of Iran, who are recipients of the 2010 International Press Freedom Award.
The awards dinner, which raised a record of nearly $1.5 million for CPJ’s work, was chaired by Sir Howard Stringer, chairman and president of Sony Corporation, and hosted by former “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Brokaw, replacing current NBC anchor Brian Williams, who was originally scheduled to host the evening.
According to CPJ, Dawit Kebede, who is the Founder and Managing Editor of Awramba Times, was one of the first journalists to be jailed following Ethiopia’s 2005 disputed national elections, which also resulted in the unfortunate crackdown on press freedom. “Kebede, 30, was among the last to be released under a presidential pardon nearly two years later,” CPJ notes on its web site. “Unlike many of his colleagues who went into exile, Kebede chose to stay in Ethiopia after he walked free from Addis Ababa’s Kality Prison.”
“Here are three things people should know about me,” Kebede says. “First, it is impossible for me to live without the life I have as a journalist. Second, unless it becomes a question of life and death, I will never be leaving Ethiopia. Third, I am not an opposition. As a journalist, whatsoever would be a governing regime in Ethiopia, I will never hesitate from writing issues criticizing it for the betterment of the nation.””
The organization also presented a 2009 International Press Freedom Award to J.S. Tissainayagam of Sri Lanka, who was jailed and could not accept the honor in person last year.
Here are biographies of the awardees courtsey of CPJ:
Mohammad Davari, Iran
RAHANADavari, 36, editor-in-chief of the news website Saham News, exposed horrific abuse at the Kahrizak Detention Center, videotaping statements from detainees who said they had been raped, abused, and tortured. The center was closed in July 2009 amid public uproar, but by September of that year the coverage had landed Davari in Evin Prison. Read more.
Nadira Isayeva, Russia
Isayeva, 31, editor-in-chief of the independent weekly Chernovik (Rough Draft) in the southern republic of Dagestan, has incurred the wrath of security services in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus for her relentless reporting on their handling of violence and militant Islam in the region. In 2008, authorities brought a criminal case against her under anti-extremist legislation after she published an interview with a former guerrilla leader, who accused local authorities of corruption and of being in thrall to the Kremlin. Read more.
Dawit Kebede, Ethiopia
Kebede, 30, was one of the first journalists to be jailed for independent reporting on Ethiopia’s 2005 election violence. The government rebuffed Kebede’s attempts to get a publishing license after his release but relented in the face of public pressure. Kebede launched the Awramba Times in 2008, and today it is the country’s only Amharic-language newspaper that dares question authorities. Read more.
Laureano Márquez, Venezuela
If there were an Algonquin Round Table in Caracas, Laureano Márquez would have a seat. Journalist, author, actor, and humorist, Márquez has found rich fodder in Venezuela’s idiosyncratic political landscape. He is the scourge of left-wing President Hugo Chávez and other politicians for his biting columns in the Caracas-based daily Tal Cual and other national publications. Read more.
Above:Ethiopia’s Gebre Gebremariam poses for Tadias.com
at Queen of Sheba restaurant on Monday, November 8, 2010.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Photos by Marie Claire Andrea
Published: Friday, November 12, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Gebre Gebremariam, last Sunday’s surprise winner of the New York City Marathon, was treated to a victory dinner on Monday night at Queen of Sheba – the popular Ethiopian restaurant located in Midtown Manhattan.
Gebremariam gave Ethiopians something to cheer about after the highly anticipated appearance by Haile Gebrselassie ended in mid-course due to injury, forcing the legendary runner to prematurely announce his retirement. He has since changed his mind about the retirement decision. Haile was also a no-show on Monday evening in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where he was the scheduled speaker at Girls Got To Run Foundation’s fundraiser. (Click here for Tadias TV’s coverage of this event)
Below are exclusive images from Gebre Gebremariam’s victory dinner at Queen of Sheba restaurant on Monday, November 8, 2010.
Gebre Gebremariam at Queen of Sheba restaurant, Nov 8.
Victory dinner for Gebre Gebremariam at Queen of Sheba in Manhattan.
Philipos Mengistu, owner of Queen of Sheba, opens the Champagne.
Cheers for Gebre Gebremariam – Winner of the 2010 New York City Marathon
Gebre Gebremariam poses with Queen of Sheba staff. (November 8, 2010)
Above: Haile Gebrselassie, who is preparing for the 2010 NYC
Marathon, will keynote an event to benefit Girls Gotta Run Org.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Thursday, October 21, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Long-distance legend Haile Gebrselassie will be the featured speaker at a fundraiser for the Girls Gotta Run Foundation on Monday, November 8, 2010 at the Chevy Chase Running Company, located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, organizers announced. The event will take place the day after the athlete’s highly-anticipated debut at the upcoming New York City Marathon.
“Haile Gebrselassie, arguably the greatest living distance runner in history, has graciously agreed to be our featured speaker,” said Patricia E. Ortman, GGRF’s Executive Director. “He will speak about his life and career and answer questions from the audience.”
The foundation – which was profiled here last year – was established in 2006 to provide funds for athletic shoes, clothes, meals, coach subsidies, and other training-related expenses for disadvantaged Ethiopian girls who are training to be professional runners. One of its sponsored athletes, Dinknesh Mekash Tefer of Running Across Borders, recently broke the women’s course record for the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon in Scotland, while winning her first international race.
Organizers hope that portions of the proceeds from the Maryland gathering will help “subsidize scholarships for girls to attend training at the Yaya Africa Athletics Village, an athletic center in Sululta, Ethiopia, which is presently under construction and in which Mr.Gebrselassie is a partner.”
The event, co-sponsored and hosted by the Chevy Chase Running Company, will take place at the Chevy Chase Running Company store.
If you go:
Haile Gebrselassie Featured Speaker at GGRF Fundraiser
Monday, November 8, 2010.
From 7 to 9 p.m.
4461 Willard Avenue
Chevy Chase, Maryland,
Tickets will be $25.00 and sold only at the door
Learn more at: girlsgottarun.org
Cover Image: The 2010 New York City Marathon Poster bearing Haile Gebrselassie’s photo at the 155 Street “C” train station in Manhattan. (Tadias)
The first time Dr. Ruth Eshel witnessed esketa (which means shoulder dance, in Amharic), she was astounded. “I knew immediately that this was something new and different, something I had never seen before,” Eshel said with enthusiasm over a cup of steaming coffee at Tel Aviv’s renowned Performing Arts Center. “For someone like me, who has been dancing and choreographing for many years, to see something entirely new was very refreshing,” she continued, smiling wider at the memory. Eshel’s dream of one day forming an Ethiopian dance troupe was rooted in that first experience as an awestruck spectator.
Several years prior to that, her career as a dancer had been tragically curtailed by a serious car accident. Undeterred, she continued to choreograph, research and write about her great passion. Author of “Dancing With the Dream: The Development of Artistic Dance in Israel From 1920 to 1964” and a dance critic for the daily newspaper Haaretz, she flourished as a field researcher after 20 years of performing on stage.
In the early 1990s, as Ethiopian immigrants arrived in Israel by the thousands, her curiosity about their culture was piqued. “I’m not ethnic, and my background is in modern dance and experimental, avant-garde work, but I was attracted to their movement. My interest was both artistic and general,” she said. Read more.
New York (Tadias) – The Hub of Africa Fashion Week, which took place in Addis Ababa last month, showcased the latest collections in clothing, footwear and accessories from emerging local designers hailing from several African countries. The event was coordinated by Clairvoyant Marketing Agency and Yoha Entertainment.
The fashion week highlighted local designers and international models. The runway show featured, among others, New York-based Ethiopian American model Maya Gate Haile.
Above:Members of Zena Bel Band: violinist Kaethe Hostetter,
singer Selamnesh Zemene (C) and drummer Asrat Ayalew (R).
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Friday, October 1, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Addis Ababa-based Zena Bel Band will be performing at L’Orange Bleue in New York City on Saturday, October 2nd, 2010.
Zena Bel Band is a three piece group whose members came together when Boston’s Debo Band collaborated with traditional musicians in Ethiopia in 2009. The group is composed of two Ethiopian Azmari musicians, and one violin player from Debo.
The traditional drum “kebero” is played by Asrat Ayalew, while Kaethe Hostetter’s five-string acoustic violin evokes the Ethiopian “masinqo,” a one-string bowed instrument. Selamnesh Zemene, the vocalist, sings in a variety of traditional Ethiopian styles. Her mother and grandmother both having been Azmari singers, Zemene is steeped in this tradition. Azmari singing incorporates humor and improvisation in its performance.
The band plays both familiar Azmari songs that most Ethiopians cherish, as well as original songs by Selamnesh and her husband, who is also an Azmari musician. The trio’s repertoire includes the beloved Tizita and Ambassel songs by Bezunesh Bekkele, Birtukan Dubale, and Maritu Leggesse, and some regionally specific songs that display the rich diversity of Ethiopian traditions.
The music is by turns dreamily mesmerizing, circular, heavy, exhilarating, compelling and whimsical. Selamnesh’s sure and powerful voice reaches across political borders and musical backgrounds. Kaethe’s 5 string violin presents a modern ambiance. Asrat’s kebero provides the project’s strong backbone, as he highlights the contour of the songs.
This is Zena Bel’s first tour in the U.S. and they are thrilled to bring their music to new friends, and introduce a new take on the tradition that they are so proud of.
If you go:
Zena Bel Band in NYC
Saturday at 10:00pm.
L’Orange Bleue
430 Broome Street
New York – NY 10013 www.lorangebleue.com
Cover: $10
—
Cover image: courtesy photo.
—
Related events: Ethiopian Dance Workshop
Melaku Belay with Zinash Tsegaye
Class for Children and Parents
Saturday, October 2
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Adult Class- 1:15pm – 3:00pm
University Settlement – Houston Street Center
273 Bowery (at Houston), NYC
Adults: $20 (Bring a friend, and both of you can take the class for $30)
Children under 12: $12
Students with student ID: $15
RSVP: info@hornartscouncil.org
Organized by the Horn of Africa Arts Council
Learn more about Melaku Belay at www.melakubelay.com
Watch: Backstage With Danny Mekonnen and Melaku Belay
New York (TADIAS) – Tayitu Cultural Center, formerly known as Tayitu Entertainment, held its first book launch and reading session in Washington D.C. in August 2000. Since then, it has become one of the primary stages for Ethiopian theatrical expression in the United States. Tayitu Cultural Center is now poised to celebrate its 10th anniversary on October 3, 2010 in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Since its inception a decade ago, the organization has unfailingly hosted a monthly poetry night called YeWerru Gitm Mishit, showcasing emerging and veteran talents not only in literary traditions, but also painters, filmmakers and musicians. Founded by actress and poet Alemtsehay Wedajo, the first female director at Ethiopia’s National Theatre, the non-profit organization has managed 120 poetry gatherings, staged 29 original productions, 6 comedy skits, and has taken shows on the road to over 150 cities across the country and internationally, including Canada and Europe.
Among the group’s popular annual events are the Valentine’s Day Feqer Mishet, highlighting artistic presentations celebrating love in all its forms, as well as the once-a-year event entitled YeSaq Mishet, an evening dedicated to comedic relief.
The center, whose mission is “to conserve, renew and re-invent the rich Ethiopian cultural heritage,” has also morphed into a venue for a new generation of Ethiopian-American artists. The group aims to establish a permanent home in Washington, D.C. to serve as an Ethiopian Performing Arts and Cultural Center within the next 10 years.
If You Go:
Tayitu Cultural Center’s 10th year Anniversary
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Montgomery College, Arts Building
7995 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Program starts at 4pm http://tayituentertainment.com
Phone: 240-460-3579
Video clip from past event (2008): Tayitu Entertainment 8th Anniversary – Dancers With Maritu
Above:Dr. Mehert Mandefro, member of White House Fellows
Class of 2010, will deliver the keynote address at the Gemini-
Health Care Group’s annual event, while the evening ‘s music
segment will be headlined by cultural-icon Mahmoud Ahmed.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Thursday, September 23, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The 3rd Annual Fundraising event for Gemini Health Care Group will take place in Arlington, Virginia, on Saturday, September 25, 2010.
The evening features a keynote speech by White House Fellow Dr. Mehret Mandefro and a recognition ceremony honoring neurologist Dr. Enawgaw Mehari, Founder and President of People to People (P2P).
The entertainment segment of the gala will be led by legendary singer Mahmoud Ahmed. The 2010 fundraiser also includes live and silent auctions of paintings and other donated items – highlighting works by a diverse group of international artists, including Kumiko Buller, Dilip Sheth, Solomon Asfaw and Debebe Tesfaye.
The auction will be hosted by the Maryland based multimedia marketing and promotional network Tebabu and Associates.
If You Go:
3rd Annual Fundraising Gala
Gemini Health Care Group
Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 7pm
The Sheraton National Hotel
900 S. Orme Street,
Arlington, VA 22204
To RSVP call 914-826-6421 www.ghcg.org
Cover Image: Mahmoud Ahmed at Damrosch’s Park, NYC, on Wednesday, August 20, 2008. (Photo by Trent Wolbe/Tadias File), and Dr. Mehret Mandefro (Courtesy of GHCG).
Video: Dr. Ebba K. Ebba, Founder of Gemini Health Care Group, on 50 in 52 interview (2009)
New York (Tadias) – The Los Angeles screening of the award winning film Teza is scheduled to open on Friday, September 24, 2010 in Santa Monica.
The opening night activities include a question and answer session with the filmmaker Haile Gerima, moderated by the award-winning author Tananarive Due, followed by an opening night after party featuring Ethiopian jazz and sounds from the Diaspora.
The critically acclaimed film explores the trauma of violence and its lasting impact on society using Ethiopia’s tumultuous political history as a backdrop. Teza uses the power of memory and flashbacks to recount the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.
—
Cover photo credit: Mypheduh Films
If You Go:
Teza Los Angeles-Opening Weekend Events
Friday, September 24, 2010: Following 8 PM Screening of Teza
Q&A with Filmmaker Haile Gerima
Moderator: Award Winning Author Tananarive Due
Laemmle’s Santa Monica 4-Plex
1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Friday, September 24, 2010: 10 PM-2 AM
Opening Night After Party
Mandrake Bar
2692 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034 (between Washington & Venice)
An Evening of Ethiopian Jazz and Sounds from the Diaspora.
Saturday, September 25, 2010: 4-6 PM
An Afternoon w/ Professor Haile Gerima (YOUTH EVENT)
Loyola Marymount University
1 LMU Drive, University Hall 3000, Los Angeles, CA 90045
A rare opportunity for youth to dialogue with Professor Gerima.
Sunday, September 26th, 2010: 4-6 PM
Redemptive Cinema Panel
Esowon Books
4331 Degnan Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Panelists: Alemayehu Gebremariam, Assumpta Oturu, Billy Woodberry, Haile Gerima, and Paul Zeleza; Moderator: Elias Wondimu
Teza will continue to play at the Laemmle’s Santa Monica 4-Plex daily after September 26th at: 1:30 PM, 4:40 PM, and 8:00 PM.
For more information visit www.TezaTheMovie.com, e-mail tezala@gmail.com, or call 310-902-1436.
Above:Sheba Sahlemariam will perform at Joe’s Pub, NYC, on
Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 11:00 PM. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published; Tuesday, September 14, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Singer-songwriter Sheba Sahlemariam will return to New York City’s Joe’s Pub this coming weekend. The Ethiopian-born artist will be accompanied by the Judah Tribe reggae band.
The upcoming event follows a promising year for the singer’s budding musical career after the remix of her song, Love This Lifetime, garnered wide attention and was featured on MTV UK and VH-1 Soul, as well as hitting the charts in Jamaica and England. The YouTube hit made the top 30 UK Club Charts and captured the number one spot on Jamaica’s weekly music countdown by Richie B. It also received air time as the number one song on Ethiopia-Afro FM.
What do you get when you mash up the majesty of Africa, the island vibes of the Caribbean, New York City’s concrete jungle and shake it like a Molotov Cocktail? Welcome to the world of Sheba; a feisty, dynamic singer/rhymer/songwriter/producer ready to explode your ipod with hot beats, clever, provocative lyrics, wicked flow, melodic catchy hooks and a diva-worthy four octave range.
If you go:
Sheba with Judah Tribe Band
Presented by New African Productions
Saturday September 18th at 11PM JOE’S PUB
Sheba Sahlemariam Feat Bounty Killer – Love This Lifetime (Official Video)
Above:The late Dr. Teshome H. Gabriel, a long-time Professor
at UCLA and an authority on third world & post-colonial cinema.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Friday, September 10, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Haile Gerima’s critically acclaimed movie Teza, to be premiered in Los Angeles on Monday, September 13th, will also honor the late Teshome H. Gabriel, a long serving Professor at UCLA and a leading international figure on third world and post-colonial cinema. Dr. Teshome died suddenly from cardiac arrest on June 15, 2010. He was 70 years old.
Dr. Teshome was born in Ethiopia in 1939 and moved to the States in 1962. He began his academic career at UCLA in the early seventies. According to the university’s Newsroom: “A pioneering scholar and activist, Gabriel had taught cinema and media studies at TFT since 1974 and was closely associated with UCLA’s African Studies Center.”
“He was a brilliant, gracious, elegant and generous man,” said Teri Schwartz, Dean of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. “Teshome was a consummate professional and a truly beloved faculty member at TFT…he will be greatly missed by all of us.”
Dr. Teshome earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah and a Master’s and a Ph.D. from UCLA, where he would eventually became a tenured professor at the world-famous School of Theater, Film and Television.
He also served as the Founder and Editorial Board Member of the Amharic publication Tuwaf (Light), an Ethiopian Fine Arts Journal, from 1987 to 1991. Dr. Teshome is also the co-editor of the 1993 book Otherness and the Media: The Ethnography of the Imagined and the Imaged and most recently the author the book Third Cinema: Exploration of Nomadic Aesthetics & Narrative Communities. He is quoted as describing his work as that of an activist scholar: “What I am seeking to do, I would say, is validate the notion of the academic citizen, by which I mean an academic who has some relationship to the wider communities that surround us and which overlap with other arts and disciplines.”
Nicholas K. Browne, Vice Chair for Cinema and Media Studies was quoted by UCLA Newsroom as stating that: “Teshome’s work had three main themes. He focused on the unique styles of films made in the non-aligned nations of Latin America and Africa (the “Third World”), the issues of relating and representing ‘the other’ (that is, people not like us), and the unique situation of filmmakers and scholars who have left the countries of their birth and occupy and reflect on their marginal, in-between place in the world, a more and more common situation in a global world of the 20th and 21st centuries.”
The event – slated to be held at the Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood Village – is sponsored by UCLA Film & Television Archive and features a discussion with Director Haile Gerima following the screening. The evening’s co-hosts include filmmakers Billy Woodberry, Charles Burnett, Michie Gleason, as well as Ellias Negash – a long-time personal friend of Professor Teshome- among others.
If You Go:
The Los Angeles Premiere Screening of TEZA
in honor of the late UCLA Professor Teshome Gabriel
Discussion with Haile Gerima following the screening
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2010 7:30 pm
Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood Village
courtyard level of the Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Labor Day might mark the end of summer for some, but in Ethiopia, September means the springtime celebration of a new year. Called Enkutatash, the holiday enticed a crowd of African ex-pats and other curious locals to an outdoor festival at Berkeley’s Civic Center Park this Sunday.
Organized by Oakland’s own Ethiopian Community and Cultural Center (ECCC), the event showcased crafts and clothing, a variety of ethnic foods, and Africa-conscious charitable organizations from around northern California.
Down Center Street, vendors sold an array of Jamaican, Ghanaian and Ethiopian foods. Along with sunny weather and live Reggae music, the wafting blend of cumin and chili peppers helped create a festive mood. People in T-shirts and jeans mingled with traditionally dressed Ethiopian and Sudanese men and women to get a look at the African-themed wares on display.
“This is a non-political, non-religious event – a festival celebrating the new year,” said Ermias Getachew, president of the ECCC. Sunday marked the party’s seventh anniversary. Read more.
Above:12th annual Ethiopian Day Celebration, hosted by the
Ethiopian Association in the GTA- scheduled for this weekend.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, September 7, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian Torontonians are gearing up for their city’s 12th annual Ethiopian-Canadian Day Celebration, scheduled to take place this coming weekend at Christie Pits Park in Toronto.
The day long event features a variety of booths, arts, crafts, food and live entertainment – including Ethiopian music, reggae and other African grooves, organizers announced.
The yearly festivities, which also serve as a celebration of enqutatash (New Year) for the estimated 50,000 Ethiopians in the Greater Toronto Area, is organized by The Ethiopian Association in the GTA and Surrounding Regions. “It is with sense of obligation to preserve and promote our heritage that the Ethiopian Community in Toronto has taken over the task of organizing such an event,” the organization noted on its website following last year’s activities. “As in the past, our Association took charge of planning, budgeting and coordination of tasks.”
According to Yeamrot Taddese, Tadias Magazine’s contributing reporter from Toronto, the upcoming event is a high-spirited affair for Ethiopians in Canada.
“In no other festivity do local Ethiopians’ spirit, talent and culinary skills shine as they do on the annual day-long Ethiopian New Year’s celebration,” Yeamrot wrote in her recent series of articles about the city’s Ethiopian soccer team Ethio Star’s pending bid to host the 2011 tournament managed by the Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA).
“The event, also dubbed ‘Ethiopian Day,’ is the most anticipated gathering in the community that features live music, rising Ethiopian entrepreneurs, social justice advocates and lots of injera.”
If You Go:
12th annual Ethiopian-Canadian Day Celebration
Saturday, September 11, 2010
10am to 11pm
at Christie Pits Park
Learn more at Ethiocommun.org
—
Cover Image:Photos from the event flyer.
Note:Is your city hosting Ethiopian New Year’s celebration? Send us the details at info@tadias.com.
Above:Dr. Mehert Mandefro, member of White House Fellows
Class of 2010, will deliver the keynote address at the Gemini-
Health Care Group’s annual event, while the evening ‘s music
segment will be headlined by cultural-icon Mahmoud Ahmed.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Friday, September 3, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The 3rd Annual Fundraising Gala for Gemini Health Care Group, a U.S. based NGO that focuses on providing pediatric medical services and professional training in Ethiopia, is scheduled to take place in Arlington, Virginia, on Saturday, September 25, 2010.
According to Zeithuna K. Ebba, GHCG’s Public Relations Officer, the upcoming event will feature inspirational speakers and plenty of entertainment. “We are honored to have Dr. Mehret Mandefro deliver the Keynote address,” Zeithuna told Tadias Magazine. “We are also very excited to announce that legendary singer Mahmoud Ahmed will grace the entertainment part of the evening.”
The PR Officer said the 2010 fundraiser will include live and silent auctions of paintings and other donated items. “The live auction will highlight works by a diverse group of international artists, including the New York-based Japanese portrait painter Kumiko Buller, who donated her favorite painting of young Obama,” Zeituna said. “Other participating artists include Dilip Sheth, Solomon Asfaw and Debebe Tesfaye.” The live auction will be hosted by the Maryland based multimedia marketing and promotional network, Tebabu and Associates.
According to the evening’s program, the gala will also honor neurologist Dr. Enawgaw Mehari, Founder and President of People to People (P2P).
If You Go:
3rd Annual Fundraising Gala
Gemini Health Care Group
Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 7pm
The Sheraton National Hotel
900 S. Orme Street,
Arlington, VA 22204
To RSVP call 914-826-6421 www.ghcg.org
—
Cover Image: Dr. Mehret Mandefro (Photo courtesy of GHCG); Mahmoud Ahmed, pictured at Damrosch’s Park, NYC, on Wednesday, August 20, 2008. (Photo by Trent Wolbe/Tadias File).
Video: Dr. Ebba K. Ebba, Founder of Gemini Health Care Group, on 50 in 52 interview (2009)
Above:Ethiopian cultural icon Mahmoud Ahmed will perform
in New York City at SOB’s on Saturday, September 18, 2010.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Wednesday, September 1, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Legendary Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed will take center-stage in New York City at the Sounds of Brazil (SOB’s) on Saturday, September 18th, 2010.
The event, sponsored by Massinko Entertainment, aims to serve as a post-New Year and pre-Meskel celebration for the Ethiopian-American community in New York and surrounding states. The Ethiopian calendar marks New Year on September 11th and the annual holiday Meskel takes place on 17 Meskerem (September 27).
Mahmoud Ahmed, winner of the 2007 BBC Music Awards for Africa, “is both a living legend and something of a mystery in the West,” wrote Garth Cartwright during the Radio station’s recognition of the artist three years ago. “Undeniably Ethiopia’s most famous singer of its ‘golden era,’ the three albums reissued of his recordings by French label Buda Musique as part of their Ethiopiques series have captured Western listeners.” For Ethiopians everywhere, Mahmoud Ahmed is like family, the writer adds. “It appears Ahmed is so valued by Ethiopians – both at home and the Diaspora – he’s too busy singing for weddings and private events to give much thought to Western audiences.”
The artist’s last appearance in New York occurred two years ago at a Lincoln Center outdoor music event.
If You Go:
Massinko Entertainment Presents Mahmoud Ahmed
Saturday September 18th, 2010
SOB’s (204 Varick Street, @ w. Houston)
Tickets $30 in Advance • Doors open 11pm to 4am
Limited Seating Available
For reservations call
201.220.3442 • 202.340.1111 www.sobs.com
Cover Image:Mahmoud Ahmed at Damrosch’s Park, NYC, on Wednesday, August 20, 2008. (Photo by Trent Wolbe/Tadias File)
Video: extrait du 52′ sur Mahmoud Ahmed & Either/Orchestra
New York (TADIAS) – The upcoming “Hub of Africa Fashion Week” to be held in Addis Ababa from September 23rd to September 25th will showcase the latest collections in clothing, footwear and accessories from emerging local designers hailing from six African countries, organizers said via email. The fashion week is being coordinated by Clairvoyant Marketing Agency and Yoha Entertainment.
According to the group, the event “aims to ‘Unite the Industry for Sustainable Development’ by featuring young up-coming fashion designers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, DRC and Tanzania as a means to create synergy,” Clairvoyant said in a statement posted on the show’s website. “Additional guest designers from Italy/ Berlin have been invited to participate.”
The event will highlight, among others, Ethiopia’s award-winning footwear brand Sole Rebels. The following are the selected designers that will be featured in the runway shows as provided by the organizers:
Mataano (Twins)
Born to Somali parents and raised in both their native country and Washington, D.C., identical twins Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim are owners of the brand Mataano (meaning “twins” in Somali). The company’s premier Spring 2009 collection launched in New York City on November 1, 2008, featuring a boutique preview of ten dresses, which garnered wide attention – including a highlight on Oprah Winfrey’s show.
John Kaveke
Kenyan Fashion designer John Kaveke studied fashion in Kenya and Spain. He worked as a designer for other fashion labels for four years before establishing his own clothing company called KAVEKE. His style is contemporary and he uses leather, denim, linen and Maasai beads in his creations. His designs, which are for both genders, express boldness, vitality and individuality.
Modahnik
Fusing her African heritage with her Western design sensibilities, Kahindo Mateene, the designer behind Modahnik, creates modern silhouettes that accentuate a woman’s curves and are visually appealing. The use of Hollandaise Wax, an African influenced colorful fabric, alongside silk satin is at the essence of Modahnik.
Banuq
Banuq’s collection is based on the concept of classic and timeless garments made to drape off the unique curves of each individual. Inspired by the lifestyles of travelers, explorers and people on-the-move, each garment demonstrates the designer’s relaxed yet tasteful approach to fashion.
Mafi Habeshigna
Mafi Habeshigna (Mahlet Afework) is a household name on the Ethiopian fashion scene. Mahlet was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She started to design clothes in elementary school, where she famously redesigned her school uniform for her first fashion show. Her collections are eclectic styles of gilded glamour with cutting-edge look, feminine in flow and texture.
Sewasew
Sewasew Hailu has been in the fashion industry since 2004. Her designs distinctively promote the Ethiopian culture. Sewasew’s works have been displayed in the “Out of Africa Festival” (an international cultural show in Houston, Texas), the “Pan African Cultural Festival” in Algeria, the “Ismir International Trade Fair” in Turkey, the “Ethiopian Cultural Festival” in Germany, and the “African Mosaique” in Ethiopia.
Fikirte Addis
Fikirte Addis was Born on August 3, 1981, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She has come a long way from her earlier profession working with children as a Psychologist, while simultaneously pursuing her passion for haute couture. Fikirte opened YeFikir Design in 2009. Her inspiration comes from the Ethiopian handmade fabrics. YeFikir focuses on traditional fitting for everyday modern life.
Mapozi
The clothing line Mapozi utilizes Tanzanian local fabrics such as khanga, kitenge and Maasai blankets in a unique way through fusion of the western cut styles with the traditional African materials. Mapozi is the brainchild of Robi Morro.
New York (TADIAS) – Two solo exhibitions featuring new paintings inspired by Dayton, Ohio artist Peter Gooch’s recent trip to Ethiopia are taking place through mid-September at the ArtStreet Studio D Gallery at the University of Dayton and at the B. Deemer Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky.
Professor Peter Gooch, a member of the painting faculty in the visual arts department at the University of Dayton, says he was moved to create the abstract works on paper and small panels by his multiple journey to the country and the striking images captured by his photographer wife Sharon Ransom.
“It was an incredibly powerful, visual and physical experience to be in Ethiopia. It has a very rich, complex and idiosyncratic culture,” Gooch told the Dayton Daily News. “It had such a powerful effect on me that I’m just beginning to distill or assimilate all the visual data I gathered.”
According to the paper: “Gooch broke down that experience into three related groups of work: Lalibela paintings, Boku paintings and Mekuamia paintings. He translated the rock-hewn churches and hilltop monasteries surrounding Lalibela into five acrylic paintings reflective of the ancient city’s atmospheric quality. “Lalibela — Yellow” is his recollection and synthesis of a lemon and lime roadside stand. This striking work on paper is characterized by vertical strips of yellows, greens and blues punctuated with exclamations of black on cream. Boku references the ceremonial leadership staffs of the Oromo tribes. The visuals he created include three high, narrow paintings shown together. Tiny horizontal strips of varying hues march upward in a sea of roughly blended colors. The Christian pilgrims of central and northern Ethiopia carry Mekuamia walking staffs. In “Mekuamia — Yellow Wedge,” tiny horizontal strips of yellow, green and blue cross behind a representative staff in a sea of blood red.”
— If You Go:
Project Ethiope |Paintings | Aug 23, 2010 to Sep 24, 2010
Professor Peter Gooch will exhibit his works on paper and small panels at ArtStreet Studio D Gallery Aug. 23 through Sept. 24. A free artists’ reception is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21. The gallery is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to midnight; Saturday and Sunday noon to midnight. ArtStreet is located at the intersection of Lawnview Ave. and Kiefaber St. on the University of Dayton campus. For more information, call 937-229-5101 or visit: http://artstreet.udayton.edu.
Location: ArtStreet Studio D Gallery
Cost: Free
For more information, call Adrienne Niess at 937-229-5101 or email niessadl@notes.udayton.edu.
B. Deemer Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky
Peter Gooch “Ethiopian Paintings”, New paintings by Dayton, OH artist.
Ends September 14, 2010
2650 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206 www.bdeemer.com
Washington, D.C. (TADIAS) – Emerging Ethiopian reggae artist Eyob Mekonnen, accompanied by Zion Band and singer Dawit Melese, will make a concert appearance during the upcoming Labor Day weekend in Washington D.C.
According to the promoters, the event is set to take place at DC Star Nightclub on Saturday, September 4th, 2010.
The musician’s debut CD, which was released by Nahom Records and Massinko Entertainment, is highlighted in the following promotional video.
— If you Go:
Labor day Weekend
Saturday, September 4th, 2010
2135 Queens Chapel Rd, NE
Washington, DC 20018
Doors Open: 9:00pm-4:00am
ENTRANCE: $25.00
Hosted by Ethiostar & SENU BVLGARI ENT
Above: An exhibition featuring paintings inspired by Ethiopian
artist Tibebe Terffa’s recent visit to Kentuky entitled “Corralling
Colors” opened on Monday in Stanford, where he spent weeks.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Sunday, August 8, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Renown Ethiopian artist Tibebe Terffa has spent the last two months in Kentucky, where his paintings inspired by local traditions and the states’s famous horse culture, will go on display this week at the Lincoln County Public Library in Stanford.
“It’s mission accomplished, I believe,” Tibebe told the local AM news. “I never thought I could paint all these paintings. It has been very inspiring. I am having a very pleasant time,” he said inside the little home on Mill Street that has been his home and studio. “I didn’t have much stressful times. There’s not much stress reflected in these paintings.”
His ten-week stay in Stanford was sponsored by the First Southern National Bank in partnership with the city’s downtown arts program. As AM News notes, the bank’s President “Jess Correll and wife Angela met Terffa while visiting Ethiopia in February. They visited his studio in the capital city of Addis Ababa, liked his work and bought some of his paintings.”
“Just a coincidence,” Tibebe said of the Corrells’ visit and timely offer.
Per the artist’s website, Tibebe, 62, “was born in the walled city of Harar, Ethiopia in 1948. He studied at the University of Addis Ababa School of Fine Art and Design from where he graduated in painting in 1973. During the school years (1970-1973), Tibebe and his friends formed the Sixteen Young Artist’ Association that aimed at staging exhibitions around the country. Tibebe worked as an art instructor at the Medhane Alem Comprehensive High School in Harar from 1973 until 1980. In 1981 he moved to Addis Ababa, and worked as an Illustrator for Kuraz Publishing House until 1983. Since 1984 he has been working as a studio artist from his residence in Addis Ababa. He has had numerous solo exhibition in Ethiopia, Germany (Berlin), Canada (Winnipeg ,Toronto), USA (Washington), and Spain (Madrid).”
Regarding his recent works, the painter said he initially had to return to recalling scenes from Ethiopia in order to place his new and unfamiliar surroundings into perspective and to get his ‘creative juices flowing.’ “Like a tree, I have roots, a culture, a place where I grew up,” he explained. “When you have roots you can return to, you are not lost. These first paintings were a spring to get to the unknown, to start the engine, to wake up the engine.”
“What goes on inside an artist’s head and then comes out on canvas has been an interesting process to watch,” said Jess Correll, president of First Southern National Bank.
If you go
Ethiopian artist Tibebe Terffa’s “Corralling Colors” exhibit of paintings completed in Stanford will open Monday at Lincoln County Public Library, 310 N. Third St., Stanford. An artist’s reception will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. More at amnews.com.
Above:President Obama held a forum at the White House on
Tuesday with 115 young leaders from Africa designed to mark
the fiftieth anniversary of African independence (Getty Images)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, August 3, 2010
New York (Tadias) – President Barack Obama hosted a large contingent of young African leaders from the public and private sectors at the White House on Tuesday.
115 young leaders representing more than 40 countries – including Ethiopia – gathered for the East Room event, where the President led a town hall meeting urging the attendees to focus on economic progress, fighting corruption, disease and extremism on the continent.
“We are rooting for your successes,” Obama said. “And we want to work with you to achieve that success. But ultimately, success is going to be in your hands.”
The young leaders were joined by a number of U.S. administration officials, including Attorney General Eric Holder, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and others.
WATCH
According to the White House, the event, which was also designed to mark the fiftieth anniversary of African independence, “presents the U.S. government and American friends of Africa with an opportunity to deepen and broaden our understanding of the trajectories of African societies, and to reflect on how the next generation are building their communities’ and their nations’ futures – just as their predecessors did in the era of independence from colonial rule.”
In addition to the town hall meeting, the three-day forum features small-group discussions on topics such as transparency and accountability, job creation and entrepreneurship, rights advocacy, and the use of technology to empower individuals and communities.
The administration hopes the event will also serve as a networking opportunity between the African leaders and their American counterparts. “The U.S. government’s role in this gathering is as a convener, encouraging networks between young American and African leaders, and pursuing lasting partnerships on behalf of our common security and prosperity,” the White House said. “This dialogue and follow-up events in Africa will help the U.S. government better assess how to support Africa’s own aspirations going forward.”
Per the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, four young people represented Ethiopia at the forum, including Mahlet Eyassu Melkie, 29, a climate change activist; Meron Getnet Hailegiorgis, 27, an author; Salsawit Tsega Ketema, 30, Founder of Sel Art Gallery and Yohannes Mezgebe Abay, 35, Vice President of the Pan African Youth Union.
Cover Image:President Obama speaks during a town hall meeting with Young African Leaders in the East Room at the White House. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
Above:A large contingent of African business executives and
their American counterparts are scheduled to meet in Nevada.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Monday, July 26, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Over a thousand African business leaders and their American counterparts are expected to convene in Las Vegas in early November for what organizers say will be the biggest convention of its kind in the United States. (This event has been rescheduled)
Top executives from various industries including Telecom, Energy, Banking, Mining, Agriculture, Airlines, Tourism as well as Ministers of Trade & Investment from across the African continent will gather for the 3-day conference scheduled from November 15 to November 17, 2010. Joining them are American business leaders, U.S. Administration officials, along with African Ambassadors, and representatives of several multilateral agencies.
According to Ethiopian-American social entrepreneur Ted Alemayhu, whose firm Africa-USA Trade & Investment is hosting the event in Las Vegas, the conference focuses on boosting investment as well as encouraging large-scale networking of entrepreneurs.
“The goal is to help create strategic economic partnerships through mutually beneficial trade and development initiatives,” says Mr. Alemayhu. “The conference will bring together key players in both regions to discuss business opportunities within the framework of establishing sustainable long-term relationships.”
A similar event focusing on civil society and the private sector is also scheduled in Washington next month. According to the White House, President Obama will host a town hall meeting with 120 young leaders from 40 countries to discuss their vision for transforming their societies over the next fifty years.
“Africa is becoming the new frontier for emerging market investors,” Mr. Alemayhu said. “Once, talk of investment in African countries was dismissed as idealism. Now Africa is increasingly attracting major global investors.”
According to Mr. Alemayhu: ‘In addition to strengthening and facilitating the commercial relationship between the United States and Africa, the convention will also serve to raise Africa’s investment profile in the U.S. by creating strategic and developing critical contacts and providing a forum for the exchange of information and ideas.”
If You Go: The event is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from November 15 to November 17. To register or other inquiries, please send an email to info@africanbizconvention.com.
Cover Image: Illustrative stock photo.
Watch related video:Synergies africaines accueille le Président fondateur de USDFA
Ted Alemayhu, who is also Founder & CEO of US Doctors For Africa, being recognized in
that capacity by the President of Cameroon.
THE WINNER IS: The Crown Goes To Miss FiFi Souma of Guinea Faraitoday.com
Updated: Monday, July 26, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Miss Fifi Souma from the Republic of Guinea Conakry was crowned Miss Africa USA for 2010.
The event, which celebrated its 5th anniversary, took place on Saturday, July 24, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
According to the organizers, the annual contest highlighted 17 out of 54 African countries. Finalists from Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Kenya dominated the contest this year. Sofia Bushen was Ethiopia’s sole representative.
Founded five years ago by Kate Njeuma of Cameroon, organizers say the scholarship pageant is open to delegates from all 54 countries. A description posted on the group’s website describes the vision as an opportunity “for African girls in America to shine the spotlight on Africa.” It helps the participants “tell their stories to the world and inspire one another, and build self esteem.”
According to the group, past winners of the competition have gone on to join forces with major charity organizations in the U.S. such as Habitat for Humanity, Concern USA, Russell Simmons’s Diamond Empowerment Fund, and to help raise money for charitable causes benefiting communities in Africa and the United States. Most notably, Miss Teizue Gayflor, Miss Africa USA 2006-2007 toured Liberia in 2007 on a mission to promote education for school children and conducted a series of radio and television interviews calling for peace and reconciliation.
Video: Miss Africa USA 08 Parade MISS ZIMBABWE, MISS LIBERIA AND MISS NIGERIA
If you go:
Miss Africa USA 2010 GRAND FINALS AND CORONATION CEREMONY
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Montgomery County Tacoma Park / Silver Spring Performing Arts Center
7995 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Show Time 6pm – 11pm
More info at www.missafricaunitedstates.com
Tadias Magazine
Events News – Photos by Kidane Mariam
Published: Monday, July 19, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Teddy Afro celebrated his 34th birthday during his sold-out show in New York this past weekend.
The artist, who treated the audience to a spectacular show on Saturday night, was greeted by his adoring fans with a chorus of “Happy Birthday” as he kicked-off his concert after midnight. Organizers say between 800 – 1,000 people attended the event. A number of people also stood outside unable to find tickets.
Teddy Afro kept his audience rocking for over three hours with powerful renditions of his iconic songs and his trademark message of love and unity: Fiqir Yashenifal – Amharic for “love wins.”
Ethiopia’s biggest pop-star also took the opportunity to introduce the founders of Color Heritage Apparel, which specializes in Reggae and Ethiopian wear, and announced a possible collaboration to develop a Teddy Afro clothing line down the road. Winston Jack, the head of the fashion company tells TADIAS that they are exploring the idea but nothing is finalized yet. “It is still in the early stages of discussion,” he said. “We will announce it through a press release when it happens.”
Here are a few images from Teddy Afro’s concert in Manhattan, which took place at 630 Second Ave. on July 17, 2010.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Photos by Derege Zewdie
Published: Sunday, July 11, 2010
New York (Tadias) – While Spain and the Netherlands battled for the 2010 World Cup final on Sunday afternoon, Tadias caught part of the 5th Annual Ethiopian American Business Forum & Exhibition, which took place in Washington, D.C. this weekend.
We are told a lot more people attended the opening day activities on Saturday where featured speakers included Karl Wycoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa; Mimi Alemayehou, Executive Vice President of Overseas Private Investment Corporation; Ms. Rosa Whitaker, CEO of the Whitaker Group and the principal architect of AGOA; and Ato Ermias Amelga, CEO of Access Capital and Founder and Board Chairman of Zemen Bank S.C.
The conference was a collaborative event between U.S. government agencies and private companies and was developed to promote trade between the United States and Ethiopia by fostering new business relationships between Diaspora investors and entrepreneurs operating in the African nation.
The event was organized by The Ethiopian American in association with USAID’s “Africa Growth & Opportunities Act+” Program – VEGA AGOA Plus, a U.S. taxpayer-funded project, which offers tangible incentives for African countries to continue their efforts to open their economies and build free markets.
The exhibition showcased several ventures mostly from Ethiopia. It took place at Four Points by Sheraton in Washington, D.C.
New York (Tadias) – The 5th Annual Ethiopian American Business Forum & Exhibition is scheduled to take place in the nation’s capital this weekend.
The conference – a joint project between U.S. government agencies and private companies – aims to foster new business relationships between Diaspora investors and entrepreneurs operating in Ethiopia.
The event is organized by The Ethiopian American in association with USAID’s “Africa Growth & Opportunities Act+” Program – VEGA AGOA Plus, a U.S. taxpayer-funded project designed to promote trade between the United States and African nations.
According to the organizers, “Mimi Alemayehou, Executive Vice President of Overseas Private Investment Corporation, will give the opening remarks to kick off the Forum, and Adrian Fenty, Mayor of D.C., has been invited to open the exhibition/trade show and give the keynote speech at the Forum’s luncheon on July 10th, 2010.”
The exhibition and trade show will feature over 20 ventures from the U.S. and Ethiopia.
In case you are debating whether to attend the conference or watch the World Cup finals, organizers note: “We’re working on making sure a big screen TV is available for your viewing pleasure in the lobby.”
—-
Update from the organizers (Friday, July 9, 2010) Karl Wycoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa will speak at the 5th Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum & Exhibition luncheon tomorrow. Other speakers at the luncheon will be: Ms. Rosa Whitaker, CEO of the Whitaker Group, the principal architect of AGOA and Ato Ermias Amelga, CEO of Access Capital and Founder and Board Chairman of Zemen Bank S.C.
If You Go:
5th Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum and Exhibition
July 10 and 11
Four Points by Sheraton (1201 K Street, NW)
Washington D.C. – (202) 289-7600
Both days the events run from 9AM-6PM
The event is free and open to the public
Related from past events: Video: Watch Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum – 2008
New York (TADIAS) – Teddy Afro, Ethiopia’s biggest pop star, will perform in New York city next week.
The singer – who made an appearance at a sold-out concert in the Bay Area during the recently concluded 2010 Ethiopian Soccer Tournament – will stage a show in Manhattan on Saturday, July 17th at 630 Second ave, bet 34th and 35th streets.
Afro, born Tewodros Kassahun, is known as Ethiopia’s Bob Marley, mostly for his socially conscious lyrics and his incorporation of roots-reggae rhythms into his version of Ethiopian grooves.
He kicked off his American tour last fall in Washington, D.C.
If You GO:
Masinko and Addis Zemen Ent. present Teddy in NYC
Featuring DJ Mehari!
Sat, July 17th, 2010
630 Second ave, bet 34th and 35th Sts.
Advance tickets are $35, $40 @ the door.
VIP Package For A Group of 5 is Also Available
VIP = No waiting in line and includes bottle & table service.
VIP TIX: $350 in advance ($70 per person) or $400 @ the door.
If you’re interested in buying tickets or ordering the VIP package, please call 646-436-3022.
Related videos and photos from past events: Video: Teddy Afro Pays Tribute to Legendary Singer Tilahun Gessesse in DC (2010)
Video: Teddy Afro Concert 2010 in DC (Posted by Milliano Promo)
Slideshow: Teddy Afro concert at the DC Armory (Saturday, January 2, 2010)
Above:Professor Ayele Bekerie and his former students, Yeshi
Abebe and Tsehai Abebe, attend an event on the South Lawn
of the White House on June 29, 2010. —— (Courtesy Photo)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Friday, July 2, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Tadias recently received a wonderful note from Professor Ayele Bekerie at Cornell University. Two of his former students had sent him an invitation to attend an event on the South Lawn of the White House honoring appointees who had been involved in the Obama Presidential campaign and now had government jobs.
Below are Professor Bekerie’s synopsis and photos:
In 1999 nine students of Ethiopian background graduated from Cornell University. The majority of them took one or more courses with me while they were undergraduate students. Among these graduates were Yeshimebet Abebe and Tsehai Abebe, who are sisters. Yeshi, Tsehai and their third sister Saba work for the Federal Government. They were actively involved in the campaign to elect President Obama in Iowa where they were born.
On June 29, 2010, the White House invited political appointees (those who work for the Government as a result of Obama’s Presidency) to a summer event on the South Lawn of the White House. The appointees played a critical role in the election of President Obama. Each appointee was also allowed to invite a person of their choice. Yeshi chose me to attend the event. Her act is an expression of a great tradition in which she and her sisters wanted to acknowledge my service to them as a professor as an advisor.
The summer event on the South Lawn was attended by thousands of appointees and their guests. After passing through elaborate security clearance, we arrived at The Lawn, which is vast, memory-laden and beautiful; it was filled up with guests who sat around picnic tables, on the grass, or simply walked around. At service tents, guests can got soft drinks, ice cream, and ice cold water – It was the most sought after drink in the hot and humid Washington summer afternoon. A great live band played a variety of selections drawn from great American music traditions throughout the event.
President Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama joined their guests a little after 5:30 pm. The President spoke briefly and his main message was a message of gratitude. The appointees critical role in his election is publicly acknowledge and appreciated. He also cited some of his administration’s accomplishments in the last eighteen months, such as the largest public projects to improve roads and bridges, free health insurance to all needy children, health insurance that will allow over 30 million Americans to have insurance coverage, financial regulation and new approach to foreign policy.
The President and the First Lady interacted with the guests, shook hands and engaged them in conversation. My cherished moments, of course, was when I shook hands with both President Obama and the First Lady. I also got a chance to take pictures. The Summer Event on the South Lawn ended at 7 pm. The sisters treated me to a dinner before I returned to Ithaca.
Above:Team Abay has been described “Built New York Tough”
The group is one of 27 teams taking part at 27th annual Ethio
Soccer Tournament in San Jose, California. (Photo: TsehaiNY)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Monday, June 28, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopians from across the U.S. are gathering in the Bay Area this week for the 2010 Soccer tournament – an event which also doubles as an annual cultural festival for the community.
The California festivities, which opened at San Jose State University’s Spartan Stadium on Sunday, features over 27 teams from various cities in the U.S. and Canada.
The annual gathering – which this year celebrates its 27th anniversary – goes far beyond sports entertainment, allowing families and friends in North America’s Ethiopian immigrant community to come together in celebration of both sports and their cultural heritage. The tournament week is a popular time for networking, alumni gatherings, small business catering, music performances, and reunion parties.
Stay tuned for our usual “Hot Shots” and other events coverage from San Jose.
—
New York (Tadias) – We recently received a call from one of our readers in Tennessee. “I have just learned that I have been selected as a finalist at the biggest pageant featuring African beauty queens in the United States,” the young woman said. “And as part of my micro project for the competition, I need to publicize the upcoming event within my community.”
23-year old Sofia Bushen will represent Ethiopia at the 2010 Miss Africa USA contest, scheduled for July 24, 2010 in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The pageant aims to foster confident African women leaders both at home and here in the U.S.
“The vision is for African girls in America to shine the spotlight on Africa,” organizers say through their website. It helps the participants “tell their stories to the world and inspire one another, and build self esteem.”
Past winners of the competition have gone on to join forces with major charity organizations in the U.S. such as Habitat for Humanity, Concern USA, Russell Simmons’s Diamond Empowerment Fund, to help raise money for charitable causes benefiting communities in Africa and the United States. Most notably, Miss Teizue Gayflor, Miss Africa USA 2006-2007 toured Liberia in 2007 on a mission to promote education for school children and conducted a series of radio and television interviews calling for peace and reconciliation.
Video: Meet Sofia Bushen, finalist at the 2010 Miss Africa USA contest, in her own words
Above:Yared’s winning short film depicts a childhood game,
familiar to many Ethiopians, in which two boys take turns
throwing rocks. Shown at left: Ambassador Donald Booth.
Tadias Magazine
Arts News
Updated: Friday, June 25, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian Filmmaker Yared Shumete Desalegne has been named the Grand Finalist for Africa in the 2010 Democracy Video Challenge for his original short video, “Democracy is Fair Play.”
Yared’s film depicts a childhood game, familiar to many Ethiopians, in which two boys take turns throwing rocks. If the first boy’s rock is hit by the rock of the second boy, the second is entitled to ride on the back of the first boy, who has to run all the way to where the rocks landed. They throw their rocks again, and switch places whenever one boy’s rock hits the rock of the other. In less than three minutes, Yared’s video illustrates the democratic principle of fair play, according to well-understood rules. Yared told the Ambassador, “I hope Ethiopians will watch my video and vote for it on YouTube. We Ethiopian filmmakers don’t always have the training we need, so we learn by making mistakes. The Democracy Video Challenge encouraged us to try out our ideas and learn by doing.”
Watch Video: Democracy is fair play by Yared Shumete
Source: U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa
Related: Ethiopia Hosts International Film Festival Above:The critically acclaimed film “Desert Flower”, featuring
supermodel Liya Kebede was screened at the 2010 Ethiopia
International Film Festival —- held June 14-June 19, 2010.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Friday, June 25, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopia played host to an international film festival, the first of its kind to be staged in East Africa.
According to African Press Agency, the festival – which took place in Addis Ababa from June 14 to 19, 2010 – featured 100 short films from various countries.
The five-day gathering – which was inaugurated by President Girma Woldegiorgisse – “aims at encouraging the use of film as a personal, social and economic tool for development; boosting production of short films internationally, in particular the African continent – in the context of unprecedented growth of the African broadcasting area,” said the organizers.
The festival was staged only days after three Ethiopian films won coveted awards at the 7th African Film Festival in Tarifa, Spain, including in the short-film category.
Among the movies shown at the festival include Liya Kebede’s ‘Desert Flower’, a movie based on the true story of a former African supermodel who rose from a nomadic life to the top of the international modeling business.
Watch the Trailer Here Video: Desert Flower Movie Trailer – English
Above:Gebrselassie has accomplished just about everything
a runner can accomplish, except winning the New York City
Marathon. The Ethiopian great will run the race in November.
Geb set to take a bite out of Big Apple
By Joe Battaglia | Universal Sports
June 3, 2010
World-record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia talks about his affinity for the Big Apple and his training for the ING New York City Marathon. Watch the Video at Universalsports.com
—–
Related: Ethiopian men finish 1-2-3 in Bolder Boulder
BOULDER, Colorado — Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia has won the men’s Bolder Boulder 10-kilometer race, crossing the finish line hand-in-hand with fellow countrymen Tilahun Regassa and Tadese Tola.
The trio broke away from two Kenyans in the third mile Monday and entered Folsom Field hand-in-hand. Expecting a sprint to the finish, the crowd of 50,000 roared ever louder when it became apparent the Ethiopians instead would cross the tape together.
Desisa finished in 29 minutes, 16.93 seconds, officially 0.03 seconds ahead of 2009 champion Regassa and 0.15 seconds in front of Tola.
“We decided if no Kenya and if we are three, we finish together,” Desisa said.
As race officials attempted to separate them just past the finish line into first, second and third place, the three runners adamantly refused to be sorted into any order.
“We didn’t even try to race each other,” said Regassa, the 2009 champion. “We tried to go together.” Read more.
Above:NPR revisits its March interview with Meklit Hadero.
She is scheduled to perform in New York today, June 1st.
(Photo: Tsehai Poetry Jam – 2009, L.A.’s Little Ethiopia)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, June 1, 2010
New York (Tadias) – NPR’s Allison Keyes revisits her conversation with Ethiopian-born Meklit Hadero, who appeared on the show back in March.
The San Francisco- based songstress, whose voice has been compared to that of the legendary singer Nina Simon, is currently on tour in the East Coast – where she headlined Bernos’ 4th anniversary celebration this past weekend in Washington, D.C. and is scheduled to perform at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on June 1st.
“It is an honor to have Meklit Hadero perform at our 4th year anniversary,” said Beshou Gedamu, business partner at Bernos. “She is an amazing artist with a powerful voice that resonates.”
In her introduction of Hadero, the NPR host says: “Her sound is a unique blend, it’s an infusion of jazz, rich Ethiopian culture, and that artsy San Francisco flavor. It’s also got a spicy dash of visceral poetry that paints pictures in your head as you listen. Hadero’s first musical performance was just five years ago. At her first show she sang songs that were written by other artists, but now she is writing her own music. Her debut album is called On A Day Like This. Back in March Maeklit joined me to talk about her journey and we started out by playing her song Float and Fall. ”
Above: After a few years behind the scenes honing her skills
at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco, Meklit Hadero is
taking center stage. (Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Keck)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
New York (Tadias) – San Francisco- based songstress Meklit Hadero is scheduled to make an upcoming concert appearances in the East Coast, beginning with Bernos’ 4th anniversary celebration this coming weekend in Washington, D.C. and at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on June 1st.
The Ethiopian-born artist has been attracting national attention with the release of her new album On A Day Like This. Reviewers have compared her voice to that of the legendary singer Nina Simone. “Once you hear her smooth and silky voice it will be hard to forget it,” NPR’s Allison Keyes recently reported.
“It is an honor to have Meklit Hadero perform at our 4th year anniversary,” said Beshou Gedamu, business partner at Bernos. “She is an amazing artist with a powerful voice that resonates.”
Hadero obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science before moving to San Francisco to pursue her true love – music. NPR’s guest host described Hadero’s sound as “a unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco art scene and visceral poetry.” “It paints pictures in your head as you listen,” she adds.
Above: Meklit Hadero will perform at the Warehouse loft in
Washington D.C. on May 29, 2010. (Photo Credit: Tsehai
Publishers).
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Friday, May 14, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero will headline the concert at Bernos’ four year anniversary event in Washington, D.C. next weekend on May 29th, 2010.
The Ethiopian-born artist has been attracting national attention with the release of her new album On A Day Like This. Reviewers have compared her voice to that of the legendary singer Nina Simone. “Once you hear her smooth and silky voice it will be hard to forget it,” NPR’s Allison Keyes recently reported.
Hadero obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science before moving to San Francisco to pursue her true love – music. NPR’s guest host described Hadero’s sound as “a unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco art scene and visceral poetry.” “It paints pictures in your head as you listen,” she adds.
The upstart fashion company Bernos says that it is excited to host Hadero at its upcoming celebration.
“Every year is a milestone for Bernos. We wanted to do something different this year. We are influenced by African arts and music. One can see it reflected throughout our t-shirts, photoshoots and in our blog. It is an honor to have Meklit Hadero perform at our 4th year anniversary,” said Beshou Gedamu, business partner at Bernos. “She is an amazing artist with a powerful voice that resonates. In addition we’ll have Munit and Betty ‘Bsheba’ Tekeste open for her. We are looking forward to a night of musical bliss.”
—
If You Go: The event takes place at the Warehouse loft in Washington D.C. on May 29, 2010. Learn more and buy tickets at Bernos.org.
Listen here to NPR’s Interview with Meklit Hadero:—
Above: The 7th Annual Sheba Film Festival continues this
week with screenings of Chris Flaherty’ Migration of Beauty
and other films.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The 7th Annual Sheba Film Festival opened this past week in New York City.
The annual event, organized by The BINA Cultural Foundation, showcases a diverse array of Ethiopia-related films from around the globe.
The 2010 Festival includes Chris Flaherty’s film entitled Migration of Beauty, a documentary focusing on the disputed 2005 elections in Ethiopia. The director, Mr. Flaherty, who suspended his hunger strike today for health reasons, has been hoping to raise awareness about the timely topic given that the country will once again head to the polls on May 23, 2010.
Another film by Andrea Mydlarz-Zeller and Sam Shnider entitled Bewoket: By the Will of God documents the work of Rick Hodes, an American doctor who treats children with spinal tuberculosis in Ethiopia.
— IF YOU GO: Please visit the BINA Cultural Foundation’s website for a complete list of films playing and to buy tickets. If you missed last week’s fundraiser dinner, you may still contribute to BINA at binacf.org.
Tadias Magazine
Events News Source: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Published: Friday, April 30, 2010
NEW YORK, NY — An exhibition of six new large-scale paintings by American artist Julie Mehretu, is presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum as part of the Deutsche Bank Series at the Guggenheim, May 14 to October 6, 2010.
Commissioned in 2007 by Deutsche Bank and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, the suite of semiabstract works is inspired by a multitude of sources, including historical photographs, urban planning grids, modern art, and graffiti, and explores the intersections of power, history, dystopia, and the built environment, along with their impact on the formation of personal and communal identities.
Berlin plays a significant role in the investigation of memory and the urban experience in the Grey Area suite, first conceived during a residency by Mehretu at the American Academy in Berlin in 2007. During this residency, the artist was struck by the continuously shifting profile of Berlin, a historically charged city where vestiges of war coexist with new architectural development. For Mehretu, the visible evidence of destruction and recovery on the facades and streetscapes of Berlin also conjures the physical aftermath of war around the world, as in the paintings Believer’s Palace (2008–09), which references the partially destroyed palace that sat atop Saddam Hussein’s Baghdad bunker, and Atlantic Wall (2008–09), which renders the interiors of bunkers built by Germany along the Western European coastline during World War II.
Video: Interview with Julie Mehretu
About Julie Mehretu
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1970, Mehretu was raised in Michigan. She studied at Kalamazoo College in Michigan (BA, 1992) and at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar in Dakar, Senegal (1990–91). She received an MFA in painting and printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1997. Mehretu has participated in numerous international exhibitions and biennials and has received international recognition for her work, including, in 2005, the American Art Award from the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and the prestigious MacArthur Fellow award. She has had residencies at the Core Program at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston (1998–99), the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (2001), the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (2003), and the American Academy in Berlin (2007). Mehretu currently lives and works in New York and Berlin.
Exhibition Catalogue
An illustrated 96-page catalogue titled Julie Mehretu: Grey Area accompanies the exhibition and includes essays by Joan Young and Brian Dillon. Designed by Tracey Shiffman, with Alex Kohnke and Summer Shiffman of Tracey Shiffman Design, Los Angeles, and in collaboration with Julie Mehretu, the catalogue features source materials selected by the artist, as well as a selection of photographs by Mark Hanauer tracing the development of the series in the artist’s Berlin studio. Priced at $45 and offered in a hardcover edition, the catalogue may be purchased online at the Guggenheim Store.
Curator’s Eye Guided Tours: Free with museum admission
Guggenheim curator Joan Young leads tours of Julie Mehretu: Grey Area on Fridays, June 4 and August 13, 2 pm.
About The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Founded in 1937, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of art, primarily of the modern and contemporary periods, through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. Currently the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation owns and operates the Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue in New York and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection on the Grand Canal in Venice, and also provides programming and management for two other museums in Europe that bear its name: the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by architect Frank Gehry, is scheduled to open in 2013.
Visitor Information Admission: Adults $18, students/seniors (65+) $15, members and children under 12 free. Admission includes an audio tour.
Museum Hours: Sun–Wed, 10 am–5:45 pm; Fri, 10 am–5:45 pm; Sat, 10 am–7:45 pm; closed Thurs. On Saturdays, beginning at 5:45 pm, the museum hosts Pay What You Wish. For general information, call 212 423 3500 or visit guggenheim.org.
Above:Werqu Mekasha will be honored with the cooperative
community’s highest honor at Washington’s National Press
Club on Wednesday, May 5, 2010. (Courtesy Photo)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Saturday, April 24, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian agribusiness legend Werqu Mekasha has been selected for the 2010 induction into the Cooperative Hall of Fame, the Cooperative Development Foundation announced.
Mr. Mekasha, who died last year, is one of four honorees scheduled to be recognized at the annual hall of fame’s dinner and induction ceremony at Washington’s National Press Club on Wednesday, May 5, 2010.
The three other inductees into the four-member class, receiving the cooperative community’s highest honor, include Credit union pioneer Larry Blanchard, rural utility icon Glenn English, and cooperative visionary David Thompson.
“These four individuals could not better exemplify the meaning of the term leadership in their work with cooperatives,” said Steven Thomas, Executive Director of CDF, which administers the Hall of Fame, noting Mr. Mekasha’s status as the foundation’s first international inductee. “The inclusion of three iconic US cooperative leaders is deeply satisfying, and the induction of the very first non-US citizen is an exciting development that will add to the character of the Cooperative Hall of Fame induction ceremony.”
According to CDF, Mr. Mekasha – who served as vice minister of agriculture under Emperor Haile Selassie and who spent nearly a decade as a political prisoner during the Mengistu era – is being acknowledged formally for his accomplishments in his later years.
“Revitalizer of agricultural cooperatives in Ethiopia – having held high government posts under the Haile Selassie regime and been jailed for eight years after the regime was overthrown, Mekasha devoted himself to improving the lives of his countrymen through agricultural cooperatives, forging government policy to assure cooperative independence,” highlights the 2010 Cooperative Hall of Fame’s sponsorship page. “Through his heroic efforts, Ethiopia’s cooperatives not only became businesses that increased farmers’ incomes but also set the stage for growth and trade, especially in the coffee sector.”
—
If You Go: For dinner attendance or sponsorship information, contact CDF at 703-302-8097 or tbuen@cdf.coop.org. Individual seats are available at $275. Proceeds from the May 5 event, which is expected to sell out, go to benefit the Cooperative Development Foundation. Or, well wishers may honor Ato Werqu with a message of support in the Hall of Fame program. Full congratulatory ads are $1,250, but collective ads for those who contribute smaller amounts can also be arranged.
New York (TADIAS) – Haile Gerima, the internationally acclaimed director of Teza, Adwa, Bush Mama and Sankofa, hosted a discussion on the challenges of independent film-making here in New York.
The public discourse was part of a series of events designed to promote the release of Gerima’s latest film Teza.
The Q & A session, moderated by Tigist Selam, was held on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute.
Teza opened in Manhattan on Friday, April 2, at Lincoln Plaza Cinema.
The award-winning film uses the power of memory and flashbacks to recount the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.
Tadias TV attended the event. Here are video highlights.
Watch: Haile Gerima On The Challenges of Independent Filmmaking
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Photos by Kidane Mariam
Published: Friday, April 2, 2010
New York (Tadias) – “Lethal Weapon” actor Danny Glover hosted a reception on Thursday, April 1, 2010, celebrating the New York premiere of Teza.
The gathering at the Dwyer Cultural Center, which also featured the director Haile Gerima, is the first in a series of events designed to promote the film’s release.
Teza uses the power of memory and flashbacks to recount the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.
The critically acclaimed film opened in Manhattan on Friday, April 2, at Lincoln Plaza Cinema.
The reception was sponsored by Sheba Tej, Tsion Enterprises LLC, Africalling.com and Settepani.
Tadias Magazine’s contributing photographer Kidane Mariam attended the event. Here is a slideshow of photos.
Slideshow: An Evening with Danny Glover and Haile Gerima—
More Local Events Surrounding TEZA’s NYC Premiere:
Friday, April 2, 2010 Teza starts playing at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
Showtimes: 11:05 AM, 1:35 PM, 4:15 PM, 7:05 PM, and 9:55 PM
Buy tickets online at: www.lincolnplazacinema.com
Friday, April 2, 2010 Opening Night Mix and Mingle
At Settepani
196 Lenox Avenue (at 120th Street)
’till 2 am | Friday 4/2/10
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 Q&A: Haile Gerima Discusses the Challenges of Independent Film-Making.
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI)
408 West 58th Street (on 9th Avenue)
Moderator: Tigist Selam
6:30pm – 8:30pm | Wednesday 4/7/10 www.cccadi.org
RSVP – slewis@cccadi.org or call 212.307.7420 ext. 3008 for more info.
Thursday, April 8, 2010 Reception
Skoto Gallery
529 West 20th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenue)
6:30pm – 8:30pm | Thursday 4/8/10 www.skotogallery.com Sponsors: Bati Restaurant; Sheba Tej/Tsion Enterprises LLC; Settepani
Friday, April 9, 2010 Panel Discussion: Making Teza: Narrative, Cinematography, and Music
Schomburg Library
515 Malcolm X Boulevard
Moderator: Dagmawi Woubshet | Panelists: Haile Gerima, Yemane Demissie, Danny Mekonnen
7:00pm – 9:00pm | Friday 4/9/10 www.nypl.org
RSVP@tezathemovie.com Sponsors: In memory of Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin; Queen of Sheba Restaurant; Assegid Gessesse; abesha.com; TsehaiNY; Africalling.com
Saturday, April 10, 2010 Panel Discussion: Owning Cultural Property — Telling Our Own Stories
Dwyer Cultural Center
258 Saint Nicholas Avenue (at 123rd Street)
Moderator: Dagmawi Woubshet | Panelists: Haile Gerima, Chester Higgins, Skoto Aghahowa
7:30pm – 9:30pm | Saturday 4/10/10 www.dwyercc.org
RSVP to info@dwyercc.org or call 212-222-3060
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 Q&A: Haile Gerima Discusses Cultural Contexts of Teza
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI)
408 West 58th Street (on 9th Avenue)
Moderator: Kassahun Checole
6:30pm – 8:30pm | Wednesday 4/14/10 www.cccadi.org
RSVP – slewis@cccadi.org or call 212.307.7420 ext. 3008 for more info.
The movie focuses on the tumultuous years of the Mengistu era, as told by an idealistic Ethiopian doctor who recounts dreams and nightmares.
Teza follows the personal narrative of Anberber, who after leaving Ethiopia for Germany to become a doctor, is led to return to his home village by lingering spirits and haunting visions from his childhood. Using the power of memory as its primary device, Gerima recounts the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.
The film has already earned some prestigious awards including the Oscella Award for Best Screenplay, the Leoncino d’oro Award, SIGNIS Award, and Special Jury Prize conferred at the 2009 Venice Film Festival; the Golden Unicorn Award for Best Feature Film; the UN-World Bank Special Prize; and Golden Stallion award for Best Picture presented at the 2009 FESPACO Pan-African Film Festival.
New York (Tadias) – Haile Gerima’s latest movie Teza will make its New York debut today.
Here are a few local events lined-up surrounding the film’s NYC premiere:
Friday, April 2, 2010 Teza starts playing at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
Showtimes: 11:05 AM, 1:35 PM, 4:15 PM, 7:05 PM, and 9:55 PM
Buy tickets online at: www.lincolnplazacinema.com
Friday, April 2, 2010 Opening Night Mix and Mingle
At Settepani
196 Lenox Avenue (at 120th Street)
’till 2 am | Friday 4/2/10
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 Q&A: Haile Gerima Discusses the Challenges of Independent Film-Making.
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI)
408 West 58th Street (on 9th Avenue)
Moderator: Tigist Selam
6:30pm – 8:30pm | Wednesday 4/7/10 www.cccadi.org
RSVP – slewis@cccadi.org or call 212.307.7420 ext. 3008 for more info.
Thursday, April 8, 2010 Reception
Skoto Gallery
529 West 20th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenue)
6:30pm – 8:30pm | Thursday 4/8/10 www.skotogallery.com Sponsors: Bati Restaurant; Sheba Tej/Tsion Enterprises LLC; Settepani
Friday, April 9, 2010 Panel Discussion: Making Teza: Narrative, Cinematography, and Music
Schomburg Library
515 Malcolm X Boulevard
Moderator: Dagmawi Woubshet | Panelists: Haile Gerima, Yemane Demissie, Danny Mekonnen
7:00pm – 9:00pm | Friday 4/9/10 www.nypl.org
RSVP@tezathemovie.com Sponsors: In memory of Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin; Queen of Sheba Restaurant; Assegid Gessesse; abesha.com; TsehaiNY; Africalling.com
Saturday, April 10, 2010 Panel Discussion: Owning Cultural Property — Telling Our Own Stories
Dwyer Cultural Center
258 Saint Nicholas Avenue (at 123rd Street)
Moderator: Dagmawi Woubshet | Panelists: Haile Gerima, Chester Higgins, Skoto Aghahowa
7:30pm – 9:30pm | Saturday 4/10/10 www.dwyercc.org
RSVP to info@dwyercc.org or call 212-222-3060
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 Q&A: Haile Gerima Discusses Cultural Contexts of Teza
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI)
408 West 58th Street (on 9th Avenue)
Moderator: Kassahun Checole
6:30pm – 8:30pm | Wednesday 4/14/10 www.cccadi.org
RSVP – slewis@cccadi.org or call 212.307.7420 ext. 3008 for more info.
The critically acclaimed film focuses on the tumultuous years of the Mengistu era, as told by an idealistic Ethiopian doctor who recounts dreams and nightmares.
Teza follows the personal narrative of Anberber, who after leaving Ethiopia for Germany to become a doctor, is led to return to his home village by lingering spirits and haunting visions from his childhood. Using the power of memory as its primary device, Gerima recounts the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.
The film has already earned some prestigious awards including the Oscella Award for Best Screenplay, the Leoncino d’oro Award, SIGNIS Award, and Special Jury Prize conferred at the 2009 Venice Film Festival; the Golden Unicorn Award for Best Feature Film; the UN-World Bank Special Prize; and Golden Stallion award for Best Picture presented at the 2009 FESPACO Pan-African Film Festival.
Above: “Gerima’s powerfully universal meditation on the loss
of his homeland – on the inevitability of loss in general” –
The Washington Post
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Saturday, March 27, 2010
New York – TEZA, morning dew in Amharic, tells a story of hope, loss and reminiscence through the eyes of an idealistic, young intellectual, displaced from his homeland of Ethiopia for many years. The film reflects on the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie, and on the effects of that regime change relative to Ethiopian history and society. Through a broader lens, TEZA focuses on the ways in which political upheaval and social change have impacted cultures and nations across the larger African Diaspora.
Told mainly through a series of flashbacks, TEZA follows the personal narrative of Anberber, who after leaving Ethiopia for Germany to become a doctor, is led to return to his home village by lingering spirits and haunting visions from his childhood. Using the power of memory as its primary device, TEZA recounts the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.
The movie chronicles Anberber’s internal struggle to stay true, both to himself and to his homeland, but above all, TEZA explores the possession of memory, a right humanity mandates that each of us have – the right to own our pasts.
Video: Watch the Trailer
If you Go: TEZA – “Morning Dew”
A film by Haile Gerima & the makers of Sankofa
Premiere Exhibition in New York City @ Lincoln Plaza Cinema
1886 Broadway (at 62nd Street)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 757-2280
Opens April 2, 2010
Multiple Daily Screenings
Learn more at: www.tezathemovie.com
Advance tickets available starting Monday, March 29th at http://www.lincolnplazacinema.com
For group rates call 917-202-9944 or email info@tezathemovie.com
To volunteer email volunteer@tezathemovie.com
Above:The Ethiopian Students Association International will
hold its 10th annual summit in Toronto this week.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Monday, March 22, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The Ethiopian Students Association International (ESAI) will hold its 10th anniversary summit in Toronto, Canada, from March 25th to March 28th, 2010.
ESAI, which was founded at Marymount University in Virginia in 1999 as an inter-campus network among Ethiopian students, will be hosting its annual gathering outside of the United States for the first time.
“We formed the “Toronto Ethiopian Collaborative (TEC)” to bring the 10th Annual ESAI Summit here to Toronto, the first international host city for the annual conference,” Addis Embiyalow, Managing Director of the event told Tadias Magazine. “We are excited to celebrate this milestone in our city. The greater Toronto Area has upwards of 30,000 Ethiopian residents. Most Ethiopians do not know about the vibrant, dynamic Ethiopian community here.”
According to the organizers, the three-day summit will feature various seminars, including a keynote address focusing on the digital divide.
“Our keynote speaker, Samson Teferra, will be addressing ways in which to bridge the technology gap between Ethiopia and the diaspora,” Embiyalow said. “For the last ten years, ESAI has been creating scholarship opportunities, seminars, and various resources for networking, while maintaining its status as a primary source of info for collaboration.”
Creating lasting relationships among the students remains the primary goal of the ESAI summit, says Elene Mekete, the group’s Communications Director.
“It is one of the most anticipated reasons for attendance,” she said. “The summit provides incredible networking opportunities and allows students and professionals to connect with each other.”
If You Go:
10th Annaul ESAI Summit
March 25 – 28, 2010
Toronto, Canada Learn more at: www.esai.org
New York (TADIAS) – After a successful, eight-week theatrical engagement in Washington, D.C., Mypheduh Films, Inc. is pleased to announce that TEZA, the latest release from world-renowned, Ethiopian born, independent filmmaker Haile Gerima, and the makers of Sankofa, will launch its New York City exhibition at Lincoln Plaza Cinema, on Friday, April 2, 2010.
TEZA, “morning dew” in Amharic, is Gerima’s eleventh cinematic production and seventh dramatic film, and tells a story of hope, loss and reminiscence through the eyes of an idealistic, young intellectual, displaced from his homeland of Ethiopia for many years. The film reflects well on the effects of the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie on Ethiopia’s history and society, and through a broader lens, TEZA focuses on the ways in which political upheaval and social change have impacted cultures and nations across the larger African Diaspora. Due to the discourse on critical issues it engenders and its exquisite visual tableau, TEZA is an unparalleled work of social activism and cinematic art.
Told mainly through a series of flashbacks, TEZA follows the personal narrative of Anberber (Aaron Arefe), who after leaving Ethiopia for Germany to become a doctor, is led to return to his home village by lingering spirits and haunting visions from his childhood. Using the power of memory as his primary device, Gerima recounts the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.
Video: Watch the Trailer
TEZA has been recognized with over 20 coveted international awards, such as the Oscella Award for Best Screenplay, the Leoncino d’oro Award, SIGNIS Award, and Special Jury Prize conferred at the 2009 Venice Film Festival; the Golden Unicorn Award for Best Feature Film bestowed at the Amiens/France International Film Festival; the UN-World Bank Special Prize; and Golden Stallion award for Best Picture presented at the 2009 FESPACO Pan-African Film Festival. Leading up to its September 2009, U.S. premiere, the Washington Post called TEZA, “Gerima’s powerfully universal meditation on the loss of his homeland – on the inevitability of loss in general.”
Called “one of the independent cinema’s chief chroniclers of the African-American and African Diaspora[n] experience[s],” by Variety, Gerima has taught film at Howard University in Washington, D.C. since 1975, and has been producing independent films of distinction for over 35 years, including his groundbreaking 1993 film Sankofa. This historically inspired dramatic tale of African resistance to slavery was called “poetic and precisely detailed” by the New York Times. Gerima’s earlier works include the films Harvest: 3000 Years, which Martin Scorsese described as having, “a particular kind of urgency which few pictures possess”; and Bush Mama, which the Washington Post reported, “crackle[d] with energy,” with “fury shak[ing] the very frame.”
Reflecting on his latest work Gerima stated that, “an imaginative oral legacy shapes TEZA’S narrative,” and that, “the film recounts the stories of Ethiopians dislocated by series of complicated and unanticipated historical circumstances.” He also conceded that, “TEZA is semi-auto biographical, a microcosmic portrait of reality reflecting [his] search for the Ethiopia of [his] youth which exists only in [his] memory and dreams.” Through TEZA Gerima invites moviegoers to examine their own notions of nationhood and identity, the construction of memory and the ways in which memories are connected to space and place.
— If You Go:
TEZA opens in Manhattan on Friday, April 2nd 2010, at Lincoln Plaza Cinema, 1886 Broadway (at 62nd Street).
Above:President Obama said Wednesday night that leaders in
Washington face a “deficit of trust,” as he used his first State
of the Union address to try to restore public confidence in his
administration. (NYT)
Above:An exhibition featuring photographs, personal letters,
quotations from speeches and news articles and celebrating
the life and times of Helen Suzman will open in New York.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Friday, January 22, 2009
New York (Tadias) – Long before there was a movie called Invictus (Hollywood’s recent depiction of the true story of Nelson Mandela’s famous partnership with a young captain of South Africa’s National Rugby team, Francois Pienaar, during the early days of his presidency), there was another image capturing an enduring relationship born out of South Africa’s long, historical struggle against apartheid. Helen Suzman struck up her warm friendship with Mandela in 1967 while he was at the infamous Robben Island Prison. Suzman was the only member of parliament at the time demanding an end to the apartheid system. “It was an odd and wonderful sight to see this courageous woman peering into our cells and strolling around our courtyard,” Mandela wrote about her in his autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom. “She was the first and only woman ever to grace our cells.” She was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and is a recipient of the 1978 United Nations Award for Human Rights. Not surprisingly, when the peace activist died last year flags were ordered flown at half-mast in South Africa.
A traveling exhibition celebrating the travails and achievements of her life will be on display at Barnard College, Columbia University on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.
In the movie Invictus, Nelson Mandela, then the newly elected President of South Africa (played by Morgan Freeman) inspires Francois Pienaar, the captain of the lackluster rugby team to motivate his teammates to become world champions. The result is a sporting event that is considered to be a pivotal moment in South Africa’s history as it helps defuse the country’s political tension and paves the way for forgiveness through the nation’s much celebrated Truth and Reconciliation Commission. There can be no doubt that South Africans are hoping to recapture the same feeling of unity in 2010 (this time through soccer and under a new President) as they prepare to host the World Cup later this year. But in the mean time, New Yorkers will be treated to a show honoring one of South Africa’s legendary leaders.
—
If you go: The graphic panel installation featuring photographs, personal letters, quotations from speeches and news articles examining the life and times of one of the bravest women of the last century will be on display at the Diana Center at Barnard College, Columbia University (117th Street & Broadway) on Tuesday, February 9, 2010. You can learn more at www.barnard.edu/bcrw or www.helesuzmanexhibition.com.
Above: The crowd at Teddy Afro’s U.S. tour kickoff concert on
Saturday, January 2, 2009 at the D.C. Armory. (Bekalu Biable)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Saturday, Januray 9th, 2009
New York (Tadias) – Teddy Afro launched his 2010 U.S. tour on Saturday, January 2, 2009 at the D.C. Armory.
The sold out show marked the start of Afro’s first American tour since he was freed early from prison in August after serving 18 months of a two-year sentence for a hit-and-run incident.
The singer, who has been dubbed “Ethiopia’s Bob Marley” and the voice of “Ethiopia’s conscience,” paid a moving tribute to legendary Ethiopian singer, the late Tilahun Gessesse, at the event.
Teddy Afro plans to make concert appearances in several cities in the United States, according to promoters.
Video: Teddy Afro Concert 2010 in DC (Posted by Milliano Promo)
Video: Teddy Afro Concert 2010 in DC (Posted by Milliano Promo)
Slideshow: Teddy Afro concert at the DC Armory (Saturday, January 2, 2009)
Above:Ethiopians and other Orthodox Christians who follow
the Julian calendar celebrate Genna (Christmas) today.
Tadias Magazine
Editor’s Note
Published: Thursday, January 7th, 2009
New York (Tadias) – We would like to wish a very merry Christmas (Melkam Genna) to all our readers!
The following is an excerpt from an article entitled “How the Story of Christmas Saved Islam.” It was published on HuffingtonPost.com on Christmas day 2009. The writer shares the story of an Ethiopian Christian King and his decision to grant refuge to the family of the Prophet Mohammad, who arrived in ancient Ethiopia while fleeing from their pagan persecutors. The piece by author and Hollywood filmmaker Kamran Pasha highlights Ethiopia’s historic role in providing sanctuary for the earliest Muslims. We thought we would share it with you in celebration of Genna!
And our Christmas story begins with that first emigration, to the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia, in modern day Ethiopia.
In 615 C.E., five years after the prophet’s first vision of Gabriel, persecution of the Muslims had become a life-and-death matter. A Muslim woman named Sumaya, the first martyr of Islam, had been publicly murdered by a Meccan tribal chief. The weakest members of the community, such as the African slave Bilal, were subjected to torture. And the Arab chieftains were coming together to proclaim a ban of trade with the Muslims, prohibiting citizens of Mecca from providing food and medicine to members of the new movement.
Facing the very real possibility of extinction, a small group of Muslims led by the Prophet’s daughter Ruqayya and his son-in-law Uthman, escaped Meccan patrols and managed to get to the Red Sea, where they fled to Abyssinia by boat. They sought the protection of the Negus, the Christian king who had a reputation for justice. Read more.
Cover image: The Saint Yared Choir of D.C (Tadias File Photo)
Above:Teddy Afro, pictured here at the Rosewater Hall in San
Jose, California, is scheduled to launch his 2010 American tour
Saturday night at the D.C. Armory. (Photo by D.J. Fitsum)
Washington City Paper
Posted by Steve Kiviat on Dec. 31, 2009
Teddy Afro, Ethiopia’s biggest pop star, will kick off his 2010 American tour Saturday night at the D.C. Armory. Afro, born Tewodros Kassahun, is known as Ethiopia’s Bob Marley, thanks to his occasionally sociopolitical lyrics and his frequent use of roots-reggae rhythms. Heralded throughout the Ethiopian diaspora since 2001, Afro is little-known in the Anglo music world—he is not even mentioned at allmusic.com—but he has received some media attention here in articles discussing his attitude toward his country’s government, as well as his recent jail time. Read more.
Video:Teddy Afro live concert (San Jose, California – 2007)
If you go:
Teddy Afro Live
Sat, Jan 2, 2010 07:00 PM
DC Armory, Washington, DC
Above:Yohannes Gebregeorgis, founder of Ethiopia Reads &
one of the Top Ten CNN Heroes of 2008, pictured here in NYC,
will serve as keynote speaker for ALA’S President’s Program.
(Photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine).
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Wednesday, December 30, 2009
CHICAGO – Yohannes Gebregeorgis, founder and executive director of Ethiopia Reads, will serve as keynote speaker for the American Library Association’s (ALA) President’s Program 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 17 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
The program will take place as more than 11,000 of the nation’s library leaders convene in Boston for the ALA Midwinter Meeting held Jan. 15 – 19.
Ethiopia Reads focuses on his organization’s literacy work. The organization encourages a love of reading by establishing children’s and youth libraries in Ethiopia, free distribution of books to children and multilingual publishing. The organization’s founder, Gebregeorgis was selected as one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes in 2008 for his work in establishing children’s libraries in Ethiopia.
Tadias Photos: Yohannes Gebregeorgis in New York—-
“The ALA is thrilled that Mr. Gebregeorgis has accepted our invitation to speak to the nation’s library leaders on the value of libraries,” said ALA President Camila Alire. “In a world where knowledge is power, libraries make communities more powerful! By motivating children to read, librarians are creating lifelong readers, and that makes for better citizens and sets the cornerstone for democracy.
“Without reading, everything in life is harder. Low literacy is linked to poverty, crime, dependence on government assistance and poor health. And research has shown that parents who struggle with reading pass this legacy on to their children.”
In his native Ethiopia, Gebregeorgis has established libraries and literacy programs to connect Ethiopian children with books.
“Books change lives – of individuals, communities and nations for good,” said Gebregeorgis.
Forced to flee Ethiopia to the United States as a political refugee in 1981, Gebregeorgis put himself through college, obtaining a graduate degree in Library and Information Science. It wasn’t until he became a children’s librarian at the San Francisco Public Library Children’s section in 1985 that he realized what the children of his native home were missing.
Gebregeorgis quickly realized that due to prohibitive publishing, purchasing and importing costs in his home country, there were no children’s books available in Amharic, the primary language of Ethiopia, and none representing the places and characters of Ethiopian lore. This inspired him to produce an Amharic children’s book, “Silly Mammo,” the first bilingual Amharic-English children’s book. He then established Ethiopia Reads in 1988. Using proceeds from book sales and grassroots book-a-thons, the nonprofit financed his efforts to bring children’s libraries to Ethiopia.
In 2002, Gebregeorgis returned to Ethiopia with 15,000 books, most of it donated by the San Francisco Public Library. With them, he opened the Shola Children’s Library on the first floor of his home. Young readers quickly overwhelmed the three-room home, requiring the addition of two large tents to provide shade for hundreds at a time.
Ethiopia Reads established the Awassa Reading Center and Ethiopia’s first Donkey Mobile Library, which makes weekly visits to rural villages around Awassa.
Above:“When Teddy Afro leaps onto the stage the crowd goes
wild, clapping in the air and singing along with the man seen by
many as the voice of Ethiopia’s conscience.” – AFP (Photo: Afro
at the Rosewater Hall in San Jose, California, January 2007 by
D.J. Fitsum)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Thursday, December 31, 2009
Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – Ethiopian pop-icon Teddy Afro will make a special appearance on New Year’s eve at the Embassy Suites in Washington DC, according to the promoters.
The singer, who has been dubbed “Ethiopia’s Bob Marley” and the voice of “Ethiopia’s conscience,” will host the midnight toast.
The event will include a screening of of DICk Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2010” and the live countdown from Times Square.
Teddy Afro, who was freed early from prison in August after serving 18 months of a two-year sentence for a hit-and-run incident, is scheduled to give a solo concert at the DC Armory on January 2, 2010.
Video:Teddy Afro live concert (San Jose, California – 2007)
If you go: Date: New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2009 Location: Embassy Suites, 900 10th Street, NW,
Washington DC 20001
Above:Hanatzeb Gallery, located on Bennett Street, Atlanta’s
vibrant antiques and arts district, is focused on cutting edge
artworks from contemporary artists.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Friday, December 18, 2009
Atlanta (Tadias) – Hanatzeb Art Gallery, which specializes in emerging and established Ethiopian artists, will open its second exhibition this weekend featuring artist Eskender Seyoum, Alex Girma, Muluken Asfaw & Yosef Berta.
According to a press release by the gallery, its inaugural show highlighting works of artist Tesfaye Negusse was a success and has encouraged the owners to return with a more ambitious group presentation.
“With the latest exhibition featuring emerging Ethiopian artist the owners are well on their way to achieving their goal of growing the gallery in a spirit of collaboration with the artist community,” the press release said.
“While this is just a beginning we hope will be well received by the community at large, we have lined up a number of incredibly talented artists who live here in the U.S. as well as in Ethiopia to come and display their beautiful work of art.”
The opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, December 19, 2009, from 6-10pm and Sunday, December 20, from 2 -6pm.
If You Go: Hanatzeb
Ethiopian Art Gallery
49-B Bennett Street NW.
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: 404.352.4373 or 404.808.8946
New York (TADIAS) – The Saint Yared Choir of Washington D.C. gave a breathtaking concert at The United Nations Tellman Chapel last week.
The event, hosted by Nation to Nation Networking (NNN), a non-profit organization based in New York, featured vocal ensembles of diverse backgrounds including: The Inspirational Voices of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, The Hai Tien Chorus, and The Children’s Theatre Company of New York.
The St. Yared Choir was established by the Debre Selam Kidist Mariam Church (St. Mary’s) in Washington D.C, to celebrate the life and work of St. Yared, a composer and a choreographer who lived in Aksum in the 6th century AD.
According to Ayele Bekerie, a Professor of Africana Studies at Cornell University, “Zema or the chant tradition of Ethiopia, particularly the chants of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, is attributed to St. Yared…he is credited for inventing the Zema of the Church; the chant that has been in use continuously for the last almost 1500 years.”
The voices and choreographed movements of the St. Yared D.C choir was led by Mr. Moges Seyoum, recipient of the 2008 National Heritage Fellowship for his “artistic excellence” and “cultural authenticity” – the highest honor in folk and traditional arts awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The concert’s theme: “Building bridges across cultures and fostering a broader understanding among peoples and communities of all nations.”
The afternoon musical testimony of diverse faith was moving and enchanting.
— Proceeds from the event is going to fund NNN’s annual International Youth Assembly and the completion of the organization’s Adolescent Resources Centers in Africa and the Caribbean.
New York (Tadias) – This past weekend we attended the launching of Abyssinian Fund, an NGO dedicated to fighting poverty in Ethiopia. The event was organized in Harlem by members of the legendary Abyssinian Baptist Church and was held on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at the elegant Harlem Stage.
The reception attracted local politicians, business leaders, and diplomats, including representatives of Ethiopia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
The evening also showcased an exhibition of recent images of Ethiopia by Photojournalist Robert E. Eilets. The photographs were auctioned and helped to raise $2,500 for the new organization.
“This was a terrific launch reception,” said Rev. Nicholas S. Richards, President of the Abyssinian Fund. “To see 240 persons, including political dignitaries, the business community and local residents concerned about reducing poverty in Ethiopia through economic development was fantastic.”
According Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, the church’s current pastor – who made a brief introductory remark at the VIP reception – the project was born out of the group’s historic trip to Ethiopia two years ago. The pastor, who led over 150 delegates to Ethiopia as part of the church’s bicentennial celebration and in honor of the Ethiopian Millennium, told the crowed that the journey rekindled a long but dormant relationship that was last sealed in 1954 with an exquisite Ethiopian cross, a gift from the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie to the people of Harlem as a symbol of love and gratitude for their support and friendship during Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia. The cross has since become the official symbol of the church.
“The Abyssinian Fund is inspired by the pilgrimage taken by The Abyssinian Baptist Church to Ethiopia in 2007, “said Rev. Richards in an email after the event. “We saw the biggest enemy Ethiopia faces is poverty, so on our arrival back in the USA, we dedicated our energy and love for Ethiopia to establish an organization dedicated to creating and supporting sustainable development.”
The organization hopes to raise one million dollars in the next five years. “ The mission of the Abyssinian Fund is to reduce poverty in Ethiopia by increasing the capacity of farming cooperatives and by developing programs for the wider community, which will lead to sustainable improvements in health care, education and access to clean water, Rev. Richards said. “I strongly believe in the success of our goal to develop Ethiopia, one community at a time.”
According to the church’s official history, in 1808, after refusing to participate in segregated worship services in lower Manhattan, a group of free African Americans and Ethiopian sea merchants formed their own church on Worth Street, naming it the Abyssinian Baptist Church in honor of Abyssinia, the former name of Ethiopia.
Above:This year’s theme for the holiday benefit is “A Taste
of Ethiopia,” offering silent and live art auctions of artwork
from painters and photographers.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Friday, November 27, 2009
New York (Tadias) – Did you know that Washington, D.C. – home to one of the largest Ethiopian populations in the country – has one of the highest HIV infection rates, per capita, in the United States?
For the past three years a group called Artists for Charity (AFC) has challenged people to think about this and related issues in an annual holiday event in conjunction with World AIDS week. The non-profit organization, which also runs a group home for HIV positive children in Addis Ababa, uses the occasion to raise funds for its Ethiopia project.
“This year’s theme for the holiday benefit is ‘A Taste of Ethiopia,’ offering silent and live art auctions of artwork from painters and photographers including artwork by the AFC Children, live performances, authentic Ethiopian cuisine, and cocktails, showcasing the rich culture and beauty of Ethiopia,” organizers said in a press release.
“In addition to raising funds to support the Children’s Home in Ethiopia, AFC’s 3rd- annual benefit will seek to raise awareness on the HIV/AIDS crisis here at home, in the D.C. area.”
— For further information on Artists for Charity, visit artistsforcharity.org,
or contact Abezash Tamerat at (404) 543-8627 or email
abezash@artistsforcharity.org.
If You Go:
Date: Saturday, December 5th,
Location: WVSA Gallery in Washington, D.C. (1100 16th Street, NW.)
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Above:Derartu Tulu, winner of the 2009 New York City
Marathon, rings the NYSE Closing Bell on Nov 2.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
New York (Tadias) – Derartu Tulu, winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon, became the third Ethiopian in three years to ring the closing bell on the floor of a U.S. stock exchange on Monday.
President Girma Wolde-Giorgis rung NYSE’s opening bell on March 2, 2007, and Ethiopia-born Ted Alemayhu – Founder & CEO of U.S. Doctors for Africa – became the first Ethiopian to ring the closing bell of NASDAQ on Thursday, March 23, 2006.
37-year-old Tulu was joined at Monday’s ceremony by Mary Wittenberg, President and CEO of the New York Road Runners and Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland, women’s wheelchair winner.
Meanwhile, Meb Keflezighi made an appearance on David Letterman where he presented “The Top Ten List.” Check out the videos below.
New York (TADIAS) – Ethiopian-American jazz saxophonist Danny Mekonnen, a PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology at Harvard University and founder of Debo band, will be a guest on the second half of The Intercontinental on WMBR (MIT radio) this Wednesday to talk about Ethiopian music and play some rarities from his collection.
Danny’s band, which has been cultivating a small but enthusiastic following in the loft spaces, neighborhood bars, and church basements of Boston, explores the unique sounds that filled the dance floors of “Swinging Addis” – a period of prolific Ethiopian jazz recordings in the 1960s and 70s.
The program airs this and every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. and can be heard anywhere on the web. Programs are also archived for future reference. For instructions to listen online, visit: WMBR Online.
Above:Painting by Tesfaye Negusse (36X76, Oil on Canvas).
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Monday, October 26, 2009
New York (Tadias) – A new gallery specializing in emerging and established Ethiopian artists will open this weekend in Atlanta on the historic Bennett Street, the city’s vibrant antiques and arts district.
Hanatzeb Ethiopian Art Gallery will celebrate its opening with an inaugural exhibition featuring artist Tesfaye Negusse.
The owners hope to grow their gallery in a spirit of collaboration with the artist community:
“While this is just a beginning we hope will be well received by the community at large, we have lined up a number of incredibly talented artists who live here in the U.S. as well as in Ethiopia to come and display their beautiful work of art,” Hanatzeb notes on its website.
“We invite all to help us in this endeavor and be part in the task of painting Ethiopia…”
— The opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, October 31,
from 6-10pm and Sunday, November 1, from 2 -6pm.
If You Go: Hanatzeb
Ethiopian Art Gallery
49-B Bennett Street NW.
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: 404.352.4373 or 404.808.8946
Related Art Talk Video: Catch Julie Mehretu on PBS- Watch the episode on October 28
at 10pm (ET) on PBS (check local listings).
Above:A Taste for Words by Wosene Worke Kosrof , 2008,
acrylic on canvas, 44×41 inches.
Events News
Published: Monday, October 19, 2009
New York – Skoto Gallery is pleased to present WordPlay, an exhibition of recent paintings by the Ethiopian-born artist Wosene Worke Kosrof. This will be his fourth solo exhibition at the gallery. The reception is on Thursday, October 22nd, 6-8pm and the artist will be present.
Wosene Worke Kosrof’s recent work continues his long-standing inventive exploration of the interplay between language, identity, aesthetic beauty and material, using the language symbols of Amharic – one of the few ancient written systems in Africa – as a core compositional element. He is a prolific artist who has consistently employed a vocabulary of signs and symbols, a rigorous compositional organization and uncompromising ability to fuse form and concept with the narrative power of his work in his encounters with history and global transformations over the past three decades. He elongates, distorts, disassembles and re-configures the language characters in a wide-ranging palette, moving beyond literal conventions of words, to create a visual language that deftly incorporates sounds, textures and rhythms of jazz, but that also speaks boldly and clearly to a universal audience.
Wosene’s work draws upon an individual reserve of personal and collective memories to activate a meaningful form of engagement that celebrates the richness of his homeland’s graphic systems, textiles, architectural forms, language and music. He employs the textured and improvisational qualities in his work, imbued with a poetic amalgam of abstraction and reality in his search for symbols and metaphors that explore ideas of spirituality, space and motion, expanding the boundaries of art and consciousness. There is a resonance of personal truth, vision, circumstances and tradition embedded in his work that make us simply believe in the power of art to speak to us in purely human terms.
Wosene Kosrof
Wosene Worke Kosrof was born 1950 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and received a BFA from The School of Fine Art, Addis Ababa and a MFA from Howard University, Washington DC in 1980. He is an artist of international reputation, widely exhibited in Africa, Europe, Japan, the US and the Caribbean. Recent exhibitions include Transformations: Recent Contemporary African Art Acquisitions, Fowler Museum, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 2009, Mexican Heritage Plaza Museum, San Jose, California 2006, Neuberger Museum, Purchase, NY 2003; Newark Museum, Newark, NJ 2004; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pa 2004, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 2004; and Seven Stories about Modern Art in Africa, Whitechapel Gallery, London 1995. Collections include the National Museum, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; The National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, The Newark Museum, NJ; The Neuberger Museum at Purchase, NY; Birmingham Museum of Art, AL; Indianapolis Museum of Art, IN, the Fowler Museum, UCLA, Ca; Samuel P. Harn Museum, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl; and The Voelkerkunde Museum, Zurich, Switzerland as well as many international private and corporate collections.
— If you go:
Skoto Gallery
529 West 20th Street
5thFL
New York, NY 10011
Phone Number
212.352.8058 www.skotogallery.com
Washington, D.C. – (Tadias) – Here are photos from the 09.25.09 event organized by Ethiopian-Americans for Change in partnership with the Major League baseball team, the Washington Nationals.
The Inaugural Ethiopian-American Appreciation Day, which included appearances by Mahmoud Ahmed and Grammy Nominee Wayna – among other artists – was held on September 25, 2009, at the Washington Nationals stadium roof top deck. Also, check out this video, which pays a musical and photography homage to the history of Ethiopians in America.
Photos: Courtesy of EA4C/Matt Andrea, photographer.
Above:Sheba Sahlemariam will perform at Joe’s Pub in New
York City on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 11:30 PM. The
after party will be held at Taj.
Tadias Events News Source: Joe’s Pub
Door Price: $15
A refugee from the majestic war-torn land of Ethiopia, Sheba Sahlemariam was reared among the concrete jungles of New York City, Europe, the Caribbean and Africa. Named after the Queen of Sheba, famed empress of Ethiopia, to whom her family traces direct ancestry – Sheba Sahlemariam is a cousin to Emperor Haile Selassie – which highlights the serendipitous circumstances that moved her family from Ethiopia to Guyana, where she spent her early childhood and later, Jamaica, which deepened her connection to Reggae and Dancehall, the glue to her global and urban sound. Sheba stirs up a unique musical brew that is a mélange of Reggae grooves, Afro-beat, Ethiopian traditional music and jazz, R&B riffs, 16 bar rhymes, and Dancehall Sing-Jaying –souvenirs from her nomadic life.
Sheba’s gorgeous four octave range, soul stirring, provocative lyrics and fierce ability to dial up a diversity of musical styles puts her at the razor’s edge and will expel you from preconceived definitions of urban, pop and world music.
Watch: “Love This Lifetime” by Sheba Sahlemariam
As early as the age of four, she was singing and making up songs, but it wasn’t until a random meeting in Brooklyn, when Sheba forged a musical partnership with Tommy “Madfly” Faragher, that she finally begin to chip away at her lifelong dream to write and record music. Together they began to collaborate on what would be the basis for her first album: The Lion of Sheba. Songs from the forthcoming album are for real music lovers: big vocals, powerful songwriting and beats that challenge your boundaries. The wait is over. You may not be able to get to Ethiopia, but The Lion of Sheba will bring Ethiopia home to you. The Lioness, Sheba…soon come.
Above:On April 19, 2009, Ethiopians lost the greatest
popular musician the country has ever produced. Tilahun
Gessesse would have turned 69 on September 27, 2009.
Addis Fortune
Tewodros Kasahun, aka Teddy Afro, once said that the legendary Ethiopian singer, the late Tilahun Gessesse had carried him in his arms when he was a child and bought him Fanta. He praised Tilahun as “the other lion”, in line with Kenenisa Bekele – whom he honoured in an instantly popular single released immediately after his athletic victory at the 2004 Greek Olympics. Tilahun was sitting beside him on stage as Teddy made this remark. Today, September 27, 2009, the late king of Ethiopian music, Tilahun Gessesse, would have turned 69, had he lived. His death, however, has not been a deterrent to his friends’ and fans’ determination to celebrate his birthday. It will be at this event that Teddy Afro will make his first public performance since gaining his freedom, August 13, 2009. Read more.
Remembering Tilahun Gesesse
Ethiopia is mourning what many describe as one of the greatest –
if not THE greatest popular musician – the country has ever produced. Read more at BBC.
Above: At the 2009 Ethiopian New Year’s celebration at SOB’s
in New York. (Photo by Kidane Mariam).
Tadias Magazine Events News
Published: Sunday, September 27, 2009
New York (Tadias) – The Sounds of Brazil (SOB’s) in New York City has been the host of Ethiopian New Year’s concerts for the last few years. The venue has featured its share of big name artists, including Aster Aweke and Kuku Sebsibe. SOB’s continued its tradition with this Year’s celebration held on Friday September 11, 2009 – featuring live performances by Efrem Tameru & Gosaye Tesfaye. The event was organized by the promotional group Massinko Entertainment. Here are photos by our contributing photographer Kidane Mariam.—
Above:A proposed resolution in the Council of the District
of Columbia recognizes and celebrates the contributions of
the Ethiopian community to Washington, D.C.; and declares
September 25, 2009, as “Ethiopian-American Recognition
Day”.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Friday, September 25, 2009
Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – DC Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) introduced a resolution this week to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the Ethiopian community to the District of Columbia; and declare September 25, 2009, as “Ethiopian-American Recognition Day”.
Ethiopian-Americans for Change (EA4C), has announced a partnership with the Major League baseball team, the Washington Nationals— to stage the “Inaugural Ethiopian-American Appreciation Day.”
According to the organizers, the festivities will take place today at the Washington Nationals stadium roof top deck and will include an Ethiopian-American cultural celebration and an award ceremony.
Ethiopian Heritage Appreciation Day at Nationals Park Events News Washington City Paper
By Andrew Baujon
Posted: September 23, 2009
Mahmoud Ahmed is to Ethiopia what Cliff Richard is to Britain or Johnny Hallyday is to France—someone whose cultural importance far outstrips any recent musical output. The sextuagenarian singer is mostly known to Western audiences via the French “Ethiopiques” compilations, the best of which chronicle his mid-to-late-’70s recordings, during Ethiopia’s grim Derg years. Featuring Ahmed’s tremulous Amharic over Memphis-inspired grooves, the recordings sound like Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn fronting Booker T. & the MG’s, and his idiosyncratic phrasing and allegiance to the pentatonic scale tilt his songs jazzward as well. It’s a boon of living in an area with a large Ethiopian expat community that a singer of Ahmed’s stature makes it over here; that you can see him and other artists, enjoy a free buffet and coffee tasting, and catch the Nats taking on the Braves all on the same ticket is a minor miracle.
ETHIOPIAN HERITAGE APPRECIATION DAY BEGINS AT 3 P.M. AT NATIONALS PARK,
1500 SOUTH CAPITOL ST. SE. $14.75–30.50. EAFC.ORG FOR TICKETS AND INFO.
Photos courtesy of Ethiopian-Americans for Change.
