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Featured, News, Profiles

Buzunesh Deba Eyes NYC Marathon

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Tadias Magazine
By Jason Jett

Updated: Thursday, October 27, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Buzunesh Deba “is not in the local race, she is in the big race this time,” her husband-coach Worku Beyi emphasized last week in reference to the Ethiopian-born runner’s bid to become the first New Yorker to win the New York City Marathon since 1976 — before the race left Central Park to touch all five boroughs and become the world’s largest marathon.

On November 6 she will pursue the $130,000 overall top prize that goes to the first man and woman finishing the 26.2-mile race through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.

Deba has the runner’s resume to be considered among the top five in the elite women’s field at the 2011 New York City Marathon.

Last June she won the Rock n’ Roll San Diego Marathon in 2:23:31, blazing the first half of the downward course in 1:09:53. Three months earlier she won the Honda Los Angeles Marathon. Last year she was victorious at the Twin Cities and Grandma’s marathons in Minnesota.

Deba was among the top-10 finishers both times she competed over the marathon distance in New York City, finishing 10th, in 2:29:55, last year and seventh two years ago in 2:35:54.

The New York City Marathon is a demanding 26 miles, 385 feet (42.195 kilometers), with five climbs onto bridges, that runners seeking fast times typically avoid in favor of running over relatively flat courses in Berlin or Chicago.

Beyi insists if the weather is pleasant, Deba has a good chance of beating the New York City Marathon course record of 2:22:31.

“In San Diego she ran the first 5K in 16:0-something,” he said. “Her 10k time was 32 minutes, she was on world-record pace. Then until 23 miles, she was on sub-2:20 pace.”

The husband-coach told Tadias that he first met Deba when she was age 13, and a year later attended one of her races, positioning himself along a clearing about 400 feet from the finish line.

“Buzunesh was second, a good distance behind the leader, when she came by,” said Beyi. “I shouted ‘go, go, go’ the next thing I knew she began to run faster. She passed the other girl and won the race.”

“When I congratulated her after the race I asked her how did she manage to pass the other girl so quickly?” he continued. “She said, ‘You gave me power. You are my power.'”

His wife’s pre-New York marathon workout routines peaked this fall to 130 miles a week, covered in two-a-day training sessions. Recently, Deba has slowed to about 90 miles a week with robust-morning and easy-evening sessions.

“Nutrition is very important for running a marathon,” Beyi said. “Marathon training is very hard, you have to eat properly. Up to one month before the marathon we ate a lot of meat and injera, but injera makes you heavy. Now we eat mostly vegetables, with a little chicken and some lamb soup.”

Deba gives a lot of credit for her success to Beyi — both his training and cooking.

Beyi, a world-class athlete, competes less now because of a medical condition and instead focuses on coaching Deba. Quite a cook also, friends say, Beyi said he prepares their meals so Deba can stay off her feet after training.

For Deba, the ascension was gradual. She arrived in New York on an athlete’s visa in 2007, and her early performance was hampered by chronic ankle problems.

With uneven success, she competed across the country at various races. It was not until September 2009 that Deba ran her first race over a 26.2-mile course — The Quad Cities (Iowa) Marathon — and won.

She found her winning stride, and with coaching from Beyi and altitude training in New Mexico, victories followed at the 2009 and 2010 California International Marathon as well as in Minnesota, Los Angeles and San Diego.


Buzunesh Deba trains under the watchful eye of husband-coach Worku Beyi as members of the Manhattan College Jaspers track and field team look on at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on Monday, October 24, 2011. (Photo by Jason Jett for Tadias Magazine).


Buzunesh Deba, far right, holds trophy after winning the 2010 Chris Thater Memorial 5K in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Jason Jett)

Now Deba is on the brink of a life-changing achievement. If she wins the New York City Marathon next week, it would mark the first time a female runner has left her homeland as an adult and rose to world-class status on the North American road-racing circuit. Only Khalid Khannouchi, who was born in Morocco and lived first in Brooklyn and then in Ossining, NY, has done that to date, winning the 1999 Chicago Marathon in a world-record time of 2:05:42 that since has been broken. Meb Keflezighi, winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon, was born in Eritrea but as a child moved with his family to the United States and grew up in San Diego.

In recent days, Deba has been besieged with media requests – which included interviews with The New York Times and The New York Daily News.

With a victory in New York, Deba would take a big step from her colleagues who survive by the same pattern she had followed in the U.S. until this year — racing here and there, virtually anywhere, to secure enough funds to support themselves and send home to family in Ethiopia.

More than dozen Ethiopian runners living in New York and Washington, D.C., are pursuing with season-highlight anticipation that New York City Marathon race-within-a-race from which Deba is attempting to move on. For them there is still gleam in the prospect of being the first city resident or New York Road Runners member to finish, and the money that comes with the distinction.

Pride unites the network of Ethiopian runners who live in and around New York, training in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, Rockefeller State Park in Tarrytown and in Manhattan’s Central Park.

The pride is both for their homeland and in their resettlement in a country that offers greater opportunities — if they can find them amid all the competition from other Ethiopian nationals not to mention Kenyans, and East Europeans on the running circuit.

Friendships survive the race competitions, in which one runner’s success often means another’s failure in monetary terms ranging from several hundred to thousands of dollars.

Schadenfreude is a reality after each race, with everyone getting to share in it at some point as they hope for better for themselves in their next competition.

That is the manner in which relations within the network are affected by the hands of fate. One’s success is shared; one’s failure means there is opportunity for some other runner to move up.

The New York City Marathon brings local media attention to the running community each year. The scrutiny has not always been embraced by its members.

Nearly three years ago Village Voice reporter Graham Rayman extensively interviewed Ethiopian and Kenyan runners living in the Bronx for a post-New York City Marathon story. Rayman and photographer Jesse Reed spent days into weeks interviewing and photographing the runners in their homes as well as at training grounds in Van Cortlandt and Rockefeller State parks.

The result was a front-page story with a full-page picture of Ethiopian runner Abiyot Endale, who has photogenic looks to match his athletic prowess. However, photoshopped onto the bib of Endale’s running shirt was the headline: Will Run For Food.

The Ethiopian running community in New York was outraged.

Kassahun Kabiso, a Bronx runner who was featured in the report, said Rayman had befriended the runners and they had accepted him and his photographer into their homes and apartments. “He was our friend,” Kabiso said. “Maybe his editors changed the story.”

Rayman did not respond to a request for comment sent to his email account at the Village Voice.

The article, published December 17, 2008, is still viewable online along with additional comments but sans the cover photograph shown below.

The Ethiopian running community in New York is still stinging from the article, and wants the world to know that while their lifestyle is not luxurious neither is it impoverished.

“That was a bad article,” Beyi said, shaking his head, after leading Deba through a training session last week.

Endale and Derese Deniboba, who live at a Perry Avenue address in the Bronx that for the past six years has been home for Ethiopian runners, note that while they may live four people to an apartment the conditions are clean and well-maintained, if not spartan.

Deniboba recently recalled a conversation he had last summer with his absentee landlord.

“He called me over and said, ‘You know, you are not like the tenants I used to have. You guys are quiet, and never cause any trouble. Where are you from?'”

“I told him Ethiopia,” said Deniboba. “Then he asked, ‘What you do?'”

“I told him we are runners,” added Deniboba. “Then he said, ‘You guys are disciplined, you are in good shape. None of you are fat. I think I will take up running, too.'”

Will Run For Glory

Deba is running the New York City Marathon for the glory and the money.

Her six-figure annual earnings and a $40,000 Mizuno sponsorship, along with a 2011 Honda Insight hybrid car that was part of her prize for winning in Los Angeles, has her and Beyi preparing to buy a house in their adopted city — as she pursues United States citizenship.

Should Deba not win the New York race, but finish second, she would earn $65,000; plus bonus. A third-place finish would net her $40,000, fourth $25,000, fifth $15,000, and so on, plus bonuses.

November 6 likely will be a big payday for all the hard work and discipline Deba has put in every day the past few months, including rainy days on which Beyi suggested she rest but she insisted on going out and running in the rain for hours.

“I will do my best,” Deba said this week with a confident smile, which may have been a bit of humility coming from a runner who, when asked by a reporter after winning the 2009 California International Marathon at what point did she know she had won the race, replied: “At the start line.”
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Related:
View more photos of Buzunesh Deba on our Facebook page
Buzunesh Deba: New York’s Hope at ING NYC Marathon

Featured

Teenager Sara Kebede hopes to help aspiring athletes in Ethiopia

Voice of America
Jackson Mvunganyi

Sara Kebede is not your regular 16-year-old American. She gets perfect grades and is a champion runner for her school. Now she’s using her interest in running as a way to help children in her father’s homeland, Ethiopia.

Kebede lives in California, where she recently started an effort to collect shoes for Ethiopian children. She calls it Shoes for Sheba, and its goal is to send running shoes to poor children who can’t afford to buy them. Many have to run bare-footed on the rough terrain of Ethiopia’s hilly countryside.

Kebede relates to them, since both she and her parents run. “Since I was five I have been running races…so running has always been part of my life.”

Among her heroes is international icon Haile Gebreselassie, who ran his way to superstardom. Kebede has met him and says he is her inspiration.

Her interest in helping began when she visited Ethiopia as a 10-year-old. Kebede says she was impressed by children who would approach her to ask for pencils for school instead of money.

Currently on the high school track team in Orange County, California, Kebede watches with surprise as teammates throw away running shoes that are still in good condition to get the latest pair on the market – even when their old ones still have many miles left in them. She has placed collection points at schools and around town to gather shoes for her project.

Kebede hopes the contributions will help improve the situation for many Ethiopians who turn to running to escape poverty.

Shoes would also encourage female runners in a country where men have long dominated the sport. Some Ethiopian women are taking the international stage and are winning international races. “If I could provide them with the basic tools — just shoes — they could better their situation.”
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Learn more about Sara Kebede at: www.shoesforsheba.com.

Featured

Gemini Health Care Group Prepares for Medical Mission to Ethiopia

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Friday, October 21, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Gemini Health Care Group (GHCG), the U.S.-based non-profit organization that provides pediatrics services and training in Ethiopia, said its next medical mission to Addis Ababa is scheduled from October 25th to November 5th, 2011. The upcoming trip is organized in collaboration with the Philadelphia chapter of Healing the Children, a volunteer association that works to provide access to medical treatment for children worldwide.

“We have assembled a 12-member medical team that will be going to work at Black Lion Hospital, Cure International Hospital and Mekanissa School for the Deaf,” says Dr. Ebba K. Ebba, GHCG Founder and President. “We wish the volunteer medical team safe travels and tremendous success.”

GHCG also held a succesful fundraiser last month at its annual gala held on September 24th in Arlington, Virginia. The full-house event included music, food, and auction of donated paintings, airline tickets, and other merchandise with an added excitement of a humorous, fast-talking L.A. auctioneer.

The Keynote Speaker, Dr. Aziza Shad of Georgetown University, discussed the collaboration between Georgetown University Department of Pediatrics and INCTR (International Cancer Treatment and Research), a non-profit organization which provides cancer treatment and research for developing countries, to establish the pediatric cancer treatment, and training program by January 2012 at Black Lion hospital in Addis Ababa. The event also honored several individuals, including Dr. Aklilu Lemma (posthumously), who was the former Dean of the Faculty of Science and Director of the Institute of Pathobiology at Addis Ababa University. Dr. Lemma’s pioneering research produced cheap and locally available interventions that helped combat a parasitic disease called Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia. Other awardees included Dr. Ahmed Moen, Dr. Tsehaye Teferra and Ms. Mary Cohen.

“Just remember,” Dr. Ebba said speaking about the upcoming medical mission “we may not change the world, but we can save a child.”


Gemini Health Care Group held its 4th annual gala at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, on Saturday, September 24, 2011. (Courtesy photo)


Dr. Aklilu Lemma’s sons accepted the award on their late father’s behalf from Dr. Ebba K. Ebba – left – at GHCG’s 4th annual gala on Saturday, September 24, 2011. (Courtesy photo).


Guests at GHCG’s 4th annual dinner held on Saturday, September 24, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. (Courtesy photo)


Volunteers at GHCG’s 4th annual gala on Saturday, September 24, 2011. (Courtesy photo)


Guests at the Gemini Health Care Group’s 4th annual gala at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, on Saturday, September 24, 2011. (Courtesy photo)
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You can learn more about Gemini Health Care Group at www.ghcg.org.

Featured, News

On Social Media, Ethiopians Continue to React to Shweyga Mullah’s Case

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Friday, October 14, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Widespread news coverage of an Ethiopian migrant worker in Libya, Shweyga Mullah, who had cared for two of Moammar Gadhafi’s grandchildren and suffered abuse and severe burns, continue to elicit reactions from Ethiopians worldwide.

“A social media campaign for justice is raging among Ethiopians online after a CNN journalist, Dan Rivers, revealed the horrifying abuse of Shweye Mullah who was brutally injured after the wife of Gaddafi’s son Hannibal poured boiled water on her whole body for allegedly failing to keep a crying child quiet,” reports Global Voices, an international community of bloggers and translators that track blogs and citizen media.

According to the website: “On Friday, September 2, 2011 Ethiopian netizens created a virtual discussion page on Facebook on seeking justice for Sheweyga Mullah in Libya. Another group has created a petition to gather signatures of the Ethiopian online community. The group has also created a Facebook app. Another group with over 8,000 members is called “Stop the abuse of Ethiopian women in Middle East”. And “Justice for Shweyga Mullah tortured and enslaved by Aline Gaddafi Skaf” is a Facebook page while “Let us Prevent Future Shweye Mullahs” is a Facebook group with over 1000 members.”

The petition reads:

The recent inhumane treatment of Shweyga Mullah by Alaine Skaf, Gaddafi’s daughter-in-law, brought to light the unimaginable ordeal that our sisters in different countries around the world are going through. Luckily for her, despite the physical and psychological damage she sustained, this act of cruelty became a high profile case as it was first reported by CNN and linked to Gaddafi. Consequently CNN managed to organize fund raising and securing special treatment. However, countless other Shweygas are still suffering undiscovered, not to mention thousands more planning to cross the border only to possibly end up like Shweyga.

Read more at Global Voices.
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Related Stories:
The Plight of Ethiopian Women in the Middle East: Q & A With Rahel Zegeye
How Gadhafi’s Daughter-in-Law Burnt Ethiopian Nanny With Scalding Water
Click Here to Donate to Shweyga Mullah’s Fund

Watch: How CNN discovered Shweyga Mullah

Featured

So What If Joe Mamo Made $788 Million?

Attempts to curb gas station mogul raise issues of money, power and race

The Root | Written by Frank McCoy

When he was a 13-year-old braving northern-Midwest winters, Eyob “Joe” Mamo couldn’t have imagined that he would someday control a mini-empire of gas stations on the East Coast.

In 1981 Mamo’s father, Yenberber Mamo, who owned the Mamo Kacha bus company in Addis Ababa, sent Joe to a North Dakota boarding school to protect him from the communist regime that ruled Ethiopia. Now the commercial success of Joe Mamo, 44 — founder, owner and CEO of privately held Capitol Petroleum Group, which controls 42 percent of Washington, D.C.’s gas stations — is being questioned.

Mamo buys gas from oil refiners and sells it to the operators of the stations that he owns. A few of those operators say that Mamo has hiked their rent, the gas-delivery price and gas prices — driving away potential consumers. District residents always complain that they pay more for gas than in the suburbs because of a mix of station location, taxes and other expenses. On Oct. 3, the street prices of a gallon of regular gas in the District and in adjacent Bethesda, Md., and Arlington, Va., neighborhoods were mostly comparable, with gas at $3.31 to 3.89 in Arlington and $3.05 to $4.29 in the District.

Read more at The Root.

Related:
DC Attorney General Begins Gas Station Probe (WUSA 9)

Featured

Buzunesh Deba: New York’s Hope at ING NYC Marathon

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Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Monday, October 10, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – The New York Daily News highlights the Bronx-based long-distance runner Buzunesh Deba, who is preparing for the upcoming ING New York City Martahon. If Deba wins the race next month, she will become the first New Yorker to claim hometown victory in the annual fall race.

“Buzunesh Deba is a 24-year-old former gymnast who grew up in the town of Asela in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, and now lives in a fifth-floor walkup on West 195th St. in the Bronx,” writes Wayne Coffey for the Daily News. “The apartment has…a few dozen trophies and medals, all of them the fruits of Deba’s rapidly ascending marathoning career.” He adds: “A month from now, in the ING New York City Marathon, Deba will endeavor to add to the collection – not only by scoring the greatest victory of her life, but by becoming the first New Yorker to win the five-borough race.”

“I hope to make the New York Road Runners, my husband as well as myself proud,” Deba told the newspaper, speaking through an Amharic interpreter.

Buzunesh Deba ran the 11th-fastest marathon in the world earlier this year at the Dodge Rock n’ Roll San Diego Marathon, finishing the race in the fastest time ever run by a woman in California.

“It’s remarkable to think that there could be a champion hiding in plain sight, training in our parks and streets right here in New York City,” Says Mary Wittenberg, CEO of the New York Road Runners.

Read more at The New York Daily News.
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Related:
Ali Abdosh of Ethiopia wins Boston Half Marathon (ESPN)

Events, Featured, News, Podcast, Reviews

Harlem to Horn: Fundraiser for Famine Relief

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Tadias Magazine
Events News

Published: Friday, October 7, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – The following is a video coverage of “Brunch for the Horn of Africa,” the fundraiser for famine relief held last month at Marcus Samuelsson and Maya Haile’s home in Harlem. The sold-out event was attended by a diverse crowd from New York and nearby states.

“The big part of this event is to inspire people to do it in their homes” said Marcus. “A brunch like this can raise awareness about a part of the world that is very troubled right now.” He adds: “This is something that as Ethiopians we can’t avoid…12 million people whether it’s on the Somali side or Ethiopian side it doesn’t matter.”

“It sends a signal that it’s very possible for all of us to do something to organize small groups to work within our mahber, book clubs, schools and organizations and set something up to help those who are in our home and our country,” said the author Maaza Mengiste, who attended the event. “I am very proud that as Abehsa we are helping each other, whether we live in Ethiopia or we are in the Diaspora, we can still reach out to those in need.”

“Famine is terrible because it’s something that is preventable,” said Robert Kayinamura, a Harlem resident who also attened the brunch. “I think it’s important not only to create awareness about this event but to continue to be aware of things in Africa.”

Watch: Harlem to Horn: Fundraiser for Famine Relief (Taped on 9/18/2011)

Featured, News

Apple ‘Visionary’ Steve Jobs Dies at 56

VOA News
Mike O’Sullivan | Los Angeles

October 06, 2011

Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs has died at age 56 after a long illness, and tributes have been pouring in from around the world. Jobs was an entrepreneur and innovator who changed several industries.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook called Jobs an amazing human being, a visionary and a creative genius. With his trademark black turtleneck shirt and jeans, Jobs was known a charismatic business leader and an innovator.

“We just try to build products we think are really wonderful and that people might want. And, sometimes we are right and sometimes we are wrong,” Jobs said.

Jobs had suffered from health problems since surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004. He underwent a liver transplant in 2009 but returned to work. He took a leave of absence last January, his third since his health problems started, but he announced in August he was stepping down as Apple’s chief executive. He stayed on as chairman of the board.

Jobs co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976 and, after the experimental Apple I, they ushered in the age of personal computing with the Apple II. In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh, a pioneering device with a graphic interface that opened personal computing to the general public.

Media analyst Jonathan Taplin of the University of Southern California says Jobs had a keen sense of design that made successive products from the Macintosh to iPad and iPhone all successful.

“They have a very clean design that’s incredibly functional and a kind of natural sense of ease of use. And that’s what he always went for. I want to make this easy to use for anybody,” he said.

Taplin notes that Apple, with Jobs at its helm, also changed how we listen to music with creation of the music download service iTunes.

“The music business before Apple’s iTunes was a business of selling compact discs in stores. Today, there are hardly any stand-alone stores that sell compact discs because the business has moved online,” he said.

Jobs was forced out of Apple in 1985 by a hostile board of directors. He bought a small production house that became Pixar Studios the following year, and Taplin says Jobs turned it into a powerhouse of animated movies before selling it to the Disney Company five years ago the greatest of American innovators.

Jobs would again take the helm at Apple in 1997, and was widely seen as the force behind the company’s huge success.

Among those who offered condolences were President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, who said in a written statement that Jobs was “among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”

Watch: Steve Jobs in his own words

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Art, Featured

Brooklyn to Ethiopia: Doncker, Gigi, Selam, Laswell, and more

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Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Sunday, October 9, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Brooklyn based musician Tomas Doncker’s new album entitled Power of the Trinity, which features well-known artists hailing from Ethiopia including Gigi and legendary guitarist Selam Seyoum Woldemariam, is as much a tribute to Ethiopia and its history as it is a soulful blend of R&B, spoken word and global urban sounds, reflecting the culturally eclectic neighborhood where he grew up. The CD also features Grammy award winning producer and bassist Bill Laswell, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa, and Electro-dub specialist Dr. Israel as well as reggae artist Tsegaye Selassie.

“Musically speaking, being able to work with Bill Laswell and Selam Woldermariam was like taking a journey into the heart and soul of Ethiopian groove, ” Tomas Doncker said in a recent interview with Tadias Magazine. Bill Laswell was the producer of Gigi’s 2001 album, which propelled the vocalist to worldwide acclaim. Selam Woldermariam, also known as Selamino, was a member of the storied Ibex and Roha bands.

According to Tomas, a theater production about Emperor Haile Selassie and his role during World War II, following the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, gave impetus to his new album. The drama was never staged but he said it inspired him to learn more about the Emperor. “I was asked to score a play called Power of the Trinity by New York Playwright Roland Wolf and in my research I realized that collaborations with this particular group of artists would really capture and enhance the feeling that I was looking for,” Tomas said. “It was the most rewarding artistic experience of my life.”

Tomas said he fell in love with Selam Woldermariam’s work long before he met the guitarist, whom he said he discovered through one of the earliest editions of the Ethiopiques series – number seven – which spotlighted the award-winning singer Mahmoud Ahmed and the historical band Ibex.

“Tomas Doncker had this CD and was searching for musicians that played with Ibex in those days,” Selam told Tadias. “A common friend knew where I resided and told Tomas about it, that’s how we connected.”

The name of the album, Power of the Trinity, is the English translation of Emperor Haile Selassie’s name. The CD cover shows a globe embedded with a giant map of Africa filled with a photo collage of the late emperor. Tomas Doncker’s own name is written using a combination of English and Geez alphabets. “Graphic Designer Michael Luciano and I worked very closely on this,” Tomas said. “We wanted to highlight Ethiopia as being one of the most important places in world history, perhaps even the cradle of civilization. You can’t do that without making H.I.M. a focal point.”

Selam, who majored in History at Addis Ababa University and is currently researching “the music history of the Horn of Africa,” says the collaborative project is more than a nod to the former king. “As we all know Ethiopian music is now a fashion throughout the world,” he said. “It is not surprising to see bands whose members are mainly western musicians playing Ethiopian music repertory of the 60s and 70s.” He adds: “This phenomenon was partly the result of the distribution of Ethiopiques CD series, produced by a good friend, Francis Falceto. And, fortunately, I was part of the group known as ‘Ibex’ that performed during the early 70s at Ras Hotel. It included the renowned performer Mahmoud Ahmed and we recorded his Ere Mela Mela on LP which later became Ethiopiques number 7 in 1989.”

For Tomas, it is also about crossing cultural boundaries. “I grew up in Brooklyn NY, in Crown Heights” he said. “I attended St. Ann’s school from 1st grade until the 12th grade. Crown Heights at that time was a very dangerous neighborhood. Lots of gangs and violence, but we still managed to maintain a sense of community, at least among the families on my block. Receiving a scholarship to attend St. Ann’s made it possible for me to meet people and learn about other cultures. It changed my life and helped to mold me into the artist that I am today.”


Tomas Doncker and Selam Woldemariam at the Blue Note in NYC on April 12, 2010. (Photo courtesy of Selam Woldemariam)

Regarding his new album Tomas said: “It is what I like to call a global soul meditation about Ethiopia and how I feel that we are all connected.”

Selam, who also served as a Production Consultant, worked on the Amharic translations for most of the compositions on the album. He described the genre of the new CD saying: “It is mainly a fusion work of Tomas’ compositions with Ethiopian rhythm and sounds. He uses the slow and fast Chik-chika rhythms on most of his compositions. This rhythm is extensively used in most Ethiopian music. Moreover, most horn sections on some of the tunes resemble the unique sound of Ibex Band from the Ethiopiques number seven volume. Therefore, I think we can safely label the new album as ‘global soul,’ a fusion of western R&B and African and Ethiopian music.”

Selam adds: “I would like to thank Tomas for dedicating his song, Seven Sons, in memory of Ibex.”
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Thomas Doncker’s “Power of the Trinity” is now available for purchase on I tunes. You can learn more about the artist at www.tomasdoncker.net.

Watch: Tomas Doncker introduces guitar hero Selam Woldemariam at the Blue Note in NYC

Watch: Inside Tomas Doncker’s “Power of The Trinity Project”

Featured, News

Maryland Spotlights Blessed Coffee – The State’s Newest Benefit Corporation

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Monday, September 26, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland seemed in a jovial mood at the inauguration of Blessed Coffee in Takoma Park last week, sipping a cup of Ethiopian coffee, schmoozing with attendees, and surprising organizers by hanging out 45 minutes longer than expected. The Governor was spotlighting a local business established under the state’s Benefit Corporations law. The event was held at the Takoma Park Old Town Gazebo on Friday September 16th, 2011 and included traditional Ethiopian music and coffee ceremony, during which Mr. O’Malley was served a cup of joe brewed from Yergacheffe beans grown in Ethiopia.

“The Governer was supposed to stay for only 30 minutes, but he was having so much fun they had to drag him out after one hour and 15 minutes.” said Tebabu Assefa, the co-founder of Blessed Coffee.

“How did it go?”, a man was heard asking on the background during our phone interview with Mr. Assefa. “Wonderful, wonderful, oh man, it was a hit,” the affable Mr. Assefa replied, after aplogizing to us for the interuption. “Did you see the Washington Post article? I am elated.”

“It’s like hitting the jackpot,” Mr. Assefa said turning his attention back to our interview. “It’s like winning it all when elected officials, the community and the press show up to celebrate what I have been urging for a long time.”

Blessed Coffee, which promises to split its profits between community projects in Maryland and supporting the coffee growing region in Ethiopia, is the second organization created under Maryland’s new law. It was founded earlier this year by Mr. Assefa and his wife Sara Mussie. “I have worked very hard for the last 7 seven years to see this day,” Mr. Assefa said. “I have walked from the halls of Congress to the hills of Yirgatchefe to make this happen.” He added: There was a time when people thought I was a fool, but I stuck with it because as an activist, I believed in development and cultural promotion. And in the grander scheme of things, it contributes to the international business discourse of how to connect the farmer directly to the global market.”

Speaking of the international business discourse, we asked Mr. Assefa about recent news reports on how Ethiopian coffee beans are being pass up by boutique U.S. roasters and retailers because the rules of the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange make it impossible to know where most of the country’s beans are grown. Mr. Assefa noted that he is aware of the report, saying there is a loophole called a “relationship market” that allows outside buyers to develop direct link with the farmers. “Right now, we are buying it from the wholesaler Royal coffee, which has contact with the farmers in Ethiopia,” he said. ” They know where the beans are coming from and as demand increases, we also plan to do the same.”

The Washington Post reported that Governor O’Malley and state Senator Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery), “who sponsored the legislation last year, offered words of encouragement during the ceremony. A ‘benefit corporation’ isn’t all about social responsibility, officials said. Companies that use the law need to make money, to thrive. The new law is as much about social responsibility as it is about job creation, O’Malley said. ‘It all comes back to jobs,’ he said.”

“The law allows community-minded companies to take the high road rather than the high bid,” Raskin said.

Among those who spoke at the event included Tadesse Meskela, Founder and Manager of the 200,000-member Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative, which produced the coffee served at the event. “Tadesse is my hero,” said Mr. Assefa. “He has been the voice of the Ethiopian coffee farmer on the international stage for many years.”

Mr. Assefa said: “The governer was so fascinated by his speech, he asked for a copy and posted it on his blog.”

Take a look at photos from the celebration below:


Popcorn being served at the opening ceremony of Blessed Coffee – one of Maryland’s first ventures to be formed under the state’s “benefit corporation” law. (Photo by Matt Andrea)


State Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery) and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) at the inauguration of Blessed Coffee on Friday September 16th, 2011. (Photo by Matt Andrea)


Governor O’Malley speaking at the event. (Photo by Tamirat Mekonen)


Children at the inauguration. (Photo by Matt Andrea)


Tebabu Assefa, the co-founder of Blessed Coffee, at the opening ceremony of his company at the Takoma Park Old Town Gazebo on Friday September 16th, 2011. (Photo by Matt Andrea)


State Senator Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery), who sponsored the “benefit corporation legislation last year, speaking at a ceremony in downtown Takoma Park marking the launch of Blessed Coffee on Friday September 16th, 2011. (Photo by Matt Andrea)
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Related:
Takoma Park coffee company is among first ‘benefit corporations’ in state (Washington Post)

Featured

In Harlem, a Feast for Ethiopia Famine

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Updated: Wednesday, September 21, 2011

New York – The Wall Street Journal highlights “Brunch for the Horn of Africa,” the fundraiser benefiting famine relief held on Sunday, September 18 at Marcus Samuelsson and Maya Haile’s home in New York.

The sold-out fundraiser for famine relief, held at the couple’s Harlem apartment, was attended by a diverse crowd of friends, supporters, families with children, local residents and even some individuals who drove in from nearby states.

According to The Wall Street Journal, people who attended “had trekked to Harlem from the neighborhood and as far as Charleston, N.C.”

“I firmly believe there’s a call for events and charities to be much more democratic,” Marcus told the paper. “What you get for 50 bucks today is access: You get to meet amazing people, it’s personable, it’s not in a hall somewhere, you can dress however you want to dress.”

“The house was packed with friends and friends of friends, many with connections to Ethiopia, including novelist Maaza Mengiste and Staffan Tillander, the former Swedish ambassador to Ethiopia. Others registered via the Web.”

Read more at WSJ.com.
—
Related from Tadias:
Photos From Brunch for the Horn of Africa


The event was attended by a diverse crowd of friends, supporters, families with children, local residents and even some individuals who drove in from nearby states. (Photo by Tadias Magazine)


Brookti Berne and Maya Haile at the Brunch for the Horn of Africa. (Photo by Tadias Magazine)


Chef Marcus Samulesson and his wife Model Gate Maya Haile hosted the event at their home in Harlem on Sunday, September 18, 2011. (Photo by Tadias Magazine)
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Click here to read more and view photos from this event.
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Tadias is a media sponsor of Brunch for the Horn of Africa.

Events, Featured

Photos From Brunch for the Horn of Africa

1 Comment

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Monday, September 19, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Chef Marcus Samulesson and his wife Model Gate Maya Haile hosted “Brunch for the Horn of Africa” this weekend. The sold-out fundraiser for famine relief, held at the couple’s Harlem home on Sunday, was attended by a diverse crowd of friends, supporters, families with children, local residents and even some individuals who drove in from nearby states. It was a heartwarming and successful event.

Maya, who prepared Ethiopian food for the event, said she will travel to the Ethiopia/Somalia border in the next few weeks to deliver donations. “It will not be cash,” she said. “I will take needed-materials that will be purchased.” She said she will document her interaction with the victims and tweet her progress. You will be able to follow her through the hash tag #MayaHaile on the Twitter feed (@MarcusCooks) or through the MarcusSamuelsson.com website.

A young Ethiopian-American couple who attended the event said that they came from D.C., driving for three hours to be part of the gathering. Samulesson said he hopes his event serves as a launching pad for Ethiopians to convene similar kinds of get-togethers across the country to assist the famine victims at home. “This is just a kick-off event and we hope people everywhere can come together in a similar way,” he said. “People at this event gave $50, $100, $200. It is not much and it does not take a lot, but it makes a big difference to those who are starving in Ethiopia, Somalia and other places.” Marcus added Western countries are currently preoccupied with major problems of their own and are not responding urgently to the unfolding crisis in East Africa. “12 million are going hungry,” he said. “As humanitarians, as Ethiopians, it is left up to us to help our people. It is our responsibility”

Entertainment was provided by DJ Mengie NYC who treated guests with his signature selections of contemporary Ethiopian grooves. Attendees who dropped by included the Ethiopia-based Reggae Singer Eyob Mekonnen (who had performed at SOB’s in Lower Manhattan the night before), Ethiopian American Maaza Mengiste (Author of the novel Beneath the Lion’s Gaze) among others.

The video of interviews from the fundraiser will be posted shortly. In the mean time, you may browse photos from the event posted on our Facebook page.
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Tadias is a media sponsor of Brunch for the Horn of Africa.
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Art, Featured

Tadias Q & A With Photographer Michael Tsegaye: Addis Ababa’s Red Light District

20 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Friday, September 16, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Addis Ababa does not have a Red Light District per se, but the Sebategna area in Merkato comes close to it. Photographer Michael Tsegaye’s intimate portraits of prostitues from this neighborhood, entitled Working girls II, is currently showing at a highly-regarded international exhibition in Paris dedicated to non-Western photography. He is one of 46 contemporary photographers from 29 countries whose work is on display through November 11th, 2011 at the 3rd edition of the Photoquai Biennale exhibition of world images organized by the musée du Quai Branly.

“I wanted to share what I saw, but ultimately everyone will have their own response to it,” Michael Tsegaye, who was born and raised in Addis Ababa, said in a recent interview with Tadias Magazine. “A lot of the women, as well as the customers, come from many different parts of the country, since it’s close to the central bus stop. This creates an interesting social dynamic.”

And how did he gain the women’s confidence for such a close-up look at their lives? “I spent about two weeks with them, spending the day in the room where they live,” he said. “The first three days were very quiet, until they got used to me. We spent a lot of time talking, eating meals together, drinking tea and coffee.”

Below is our Q & A with photographer Michael Tsegaye:


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TADIAS: What prompted you to focus on this issue?


Michael Tsegaye

Michael Tsegaye: I had taken photographs of prostitutes in Sodo a long time ago, but then wanted to continue the project. I decided to try it in Addis Ababa since it is a very sensitive issue.

TADIAS: What do you want people to take away from these images?

MT: Whatever they’d like. I wanted to share what I saw, but ultimately, everyone will have their own response to it.

TADIAS: You say on your website that as a photographer you don’t want to be “pigeonholed.” What do you mean by that?

MT: It’s common for people in the art world to first define you as an Ethiopian or an African artist, as opposed to just an artist. Once you are labeled in that way, you are then easily exotified. You are not given equal stature with other international artists – -the Europeans, Americans etc. Your work is not judged on its artistic merit, or the idea it represents, but rather which continent it comes from.

TADIAS: How did you get into photography?

MT: It was by accident. I used go to the Geothe Cultural Center to use the library, and one day I came across a photography workshop that was being led by a German photographer called Ralf Becker. I sat in on the class, and he thought I was a student. Later, I walked up to him to ask questions and we started a conversation. He asked me to join the class, and I did. We are still good friends to this day. He bought me my first camera, a Minolta analog.

TADIAS: What is good photography?

MT: There is a quote by a Frenchman called Jacques Leenhardt. It says: “Photography is best when it emulates poetry”, portraying “… not only the complex and problematic reality of the outside world, but also the way a person’s eye has seen it. It shows a person’s self-expression, a person becoming the poet we all have within us…” I think this is a very true statement.

TADIAS: Do you have a favorite photographer?

MT: I dont have a favorite photographer, but I have favorite painters, like Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Repin. I like Vermeer and Rembrandt because they make good use of light, while Repin’s composition is a great example of Russian painting.

TADIAS: We understand that you too started out studying painting but later developed an allergy to oil paint? Can you tell us more about that and how it has impacted your artistic expression?

MT: Over time, the hours I had spent in the studio breathing in fumes from the oil paints made me very sick, which forced me to give up painting. I then switched to photography as my main medium of expression. In terms of its effect on my overall artistic expression, as a whole, painting and photography are very different disciplines. With painting, I spent a lot of time in the studio. But photography forces you to interact with people, to explore the country and what is around you. From painting, I learned how to use light and composition in my photographs, so it has made learning photography much easier for me. I try to photograph with a painter’s eye.

TADIAS: Regarding the photos in your latest exhibition, is there a reason why you selected the Sebategna area in Merkato?

MT: Yes. Sebategna is an area heavily populated with commercial sex workers. Since there are so many, over time the area has formed its own subculture. In Sebategna, you will find a diverse range of prostitutes: from the very inexpensive, to the more costly. They are also diverse in age as well. A lot of the women, as well as the customers, come from many different parts of the country, since it’s close to the central bus stop. This creates an interesting social dynamic.

TADIAS: How did you gain the girls’ confidence?

MT: I spent about two weeks with them, spending the day in the room where they live. The first three days were very quiet, until they got used to me. We spent a lot of time talking, eating meals together, drinking tea and coffee.

TADIAS: Any parting words?

MT: I’d just like to thank Tadias Magazine and urge the Tadias audience to continue supporting Ethiopian arts.

TADIAS: Thank you and wishing you continued success.

MT: Thank you very much.
—
Learn more about Michael Tsegaye at: www.michaeltsegaye.com.

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Events, Featured

UPDATE: SOLD OUT: Marcus & Maya to Host Brunch for the Horn in Harlem

UPDATE:
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! Check marcussamuelsson.com for the latest.

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Published: Thursday, September 15, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Marcus Samuelsson and his wife Gate Maya Haile will be opening their home to the public this coming Sunday, September 18th, 2011 for “Brunch for the Horn of Africa.” The fundraiser focuses on the food crisis in the region.

“The famine in East Africa is worsening, yet it receives little mainstream news coverage,” Samuelsson said in a statement. “In just one short month, the number of famine regions in Somalia declared by the United Nations has risen from four to six.”

Samuelsson adds: “Also, with news of aid for famine victims not reaching affected areas because of insurgents, many of us in the West and other areas are wary of donating money to nonprofit organizations. I am a huge supporter of the relief efforts currently in place by the UN World Food Programme and UNICEF, and they do a phenomenal job, but I also want to make a more personal impact in relief efforts for famine victims in East Africa, especially in my homeland of Ethiopia.”

The United Nations has warned that a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions is unfolding in drought-hit areas of East Africa, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Kenya. According to the U.N. it is the largest famine in 60 years. 12 million people are thought to be at risk of food insecurity this year, a much larger number in contrast to the widely publicized 1984 famine that killed approximately one million people. Ethiopians constitute 4.56 million of the current total food-insecure populations in the region.

“That is why I would like to invite you and your loved ones for a special brunch taking place at my home in Harlem to raise money for the famine,” Samuelsson said. “Please join me and my wife Maya on Sunday, September 18th, as we host you and fellow supporters in our home between 1pm and 4pm to raise money for famine victims.”

Samuelsson said Maya will travel to the regions on the Ethiopia/Somali border to deliver donations. “She will document her interaction with victims suffering from the famine and drought so you can see how your contribution will save lives and directly impact those who she helps,” he said. “You will be able to follow her progress on my website (MarcusSamuelsson.com) and through the hash tag #MayaHaile on my Twitter feed (@MarcusCooks).”

Tadias Magazine is a sponsor of this event and we encourage our audience to give with open hearts.
——–
If You Go:
This event is SOLD OUT! You can follow @MarcusCooks on Twitter for the latest.

Featured, News

The Plight of Ethiopian Women in the Middle East: Q & A With Rahel Zegeye

24 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Widespread news coverage of an Ethiopian migrant worker in Libya, Shweyga Mullah, who had cared for two of Moammar Gadhafi’s grandchildren and suffered abuse and severe burns, has elicited heated reactions from Ethiopians worldwide. Her story brings to the forefront the plight of thousands of female Ethiopian migrant workers who continue to work under dangerous conditions in various countries in the Middle East.

“My heart is burning,” said Rahel Zegeye, who left Ethiopia when she was 20 years old to work as a maid in Lebanon. She still works and resides there. “The Ethiopian government should press charges against the madam (Aline Skaf-Hannibal). I would like to see equal treatment of the case no matter who committed the crime.”

Rahel is also the Director of a new film called Beirut, which documents Ethiopian domestic workers in Lebanon.

We recently interviewed Rahel Zegeye about her movie and the living conditions of Ethiopian women in the Arab world.

TADIAS: Thank you Rahel for your time. Please tell us a bit about yourself. Where you were born, grew up, and when did you move to Lebanon and why?

Rahel Zegeye: I was born in Addis Ababa as the middle child of nine siblings. At school I took acting and film classes. When I was 20 years old I left Addis for Lebanon in order to work as a maid to earn money and help support my family back home. My father was a soldier and retired early. Since I was very young my dad has always been unemployed which was the main reason why I left to work.

TADIAS: Please tell us a bit about the film Beirut. What is it about?

RZ: Beirut is a drama about a group of Ethiopian girls in Lebanon working as domestic workers.

TADIAS: What inspired you to make the movie?

RZ: I want to shed light on the inner lives and thoughts of a domestic worker, an aspect which is usually hidden from the Lebanese and foreign public.

TADIAS: Are the characters fictional or are they based on people you know?

RZ: The characters are fictional but they are all based on the Ethiopian girls that I have encountered during my ten years working in the country.

TADIAS: Can you give us a brief description of the plot?

RZ: The story centers on Hiwot, Z, Zufan, Misir, Saba and Hana who are friends but lead very different lives. Hiwot, left her employer’s house a long time ago and started a life earning a living as a prostitute. She parties, smokes and drinks and seems very happy and free. The story starts when she wants to find a co-worker, another girl who could satisfy her clients (mainly Sudanese workers). Saba, still a housemaid, complains about her ‘madam’ and wishes to run away. One day she takes the courage and joins Hiwot in her free life, much against the objections of her two good friends Misir and Hana. Misir and Hana, both working as maids, represent the ‘good girls’ in the story. Although Hana is being mistreated by her madam she does not want to run away and join the ‘naughty girls’ but just wishes to return home to her country. The lives of the girls get intertwined once Saba, encouraged by Hiwot, goes and lives with an Ethiopian man named Yared. Yared is in fact married to Zufan, but is not a man to be trusted.

TADIAS: Your film also highlights prostitution prevalence among Ethiopian women in Lebanon.

RZ: Yes it does. Many girls who run away from their employers house resort to prostitution as a way to earn a living, especially if they cannot find work elsewhere.

TADIAS: What are the biggest problems that Ethiopian domestic-workers face with their employers?

RZ: There are many. Most common issues include bad treatment, abuse from employers, no rest and no day off. It is also very common that the maids are not paid on time or at all, and that the employers limit their food or let them stay without food. Many employers are very racist and do not treat their workers with respect, dignity or humanity. Sexual harassment and abuse by employers also occurs. For example I know three girls who were made pregnant by their mister and were threatened not to tell their madam, and had to leave the house to go to the hospital to make an abortion.

TADIAS: How true are some of the horror stories we hear and read about in the media? And what can women do to protect themselves from such violence?

RZ: The horror stories are real and they occur, there are many more horror stories that are not reported and written about. There is very little protection for the women coming to work in Lebanon. She can try to communicate with her employer but many times there will be language problems and if the employer is abusive then there is little chance they will listen to her. She can ask them to let her go to the embassy and to return home. If she returns to the agency that brought her here they will not help her, just change employers, which may be for the better or for the worse. If she runs away from her employers she will not have her passport and papers and cannot go back to Ethiopia.

TADIAS: What are their rights as domestic laborers? Can they report abuse without fear of retaliation by wealthy and powerful employers?

RZ: Migrant domestic workers have no rights and protection within the Lebanese labor law. They can report abuse to police but police tend not to look into these cases. Today when I took the taxi, the taxi driver physically harassed me and I refused to pay him. Although there was a police nearby that witness the incident he saw that the driver was Lebanese and I’m Ethiopian so he also said I had to pay the taxi driver. Racism like this occurs all the time. Another example is when my previous madam took 4,000 USD from my bag (money belonging to the Ethiopian girls at church which I was keeping safe for them). My madam claimed this was her money and I was devastated for one week not knowing what to do. I even thought about suicide. If I go to police he will beat me, keep me there and then when my employer comes the police will believe her and not me. In the end it was my madam’s son who came and told his mother to give back the money that didn’t belong to her. It’s these injustices that we endure and are powerless to do anything about that drives many domestic workers to choose suicide as the only way out.

TADIAS: What are your feelings about the case of Shweyga Mullah, the Ethiopian Nanny in Libya?

RZ: My heart is burning. The Ethiopian government should press charges against the madam. I would like to see equal treatment of the case no matter who committed the crime. The madam should not get a lighter sentence because she is a madam and not a maid.

TADIAS: We understand that you are having problems distributing your film. Can you tell us more about that?

RZ: As I worked on the project independently I didn’t have any support with the distribution when I finished the film in 2006. On top of that there was the July 2006 war in Lebanon and I had many problems with my employer which led to me leaving her. For four years I did not have any papers and could not return to Ethiopia. Now with the support of my employer and friends in Lebanon we have managed to get more interest in my project and I hope we can show the film to a broader audience.

TADIAS: How can interested distributors get in touch with you?

RZ: Send any email to me at barchzegeye@yahoo.com.

TADIAS: What is your advise to young girls in Ethiopia who may be thinking about taking a job as maids in the Middle-East?

RZ: First of all I would advise them not to come and work at all, it’s a very difficult life. Many regret the choice of coming to work and are crying every day. The stories that tempt them to come here are mainly untrue, it’s not a fast track to become rich. You don’t learn anything good from only overseeing the house and cleaning and you will not develop as a person. Also you must cope with isolation and face discrimination. For those that quit school in order to work, it’s better to finish your education back in Ethiopia and find a job, things are improving also in Ethiopia. If they still want to come then I would advise them to get all the information they possibly can from the embassy and agency and contacting their friends and family who are working abroad.

TADIAS: Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

RZ: I am now focusing my energy on my new ideas for a short film and welcome any advice, suggestions and support from the readers.

TADIAS: Thank you again, Rahel, and good luck!
—
Tadias thanks Janie Shen for assisting with the interview.

Related Stories:
Changing Ethiopia’s Media Image: The Case of People-Trafficking (TADIAS)
Photos: Shweyga Mullah Arriving in Malta for Medical Treatment
How Gadhafi’s Daughter-in-Law Burnt Ethiopian Nanny With Scalding Water
Click Here to Donate to Shweyga Mullah’s Fund

Watch: Luxury, horror lurk in Gadhafi family compound

Events, Featured

Gemini Health Care Group to Hold Annual Fundraiser Gala – September 24

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Updated: Monday, September 12, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – The Annual Fundraising Gala benefitting the Gemini Health Care Group, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that focuses on providing medical services to children and pediatrics assistance to medical professionals in Ethiopia, is scheduled to take place in Arlington, Virginia, on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

The theme for this year’s event is “Bridging the Health Care Gap through Partnerships,” and the keynote speaker is Dr. Aziza Shad, the Amey Distinguished Professor of Neuro-Oncology and Childhood Cancer as well as Director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Georgetown University School of Medicine. The entertainnemnt segment of the evening features singer Hiruth Girma, accompanied by Alemayhu Makonnen and his band.

“We are also delighted to honor outstanding individuals who have made tremendous contributions in the areas of education, research, public health and community service nationally and internationally,” the statment said.

The honorees include Dr. Aklilu Lemma (posthumously), who was the former Dean of the Faculty of Science and Director of the Institute of Pathobiology at Addis Ababa University. His pioneering research produced a cheap and locally available intervention that helped combat a parasitic disease called Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia. Other awardees include Dr. Ahmed Moen, Dr. Tsehaye Teferra and Ms. Mary Cohen.

The press release notes: “In March 2011, we took a medical mission trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia consisting of medical and surgical teams. Sub-specialists in pediatric ENT, urology, ophthalmology, audiology, neurology, pulmonology, endocrinology, dermatology and emergency medicine performed services at three local hospitals as well as at Mekanisa School for the Deaf. The medical team also conducted a two day Continuing Medical Education (CME) attended by nearly 120 pediatricians and pediatric residents and medical staff. While we take a moment to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments, as well as thank our supporters, our medical mission to Ethiopia continues.”
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If You Go:
4th Annual Fundraising Gala
Gemini Health Care Group
Saturday, September 24, 2011
7pm – Midnight
The Sheraton National Hotel
900 S. Orme Street,
Arlington, VA 22204
To RSVP call 914-826-6421
More info at www.ghcg.org

Events, Featured, News

Q & A: Bethlehem T. Alemu to Address the 2011 World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings

3 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Saturday, September 10, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will kick off their Annual Meetings in Washington D.C. later this month. According to the announcement, tentative schedule of events slated for September 23-25 include seminars, luncheons, and briefings exploring the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness.

On Saturday, September 24th, from 11:00am to 12:00pm, a panel discussion entitled “Africa Needs Growth That Delivers Jobs” will take place at the Wold Bank. Among the guests listed to address the panel include Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder of SoleRebels and one of the 2011 World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders. She was also recently named by Forbes magazine as one of ‘The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa.’

“This is one of the key panels at this annual meeting and we wanted a very dynamic young African entrepreneur who has created jobs herself to give a real time business perspective,” said Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice-President for Africa Region. “Bethlehem was top of our list. Her participation will inform the critical debate on inclusive growth in Africa and provide key insights for policy makers, development partners and other participants.”

“We are very excited to have her participating,” Ms. Ezekwesili said in a statement

We asked Bethlehem a few questions regarding her upcoming presentation:

TADIAS: What is your speech going to focus on?

Bethlehem: I have been asked to give a real time business perspective as an African entrepreneur who has created jobs, and I would like to focus on what the challenges have been and where I see opportunities lie. I will be drawing on my background to look at sustainable ways to create jobs, especially for Africa’s growing youth population.

TADIAS: Do you have a blueprint for change?

Bethlehem: Not sure about blueprint, but my hope is that I can be a catalyst for policy makers and development folks to add a key dimension to their thinking on job creation so that they understand that entrepreneurs, specifically grassroots entrepreneurs are the engine of job creation.

TADIAS: What’s your perspective on how Africa can achieve economic growth?

Bethlehem: I do strongly feel that finished goods, in particular branded finished goods, hold the seeds to economic development. Across the continent there is too much extraction and not enough finished products, which has historical roots. This can be addressed by looking at what grassroots entrepreneurs are doing. For example, there are huge opportunities for the continent in the area of digital commerce. As a continent we have been late out of the gate. Strong efforts need to be applied as there are immense opportunities in various fields. The bottom line is that African entrepreneurs can create world class brands. But they are drowned out by too many issues. My goal is to start unlocking that potential.

TADIAS: How can the Diaspora participate?

Bethlehem: The Diaspora is key. They are investors, entrepreneurs, and the market for made-in-Africa products. They are also ambassadors of these brands in their respective countries. The way I look at it is that the Diaspora and the motherland are one. And if we function as one, we will then increase both our prosperity and visibility on the global stage.

TADIAS: Thank you, Bethlehem, and wishing you continued success!

Bethlehem: As always thanks to Tadias. Your wonderful readers have shown us so much love over the years. Its been inspiring to receive that.
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You can learn more about the The 2011 World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings at www.IMF.org.
—
Related stories:
Bethlehem Alemu Among The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa
Ethiopia’s Global Shoe Brand SoleRebels Goes Online

Watch: Turning old tires into shoes (7:10)

Video: Young SoleRebel (8:07)

Video: Creating window to world market (7:24)

Featured, News

Miss Africa USA Searching for Miss Ethiopia

1 Comment

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Thursday, September 8, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Organizers of the Miss Africa USA pageant say that Ethiopia remains unrepresented as they prepare to crown the 2011 Queen at their annual event in Silver Spring, Maryland in November.

“Right now we are still searching for a candidate to represent Ethiopia,” Constance Nkwantah, Communications Director of the pageant, told Tadias Magazine.

According to Ms. Nkwantah the scholarship pageant is open to delegates from all 54 countries. Past winners have gone on to join forces with Habitat for Humanity, Concern USA, as well as Russell Simmons’s Diamond Empowerment Fund, to help raise money for various causes benefiting communities in Africa and the United States.

Below is our recent interview with Constance Nkwantah:

Tadias: Please tell us a bit about the Miss Africa USA Pageant. When was it launched and what is the objective?

Constance Nkwantah: Miss Africa USA Pageant is a Scholarship and Beauty Pageant and our mission is to empower young girls as Goodwill Ambassadors promoting positive causes in their home countries and the world. It showcases African cultures and diversity, bringing together all African nations in a grand celebration.

Tadias: How many African countries are represented at the upcoming contest?

CN: Our closing date is Sept 30th and the competition is open to all 54 countries. We are looking at up to 25 countries for the 2011 Pageant.

Tadias: Is Ethiopia one of them?

CN: Right now we are still searching for a candidate to represent Ethiopia. Ethiopia has very beautiful and intelligent women and it will be great to have a representation. Last year Ethiopia was well represented and we hope this year will not be different. We encourage all ambitious and dynamic young women aged between 18 and 30 to participate. We are still accepting applicants up until Sept 30th.

Tadias: How do you select the girls? What is the criteria to participate?

CN: Our selection is done via an application process, then we audition the girls and carry out interviews for each country in order to make a final selection.

Tadias: How do you answer critics who say that beauty pageants are demeaning to women?

CN: Miss Africa USA Pageant has never received such a criticism because we focus on the substance of a woman rather than the physical appearance of a woman or her sexuality. The Miss Africa USA Pageant preserves the African culture and therefore we do not have bathing suits as a segment of the competition which is what draws criticism. Rather, we focus on leadership skills and talent. Our Queen has huge responsibilities.


Finalists at the 2010 Miss Africa USA Pageant. (Photo credit: H Greaves Photography)


Some of the contestants at the 2010 Miss Africa USA Pageant. (By H Greaves Photography)


Sofia Bushen (L) was a finalist representing Ethiopia at the 2010 Miss Africa USA contest, held July 24, 2010 in Silver Spring, MD. (Photo: H Greaves Photography)

Tadias: What are the challenges you face as a pageant organization?

CN: Over the last couple of years, it has been difficult to get new sponsorships so a lot of the financial commitments are met by personal sacrifice. We appeal each year for sponsors to keep the pageant going and will continue to do so. We are grateful to Western Union and our presenting sponsors who have been there over the years. We hope to win back MoneyGram this year and other corporate sponsors. The pageant is very costly to produce and we need the support of the community.

Tadias: Could you share with us some success stories of pass winners of Miss Africa USA Pageant or other participants?

CN: Our focus is on promoting goodwill. The current Queen Fifi Soumah from the Republic of Guinea is right now in Guinea to launch her Foundation called TEARS AWAY. She is focused on promoting education of young girls. The United Nations statistics show that 81% of girls in Guinea cannot read and write. Miss Africa USA Fifi Soumah has established a scholarship program to help these young girls go back to school and get an education. She herself is a student at Montgomery College in Maryland. And In 2008 Miss Mfonobong Essiet of Nigeria completed her medical project where she donated a 40ft container of medical equipment and supplies to five different hospitals in her country. It was a very successful project. She is currently a medical student studying to be a Cardiac Surgeon.

Tadias: What should people expect at 2011 MISS Africa USA Pageant?

CN: The 2011 pageant is full of excitement. On the 12th of November we are having the African Banquet at the Hilton Hotel in Silver Spring Maryland. We have invited members of the African Diplomatic Core, community leaders and our sponsors and VIPs to be our guests at the official opening of the pageant. Finalists will be presenting their platform projects. The following day at the same loaction, we will host the final competition and a coronation ceremony. It’s a red carpet affair showcasing the culture, beauty and diversity of Africa. The entire family can attend.

Tadias: Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

CN: We are asking the community to come out and support the 2011 finalists who are representing Africa. We thank Tadias for the opportunity to reach out to the Ethiopian American community.

Tadias: One more thing, we understand that you’ve partnered with Nollywood Critics to present The 2011 NAFCA: “The African Oscar.” Can you tell us more about it?

CN: The awards is open to African Film Makers and the executive producer Dr. Victor Adeyemi is very open to collaborate with film makers from all over the continent. I would encouarage all film makers and actors who are interested in participating to contact us for more information.

Tadias: Thank you.
—
If You Go:
The 2011 Pageant is slated for Sunday November 13th from 5pm – 11pm. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. Tickets start selling on Friday, September 9th via the website www.missafricaunitedstates.com. The African Banquet takes place on Sat Nov 12 and tickets are $100 each. Both events will take place at the Hilton Hotel 8272 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD. Free parking is available.
—
Watch: Miss Africa USA 2010 Introduction Dance (Video courtesy of Miss Africa USA)

Events, Featured

San Jose Marks Ethiopian New Year With Flag Raising Ceremony – Thursday at noon

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Updated: Wednesday, September 7, 2011

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

Events, Featured

Photos: LA’s Little Ethiopia Street Festival

2 Comments

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Published: Tuesday, September 6, 2011

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)

More photos will be posted on our Facebook page.
—
Related:
Photos from Tadias Magazine archives: Slideshow from LA’s 2008 festival

Featured, News

How You Can Help Shweyga Mullah

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Saturday, September 3, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – CNN reports that it was inundated with offers to assist Shweyga Mullah, the 30-year-old migrant worker who had served as a nanny for Hannibal Ghadafi’s family. A fundraising effort is underway to raise money for her treatment and care. Shweyga says she was burned with boiling water multiple times by Hannibal Ghadafi’s wife, the former Lebanese model, Aline Skaf.

The fundraising page is set up by the world’s oldest human rights organisation Anti-Slavery International and CNN – whose news-crew discovered Shweyga last week while visiting a beachfront mansion in western Tripoli formerly owned by the Gadhafi family. She was found abandoned inside the luxury compound.

The website notes: “CNN is helping aid agencies arrange for Shweyga to be taken to an international burn clinic for treatment. It is estimated that it will take up to eight months for Shweyga to recuperate and the money raised will go to paying for any extra care she needs, including her living costs and flights. Money raised beyond the amount needed for Shweyga’s care will be used by Anti-Slavery International, the world’s oldest human rights organisation, which works to protect domestic workers from abuse and slavery across the world.”
—
Click Here to Donate to Shweyga Mullah’s Fund
Click Here To Read/Write Comments

Related:
Ethiopian Government reacts to abuse of nanny by Gaddafis (Walta)
Watch: Cameron says scalded Gadhafi nanny should get care

Watch: Burned Ethiopian Nanny Being Treated in Tripoli

Watch: Luxury, horror lurk in Gadhafi family compound

Featured, News

How Gadhafi’s Daughter-in-Law Burnt Ethiopian Nanny With Scalding Water

89 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Tuesday, August 30, 2011

New York (TADIAS) — CNN recently reported on an incident at a beachfront mansion in western Tripoli, where Hannibal Gadhafi – one of Moammar Gadhafi’s sons – and his wife Aline, had resided in luxury, all the while mistreating their domestic-staff with violence.

The cable news channel interviewed one of the workers, Shwygar Mullah of Ethiopia, who was employed as a nanny at Hannibal Gadhafi’s home. She told CNN that she had been burned with scalding water multiple times by Hannibal’s wife, Aline.

According to CNN, Shwygar reports Aline’s wrath as follows: ” ‘She took me to a bathroom. She tied my hands behind my back, and tied my feet. She taped my mouth, and she started pouring the boiling water on my head like this,’ she said, imitating the vessel of scalding hot water being poured over her head.”

“When she did all this to me, for three days, she wouldn’t let me sleep,” she said. “I stood outside in the cold, with no food. She would say to staff, ‘If anyone gives her food, I’ll do the same to you.’ I had no water — nothing.”

Watch: Luxury, horror lurk in Gadhafi family compound

—

Featured, Reviews

The New York Abay Team: Soccer With an Empire State of Mind

9 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Jason Jett

Thursday, August 25, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Perhaps it comes with the turf — given the city’s many success stories — that the New York Abay soccer team believes it should dominate the competition.

So a loss last month in the semifinals of the annual Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA) soccer tournament, this year held in Atlanta, has leaders of the New York squad assessing how to better represent their world-capital city.

“We also finished in fourth-place in the Africa Cup last spring,” said Coach Binyam Tsehaye, referring to a March tournament in Macombs Dam Park at the New Yankee Stadium that fielded local teams representing 12 nations. “We seem to be always finishing fourth. We need to be finishing first. We want to represent our community better.”

Towards that goal the team has launched a recruitment drive focusing on New York and New Jersey youths unaware of the opportunity to continue participating at a highly competitive level in the sport they or their fathers grew up playing in Ethiopia.

New York Abay was formed in the late 1980s. Some of the original members now provide management and mentoring services, while the active players have participated for a decade or less.

Aman Tsehaye, like his brother Binyam a resident of West Orange, N.J., has lived in the area since 1989 but did not learn about the local Ethiopian soccer team until 2002. He joined immediately.

Aman Tsehaye noted the team has lost membership as older players started their own families and found they no longer had time for the sport. Several members were lost when their jobs were relocated to Virginia, he added.


Coach Binyam Tsehaye views the action, interjecting instruction, advice and reminders to be prepared for physical play during a New York Abay training at the Van Cortland Park Stadium on Sunday, August 21, 2011. (Photo by Jason Jett for Tadias Magazine)

In addition to the new youth movement the Tsehayes stressed that New York Abay, named for the Blue Nile River originating at Lake Tana near the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia, seeks veteran, experienced players.

“There are a lot of former stars in Ethiopia now living in the New York area,” said Binyam Tsehaye. “We see them occasionally, at restaurants or events. It would be good to have them on the team. They don’t have to play every game, just two or three times a year.

“With all the pros in the area we should have one of the best teams,” he added “But you have to understand the pressure they are under to support family here and back home.”

Of course some of those same pressures are felt by current team members, several who work odd jobs or attend school and find it taxing to participate in the team’s Sunday- morning practices at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

Samuel Tesfaye, a defenseman who resides in Manhattan, noted New York City itself is a challenge for a soccer squad.

“Competition is a way of life in New York,” he said. “It is not easy to play soccer in city parks, every place is so crowded. It’s difficult to find a spot you don’t have to pay to use, so we end up having to go to the Bronx. Other teams have an easier time in their communities, but in New York you have to apply and pay a lot of money to get a good field.”

And it can get less hospitable when the team leaves the city for a competition.

Tesfaye said New York Abay typically finds itself in an hostile environment while playing at so-called neutral sites.

When it lost 0-2 to Virginia in the July 6 ESFNA semifinal game at the Georgia Dome, most of the crowd was cheering for the opposition.

“You know how it is,” he said. “In other cities everyone loves to hate New York.”

Tesfaye and other team members said they suspect it was not only the fans in the stands who were against the New York team during the tourney in Atlanta.

“In the Virginia game the referee was a teenager, who had been a linesman in previous games,” said Tesfaye “At most he was 18 or 19 years old, and we thought that was an issue. The referee was very young, had no experience and was afraid to make tough calls.”

Tesfaye said the referee failed to whistle two hand-ball violations by the opposition, one as Virginia scored a goal on a header and the second after New York Abay moved the ball into the penalty box threatening to score a goal of its own.

“In Atlanta, unfortunately it did not turn out our way,” Binyam Tsehaye said. However, he is upbeat about the team’s chances in a regional soccer tournament to be held at Pier 40 in New York City on Sept. 4.


During a break in activity Fitsum Kahsay, one of the youngest members of the team, leaves practice early to accommodate his school schedule. (Photo: At the Van Cortland Park Stadium on Sunday, August 21, 2011. By Jason Jett for Tadias Magazine)

“We have a lot of young kids who have been playing together for a few years now and are jelling,” he said. “I think we can do well in this tournament. We are going to go out there and do our best. We want to represent our community better.”

Coincidentally, Sept. 4th is the final day of the World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, with Ethiopian legends Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshi Sihine, Imane Merga, Gebregziabher Gebremariam and Sofia Assefa expected to compete that morning.

Binyam Tsehaye and Tesfaye do not see soccer, or football as it is known universally and among Ethiopian fans who crowd in living rooms and taverns for every broadcast of the national team or the English Premier League, taking a backseat to running.

“Football is the No. 1 sport in Ethiopia,” said Tsehaye. “Runners are more famous, but we all say that football is our national sport. We just are better at running compared to the rest of the world.”

“This is a team sport,” he said of football. “There is always more satisfaction winning as a team than as an individual.”

For New York Abay members the rewards are chiefly measured in personal satisfaction and camaraderie.

“It’s about bragging rights,” said Tesfaye. ” There is some money. The winner of the tournaments gets a monetary prize and trophy.”

Teams members did not hesitate to say they see no reason why they should not be the ones claiming the awards at the end of the upcoming Pier 40 tournament.
—
Prospective members are welcome to attend a team practice 11 a.m. Sundays at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y. The sessions are held in the Van Cortlandt Park Stadium at Broadway and West 240th Street, or in soccer fields north of the stadium.

More photos of the New York Abay team on our new Facebook Page. (Click Here)
Learn more about the Sept. 4th games hosted by Downtown United Soccer Club.

Related:
Arsenal takes look at Gedion Zelalem, a 14-year-old Ethiopian-German living in DC – The Washington Post

Featured, Interviews

Interview with Solomon Assefa: One of the World’s 35 Top Young Innovators

14 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian-American Solomon Assefa was recently chosen by Technology Review as one of 35 innovators under 35. His research focuses on developing more power-efficient and faster supercomputers by using chips that communicate via pulses of light rather than electrical signals. We interviewed Solomon briefly and asked him to share a bit more about himself and his insights on technological innovation.

Tadias: Tell us a bit about yourself. Where you grew up, went to school, what were your early passions?

Solomon: I was born and raised in Ethiopia. I completed elementary and high school in Addis Ababa (Del Betegel then later ICS). I then moved to the U.S. where I obtained a B.S., M.Eng, and PhD from MIT. Prior to attending MIT, I often thought about practicing law similar to my eldest brother. But I later realized that I enjoyed math, science and engineering.

Tadias: Who are your role models in the science world? and beyond?

Solomon: In the field of science, my professors and research colleagues continue to inspire me daily. In addition, my role model is my eldest brother, Bekure Assefa, who has been very instrumental throughout my life. He taught me to work hard, confront challenges with determination, and pursue my passion to the fullest. These guiding principles continue to be a source of motivation in my life.

Tadias: Can you tell us a bit more about your current research endeavors and your role in the research highlighted in the Technology Review article?

Solomon: My research focuses on replacing some of the copper wires inside computer chips with tiny silicon circuits that can communicate via pulses of light rather than electrical signals. For example, I am working on a cheap method for integration of photodetectors (which are devices that convert light pulses into electrical signals) with minimal changes to the standard process used for making transistors. We hope that optical communications based on silicon nanophotonics will enable very fast and power-efficient supercomputers.

Tadias: What are your thoughts on the growth of science and development in Ethiopia?

Solomon: A significant amount of investment in science and technology is critical for Ethiopia’s development. It is important to nurture innovators who will transform existing industries and identify new areas of growth. It is also critical to have domestic policies that encourage home-grown technological innovation.

Tadias: Best book you ever read?

Solomon: My most recent favorite book is The Medici Effect by Frans Johansson. The book shows how breakthroughs happen at the intersection of various ideas, disciplines, and cultures.

Tadias: Thank you for sharing your time with us and wishing you continued success!

Solomon: Many thanks for following up with the interview questions.
—-
Click here to read Technology Review’s highlight of Solomon Assefa’s work.

Featured

Bethlehem Alemu & Isis Nyongo Among The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa

1 Comment

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Saturday, August 20, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Forbes magazine’s contributing writer, Mfonobong Nsehe, who chronicles Africa’s success stories, has come up with a list: ‘The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa.’

Among them are Ethiopian Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu and Kenyan-American Isis Nyongo — two dynamic business leaders whose work has previously been highlighted in Tadias Magazine.

“Of course, this is by no means an official or an exhaustive list,” the writer notes. “But these are 20 women, all under age 45, who wield enormous influence in African business, technology, policy and media. They are change makers, trendsetters, visionaries and thinkers, builders, and young global leaders. They are at the vanguard of Africa’s imminent socio-economic revolution and its contemporary renaissance.”

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, the Ethiopian-born entrepreneur was recently named the ‘African Businesswoman of the Year’ by African Business Magazine, a leading pan African business publication. She is the founder of Sole Rebels, a brand of eco-friendly shoes and sandals made in Ethiopia. She was also named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum earlier this year.

Isis Nyongo is the Vice President and Managing Director of InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile advertising network. Prior to her appointment earlier this year, Isis served as the Business Development Manager for Google’s operation in Africa. She spearheaded mobile partnerships and played a pivotal role in the development of Google’s content strategy in Africa. Tadias interviewed Isis in 2005, when she was a graduate student at Harvard Business School and co-chair of the Africa Business Club. “After graduation from Harvard Business School I want to focus my work in the marketing role with a view of moving back to Africa within 2-3 years,” she told us. We are not surprised that since then Isis has become one of the continent’s young leaders in her field.

We congratulate both Bethlehem and Isis on their accomplishments.
—
(Cover Photo credit: Bethlehem courtesy of SoleRebels, Isis by Leon Muli)

Related:
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu on Blog Talk Radio on September 3rd
In Pictures: Power Women, Power Moms (Forbes)

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Art, Events, Featured

Tadias TV: Ethiopian Dance & Live Music at Lincoln Center Out of Doors

7 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

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.

Watch:

Featured, Profiles

Ethiopia Habtemariam: The New Boss at Motown

17 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Friday, August 12, 2011

New York (Tadias) – A young Ethiopian American music executive has been appointed as the new head of the legendary Motown label now owned by the Universal Music Group.

The company has named Ethiopia Habtemariam, 31, senior vice president of Universal Motown Records. Ms. Habtemariam will also serve as Executive Vice President and head of Urban Music for Universal Music Publishing Group.

The promotion will make Ms. Habtemariam one of the most prominent women, as well as one of the most influential blacks in the music idustry. She follows in the footsteps of Sylvia Rhone, one of the most powerful women in the field and the first black woman to lead a major record company.

Ms. Habtemariam, who began her career as an intern at LaFace Records in the 90s, is credited for signing publishing deals for artists such as Justin Beiber, Ciara, Polow Da Don, Chris Brown and Ludacris.

According to The New York Times: “The label was careful not to name Ms. Habtemariam as the new president of Motown, but she will have the top position at the label and will report directly to Barry Weiss, Universal’s top executive in New York. It is expected that if she is successful in the new job, she will most likely be promoted.”

“Ethiopia represents the new breed of today’s best creative music executives,” Mr. Weiss said in a statement. “There is no one more relevant and credible in the creative community to help us build upon Motown’s fantastic legacy and move the company into its next groundbreaking era.”

Ms. Habtemariam said she was honored to accept the appointment: “It is an extraordinary opportunity to call Motown home,” she said in a statement. “And I am grateful to Barry for giving me the honor and challenge to put a new creative stamp on a label that has such a rich history.”

She added: “I am truly excited to work at the label that cultivated the musicians who have inspired me over the years. Motown artists created the soundtrack to my life, and I can’t wait to develop acts that not only have cross-genre and cross-generational appeal, but can reach worldwide notoriety.”

We congratulate Ethiopia Habtemariam on her accomplishments.
—
Related:
Ethiopia Habtemariam, Senior VP of Motown, Makes Billboard’s 40 Under 40 List

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook

Featured, News

Bob Marley’s Music Used in Campaign to Help Famine Victims

2 Comments

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Thursday, August 11, 2011

New York (Tadias) – A new social media campaign, which kicked off earlier this week, hopes to harness the power of celebrities and a Bob Marley song to help bring awareness to the unfolding famine in the Horn of Africa,” CNN reports.

The name for the campaign – “I’m Gonna Be Your Friend” – is borrowed from Marley’s 1973 song “High Tide Or Low Tide.”

According to CNN: “It uses the song as the soundtrack to a short film on the East African crisis directed by award-winning director Kevin MacDonald. Among MacDonald’s movies is the critically acclaimed “Last King of Scotland.”

The report says “prominent celebrities — such as Eminem, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears — have pledged to promote the film by posting it on their Facebook pages or offering links on their Twitter feeds.”

Read more at CNN.

Related from CNN:
Horn of Africa crisis shocks even seasoned aid workers
Watch: Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta Report on Famine

Related:
U.S. Media Attention Turns To East Africa Famine (Tadias)
Impact Your World: How you can help (CNN)

Comments:
Click here to join the discussion on this topic.

Featured, Reviews

Ethiopia’s Global Shoe Brand Goes Online

13 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Sunday, August 7, 2011

New York (Tadias) – SoleRebels, one of Africa’s leading green-footwear brands, has announced the launch of its new e-commerce website. The Ethiopia-based company’s eco-fashion shoes – nicknamed the ‘Nike of Africa‘ – are produced using indigenous practices such as hand-spun organic cotton and artisan hand-loomed fabric. Recycled tires are also incorporated for soles. The end result is environmental-friendly and top quality, vegan footwear.

SoleRebels founder and managing director Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, who recently became the first Ethiopian to win the annual African Business Awards, says her company intends to grab a share of the growing online shoe industry.

“We are very excited about the launch of this new site as it will allow global consumers to buy direct from the soleRebels source using multiple online payment formats from credit cards to PayPal,” Bethlehem said. “We strongly believe that consumers want to touch, feel and interact with the soleRebels brand and the soleRebels site is the place for them to do that.”

SoleRebels footwear is also available for purchase on several online shopping sites including Amazon and Endless.com.
—
You can visit the SoleRebels e-commerce website at www.solerebelsfootwear.co/

Related:
2011 African Business Awards: Ethiopian Named Outstanding Businesswoman
CNN’s African Voices Highlights SoleRebels & Founder Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu

Art, Events, Featured

Debo Band & Fendika Summer Tour Dates: L.A., Oakland, D.C., and NYC

Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam

Updated: Tuesday, August 2, 2011

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 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.”

Click here to read Tadias Magazine’s recent interview with Danny Mekonnen.

—-
If You Go:

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

Featured

At Family-Friendly Summer Camp in Virginia, Children Immerse in All Things Ethiopian

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Friday, July 29, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – The Ethiopian Heritage and Culture Camp at Massaneta Springs, situated in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, provides a family-friendly getaway for adopted Ethiopian children and their American parents who get to immerse themselves in a weekend of all things Ethiopian.

The Washington Post reports that the camp fulfills a growing demand by adoptive parents who seek to connect with their children’s native culture. In 2010 more than 2,500 children were adopted from Ethiopia, which has resulted in an increased demand for information about the country. “We thought it was important for us to learn about our daughter’s culture and help her maintain that identity,” Mark Boucher told The Washington Post. He came to the camp from Albany, N.Y., with his family of four, including Lidia, the 7-year-old girl that they adopted three years ago.

The inter-generational summer camp was founded by Mekdes Bekele, who is also a mother of a young daughter. In an interview with Tadias Magazine about the summer camp in 2009, Mekdes noted: “We have the common goal of raising first generation Ethiopian Americans. What we offer is a venue and the opportunity for like-minded parents of children with Ethiopian heritage to interact with each other and share experiences and knowledge on how to raise confident, capable, and compassionate Ethiopian-Americans. For example, at this camp we will cover topics that apply to all of us such as: raising confident children in a culture conscious world who are struggling for identity, and parents will learn from the experiences of Ethiopian-American young adults on the challenges and the opportunities of growing up in America.”

Read more at The Washington Post »
—

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Featured, Reviews

Ethiopian Fashion on Display at Africa Fashion-Week New York (Photos)

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Updated: Friday, July 22, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian Designer Fikirte Addis was one of 21 individuals from Africa and the African diaspora whose work was highlighted at Africa Fashion Week New York, which took place from July 14th to 16th in the Broad Street Ballroom in New York City’s Financial District.

The runway show, produced by young African social entrepreneurs from the Diaspora, is an effort to introduce clothing products made in Africa to high-end U.S. markets.

“The event underscores how eager this generation of young, upwardly mobile Africans in the U.S. is to redefine the continent’s image,” The Washington Post noted in its pre-event coverage. “They have come of age during the Obama presidency – an era when first lady Michelle Obama rocked a bright pink Mali-inspired top designed by Nigerian-born designer Duro Olowu.”

Per WaPo: “If fashion is a guidepost to cultural change, then the expanding scope of African fashion indicates a new momentum among Africans in this country. Many of them are sons and daughters of immigrants who are now in the middle and upper classes, and they have more freedom to choose creative professions.”

“It’s our moment, and it’s just beginning. Young African designers are becoming real players now. People have been taking resources from Africa for generations. But our generation, raised in both worlds, is changing that,” said Adiat Disu, 24, the Nigerian-American producer of the fashion week.

Fikirte Addis, who was also the winner of the Origin Africa Fiber to Fashion 2011 in Mauritius, was sponsored by USAID to participate in the New York event.

Below are photos of Fikirte’s designs presented at the 2011 Africa Fashion Week New York.

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Photos courtesy of New York based Emma C. Photography via laprincessaworld.

You can learn more about Africa Fashion Week New York at www.afwny.com.

Click here to read Fikirte Addis’ Press Release.

Related:
African Fashion Week spotlights emerging designers (The Washington Post)
Tadias TV Interview With Couture Bridal-Fashion Designer Amsale Aberra

Featured, Interviews

Tadias TV Interview With Amsale Aberra

2 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Monday, July 18, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The following video features the full version of Tadias Magazine’s recent interview with couture bridal-fashion designer Amsale Aberra.

Amsale discussed her reality TV show Amsale Girls, her success in the wedding-gown industry, her memories of Ethiopia, her musican daughter Rachel Brown, and more. Amsale also offers tips to brides and advise to aspiring fashion designers.

We have also included a second video highlighting a tour of Amsale’s luxury Boutique, taped immediately following our interview with the designer.

The interview took place at Amsale’s office in New York City on Tuesday, June 28, 2011.

Watch: Tadias Magazine’s Interview With Bridal-Fashion Designer Amsale Aberra

Watch: Tadias TV Exclusive – Inside Amsale Aberra’s Luxury Manhattan Boutique

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Click here to join the discussion on this topic.

Art, Events, Featured

Debo & Fendika to Perform at The Lincoln Center Out of Doors – August 11

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Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam

Published: Thursday, July 14, 2011

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

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Featured, Interviews

Tadias TV Exclusive: Inside Amsale Boutique

Update:
Click here: Full version of the interview With Amsale

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Sunday, July 10, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The full version of Tadias TV’s exclusive interview with fashion Designer Amsale Aberra will be posted later this week. In the mean time, here is our tour of her bridal boutique on New York’s Madison Avenue.

Amsale’s reality TV show Amsale Girls, a six-hour episode series on the women’s network WE TV, goes behind-the-scenes of this luxury bridal salon.

Her gowns range in price from $4,000 to $75,000, revealing Amsale’s sales consultants as some of the best in the business.

Watch:

Video: Preview of Tadias Magazine’s Interview With Bridal Gown Guru Amsale Aberra

Click here to join the discussion on this topic.

Cover Image: Inside Amsale bridal salon in New York. Photo by Tsedey Aragie, taken on June 28, 2011.

Featured, News

Historic Famine in East Africa Conjures Depressing Sense of Deja Vu

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Tadias Magazine
Editorial

Updated: Wednesday, July 27, 2011

New York (Tadias) – A humanitarian crisis of historic proportions is unfolding in drought-hit areas of East Africa, including Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The United Nations says the pending disaster is the largest famine in 60 years.

The UN warns relief is needed urgently and should not be ignored or the world will once again be witnessing the repeat of history, this time on a much larger scale. Unless quickly prevented, nearly 12 million people are thought to be at risk of food insecurity in the Horn of Africa this year. That’s an alarmingly large number of people affected in contrast to the widely publicized 1984 famine that killed approximately one million people. Ethiopians constitute 4.56 million of the current total food insecure populations in the region.

Sadly, the familiar images of hungry children with skinny, malnourished bodies on television screens and front-pages of newspapers around the world, conjures depressing sense of déjà vu for the international community. According to UNICEF, in total 2.23 million children in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are estimated to be acutely malnourished. And nearly 720,000 children are at risk of death without immediate assistance.

Dr. Reuben Brigety, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, said in a testimony before the House Subcommittee on Africa earlier this month that “in Ethiopia, global acute malnutrition rates close to 50% have been reported among newly arriving refugee children.” Dr. Brigety added: “This situation is substantially worse than when I last visited the Dolo Odo refugee camps in Ethiopia in February of this year. Newly arriving children are now dying in the refugee camp at the rate of two to three per day.”

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization held an emergency meeting in Rome recently to discuss campaign strategy to moblize and deliver aid to the region. The meeting was attended by representatives from the G20 countries, ministers and senior officials from UN’s 191 member nations, other U.N. bodies, NGOs and regional development banks.

The UN has officially declared famine in parts of Somalia and it has designated large areas in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya as a crisis or an emergency zone. But the organization says the disaster is likely to expand beyond Somalia in the next few weeks and spread into Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.

Watch: UN Declares Famine in Somalia, Channel 4 News

“This summer has been an unspeakable nightmare for millions of children in the Horn of Africa,” said President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Caryl Stern. “We cannot control the weather patterns that have led to drought and famine, but we can do something about helping those who suffer from it. The sooner we act, the more children’s lives can be saved. As little as $10 can feed a child for 10 days.”

UNICEF estimates it will need $100 million over the next six months for a massive scale up of operations to reach children in the drought affected areas with emergency and preventative assistance.

“UNICEF is using every means possible to reach every child. There simply can be no compromise on the objective to keep children and their families alive,” said Elhadj As Sy, Regional Director for UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa. “We appreciate the generosity of the international community and those contributions are already making a difference. We urgently need more funds to meet the enormous need.”
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For more information or to make a tax-deductible contribution to relief efforts in the Horn of Africa, please contact the U.S. Fund for UNICEF: Website: www.unicefusa.org/donate/horn. Or call toll free: 1-800-4UNICEF (1-800-486-4233). Text: Text “FOOD” to UNICEF (864233) to donate $10. Mail: 125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038.

Click here to join the discussion on this topic.

Video: East Africa Food Crisis – Somalia Faces Famine as al-Qaida Threat Halts International Aid

Featured

Soccer Tournament Underway in Atlanta, Ethiopian Heritage Festival Concludes in D.C.

Above: The Ethiopian soccer tournament opened in Atlanta
on July 3rd. (Photo 2010 by Kal Kassa/Tadias Magazine file)

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Updated: Tuesday, July 5, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The 28th edition of the Ethiopian Soccer Tournament in North America, which runs through July 9th, is underway in Atlanta, while the First Annual Ethiopian Heritage Festival in Washington, D.C., concluded on July 3rd.

The 2011 soccer tournament marks its fourth return to Atlanta. The city’s Ethiopian soccer team is also four time champion of the national competition, bringing the trophy home in 1994 and 1997 while winning the cup at home games in 1998 and 2005. Atlanta hosted the ESFNA soccer tournament & festivities in 1986, 1998, and 2005.

The D.C. festival also featured sports competition among other entertainment programs, including cultural performances, poetry readings, author’s circle, art exhibition, children’s games, coffee ceremony, food and more.

The Atlanta event goes far beyond sports entertainment, allowing families and friends in North America’s Ethiopian immigrant community to come together in celebration of sports and their cultural heritage. The tournament week is a popular time for networking, alumni gatherings, small business catering, music performances, and reunion parties. Hosting also offers a variety of benefits to the community, including local economic impact stemming from hotel, transportation, food and other-related purchases.
—
Stay tuned for more coverage of these events.

You can learn more about the Atlanta soccer tournament at www.esfna.net. More information about the D.C. festival can be found at www.ethiopianheritagesociety.org.
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Cover Image: At the 2010 San Jose Ethiopian Soccer Tournament by Kal Kassa.

Related from Tadias archives:
Photo Journal: San Jose Ethiopian Soccer Tournament 2010—

Photos from Chicago: Ethiopian Soccer Tournament 2009 (Tadias)

Featured, Interviews

Preview: Tadias Interview With Amsale Aberra

23 Comments

Update:
Click here: Full version of the interview With Amsale

Tadias Magazine
Interview by Tsedey Aragie

Updated: Monday, July 4, 2011

New York (Tadias) – In a recent interview with Tadias, Ethiopian American couture bridal-gown designer and entrepreneur Amsale Aberra discussed her new reality TV show Amsale Girls, her success in the fashion industry, her memories of Ethiopia, her musican daughter Rachel Brown and more.

Amsale, 58, who came to the United States from Ethiopia in 1973, is one of the most sought after bridal and evening-wear designers in the United States. Her sophisticated and elegant dresses are favorites among celebrities and she has dressed Hollywood’s A-list, including Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Kim Bassinger, Uma Thurman, Anna Paquin, Heidi Klum, Selma Blair, Lucy Liu and Katherine Heigl, among others. Kate Hudson filmed the big screen adaptation of Something Borrowed at Amsale’s Madison Avenue boutique.

Model Maya Haile wore an Amsale gown during her wedding to renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson at their reception in Addis Ababa.

Amsale Aberra’s new reality show, Amsale Girls, is currently airing on the women’s network WE TV. The six-hour episode series goes behind-the-scenes of this luxury bridal salon that caters to high-maintenance clientele, with gowns donning price tags of $4,000 to $75,000, revealing Amsale’s sales consultants as the best in the business.

Below is the preview of our interview with Amsale. It was taped in her office in New York City on Tuesday, June 28, 2011. The full video will be posted next week.

Watch:

Events, Featured, News

Results From Sunday’s 10K Race in Boston: Gebre Gebremariam Takes Second Place

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.

Men:
1. Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) – 27:19
2. Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) – 28:11
3. Moses Mosop (KEN) – 28:29
4. Samuel Chelanga (KEN) – 28:31
5. Samuel Ndereba (KEN) – 29:01
6. Shawn Forrest (AUS) – 29:10
7. Simon Ndirangu (KEN) – 29:30
8. Joseph Chirlee (KEN) – 29:37
9. Elkanah Kibet (KEN) – 30:13
10. Timothy Ritchie (USA) – 30:26

Women:
1. Caroline Kilel (KEN) – 31:58
2. Kim Smith (NZL) – 32:06
3. Misiker Demissie (ETH) – 33:08
4. Heather Cappello (USA) – 33:32
5. Benita Willis (USA) – 34:11
6. Katie Dicamillo (USA) – 34:26
7. Jennifer Campbell (USA) – 35:42
8. Caroline Bjune (USA) – 36:08
9. Trina Painter (USA) – 36:13
10. Mary Kate Champagne (USA) – 36:38

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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)

Related from Tadias archives:
Gebre Gebremariam wins first ING New York City Marathon
Victory Dinner for New York City Marathon Winner Gebre Gebremariam – Photos

Art, Featured

Ramech-Art: Designs of Rahel Takle-Peirce

7 Comments

Tadias Magazine
Art Talk
By Alan Bunce

Updated: Thursday, June 23, 2011

Berkshire, UK (Tadias) – The untrained eye may not at first spot the significance of the designs of artist Rahel Takle-Peirce, whose elaborate and colorful pattern creations are used for silk scarves, shawls, sarongs and a variety of other products.

Rahel, born in Addis Ababa in 1951, tells the story of her country of origin, not through writings or poems, but through designs of abstract art.

Every one of her 250 designs has its origins in Rahel’s personal reaction to the traumatic events of the 1970′s in Ethiopia, the dispersion of people from their original homeland and the re-direction of a life that should have been very different. Through the medium of design, she also relays the subsequent joy of her marriage and birth of her two sons.

Rahel’s family who were owners of a coffee plantation, sent their daughter to college in Minnesota which was ended abruptly when they were forced to flee the country and lost everything in the revolution of the 1970s.

They arrived in London in 1976 and Rahel has now lived in England for over 30 years.

She married a scientist and had two sons but still finds the trauma of her past difficult to dwell over.

Her escape is to become a conduit for those thoughts, allowing them to pass through her and onto the canvas, translating them into vibrant designs. Take any one of the images from her portfolio of 250 at her studio Ramech-Art, and Rahel can tell you its origins and how its colours are her way of expressing her emotions, built up over 30, sometimes challenging and sometimes joyful, years.

“I can see the colours of emotions,” she said. “The creative mind has to take over. My artwork has helped to heal me.”

Rahel, who has worked in psychiatry in the UK, first used her art as a way to relax. Now she takes that concept a stage further, listening in strict confidence to the troubles of others to inspire an abstract painting for that person which represents their emotions and internal conflicts and that can help them learn about themselves for many months afterwards.

Her subjects are asked to talk of their thoughts of the ‘now’, while Rahel translates their words into a painting. She says it helps them understand their feelings better.


The basic colour, orange, is the colour of warmth and well being. This represents contentment. The
sun’s connection through the body. In Rahel’s case it was the happiness she felt to be alive with her
young children. (Photograph courtesy of Ramech-Art – Healing art design by Rahel Takle-Peirce)


Appendage: In memory of ‘tied legs’, the realities of those left behind. (Design by Rahel Takle-Peirce)


The basic colors green & blue are colors of growth and peace. In this case, it represents gratitude for
the harmony and abundance in Rahel’s life and the love she experiences through her family. (RTP)

People who feel they are at a crossroads often find it therapeutic, but Rahel describes what she does as a gift rather than something she has to try hard at.

She said: “It’s just like breathing to me. If I can do it for one person, I can do it for anybody.”

But for her it is not a case of pondering the troubles of her subjects, simply interpreting them.

She said: “People tell you their stories and the colours I see symbolise what they say. But it does not go into my mind. My mind switches off to protect me. The designs are a bit like hieroglyphic messages. My mind will translate what they say. I don’t process it in my mind. I see the person’s voice and not much gets registered in my memory. After people have received their design it sticks in their mind rather than mine. When I am finished I feel better and they feel better. They can use the picture to solve problems they are dealing with.”

However, this can work in reverse. People can come to her when they are happy, have an abstract design painted from their thoughts and use it as a tonic at more sombre moments.

But while her paintings all tell stories, the task for Rahel now is to get that story told to fashion buyers and hotel designers. She needs them to know that the designs she wants to sell them carry powerful tales of real human pain and joy and are not purely abstract.

Buyers at some top hotel brands have heaped praise on her work but the opportunities to meet them face to face are few and far between. The marketing obstacle she faces is to convince them she is not just another artist looking to make a living but someone with a remarkable background which took her from wealth to running for her life and then onto joy and happiness.
—
Rahel’s designs can be printed on textile, paper, any other household items, or on any object. Some printed products are available for purchase directly through her website. You can learn more about Rahel Takle-Peirce and buy her work at www.ramech.com.

Video: The following video is courtesy of Ramech-Art – Rahel’s designs.

Watch:

Featured, Profiles

Liya Kebede Named New Face of L’Oreal

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Wednesday, June 22, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The Ethiopian-born supermodel, actress and maternal health advocate, Liya Kebede, has been named the “new face” of L’Oréal – joining Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Julianna Margulies and Freida Pinto- in her new role as the global beauty brand’s spokeswoman.

“It is important for me that I represent a brand that reflects my personality,” the 33-year-old said in a statement. “I’m pleased to play a part in sharing the uniqueness, the charisma, and the incredible stories of women of all origins and from all regions of the world.”

Liya Kebede, who is a mother of two children, was first spotted by a modeling agent while attending high-school at Lycee Gebre Mariam in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She has since become one of the best-known and successful models in the world. She was the first black face of Estée Lauder.

In 2005 she was appointed as the World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador, and in recent years, she has been focused on that role advocating on behalf of maternal, newborn and child health issues. The same year she established the The Liya Kebede Foundation, an organization designed to provide women access to life-saving care in partnership with governments, non-governmental organizations, corporations and affected communities.

In 2007, she launched her green clothing line Lemlem (Amharic for “flourish” or “to bloom”), which features handcrafted collection of women’s and children’s clothing that is made by traditional Ethiopian weavers from her homeland. Lemlem is carried by Barney’s, J.Crew, Net-a-Porter.com and numerous boutique shops.

Liya has also made a successful transition to the big screen starring in the film-adaption of the autobiography Desert Flower, the true story of fellow model Waris Dirie, who escaped a childhood nightmare in Somalia and became a global supermodel, as well as acting in movies such as The Good Shepherd and Lord of War.

She was named one of Times Magazine’s 100 influential people in 2010.

We congratulate Liya on her accomplishments.
—

Learn more about Liya Kebede at www.liyakebede.com.

Featured, News

Volcano Ash Disrupts Air Travel in East Africa

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Updated: Thursday, June 16, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The ash cloud from the Eritrean volcano that erupted earlier this week has temporarily rendered parts of East Africa’s air space unsafe for commercial jets to fly.

More airline companies have followed Ethiopian and Lufthansa in announcing further suspensions of flights to the region.

According to BBC, Kenya Airways said it was no longer flying on the Ethiopia-Djibouti route and Dubai’s Emirates airline said it had canceled flights to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Both Ethiopian Airlines and Lufthansa announced on Tuesday that some of their flights have been canceled.

“Due to the volcanic eruption that resulted in ash cloud, Ethiopian flights to Northern Ethiopia, Khartoum and Djibouti are currently affected,” Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement via its website.

According to Lufthansa’s website, flights from Frankfurt to Addis Ababa have been interrupted.

Turkish Airlines made similar announcement on Tuesday, listing cancellations of several destinations to East Africa – including Istanbul-Addis Ababa, Istanbul-Khartoum, Istanbul-Entebbe, Istanbul-Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam-Nairobi, Nairobi-Istanbul.

Sudan Tribune reports that the low-cost carrier Fly Dubai has also suspended service to the Ethiopian capital.

“We are closely monitoring” the situation, Getachew Tesfa, a spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines, told Bloomberg News. “As things get better we are ready to operate. All other flights are operating.”

EAL advised it’s customers to contact its ticket offices or their travel agents about the status of their flights, especially to the named destinations.

The long-dormant volcano erupted in the early hours of Monday morning in Eritrea, spewing ash cloud across East Africa, causing airlines to brace for air travel disruptions, and forcing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to shorten her visit in Ethiopia.


Above: Initial reports from news agencies and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Toulouse, France, proclaimed the eruption to be occurring at Dubbi, a volcano further south. But later reports from volcanologists, field scientists, and the satellite image above appear to confirm the eruption at Nabro. There are no historical reports of eruptions at Nabro before this. (NASA satellite image on June 13, 2011)

The independent earthquake monitoring website Earthquake-Report.com notes: “During the late afternoon and evening of June 12, 2011, a series of moderate earthquakes struck the Afambo, Eritrea area. The moderate earthquakes were followed by 2 strong 5.7 earthquakes.”

“Charts on the website of the France-based Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) showed the eruption throwing an ash cloud 13.5 km (8.4 miles) up — a potential blight on airlines,” Reuters reported.

The news agency said Satellite images obtained by VAAC showed the cloud was moving towards Saudi Arabia.

Per BBC: “Atalay Ayele of the Geophysical Observatory Centre of Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa University said the size of the ash cloud was decreasing.”

“The ash’s direction and its intensity were very high on Sunday, but… the Modis [Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer] satellite shows a weakening,” he said.

—
Video : Quake TV – This video was recorded just before [Quake TV] received the official notification from the Eritrean government that nobody was seriously injured in the explosion and eruption. It gives a better impression of the whole story.

Video: Quake TV – This is a video report explaining events [on June 13, 2011] in and around the Nabro volcano in Eritrea.

Video : Quake-TV – This is a 9 second Eumetsat weather satellite image series showing the eruption plume of the volcano in RGB color.

Related:
Eritrea Volcano Activity : Eruption Increasing Again (Earthquake Report)
Volcano erupts in Eritrea after earthquakes (Reuters)
Eritrea ash disrupts air travel (BBC News)
—

Featured

Memorial Day Note: Tribute to African American contribution during the Italo-Ethiopian War

1 Comment

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Updated: Sunday, May 29, 2011

Washington (Tadias) – On Memorial Day Americans pay tribute to U.S. Service men and women who lost their lives in defense of the nation. Earlier this month a series of events were also held in Washington D.C. to remember African American contributions in defense of Ethiopia during the second Italo-Ethiopian War that lasted from 1935 to 1941. The event was organized by volunteers from the Ethiopian-American community, and included the laying of a flower wreath in front of the African American Civil War Memorial on Mother’s Day. “This was the day to express gratitude to thousands of African Americans who rallied on behalf of Ethiopia,” says Tamrat Medhin, the event’s chief organizer. “African Americans raised money to help the Ethiopian victims, they organized and committed to fight side by side with Ethiopians but were denied permission based on the existing discriminatory laws at the time.”

In 1935, despite being a member of the League of Nations, Italy disregarded international law and invaded Ethiopia. The attack exposed the weakness of the intergovernmental security organization. Both countries were member nations and yet the League was ineffective in protecting Ethiopia against the invasion. During the war scores of African Americans had attempted to enlist to fight in Ethiopia but were unable to legally succeed in that front because the United States was not officially in support of Ethiopia. But news of Ethiopia’s plight continued to fuel indignation and furious debates among the black community in the U.S. and several individuals traveled to the African country on ‘humanitarian’ grounds.

Author Gail Lumet Buckley cites two African American pilots, John Robinson and the ‘Black Eagle of Harlem’ Hubert Julian, who joined the Ethiopian Air Corps, then made up of only three non-combat planes. John Robinson, a member of the first group of black students that entered Curtis Wright Flight School, flew his plane delivering medical supplies to different towns across the country. In New York, Chicago, and various other cities African American churches urged their members to speak out against the invasion while others organized medical supply drives from New York’s Harlem Hospital. Most notably, an African American journalist named Joel Rogers traveled to Ethiopia as a war correspondent for The Pittsburgh Courier, one of America’s most widely-circulated black newspaper at the time. Upon returning to the United States a year later, he published a pamphlet entitled The Real Facts About Ethiopia, a scathing and uncompromising report on the destruction caused by Italian troops in Ethiopia. Still other volunteers designed and passed out pins that read “Save Ethiopia.”

As people gather to honor heroes on Memorial Day it is fitting to also remember those individuals who went beyond the call of duty to help Ethiopia in its time of need.
—-

Featured

NYC Concert Featuring Ethiopian, Sudanese, and North African Music

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

Updated: Saturday, May 28, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The Ethio-jazz group Debo Band will return to NYC to perform at a special concert featuring Ethiopian, Sudanese, and North African music. The event is set to take place at the 92Y Tribeca tonight.

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 today’s 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

Featured

P2P Conference Explores the Role of Ethiopian Diaspora in Empowering Women

Above: Empowering Women conference, hosted by the non
profit organization People to People is set for May 21 in VA.

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Published: Friday, May 20, 2011

New York (Tadias) – People to People, a U.S. based non-profit organization comprised of Ethiopian Diaspora professionals, will hold its second annual conference this weekend in Arlington, Virginia. The conference theme is “Empowering Women is Empowering a Nation.”

The program, which aims to bring together professionals from various sectors, explores the role of the Ethiopian Diaspora in empowering women. According to the event’s website, the conference will also honor three inspiring women: Captain Amsale Gualu, whom last year became the first female captain at Ethiopian Airlines; W/o Assegedech Assefa, one the first Ethiopian female pilots, as well as artist Alemtsehay Wodajo.

This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Musimbi Kanyaro, Director of Population and Reproductive Health Programs at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Other presenters include CNN hero Alfa Demmellash, Co-founder and CEO of Rising Tide Capital, Meskerem Tadesse, President & CEO of the Optimize Group, Judge Mahdere Paulos, Former Director of Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association, and Melat Tekletsadik, Former National General Secretary for the YWCA, among others.

If You Go:
“Empowering Women is Empowering a Nation”
The Role of the Ethiopian Diaspora
Sheraton National Hotel
900 S. Orme St. Arlington, VA 22204
Saturday May 21, 2011
8:00am – 6:00pm
Registration begins at 8:00 a.m.
Entrance: $20.
More info at www.peoplepeople.org/conference

Events, Featured

NYC Concert Featuring Ethiopian, Sudanese, and North African Music

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

Events, Featured

Ethiopia Festival Showcases Diaspora Music Collective

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.

Watch Video:

Funded by the People: An East Africa Tour – Meklit Hadero from Peter Varshavsky on Vimeo.

Cover image via www.arbaminchcollective.com.

Events, Featured

The 8th Annual Sheba Film Festival

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Published: Sunday, April 10, 2011

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:

Across the River

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

Watch the Trailer

Delicious Peace Grows in a Ugandan Coffee Bean

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.

Watch:

The New York Premiere of Twilight Revelations

Episodes in the Life & Times of Emperor Haile Selassie
Thursday, May 26th, 2011 7PM (Admission: $12)
The Schomburg Center (515 Malcolm X Boulevard, 135th St)
Director: Yemane I. Demissie (Ethiopia/USA 2009), 58 min, English subtitles

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).

Click here to watch the trailer.

Millennium Ethiopia

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.

Watch the trailer:

These are My Names

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.

Watch the trailer:

Events, Featured, News

Ethiopian Runners Shine on Both Coasts

1 Comment

Above: Tigist Tufa, left, and Alemteshay Misganaw after their
third- and fourth-pla​ce 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.

Related:
Sign of Spring: Ethiopian Runners Renew Domination of U.S. Road Races

Featured, Interviews, Podcast, Reviews

Sean John on Spur Tree And His Affinity for Ethiopia

5 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Saturday, April 2, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Jamaican-born entrepreneur Sean John is the owner of Spur Tree Lounge, located in Lower East Side Manhattan. The hip and popular eatery, which was recently selected by MACY’s Culinary Council as one of NYC’s hottest restaurants, is frequented by tourists and New Yorkers alike, including Ethiopians whose country inspired the establishment’s logo. The menu combines Jamaican and Asian cuisine. But, the moment you walk into the restaurant, there is no mistaking Spur Tree’s subtle connection to Ethiopia.

In the following video Sean John discusses the success of his business, the story behind his logo, his affinity for Ethiopia and his extensive travels throughout the African nation.

WATCH:

Featured, News

Sign of Spring: Ethiopian Runners Renew Domination of U.S. Road Races

5 Comments

Above: Ezkyas Sisay (L), and Gebre Gebremariam (R) head
the field rounding a curve in Central Park early into the 2011
New York City Half Marathon – Photo credit: OhSnapper.com.

Tadias Magazine
By Jason Jett

Published: Wednesday, March 23, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Just as sure as March in North America brings the return of foliage, warm weather and long days, it signals the continuation of Ethiopian domination of foot-race competitions in city streets and parks across the United States.

The fickleness of spring, however, did prompt a number of “what ifs” from runners on both coasts last weekend.

Gebre Gebremariam, who last November won the ING New York City Marathon, was runner-up Sunday in the New York City Half Marathon which looped Central Park before coursing through Times Square and finishing in Lower Manhattan.

Gebremariam, a favorite to win the race, pulled away from Mo Farah, a native Somali who now lives in Great Britain, in the last 25 meters only for Farah to counter with a victorious sprint to the finish line. Farah finished the 13.1-mile event in 60:23, with Gebremariam two seconds back.

“I don’t like the cold,” Gebremariam said after the narrow loss to Farah, one of the hottest runners in the world the past year who was making his half-marathon debut.

Girma Tesfaye, an Ethiopian who splits residency between his homeland and the Bronx, NY, finished fourth in 60:35, and Ezkyas Sisay, an Ethiopian who trains in Flagstaff, AZ, was 10th in 61:56. Girma Tola, who was fifth in the 2008 competition, finished 14th this time in 62:46.

The only Ethiopian runner who said he did not mind the cold weather was Girma, who after the race chastised himself for not finding the reserve in the homestretch to overtake third-place finisher Galen Rupp of the United States.

“For me, the weather was very nice,” Girma said, noting a year ago he finished 10th at the event. “I like it cold. It was fantastic for me. The weather, and the course.”


From left: Ezkyas Sisay and Tesfaye Girma, both of Ethiopia, Gomes Dos Santos Marilson of Brazil, Alistair Cragg of Ireland, Galen Rupp of the United States, Mo Farah of Great Britain, Kigen Kipkosgei Moses of Kenya and Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia, near Mile 2 in Central Park during the New York City Half Marathon – which took place on a perfect day for running, March 20, 2011. (Photo credit: OhSnapper.com)

Ethiopians also represented in the women’s division of the NYC Half. Werknesh Kidane, Gebremariam’s wife and a pre-race favorite, finished fifth in 1:09:32, acknowledging afterwards that she was slowed as the first morning of spring mustered temperatures only in the 30s. Shewarge Alene, the sister of noted Ethiopian runner Alene Reta, was fourth in 1:09:25.

“It was good, but not very good because of the weather,” said Alene. “I am happy with the time in my first half-marathon in New York. I will keep training and keep trying to do my best.”

Gebremariam’s second-place finish was worth $10,000, while Girma earned $3,500 and Sisay $400. Alene was awarded $3,500, and Kidane $2,500.

Across the country in a rain-deluged Southern California, Ethiopians swept the Honda Los Angeles Marathon.

Markos Geneti, who trains in Flagstaff, AZ, was the overall winner in a course record 2:06:35. He won the first-place award of $25,000 and a Honda Insight EX car valued at $23,000, plus the $100,000 prize for the first person to cross the finish line under a gender challenge in which professional women were given a 17:03 head start.

The women’s division winner was Buzunesh Deba, who lives in the Bronx and trains in New Mexico, in 2:26:34. The bronze medal for third-place was claimed by Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia in 2:30:35. Deba won $25,000 and a car, while Dibaba won $10,000.

“I didn’t like the rain,” Deba said afterwards. “My husband (Ethiopian runner Worku Beyi) wanted me to run 2:24, but I don’t like running in the rain.”

At the Yeungling Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach, VA, Alemtsehay Misganaw of Manhattan was runner-up Sunday in the half marathon, finishing the windy, waterfront course in 1:15:06. A day earlier Misganaw won the women’s division of the event’s 8K competition in 26:59. Misganaw’s weekend earnings totaled $2,000.

“It was funny,” Misganaw said of her runner-up finish in the feature event, adding she did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“The last two miles I was taking it kind of easy and a lady passed me, but I didn’t see her,” she explained. “It was windy, and my eyes were watery. She looked like a boy, and had on a cap. The race official leading the women’s field was riding his bike beside me the whole way. He didn’t see her either. He thought I was the first woman, too.

Misganaw continued, “At the finish line the announcer said, ‘Yesterday’s winner is second today,’ and I said ‘What?’ The bicycle guy was upset too, and apologized. I smiled, but wanted to cry. I told the winner, ‘You’re lucky,’ and she said, ‘I know.'”
—

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.

Watch: 2011 New York City Half Marathon- Highlight Video (NYRR)

Family, Featured

Amharic for High School Students – Summer 2011 at UCLA

3 Comments

Am​haric Classes
By Agazit Abate

Published: Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Los Angeles – The Center for World Languages at the University of California, Los Angeles is offering Heritage and Foreign Language classes for High School students this summer 2011 – including for students who speak and/or understand Amharic at home and want to learn to read and write in Amharic or to develop their speaking and literacy skills.

The classes will be held from June 28- July 28, 2011 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am- 12:30pm along with after lunch tutorials at the UCLA campus.

The languages currently being offered are Amharic, Armenian, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Italian, Persian and Russian. The language classes are specifically designed for heritage language students. This typically means that the student heard the language at home throughout their childhood, but was educated primarily in English. In addition to our heritage language classes, the center is now offering beginning Italian and Russian for any interested high school students.

The need to produce multilingual citizens in our society is evident. The need for our heritage classes in particular arose out of the realization that there were a group of students entering university who wouldn’t fit in either a beginning or an advanced foreign language class. Our heritage languages are also less-commonly taught languages and therefore high school students often don’t have access to formal schooling in their home languages. For this reason, our classes look specifically at their needs as heritage learners and seek to help them develop literacy in their home language while they are in high school so that by the time they continue their language studies at the University level, they can place into advanced language and literature courses.
—

Enrollment is now open at www.hslanguages.ucla.edu. The fee is $150 and students may earn up to one year of High School foreign language credit.

For general information, contact Agazit at (310) 825‐2510 or cwl@international.ucla.edu.

Cover Image:
Students attend Amharic language lessons run by Washington D.C.’s Ethiopian Community Center. (Photo: Tadias File)

Featured, News, Profiles

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu Named Young Global Leader (New Photos)

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Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, March 9, 2011

NewYork (Tadias) – Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder and Managing Director of the eco-fashion footwear company SoleRebels, has been honored as one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders in 2011. The honor bestowed each year by the Forum recognizes and acknowledges outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

Bethlehem joins the ranks of a distinguished list of previous winners including Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Newsweek columnist Fareed Zakaria, as well as Ethiopian-American supermodel Liya Kebede and journalist Abebe Gellaw.

“On a personal level it is humbling. It’s beyond anything I ever expected,” Bethlehem said in an interview with Tadias. “I am excited because the award represents a recognition of the power of our core aim at soleRebels — to show that development and trade go hand in hand, and that delivering a world class brand to the global marketplace is perhaps the most potent key to creating real and sustained prosperity in Ethiopia.”

Beethlehem, who was born and raised in the Zenabwok (Total) area of Addis Ababa, one of the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods, established soleRebels in 2005 in order to help increase community-based jobs. Since then the venture has created over 75 full time and over 120 part-time jobs while becoming an internationally recognized brand. SoleRebels is now available in major global retail outlets such as Urban Outfitters as well as online including at Endless.com and Amazon.com.

Bethlehem’s company was also winner of the 2010 Eco-Bold Green Award — a recognition of soleRebel’s environmentally friendly, vegan footwear that is produced using indigenous materials such as hand-spun organic cotton and artisan hand-loomed fabric. Tires are also recycled and used for soles.


XoDus iration (Photograph courtesy of SoleRebels).


As featured on African Entrepreneur Ads – PureLOVE homegrown LUX. (Courtesy photo)


EasyRidin sunrise (Photograph courtesy of SoleRebels).

Asked about her secret to success, Bethlehem says, “My ‘secret to success’ is to be committed 100% to my goals and to the people I have entrusted to help me achieve those goals. Here we are like a big family so an achievement like this is an achievement for each and every person at soleRebels.”

Drawn from a pool of more than 5,000 high level global candidates, the 2011 honorees will become part of the broader Forum of Young Global Leaders community that currently comprises of 660 outstanding individuals. “The World Economic Forum is a true multi-stakeholder community of global decision-makers in which the Young Global Leaders represent the voice for the future and the hopes of the next generation. The diversity of the YGL community and its commitment to shaping a better future through action-oriented initiatives of public interest is even more important at a time when the world is in need of new energy to solve intractable challenges,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

The Young Global Leaders participate in an annual summit – this year it will be taking place in Dalian, China from September 12th through 16th – as well as in additional World Economic Forum events throughout the year. As Young Global Leaders these promising individuals will have the opportunity to engage in initiatives that help build stronger and more diverse communities, and to engender a better understanding of global and regional agendas.

And what’s Bethlehem’s advice to young people worldwide who aspire to become entrepreneurs and business leaders? “I would say have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and the path to get there. Then work hard, and then work extra hard. Seek advice and counsel from diverse places – don’t just stick to one “voice” or source for input. And never ever be deterred no matter the obstacle or the setback. Setbacks and obstacles are a natural part of life. It is how you overcome those obstacles and setbacks that will make you a great person no matter what endeavor you choose to devote yourself to. ”

We congratulate Bethlehem on her accomplishments and wish her continued success.
—

Update:
Photos: Bethlehem addresses the 50th anniversary of the World Wildlife Fund (May 1, 2011)


Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder and Managing Director of SoleRebels, speaks at the Opening Conference Symposium panel discussion facilitated by Veronica Pedrosa of Al-Jazeera, Malaysia. Speakers left to right are Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder and Managing Director of SoleRebels, Orazio Bellittini Cedeno, co-founder & Director of Grupo Faro, and Wang Shi, chairman of China Vanke, at the WWF Annual Conference in St. Gallen, Switzerland on May 1, 2011.


Speakers left to right: Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder and Managing Director of SoleRebels, and Orazio Bell.


Speakers left to right: Paul Polman, Tim Brown, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Orazio Bellittini Cedeno and Wang Shi at the WWF Annual Conference in St. Gallen, Switzerland on May 1, 2011.


Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu Founder and Managing Director of SoleRebels speaks at the Opening Conference Symposium panel discussion at the WWF Annual Conference in St. Gallen, Switzerland on May 1, 2011.


Panel discussion facilitated by Veronica Pedrosa of Al-Jazeera, Malaysia. Speakers left to right: Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, Bethlehem Tilahun, Alemu Founder and Managing Director of SoleRebels, Orazio Bell.


Left to right Paul Polman, Tim Brown, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Orazio Bellittini Cedeno, and Wang Shi at the WWF Annual Conference, St Gallen, Switzerland on May 1, 2011.


Yolanda Kakabadse presents Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder and Managing Director of SoleRebels with a gift after the Opening Conference Symposium panel discussion facilitated at the WWF Annual Conference in St. Gallen, Switzerland on May 1, 2011.
—

Photo credit:
All images are courtesy of Solerebels.

Related story:
CNN’s African Voices features Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu

Watch: Turning old tires into shoes (7:10)

Video: Young SoleRebel (8:07)

Video: Creating window to world market (7:24)

Family, Featured

Meeting The Team Tesfa Girls in Ethiopia

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Above: The Team Tesfa girls in Ethiopia are supported by the
Girls Gotta Run Foundation in D.C. (Photo: courtesy of GGRF)

Opinion
My Dream Came True
By Kebebush Tesfaye

Published: Sunday, March 6, 2011

Washington, D.C. – A few years ago I learned about Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF), an organization that focuses on raising funds for young Ethiopian girls who are training to become professional runners. GGRF, which was established in 2006, provides these future athletes with money for sports training, as well as nutrition and other essential expenses. But running is more than a pastime or sport for these girls who have discovered self-empowerment, and through additional funds now have the opportunity to stay enrolled in school and to avoid early marriage.

GGRF was founded by Dr. Pat Ortman, a retired Women Studies Professor and an artist. Inspired by her dedication, I became a Girls Gotta Run Foundation supporter. Since then I have wanted to meet the girls, and this year my dream jumped off the page and came to life! In February I got to visit the Team Tesfa Girls Gotta Run in Ethiopia.

I went to Addis Ababa to attend my sister’s wedding, and as soon as I arrived I called Mr. Dana Roskey, Founder and Director of the Tesfa Foundation, to make an appointment to meet with him and the Team Tesfa girls who are supported by the Girls Gotta Run Foundation. Unfortunately, Dana was flying back to London the next day, so we couldn’t see each other. But he promised to connect me with his Chief of Staff, Ms. Menna Alemu. On February 4th I received a call from Menna, who was a sweet, soft-spoken, and beautiful young woman. She took me to where the team had gathered at Ferensaye Legasion to meet with me. I was thrilled when I saw 20 + hopeful girls who were working hard to become professional athletes. And they had many stories to tell.


Picture with the girls. I am the fifth person from left. (Photo courtesy of GGRF)


The Team Tesfa girls in Ethiopia. (Photo courtesy of Girls Gotta Run Foundation)

Some of the girls are already working full time, going to school full time, and training 3 days per week. Some have no family. They are living with friends and strive to fulfill their daily needs. The girls had traveled from all parts of Ethiopia to join Team Tesfa, but they looked and acted like one family, sharing the same dream. One may ask how their dream will come true. I say it will be due to their hard work and dedication, as well as to the efforts of the tireless Dr. Ortman, the GGRF Board, our supporters, and Mr. Roskey and his team and supporters, including Menna. GGRF brought these girls together to help them make their dream a reality — Tomorrow’s professional athletes!

If you would like to support these girls, you may contribute to the Girls Gotta Run Foundation at www.girlsgottarun.org and the Tesfa Foundation at www.tesfa.org. Thank you!
—

About the Author:
Kebebush Tesfaye is an advocate for Ethiopian girls and women. She is a member of GGRF’s Advisory Board. She works in E-Resource Technical Support at the University of Maryland Library.

Related:
Video: Talk with Dr. Pat Ortman and other footage from GGRF fundraiser in Maryland (Nov. 2010)

Featured, News, Opinion

Gadhafi’s Mercenarie​s And The Plight of African Refugees

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Tadias Magazine
Editorial

Updated: Monday, February 28, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Since protests erupted two weeks ago in Libya, demanding an end to Muammar el-Gadhafi’s 42-year rule, the government has employed unimaginable lethal force, including fighter jets, to quell the revolt. The Libyan people have shown remarkable fortitude by continuing to stand up against the violent crackdown.

As members of the Libyan army are switching sides in support of the growing opposition movement, Gadhafi who is known to have relied on foreign fighters and bodyguards to prop up his power has once again turned to mercenaries in order to save his crumbling regime.

The hired guns are largely from other African nations, and their presence has created a backlash and unsafe conditions for refugees and residents of African descent – most of whom migrated to Libya in search of safe haven from economic and political disenfranchisement in their own countries. In an interview aired on Deutsche Welle radio last week, Ethiopian residents in Tripoli appealed for help saying that they have now become targets of mob attacks in the capital and various other towns in Libya. According to the interviewees, those who work as domestic helpers (mostly women) may be safe under the protection of their employers, but the rest are exposed to vigilante justice. And as of today, no one has come to their rescue. (Update: Via AllAfrica.com on March 3, 2011 – Ethiopia Says Will Evacuate Citizens Stranded in Libya).

New York Times cites IOM statistics that document more than 1.5 million migrant workers in Libya, most of whom worked in construction businesses and arrived from Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Thailand. Although better off workers from China and Bosnia are managing to leave Libyan ports, migrant workers from poorer nations have found themselves stranded and with fewer options. The case is more alarming for African migrant workers and refugees, some of whom say are unable to leave their houses for fear of retaliation in the streets.

According to the advocacy group CSW, “refugees report that in detention centres, the government is attempting to recruit African prisoners as mercenaries, and prison guards who object are allegedly being killed. Homes where large numbers of refugees have gathered are being attacked, and they are subject to threatening phone calls and physical assault with knives and stones as angry Libyans mistake them for mercenaries.”

On Saturday night, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to launch an international war crimes investigation into “widespread and systemic attacks” carried out by Gadhafi’s forces, and imposed an international travel ban on high-ranking Libyan officials who are believed to have played a role in the violence against civilians.

President Obama has stated that Gadhafi had “lost the legitimacy to rule” and asked him step down immediately. The U.S. also froze Libyan government assets worth billions of dollars, and may do the same with the assets of officials who participated in the violent crackdown.

We also hope international organizations adequately address the safety of foreign migrant workers in Libyan towns and cities, and provide safe passage out of the country if necessary.
—

The latest from Libya
Rebels in Libya Win Battle but Fail to Loosen Qaddafi’s Grip (NYT)

Video: UN steps up pressure on Gaddafi (euronews)

Video: Uprising spreads further across Libya (euronews)

Related:
Libyan mercenaries: captured Africans deny charges (AP)
In Libyan Port, Stranded Migrants Watch Hope Depart (NYT)

Events, Featured

Truth Aids Benefit at The Box in New York – February 24th

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

Cover image: counselorcrooms.com

Video: 2008 United States Conference on AIDS

Featured

Diaspora Stories: Abeshas in Berlin

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Above: Shusta, a shoes and accessories boutique in central
Berlin. The store is owned by Tedros Tewelde and Fidel Tesfa.

Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam

Published: Sunday, February 20, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Every year I return to Germany to spend the holidays with my family. Having lived there for ten years before coming to America, I still consider it one of my many homes. During my most recent trip, I also enjoyed getting ready for Berlin fashion week, Berlinale International Film Festival, and getting back in touch with a few Abeshas in the city.

Tedros Tewelde & Fidel Tesfai

I was introduced to co-owners of Shusta, a shoes and accessories store located in central Berlin. After quitting his corporate job, Tedros Tewelde in partnership with his friend Fidel Tesfai opened up his dream store. And I’m so glad they did. I could have bought every single item in that store — it is such a chic boutique! The sales associates were also super friendly. Shusta has enjoyed several years of great business and is now expanding into design and this year it will be offering custom-made shoes for exclusive clients. Another intriguing Shusta collaboration is its ‘design-recycling’ work with Waste Barcelona, the Spanish company known for its durable and high quality products produced with social and environmental consciousness. Shusta designed 30 bags built entirely out of recycled materials such as discarded automotive upholstery and leather.

If you’re ever in Berlin stop by their store, and in the meantime check out Shusta’s online presence and shoe selections at: www.shusta.de

Sam Goitom owns Kitty Cheng

I also spent time with the multi-talented Sam Goitom, a gregarious Berliner who walks through life with a smile, no matter what might come; and no one can resist his charm. I met Sam at his Public Relations company, People People, established several years ago. After catching up over coffee, we drove to Kitty Cheng, his new business adventure. The bar/club/lounge is conveniently located in Berlin Mitte, only a few minutes away from Shusta. Kitty Cheng is known for its detailed décor as well as the extravagant parties. Sam told me about the extensive remodeling procedure that they went through to add character to the place. Although the music is heavily influenced by Berlin’s electronic music scene, each night features an eclactic and diverse sound and dancing. If you ever happened to be in Berlin, don’t miss out on his parties! You can learn more at: www.peoplepeople.de and www.kittycheng.de

A Musisican Named Fetsum

And headquartered in Berlin, not far from Shusta and Kitty Cheng, is the recording studio for an artist named Fetsum. I met Fetsum a few years ago in Cologne where he invited my brother and I for a private concert. Since then, I have been hooked on his music and the hope that it brings. I spent time with him this year in Berlin where he is recording his new album in between touring with internationally recognized artists such as Patrice and Estelle. His song ‘Meet You in Paradise’ remains my favorite song. Fetsum composed the lyrics reminiscing of the close relationship that he had with his late father. The images in the music video were shot in Brazil. (Watch Fetsum’s “Meet you in paradise” below). You can also check out more information about upcoming tour dates to the US here: www.fetsum.com.

I am extremely proud of Fetsum, Tedros & Fidel, and Sam for following their dreams in Berlin. I can’t wait to see what this year might bring, and catching up with them again sometime soon.

Video: Fetsum “Meet you in paradise” (Fetsum TV)

—

Photo Credit:
Cover image and store photos, courtesy of Shusta.
Tigist’s photograph by Ingrid Hertfelder.
Fetsum’s photo via Facebook.

Featured, Reviews

Meet Arkan Haile: A Candidate for DC City Council Seat

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Above: Arkan Haile, a candidate for the vacant at-large D.C.
City Council seat. The special election is set for Tue., Apr 26.

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

New York (Tadias) – We were recently contacted by the campaign of Arkan Haile, a candidate for the vacant at-large D.C. City Council seat, which will be decided through a special election on April 26. He is among at least 17 candidates running for the seat, which became vacant Jan. 2 when Council member Kwame Brown (D-At-Large) was sworn in as the new City Council Chair. The Eritrean-born attorney is seeking the support of the Ethiopian-American community, one of the largest African immigrant populations in Washington D.C.

“I know my personal story is not ordinary for a local politician. Frankly, I hope nothing about me is ordinary where politics is concerned,” he says. “We can’t afford the usual politics – not in our schools, not in our neighborhoods and not in our elected officials. That’s why I’m running as an independent, beholden to no one but the people, ready to find creative solutions and prepared to make hard choices.”

Arkan is a successful lawyer and father of two children. He immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1981 when he was 10 years old, and became the Co-Founder of Gray Haile LLP, a corporate law firm which specializes in mergers, acquisitions, and securities with offices in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York.

He was born in Eritrea in 1971. In 1975, his parents came to the US on his father’s graduate school scholarship to study Economics at Colorado State University. But they left behind their three young children, including Haile (the oldest at four) as insurance against defection. In 1978 his mother returned to Ethiopia and three years later, in December 1981, after a difficult journey that included a trek through Sudan on foot and mostly at night, the family was reunited in Ft. Collins, Colorado — the state where Haile grew up and attained his education. He says: “I was born in Asmara and spent three years in Addis before our family settled in Colorado in the early 1980s when I was ten years old.”

Haile currently lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Nazrawit (Naz) Medhanie, and their son and daughter, ages four and one. His wife is a performance monitoring specialist with an international development firm. She graduated from Duke University, where she was a shooting guard on the basketball team and member of the school’s first women’s Final Four team in 1999.

“As a parent of a public school child, Co-Founder of a district-based law firm and a home owner, I’m fully committed to our city,” he says. “As a lawyer and former financial analyst, I have the skills and work experiences ideally suited for the job of a City Council member.”

On his campaign web site, the candidate also acknowledges the uphill battle he faces in the upcoming poll: “My background is not typical of a city council candidate. I’m not backed by a particular party, power broker or interest group. I’m running as an independent because that is how I make decisions. I know that makes me an underdog in this race, but that’s ok. I’ve been an underdog my whole life and it hasn’t stopped me yet.”


Young Arkan Haile with his siblings. (Photo courtesy of arkanfordccouncil.com)


The candidate with his family. (Photo by IWANPHOTO.COM)

But he also notes that his professional experience in finance and law, coupled with his experiences as an immigrant, will help him bring a fresh perspective to solving the District’s budget woes, as well as ability to focus on matters confronting the city’s struggling communities.

“There are several issues but on top of the list are education and fiscal responsibility; education because it is so central and fundamentally important to our existence as a city, and fiscal responsibility because it is the biggest and most immediate challenge facing the city and the City Council,” Haile said in a recent Q & A with Tadias Magazine. “As a parent of a public school child I’ve got a little more “skin in the game” than most…we’ve made great strides in education over the past several years and I want to ensure to my best abilities as a member of the Council that we don’t lose momentum.”

And how is his professional skills suited to solving D.C.’s economic problems? “Fiscally, my skills and professional experiences are especially well suited to tacking it in the most efficient and responsible manner. I’ve either worked in or studied law and finance over the course of my entire 20-year, adult life. Before law school, I earned an MBA and worked as a financial analyst for a large corporation.”

“What separates you from the other candidates?” we asked. “Why should people vote for you?” “I see the two questions as being virtually the same,” he said. “In other words people should vote for me, at least in large part, for the reasons that separate me from the field.” He adds: “First, I will bring 20 years of technical financial and legal expertise that I can apply from day one. It is all the more important now given our city’s financial mess. Second, I’m fully invested in our city. As a home owner, parent of a public school child (with another set to enroll next year), owner of a District-based law firm and DC Bar licensed attorney, there is little that goes on in the city that doesn’t directly affect me. Third, as an immigrant and somebody with a relatively unique personal history, I’ll add diversity to the City Council and serve as a sympathetic ear to immigrants in our city.”
—

If you have additional questions or want to get involved in Arkan Haile’s campaign, please contact the candidate via his website at www.arkanfordccouncil.com

Related:
Click here to watch Arkan Haile’s interview with Washington Post’s American Mosaic

Featured, News

A Conversation With Samuel Gebru, Founder of the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative

12 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – 19-year-old Samuel Gebru has ambitious plans. The Founder of the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative (EAYI), now called the Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI), wants to transform Ethiopia one project at a time, using strategies and programs to reverse the brain drain or retain skilled professionals at home. The undergraduate student at Concordia College, a private liberal arts school in Moorhead, Minnesota, says he was drawn to action by two events that deeply affected him when he was just 13-years old. He tells us that in 2004, he traveled to Ethiopia and was exposed to the odd juxtaposition of poverty and wealth. But the real catalyst for his organization did not come until later that year when he watched Oprah Winfrey’s highlight of the problems associated with obstetric fistula in Ethiopia. Oprah’s guest was Dr. Catherine Hamlin, the Australian gynecologist who in 1959 moved to Ethiopia and eventually founded the Addis Ababa Fitsula Hospital. “As a young 13-year-old, I was shocked to hear about obstetric fistula’s existence and I was further embarrassed that an Australian, and not an Ethiopian, committed over 50 years of her life to help the women of Ethiopia,” says Samuel. “It was shocking obviously because the last fistula case in the United States, for instance, was in the 1800s with the closing of the New York City Fistula Hospital…It was also embarrassing because when most Ethiopian professionals left Ethiopia, she stayed and did our job. Regardless, I was inspired and decided it would be best to organize an effort in the Boston area to raise funds for their work. We called ourselves the Ethiopian Team (E Team).”

Samuel says the E Team evolved into the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative (EAYI). “I reached out to the Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association of Massachusetts, and they helped me organize a group of 13 people, the youngest in 6th grade and the oldest in 12th. I was in 8th grade,” he recalls. “We mobilized the community and sponsored 11 women for fistula repair surgery just from April to December 2005! This was a collective effort that I will forever remain grateful to the youth that I worked with and the community that supported us, financially and morally. From there, the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative (EAYI) was established in October 2006.” Since then the group has changed its name to the Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI).

We recently asked Samuel Gebru a few more questions:


Samuel Gebru at President’s Day Lecture and Panel Discussion (CAMBRIDGE, MA, February 16, 2009, PHOTO BY JODI HILTON)

Why did you change your name from the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative to the Ethiopian Global Initiative?

Samuel Gebru: That was a tough decision. It took us from January to June 2010 to decide on a new name. I received dozens of name submissions that we had to sift out. We took “Youth” out of the title because there were many adults and professionals that wanted to support our work and they did not define themselves as being youth, hence they disqualified themselves from being a part of our efforts. Global refers to the global mindset of the organization’s members and the ability to act collectively, think critically, and be open-minded in a globalized world. Initiative refers to the capacity and responsibility to undertake worthwhile endeavors.

How do you define “Youth?”

SG: Personally, I will be youth forever, until I die. The United Nations defines youth as anyone from 15-24. Particular states have their own definitions of what constitutes a youth. Culturally, we even refer to Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy as “youthful presidents.” Youth, to me, does not have a particular number, it is more of a mindset. I was recently watching YouTube videos of Aster Aweke, Mahmoud Ahmed and Alemayehu Eshete. Now, my mother vividly remembers them when she was a child, which would make them old, but their stage presence makes them youthful! [laughter]

What is the objective of your organization?

SG: EAYI was a way for E Team’s vision to continue as a long-lasting organization and not simply an ad-hoc group for one purpose. In 2009, people began contacting me from Europe, Canada, Africa and Asia urging EAYI to become an international organization so they could participate. At the time we had folks in Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, the West Coast and the D.C. Metropolitan Area. I agreed and told them to wait for the first EAYI Conference in 2010 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., when we changed our name to the Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI).

What ultimately does EGI wants to accomplish?

SG: Some of the major goals we plan to accomplish by 2015 include serving as an incubator for future projects pertaining to Ethiopia’s social and economic development. We aim to repair the damage done [as a result] of lost skilled workforce.

How do you plan to do that? What projects are you working on now?

SG: One of the current projects we are working on include the EGI Midwives Scholarship Fund. It is our way of continuing our five-year relationship with the Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. Instead of supporting the hospital’s fistula-repair efforts, we are making a long-term commitment to completely fund the education of eight women to earn their Bachelor of Science in Midwifery at the new Hamlin College of Midwives. The scholarships we provide to these students will be part of our wider partnership with the hospital, which is to enhance the number of maternal health professionals in Ethiopia by prompting a homegrown effort thereby eliminating the root causes of fistula, which continue to be lack of preventative efforts and the scarcity of maternal health professionals.

We also have another project we developed last year called U.S. College Students for Ethiopia (USCSE). The program provides college students from the United States the opportunity to intern or volunteer in Ethiopia with Ethiopian-led organizations. The students are diverse, both Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian. We give them the opportunity to work and learn in a new cultural environment while allowing them to share their pre-existing skills with the local organizations they are working with. Lastly, they will be returning to the United States with the ability to share their new appreciation for Ethiopia.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. Where were you born? Where did you grow-up? School?

SG: Sure. Well, I am currently 19-years-old. I was born in Khartoum, Sudan in 1991. My parents are both Ethiopians who were working in the Sudanese capital. My father worked in the shoes industry where he repaired and sold shoes while my mother worked managing the housekeeping of the homes of Chinese and American businessmen. In 1995 I arrived in the United States and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts after briefly living in Boston. Since then, I have been living in my adopted hometown, Cambridge. I’m fortunate to say that my childhood, both in Khartoum and in Cambridge was great. I grew up in a nice working neighborhood of Khartoum and similarly in Cambridge I’ve been lucky to have the things I’ve always needed. I grew up with a strong emphasis on family and moral values, keeping in tune with my Ethiopian heritage. I learned Arabic, my first language, and Tigrinya in Sudan. While in the U.S. I quickly picked up English. Because of the many trips I have taken to Ethiopia, I have been able to sharpen my Tigrinya and pick up Amharic. While I am still working to master Amharic, my listening skills are very good. A few years ago I picked up an obsession to learn Ge’ez, and that’s been an interesting battle. It hasn’t been as hard as I thought, but certainly not easy. Moving forward, my goal is to continue learning Mandarin Chinese and re-mastering Arabic, since it has been over a decade since I last used it. I completed primary school at the Cambridgeport Elementary School and high school at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Currently, I am studying to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Business at Concordia College, a private liberal arts school in Moorhead, Minnesota.

How do you balance school and your ambitious extracurricular projects?

SG: Balancing has always been very hard. I have a calendar that I try to follow to the best of my ability. My family and friends often complain that they don’t hear from me as much as they would like. I jokingly said to some friends that they should have a spinoff of the television game show “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego” for me! [laughter] . Ultimately, because EGI is not a one-man operation, there are many people who work together to get the job done. Although I founded EGI, the entire Executive Committee shoulders the responsibility of implementing our vision. The EGI family also consists of dozens of fantastic members who work worldwide to achieve our goals. I am only one part of this ambitious operation.

How often do you travel to Ethiopia?

SG: My mother has always reminded me of how fortunate I am to have traveled to Ethiopia more times than most of my Ethiopian friends and relatives in Boston. Since 1998 I have traveled five times. As EGI operations increase in Ethiopia, I might have to travel at more frequent times, perhaps once or twice a year.

What do you plan to do after you graduate from college?

SG: Once I finish with my undergraduate plans, I plan to earn graduate degree and use those skills and knowledge for the betterment of Ethiopia. Ultimately, my plan is to permanently return to Ethiopia.

What are the requirements to be a member of EGI?

SG: EGI members are students and professionals who deeply share the goals and vision of the organization. Location doesn’t matter, but skills do. We aim to be a treasure chest of students and professionals who can pool in their skills, knowledge and experiences for the transformation of Ethiopia. Of course, while this goal is lofty, it is happening today in EGI. We have people from various sectors, interests and backgrounds working hand-in-hand to launch and implement projects in Ethiopia and in the Ethiopian diaspora. There is a membership application that each prospective member must complete, and that is then reviewed by our Member Committee, which makes final determinations. Beyond membership, the EGI community has grown into our friends, donors, sponsors, partners and volunteers. By extension, anyone who cares for Ethiopia is a stakeholder in the EGI community.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

SG: The EGI community includes you. Participate in our activities, help make Ethiopia a better place. In late February we will announce the 2011 EGI Global Summit. I welcome everyone to attend this, in what will be a paramount exchange of ideas, experiences and solutions.

—
You can learn more about the Ethiopian Global Initiative at www.ethgi.org.

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Featured

Gebremeskel Loses Shoe But Wins 3000 Meters in Upset

Above: Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia runs with one shoe at
an indoor competition in Boston. Massachusetts Feb 5, 2011.
Gebremeskel won the race running with one shoe. (Reuters)

Reuters
By Ros Krasny

BOSTON | Sat Feb 5, 2011 9:07pm EST

BOSTON (Reuters) – Ethiopian Dejen Gebremeskel outkicked favoured British runner Mo Farah despite wearing just one shoe to win the men’s 3,000 meters at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Saturday.

Gebremeskel finished in a time of 7:35.37 to hold off Farah, who clocked 7:35.81. The Ethiopian lost his right shoe early in the race but pressed with a finishing burst with one foot shod only in a sock.

“It’s really hard to run in one shoe,” Gebremeskel, 21, said afterwards.

Read more at Reuters.


Dejen after his victory. (AP)

Art, Events, Featured

Chester Higgins Jr Photography Exhibit at NYU Kimmel Center

7 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn

Published: Thursday, February 3, 2011

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

Cover photos: © Chesterhiggins.com.

Featured, News

How to Bypass Internet Shutdown

Above: Using word of mouth coupled with old technology like
dial-up, Egyptians are circumventing Internet shut down. (AP)

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, February 2, 2011

New York (Tadias) – News agencies worldwide were quick to dub the recent protests in North African and Middle Eastern nations as the “The Facebook Revolution.” Fearing the resourcefulness of young people using social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to organize the toppling of regimes, government authorities decided to turn off mobile and internet connections.

In the case of Egypt, a nation that is home to Africa’s largest blogging community and where a quarter of its 80 million people enjoy online access, the impact of the lock-down was immediate. “We’re seeing a uniquely draconian measure by the Egyptian authorities to completely cut off an entire country which was previously integrated into the Internet,” says Neil Hicks, policy advisor of the non-profit advocacy group Human Rights First. “It shows the level of desperation the government currently has in face of the protests.” As a result, leaders have turned to traditional methods of organizing says Hicks: “They’re using old-fashioned word of mouth…They’re aware of the possibilities of surveillance if they use these technologies. So they get on a motorbike or car, and go to the next neighborhood and arrange things.”

Companies such as Google and an international group of savvy techies are also working hard to put more tools at the hands of those being silenced. On Monday, Google announced that it had launched “Speak to Tweet“, a collaborative effort by three companies – including Twitter and SayNow, which is designed to bypass the internet censorship.

“Like many people we’ve been glued to the news unfolding in Egypt and thinking of what we could do to help people on the ground,” said Ujwal Singh, co-founder of SayNow and Abdel Karim Mardini, Google’s product manager for the Middle East and North Africa. “Over the weekend we came up with the idea of a speak-to-tweet service—the ability for anyone to tweet using just a voice connection.”

According to the group’s blog post: “anyone can tweet by simply leaving a voicemail on one of these international phone numbers (+16504194196 or +390662207294 or +97316199855) and the service will instantly tweet the message using the hashtag #egypt. No Internet connection is required. People can listen to the messages by dialing the same phone numbers or going to twitter.com/speak2tweet.”

In his article entitled “5 Ways the Protesters Are Beating the Blackout” Steven Hoffer of AOL News highlights landlines as another method that Egyptians have employed to bypass the net blockade: “That’s right, dial-up. International numbers to connect through this seemingly outdated method of accessing the Internet are circulating throughout Egypt,” writes Hoffer. “After a little static, pinging and waiting, the dial-up numbers are allowing some users to hop back on the Internet.” Among those providing such a service is the Paris-based French Data Network, which has extended dozens of lines to Egyptian users.

A global network of free speech activists on the Internet under the umbrella organization Telecomix are also utilizing new media tools to bypass the information blackout. Per The Huffington Post, the group is organized using chat rooms, wikis, and collaborative writing tools. This largely decentralized group of activists has worked “to inform Egyptians about their communications options while receiving incoming messages from them. Telecomix has previously worked on free speech efforts in Tunisia, Iran, China and other countries who have tried to censor or block parts of the Internet.”

The Canadian company HootSuite, which offers users a social media dashboard for posting to Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, is also helping Egyptians overcome Internet shutdown. The venture has reported a sevenfold increase in Egyptian subscriptions during January.

As Google noted: “We hope that this will go some way to helping people in Egypt stay connected at this very difficult time. Our thoughts are with everyone there.”
—

Video: In Egypt, new media is part of message

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Watch: Mubarak Resigns, Hands Power to Military (AP)

Watch scenes from Tahrir Square: The Revolution Victorious

Featured, Profiles

Alfa Demmelash: Transforming Lives and Communities Through Entrepreneurship

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Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn

Published: Thursday, January 27, 2011

New York (Tadias) – After graduating from Harvard University, Alfa Demmellash launched Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit based in Jersey City that develops and implements entrepreneurship programs focusing on women, minorities, immigrants and other socio-economically underserved communities. Since its inception in 2004, Rising Tide Capital has successfully helped approximately 400 entrepreneurs in New Jersey to build small businesses. Nearly 70% of Rising Tide Capital clients are women and over 90% are minorities. In 2009 Alfa Demmellash was featured as a CNN hero. President Obama also cited Rising Tide Capital’s influential work and stated: “If we empower organizations like these, think about the number of young people whose lives we can change, the number of families whose livelihoods we can boost, the number of struggling communities, we can bring back to life.”

“Did you know? The phrase “a rising tide lifts all boats” is often used to describe a top down approach to economic revitalization” states the non-profit’s web site. “But we believe it is important to help entrepreneurs see the tide and build strong boats that could rise with it – hence our name Rising Tide Capital.”

Below is our interview with Founder and Chief Executive Officer Alfa Demmellash as she discusses her work to build and support small business owners through entrepreneurship training.


CBA Winter 2009 Graduation (Courtesy Photo)

Tadias: Please tell us about where you grew up, where you went to school.
What was your catalyst to get into non-profit ventures? Your role models?

AD: I grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I attended Cathedral Nativity School for girls in Addis. In the US, I attended high school at Boston Latin School and completed my studies at Harvard University. The catalyst for starting Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit venture, was the influence of my entrepreneurial mother and my experiences and family. I knew I wanted to be involved in alleviating the suffering of others by recognizing the best in them and helping them overcome challenges that trap their creativity and stifle their ability to realize their full potential. I was also greatly influenced by my studies and experiences in Rwanda as I learned about the 1994 genocide and its aftermath. My role models are too many to name, especially amongst my family and clients, but Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Oprah, and Barack and Michelle Obama are a few of the most well-known ones.

Tadias: You’ve described the vision of Rising Tide Capital, your non-profit organization, as an effort “to harness the entrepreneurial community that already exists in underserved communities, to strengthen lives, to transform communities, and to create vibrant, thriving communities from within.” Can you tell us more about your work with business owners in the State of New Jersey?

AD: We have worked with about 400 entrepreneurs and small business owners in New Jersey. Nearly 70% are women and over 90% are minorities. We are building a model for assisting individuals who are looking to start a business but don’t know where to begin or to take those who have already started a small business to the next level. For many of the entrepreneurs we work with, they are looking to start or grow their business as a way to generate more income to supplement their low-wages from another job or out of necessity because they are unable to secure a job. New Jersey, one of the most expensive states to live in, has a big problem when it comes to the gap between those who are wealthy and those who are barely trying to survive. Many, especially in the distressed urban areas, are minorities and immigrants that make up a large segment of the “working poor.” Rising Tide Capital works with those that are already entrepreneurial to help them find ways of breaking the cycle of economic marginalization.

Tadias: In your speech at the United Nations Global Summit for Women in 2008 you described Rising Tide clients as follows: “The average entrepreneur at Rising Tide Capital is a 39-year-old woman, a single mom of three children, earning less than 27,000 dollars a year.” Why did you choose to primarily focus on women entrepreneurs?

AD: Actually, it is the other way around. More women chose to work with us and take advantage of our programs. This is the case across the globe where women who are often the primary providers for poorer households are seeking ways to improve their economic standing so they can feed, shelter and educate their children. However, I believe it is important to educate and empower both women and men. At the end of the day, if the men in a community are disenfranchised and undereducated, they are likely to cause a lot of problems that produce tremendous distress and barriers to the success of women and children. Men have to be a huge part of the solution. We are really happy to see that in those households where the men support and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of their wives, partners, and siblings the likelihood of business success is very high. I have witnessed this in my own mother’s case who was fortunate enough to have found a partner, her husband and my adopted father, who was supportive of her goals and her business. He was always there to encourage her and to affirm her efforts as contributing to a shared vision of success. I hope more men take that to heart and invite the grace and joy that can come into their lives as a result or at the very least, commit to do no harm.


Spring 07 graduation (Courtesy Photo)


Spring 07 graduation (Courtesy Photo)


Portraits and PPG lunch 2-26-08 (Courtesy Photo)


Courtesy Photo

Tadias: You also said most of your clients remind you of your mother. Can you say more?

AD: Many of the clients who come to us remind me of my mother because they are pursuing their business dreams primarily as a vehicle to achieve a bigger dream –that of giving their children more opportunities than they had been afforded. They are often single mothers, almost always struggling with extreme economic hardship and face barriers that seem impossible to overcome. In my mother’s case, she arrived in America without any money, separated from her baby and not sure how she will support herself let alone reunite with her child. But, like many of our clients, she made a decision that regardless of how long it took her – she would work all the hours she could, educate herself and start a business to generate more money that she could save for her larger goal. When she got off her job as a waitress – where she stood all day starting at 4am, she would go home to cook, clean and spend the evening sewing gowns, fitting customers and planning fashion shows until well past midnight. She did this for over 10 years before she saved enough to bring me to America and provide me with a stable home and a solid education. When I got to the airport finally, she showered me with her tears and showed me the baby picture of me she carried in her wallet every day to remind her of her big dream starting from her days as a refugee.

Tadias: What are some of the challenges you faced when starting and running Rising Tide Capital? What are some of most memorable and rewarding experiences?

AD: The first big challenge to starting anything – a business or a non-profit – is that you are the “center of energy” for the whole project. You have to show why something is valuable and start effecting change and adding value even before you ask people to join you or to give you money. For the first two years of the project, my co-founder (Alex Forrester) and I did all the work never being sure of what the next moment would bring. We were forced to be creative and entrepreneurial. We would run our seminars out of community centers and meet with people at their businesses or we would conduct house visits where we would sit with mom-entrepreneurs working on their plans over the kitchen table as the kids were running around. They loved it because we were not a social agency or a big government program – so they didn’t feel like they were getting a handout. We were just two young people who really believed in them and their dreams and were willing to apply our education and work extremely hard on their behalf to get them on a stronger path for success. Most importantly, we were always careful to uphold their dignity and never make them feel like they didn’t know enough or a dream was too big for them. But of course, our passion alone was not enough to pay all the bills. I remember one time when we had no money left and knew we would have to go back to sleeping on our parents sofa again. So we decided to take all the money we had and bought tickets to Ethiopia. I had promised Alex that regardless of what happens, I would show him the beauty of my country and the resilience of its people. So, we got to Addis, quickly dropped off our luggage at the very affordable and centrally located Wutuma hotel in Addis and hit the road to see Ethiopia. It was much cheaper than trying to survive in America! The love, the kindness, the generosity and faith of the people of Ethiopia was on display everywhere from the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and Gondor to the lush breadbasket of my grandfather’s farm in Becho. When we left, we were inspired and reminded to be more faithful, to work harder and to have even more grit and determination. Shortly after our return, we learned that Goldman Sachs has seen our work in our community and would like to support the project. From that moment on, we never looked back and just worked harder and stayed true to our mission. Five years later, a fellow Ethiopian living nearby (Berhan Tsehai – who now runs www.TsehaiNY.com) nominated us to be CNN Heroes and we were selected out of many thousands from all over the world to be featured. That was a huge honor and definitely one of the most memorable moments of running Rising Tide Capital. Thousands of people sent us messages of support from all over the world in different languages and many more sent requests for our programs and services than we could have ever imagined. While we were sad not to be able to accommodate all the requests for services, we were affirmed that we were on the right track and that the world is full of entrepreneurial people busily changing their local economies and communities the world over.

Tadias: In June 2009, you were featured on CNN Heroes, and also invited to the White House. President Obama commended your work and noted: “70% of their clients are single moms. All of them rely on their businesses to support their families. So far Rising Tide has helped 250 business owners in the State of New Jersey. So imagine if they could help 500 or a 1000.” How do you seek to expand your organization’s reach in the next five years?

AD: We are currently seeking support from individuals, corporations and foundations to grow our programs and impact more individuals and communities. People from all over who believe in our mission send us as little as $5 to help support the project and we are humbled and grateful. In 2011, our programs will be offered in more distressed communities surrounding our city. We are also working with other organizations around the nation to explore opportunities to benefit more people living in financial distress who may not live near us but need our services. Our goal within the next 3-5 years is to double the number of people we work with annually while we offer even deeper assistance to those who have started their businesses and need further support to grow and create jobs for others beyond themselves. This is a grassroots movement that will someday be a very loud voice for economic hope and possibility coming out of places we least expect and from people who are, for the moment, invisible.

Tadias: Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

AD: Ten years from now, I hope to continue my advocacy and work for entrepreneurship education and empowerment amongst the least privileged in countries struggling to rebuild a more equitable, peaceful and just society. There are many lessons from the process of starting and building Rising Tide Capital that can be applied anywhere in the world where there are individuals seeking to turn ideas into reality. I am particularly excited to look towards Africa and my homeland of Ethiopia to see in what ways we can invest in the entrepreneurially driven in both the social and business sector. And of course, I also hope to become a mom (my grandpa is asking when he will see his grandchildren) and hopefully do my part in inspiring the next generation of change makers who will build on the progress and sacrifices of the generation before them.

Tadias: Is there anything else that you’d like to share with our readers?

AD: I would like thank your readers and Tadias magazine for taking the time to learn about my journey and Rising Tide Capital. I would also like to challenge your readers to think about philanthropy, to seek out organizations that do work on the ground at a grassroots level and support them. They should abolish cynicism from their hearts and minds — it only eats away at the precious time they have left to do something positive and make a difference. Finally, they should take action in pursuit of their dreams even when don’t know how it will all work, never give up and keep working hard towards what they know to be right. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Tadias: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, and best wishes in your endeavors.
—

You can learn more about Rising Tide Capital at risingtidecapital.org.

Photo credit: All images are courtesy of Alfa Demmellash.

Watch: Obama Recognizes Alfa Demmellash

Alfa Demmellash reacts to being recognized by
President Obama for her nonprofit work

Video: Alfa Demmellash on One-On-One with Steve Adubato

Events, Featured, Reviews

Interview With E/O Bandleader Russ Gershon

4 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Liben Eabisa

Published: Monday, January 24th, 2011

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.
—

You can learn more about the band at: http://either-orchestra.org

Photo credit: All images are courtesy of Russ Gershon.

Video: Mulatu Astatke and the Either/Orchestra play Munaye

Video: Mahmoud Ahmed and the Either/Orchestra: Bemen Sebab Letlash

Video: Either/Orchestra w/ Tsedenia Markos live in Ethiopia

Video: Alèmayèhu Eshèté with the Either Orchestra, Aug 2008

Featured, News, Podcast

Family Wants Answers in Ethiopia Shooting

San Jose Mercury News
By Patty Fisher, Mercury News Columnist

Ethiopian voyage of discovery went so very wrong for young Santa Clara athlete and student

Posted: 01/20/2011 06:42:15 PM PST

The first time Arefany Wynn traveled the 9,000 miles from California to Ethiopia, he loved the country and received such a warm welcome from the people of his mother’s homeland that he promised to return.

But on his second visit, the 20-year-old Santa Clara athlete and student got a very different welcome. One night, an uncle was showing his American nephew the night life in the upscale Bole Road district of Addis Ababa. But when they walked into a club and a fight broke out, the two men decided to leave.

As they started to drive away, a police officer came out of the club after them. Young Arefany, riding in the back seat, turned around to see what was happening — just as the officer fired his AK-47 at the car, sending a bullet into the young man’s side and through his body. He died on the way to the hospital.

Watch:

Now Arefany’s anguished family is observing the Ethiopian 40-day mourning period, and they are desperately in search of answers. They want to know whether the police officer, whom witnesses say shot the young man, will be charged with a crime. They want to know why the body was shipped home without being embalmed, and where they will find money for funeral expenses.

But, most of all, they want to know why this gentle young man, a San Jose City College student who journeyed halfway around the world to immerse himself in Ethiopian culture, was taken from them so suddenly, so tragically.

Read more at mercurynews.com

Featured, Interviews

Outstanding Women in Science: Interview with Professor Sossina Haile

11 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn

Published: Tuesday, January 18, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – The scientific quest to find alternative sources of fuel is an expensive endeavor. And when Dr. Sossina Haile, Professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology, prodded fuel cell makers in the late ’90s to come up with a cheaper prototype, they hesitated. She decided to work on a solution and created the world’s first solid-acid fuel cell at her laboratory. By 2008, two of her former students had taken the lab idea and created a start-up to develop a commercial prototype. Dr. Sossina Haile’s work has been praised for helping to push the green energy revolution, and last October she was invited to give an ‘Outstanding Women in Science’ lecture at Indiana University.

We asked Dr. Sossina Haile a few questions:

Tadias: When did you first discover your love of science? What was the catalyst?

SH: I have enjoyed science as far back as I can remember. I have always loved the fact that it makes sense and as I child I discovered I was good at it. We have a tendency to gravitate towards things in which we excel.

Tadias: Can you tell us a bit about where you grew up? The influential individuals and role models in your life?

SH: I was born in Addis Abeba, and we moved permanently to the US when I was almost ten. In all honesty, there was not a particular individual who served as a role model for me in the pursuit of a scientific career. I was extremely fortunate in that my parents supported my choices. This was particularly important since many of my classmates were, shall I say, uncomfortable, with a girl in the industrial arts class rather than home economics.

Tadias: As a Professor and Researcher at Caltech you created a new type of fuel cell. Can you tell us more about the new material discovery and the implications of its real world application?

SH: The new material allows fuel cells to operate at temperatures that are hot enough so that the fuel cell is efficient, but not so hot that the fuel cell is too expensive. Fuel cells convert chemical energy, like hydrogen or natural gas, into electricity. There are many, many reasons why a consumer can’t go out and buy a fuel cell from the hardware store today. Our fuel cells take an entirely fresh approach at trying to solve those problems.

Tadias: Last October you were invited to give the Outstanding Women in Science lecture at Indiana University on the topic of “Creating a Sustainable Energy Future.” You note that “the challenge modern society faces is not one of identifying a sustainable energy source, but rather one of capitalizing on the vast, yet intermittent, solar resource base.” Can you tell us some of the additional ways that you envision capitalizing on clean energy sources?

SH: If we are to use the sun as our primary energy source, then we definitely need to develop ways to store its energy for use on demand. In my lab we have started to do this by converting the sunlight to heat, and then using the heat to drive reactions that create fuels like hydrogen and methane from water and carbon dioxide.

Tadias: In 2008 you served as Advisor for Superprotonic, a start-up founded by a few of your former Caltech students who wanted to develop commercial prototypes of the world’s first solid-acid fuel cells created in your lab. Can you elaborate on this venture? What are the future prospects for the commercialization of your work?

SH: Superprotonic, Inc. has as its mission the commercialization of fuel cells based on the materials, the solid-acids, developed in my laboratory. Due to the economic upheavals the work has transferred to a new company, SAFCell, but the mission and the key participants are unchanged. We remain hopeful that the company will be able to manufacture fuel cells that are ultimately more efficient and less costly than others being developed today.

Tadias: What aspects of teaching and research do you enjoy the most?

SH: I delight in the discovery. When results make sense and we are able to explain something, I am thrilled. When that discovery has potential to solve critical societal problems, I am ecstatic.

Tadias: What words would you share with other young, aspiring scientists?

SH: I am asked this frequently and I find myself repeating the advice “follow your passions.” I think the corollary is that you should not be constrained by what others think of you. The beauty of pursuing scientific endeavors is that really the only thing that matters is what your brain can deliver, not all of the superficial things that can so easily distract us.

Tadias: What is your favorite way (or activity) to unwind and relax from a busy, challenging schedule?

SH: The wonderful thing about what I do is that generally I have no desire to ‘get away from it.’ But I confess that occasionally I will indulge in a good book to keep me company on the long flight back from a meeting or conference. I recently finished Chains of Heaven by Philip Marsden. It was fantastic.

Tadias: Thank you for taking the time to share your outstanding work with our readers, and best wishes in your research endeavors.
—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Events, Featured

Either/Orchestra to Celebrate 25th Anniversary in NYC, Feb. 11

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Published: Wednesday, Januray 12, 2011

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

Family, Featured

My Life as a Travel Junkie: Ghana to Bolivia

13 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Maskarm K. Haile

maski_author_image.jpg

Published: Sunday, January 9, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – I am a resident of the beautiful city of Montreal, Canada, but I consider myself a citizen of the world. My first travel journal, My Humanitarian Journey to Africa, appeared in Tadias in 2003 and my last entry was about couchsurfing posted in August of 2008.

When receiving emails these days the subject lines usually read: “Where are you now?” And lately it’s been “Are you done?” or even “Were you able to find yourself?” For which I humorously reply: “I left a piece of me everywhere, which I need to go back to collect!”

I have been on the road for as long as I can remember. I started traveling through books, stories and simply staring at world maps and daydreaming before I could understand what traveling is all about.

As a child my dream for traveling was bigger than life itself. I wanted nothing but to discover the mystery of this beautiful world that we live in. I started out as a young and fearless traveler, openly bargaining my life with the universe, willingly surrendering my life. I wanted my heart and mind to open to new learning, to be tolerant and respectful, to explore and to appreciate the world as it is. Somehow deep inside I knew that I was going to embark on a journey that would forever change my life. A quest of a lifetime served by the beautiful world which I called my Open University!

Once I was on the road I found myself in different countries, towns, villages, churches, temples, mosques and synagogues. I ate rice noodles for breakfast, crocodile for dinner, snacked on Kudu Biltong on safari in Africa. I attended weddings, funerals, Candomble (religious ritual), birthdays and holidays with complete strangers that opened up their heart and homes to me. I shared my deepest thoughts, fears, and dreams with fellow travelers on long bus rides, airport waiting rooms, endless couchsurfing nights, countless coffee meetings and sightseeing around the world.

Mostly, people are curious to know why and how I am traveling, but the one question that made me actually write this article today was this: “What am I getting out of it?” I didn’t start traveling looking for something nor did I know what to look for. I simply showed up in most places armed with guidebooks, the desire to learn and to experience life.

The truth is that it is not really hard to stay on the road when you have passion for nature, culture and above all people. I happen to have them all, but the one thing that kept me going was the countless generous people that crossed my path who humbly opened their hearts and homes. They inspired me to see that there is more to life.


You can view more photos & journal of my recent trip to South America at www. maskarm.tumblr.com.

Below are few sample stories from my travels that are etched in my memory forever:

Starting with Africa, where I was born and to where I keep going back for more, the Ethiopian Ambassador to Ghana ran into me on the streets of Accra while I was searching for a hotel and took me to his wife and kids without hesitation just because I was Ethiopian.

In Gisenyi, Rwanda a tour operator overheard my conversation in the hostel about crossing the border to Goma, DRC the next day. Tired of trying to convince me that it wasn’t the safest place to go on my own, he decided to escort me to the border himself, where after making sure that I was safe, he returned to Rwanda.

In Khartoum, Sudan a man, whom my fellow travelers and I met at the bus station, welcomed us as if we were his old lost friends. He offered us a place to stay and truly showed us Sudanese hospitality. Of course I never forget the Sudanese camel merchant who was so concerned about my status in society and who offered to marry me to spare me from the humiliation of being not married as he put it!

In Israel a man in Haifa, who felt responsible for my life, stopped driving his car to lecture me on the dangers of hitchhiking, and ended up driving me to a bus station, paid my bus fare and made sure I boarded the bus to Jerusalem.

In Beirut, Lebanon a university professor offered his couch for a week (a camping bed he set up in his living room) and embraced my way of traveling by becoming an active local couchsurfer.

In Australia a simple ride request that I posted on the internet led me to traveling with a complete stranger from Melbourne, Victoria to Fraser Island in Queensland for three insanely beautiful weeks of camping, wine tasting and visiting national parks.

In India after attending a Hindu festival in Southern Tamil Nadu, I happily followed a family to the small village where I spent the best time of my life. The humble family had nothing except a table which they insisted to convert into a make-shift bed with a thin mattress. Although they didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak their language, their hospitality touched my core. They fed me some amazing vegetarian food. And YES I did sleep on the table!!

In La Paz, Bolivia a Somali-Dutch individual that I met at a market, introduced me to a whole new world of Afro-Bolivian culture where I was welcomed for three days of conference, fun, cultural shows and visiting the coffee and coca farms owned by Afro-Bolivians. I even met their king!

It is these endless stories that keep me on the road, maintain my sanity and make me appreciate my life, even when I found myself under a door frame in Mendoza, Argentina during an earthquake. At the time I felt as if I was having my last conversation with God. All I had to say was “Thank you for all the blessings I have received.”


Met with the oldest woman in the mostly Afro-Bolivian community of Tocaña, Bolivia.
—

Learn more about Maskarm K. Haile at maskarm.tumblr.com.

Photos: All images shown in this article are courtsey of the author.

Featured, Profiles

Spotlight On Fashion Designer Amsale Aberra

5 Comments

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Friday, Januray 7, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian American fashion designer and entrepreneur Amsale Aberra is the subject of this week’s African Voices on CNN International. The program “highlights Africa’s most engaging personalities, exploring the lives and passions of people who rarely open themselves up to the camera.”

Amsale, 57, who came to the United States from Ethiopia in 1973, is a New York-based bridal and evening-wear designer whose sophisticated and elegant dresses are favorites among celebrities. Academy Award Winner Julia Roberts wore an Amsale gown in the movie Runaway Bride. Aberra’s most talked about sale came in 2007 when ABC purchased an Amsale wedding dress for use in the season final episode of Grey’s Anatomy. As Time magazine noted: “When the producers of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy were looking for a wedding dress for Sandra Oh’s no-nonsense character, Cristina, to wear on the season finale of the hit medical show, they chose a $6,600 strapless mermaid style by Aberra.”

According to CNN: “Aberra is now gearing up for a new chapter in her career — her bridal boutique on New York’s Madison Avenue is going to be the subject of a new reality TV show, scheduled to air in the United States in April. She says she was initially anxious about the idea. “Many reality shows are about drama, about conflicts, and I wasn’t interested in that. But the concept is a pursuit of perfection. And it fits my principle, it fits the philosophy,” she said.

“When I design Amsale, I have to keep that bride in mind. She is simple, she is clean and sophisticated.”

Watch:


Cover photo via Saharan Vibe.

Events, Featured

ESAI to Hold 2011 Summit in Philadelphia

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)

Events, Featured

Aster Aweke To Perform Live At New Year’s Day Concert in D.C.

16 Comments

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 )

Related:
R. Kelly in Ethiopia for New Year concert (Afrique en ligne)

Featured, Reviews

10 Arts and Culture Stories of 2010

5 Comments

Tadias Magazine

By Tigist Selam

Updated: Monday, December 27, 2010

New York (TADIAS) – As we wrap up the year and review the contributions in the area of literature, fine arts, film, music and enterprunership, I can’t help but notice that it has been a year of rejuvenation for arts and popular culture among the Ethiopian Diaspora — from the publication of Dinaw Mengestu’s How To Read The Air, to Julie Mehretu’s Grey Area, and from Kenna’s Summit on the Summit to Dawit Kebede’s Press Freedom Award, this year was packed with big achievements and new beginnings. As you may notice, there are many other great stories that are not noted here. It was a tough list to choose from. As always, I welcome your comments and feedback.

Here are 10 favorite highlights:

1. Dinaw Mengestu’s ‘How To Read The Air’


Dinaw Mengestu (ExpressNightout.com)

The award-winning Ethiopian American novelist and writer Dinaw Mengestu, whose work has become a voice for his generation, has given us a new gem by way of his book entitled How To Read The Air. As The New York Times notes, the young writer – who was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – populates his novels “by exiles, refugees, émigrés and children of the African diaspora…” This book, of course, goes far beyond the Ethiopian American experience, even though Dinaw does extremely well in this regard as well. As he put it succinctly during a recent interview, “It’s less about trying to figure out how you occupy these two cultural or racial boundaries and more about what it’s like when you are not particularly attached to either of these two communities.” The new book follows the author’s highly successful début novel The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, described by Bethonie Butler in the Washingtonian magazine as “a poignant novel set in DC about immigration, gentrification, and assimilating to the new amid memories of the past.” The reason why I love this New York Times bestseller is because the substance of the book mirrors my own feelings and reflection about my own generation.

2. Julie Mehretu’s ‘Grey Area’


Artist Julie Mehretu

I couldn’t help but lose and find myself in each of Julie’s Mehretu’s paintings at the Guggenheim Museum earlier this year. She is not only one of the most admired American female artists, but also the most high-priced Ethiopian born artists of all time. Her work ‘Untitled 1’ sold for $US1,0022,500 at Sotheby’s in 2010. Her collection of semiabstract works displayed at the Guggenheim was 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.”

3. Davey and Rasselas’ Atletu (The Athlete)


Abebe Bikila (SBCC Film Reviews)

I have my fingers crossed this will be the first Ethiopian film that will win the Oscars. But either way, the story of Abebe Bekila – the barefooted Ethiopian man who stunned the world by winning Olympic gold in Marathon at the 1960 games in Rome – is one to be told and in this regard the movie is doing a superb job. I really hope it will get the recognition it deserves in the coming year.

4. Meklit Hadero’s ‘On A Day Like This’


(Meklit, Tsehai Poetry Jam – L.A.’s Little Ethiopia)

This sweet and amazingly talented singer/song-writer takes me on a musical journey to the heart of the Bay Area and Brooklyn, as well as to the countryside of Ethiopia. I have never heard such a sincere, poetic and soulful blend of American and Ethiopian music. Reviewers have compared Meklit’s 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 reported. Meklit obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Yale University 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 said. I can’t agree more.

5. Haile Gerima’s Film ‘Teza’


Mypheduh Films

Haile Gerima’s award winning film ‘Teza’ continues to draw crowds at special screenings around the country. The most notable in 2010 was the film’s premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, September 13th, honoring the late Teshome H. Gabriel, a long serving Professor at UCLA and a leading international figure on third world and post-colonial cinema. The director himself is a professor of film studies in the East Coast. Per NYT: “Among the courses Haile Gerima teaches at Howard University is one called ‘Film and Social Change.’ But for Mr. Gerima, an Ethiopian director and screenwriter who has lived here since the 1970s in what he calls self-exile, that subject is not just an academic concern: it is also what motivates him to make films with African and African-American themes.” Personally for me though, there has never been such an accurate, honest, insightful and simply well-made film about the Ethiopian experience abroad and in the homeland. This film continues to influence my professional, but more importantly, personal life.

6. Marcus Samuelsson’s ‘Red Rooster’


Marcus Samuelsson at the Red Rooster Harlem

I hope Marcus’ long awaited restaurant brings together artists, musicians, writers, and alike from the Ethiopian Diaspora and beyond right into the heart of Harlem. From the menu to the décor, I am certain that I won’t have to drag my downtown friends to hangout uptown. But for Marcus, it is clear that the aim is much bigger than fine dining. In a way, it is a contribution to the revitalization of this historic neighbourhood and we salute him for that.

7. Mulatu Astatke Still on The Move


Mulatu Astatke (Source:Telegraph)

The father of Ethiopian Jazz doesn’t seem to stop. As Peter Culshaw wrote of him on the UK paper Telegraph earlier this year, “At the age of 66, Mulatu Astatke is having the time of his life. The jazz composer and performer from Ethiopia is in the midst of a full-blown Indian summer in his career. He received a huge boost when influential film-maker Jim Jarmusch used his music for his 2005 film Broken Flowers, and was also a key figure in the 2007 The Very Best of Ethiopiques compilation, one of the most unlikely best-sellers of the last decade. Once heard, Astatke’s music is not easily forgotten. His signature vibraphone playing style uses the distinctive five-note Ethiopian scale and is like jazz from a parallel universe, by turns haunting, romantic and a touch sleazy, as though the soundtrack to some seductive espionage B-movie.” Enjoy the following video.

8. First Addis Foto Fest

Curated by the exceptionally talented and award-winning photographer Aida Muluneh, this festival showcased works by notable visual artists from around the world at venues throughout Addis Ababa for the very first time. My hope is that, with events such as Addis Foto Fest, local artists continue to network with international artists from all disciplines. Here is an interview with Aida Muluneh about photography.

9. Dawit Kebede’s ‘Press Freedom Award


Dawit Kebede at CPJ Awards 2010, NYC

As the editor of Awramba Times, an independent and local Ethiopian newspaper, he spent almost two years in prison after reporting on the Ethiopian election in 2005. Five years later he receives an international award, encouraging others to write without fear. He is an inspiration to many around the world, particularly to those in our profession.

10. Grammy-nominated musician Kenna’s ‘Summit on the Summit’

Inspired by his father’s water-borne disease, Ethiopian born Academy Award-nominated Hip Hop artist Kenna climbed the Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the global water crisis. He was followed by an MTV crew. I salute Kenna on his artistry, as well as dedication to educate the youth on global issues affecting all of us. Watch Kenna talk about the project.

—
About the Author:
Tigist Selam is host of TADIAS TV. She is a writer and actress based in New York and Germany. (Tigist’s photograph by Ingrid Hertfelder).

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Featured, News

Death in DC9 Case Ruled a Homicide

2 Comments

Above: The tragic death of a young man that sparked outrage
in the Ethiopian community has been ruled a homicide. (File)

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Updated: Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – The death of 27-year old Ethiopian immigrant Ali Ahmed Mohammed, who died in October after a physical confrontation with five men associated with DC9 nightclub, has been ruled a homicide by the city’s medical examiner’s office.

“The family wishes to commend those at the Medical Examiner’s office for their hard work and dedication in helping to uncover that Ali’s death was a homicide,” family attorney Billy Martin said in the statement. “The family is confident that law enforcement will continue its investigation into Ali’s tragic death and that the Medical Examiner’s report is a step toward justice for Ali. The Medical Examiner’s findings, however, also reminds us that Ali suffered a cruel and senseless death. Ali did not deserve to die for allegedly breaking a window. The family remains heartbroken and cannot have peace until those responsible for Ali’s death are brought to justice.”

The victim died of “excited delirium associated with arrhythmogenic cardiac anomalies, alcohol intoxication and physical exertion with restraint manner,” the medical examiner’s office said – citing the manner of death as “homicide.” Per WaPo: “Although criminal charges in the case were dismissed because of the initial lack of autopsy findings, authorities said they would not be legally barred from refiling charges if new information warranted such a move. The autopsy finding of homicide appears to make a new criminal case likely.”

However, the U.S. attorney’s office issued the following press release saying the case is still under investigation: “The Medical Examiner has now completed an autopsy related to the unfortunate death of Ali Ahmed Mohammed. The Medical Examiner’s forensics examination has concluded that a variety of factors led to the death of Mr. Mohammed, and we intend to carefully study these conclusions as part of our legal analysis of this tragic incident. Our deliberate and comprehensive factual inquiry continues, and we again express our sincere appreciation to the family of Mr. Mohammed for their patience and understanding as we work to reach a just conclusion to our investigation.”

Ali, who was a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, came to the United States from Ethiopia in 1997. He graduated from Coolidge Senior High School in Washington, D.C. He died on the morning of Friday, October 15, 2010 after the five DC9 employees allegedly chased, then tackled and beat him. The incident happened after he was denied entrance to the bar around 2:30 a.m., and after he allegedly returned to throw a brick through the window. “In my opinion, you talk about a beating like this as a result of property damage, someone has lost his life in a savage beating in what appears to be vigilante justice, it’s ridiculous,” Washington, D.C’s police chief Cathy Lanier had said at the time.

District prosecutors had initially charged the men with second-degree murder – which were later reduced to charges of aggravated assault – but eventually dropped all charges noting insufficient evidence to support the case. “Dropping the charges enabled authorities to continue their investigation and preserved their option to refile charges,” according to The Washington Post. “The death and investigation has prompted intense responses both from supporters of the DC9 employees and from family and friends of Mohammed.”

The employees have said they are innocent.

Watch: Ali Ahmed’s Family Says Death Ruled Homicide

Family of Ali Ahmed Mohammed Says Death Ruled Homicide: MyFoxDC.com

—

Photos: Images from public gatherings held by Ali’s family–

Video: Reactions to the beating death of Ali A. Mohammed

Related:
DC9 Gets the Green Light to Reopen

Featured, News, Opinion

Ethiopian, Israeli, New Yorker: Preserving The Jewish Heritage

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Above: Beejhy Barhany, founder and director of BINA, and Bizu
Riki Mullu, founder of Chassida-Shmella. (Bizu photo via UJF.org)

Tadias Magazine
By Dana Rapoport

Published: Monday, December 20, 2010

New York (Tadias) – “My journey is nothing special,” said Beejhy Barhany at the Hue-Man Bookstore, on 125th street in Harlem. “It’s the every-Israeli, ordinary path.”

In many ways she was right. The curly-haired young Ethiopian woman with a pearl knitted sweater and a ton of charisma, Barhany, 34, pursued a common route for a young Israeli: graduation, military service, backpacking in South America, and finally – New York.

Barhany, founder and director of BINA, Beta Israel of North America, an Ethiopian-Jewish organization in New York, is driven by the same curiosity and entrepreneurial instinct that brought some 25,000 Israelis as immigrants to the city. But going three decades back, Barhany and approximately 500 Ethiopian Jews living in New York, share a saga of traveling that is everything but ordinary.

“We left everything behind — land, property, cattle — when my relatives in Israel wrote to us in a letter: “Now is the time to come,” she recalled of that middle-of-the night in 1980, when the three-year journey began from the northern province of Tigray, Ethiopia. Barhany was four-years–old.

The term for Ethiopian Jews in Amharic is Falasha, a term of derision as outsiders or foreigners. They call themselves Beta Israel, ”The House of Israel.”

For over 2,500 years the Beta Israel community observed Orthodox Judaism, but for hundreds of years, the Ethiopian Jewry was unknown or disregarded by the rest of the Jewish world.

The regime of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, and persecution by different tribes in Ethiopia, prompted the Israeli government, with no diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, to facilitate the rescue of thousands of Beta Israel.

Barhany and the group of people from her village walked for two months, until they arrived in Sudan. Three years later, they were given the green light to leave, by car, from Khartoum to Kenya, from Kenya to Uganda, then to Italy and finally – to Israel.

With a huge support and millions of Jewish American dollars, in 1991 a secret negotiation with the Ethiopian government was made, and within 36 hours, with 34 jumbo jets, “Operation Solomon” brought a total of 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel.

One of those young children who landed in Israel that year is Angosh Goshu (Dorit). After six years in Brooklyn, her memory of the emotional arrival in Israel seemed even more contrasted. “We saw toilets, bathrooms and things like that, things we never saw before,” she said during an interview in a busy, fluorescent-lit Dunkin’ Donuts shop.

For the thirty thousand agriculturally trained, Amharic speaking Ethiopian immigrants, Israel, in the midst of the high-tech boom, was a very different landscape.

After she completed her Army service, like Barhany, Gogshu too, found herself emigrating for the second time in her life. This time, to New York.

She lives with her brother Neo, on Church Avenue and is studying to be a nurse. Between her job and her studies she helps Bizu Riki Mullu, founder of Chassida Shmella, to foster a community and promote Ethiopian culture and tradition.

There’s another advantage to life in New York. “In Israel we are different, we stand out more than we do here,“ Barhany said. “It might be easier for a non-Ethiopian to find a job there, than it is for Ethiopians… here it can be easier, no one will categorize you.”

A recent Israeli study found that, roughly 20 years after they came to Israel, unemployment in the Ethiopian community is more than double than in the whole Jewish population in Israel. Forty percent of Ethiopians are jobless or are not looking for one. It also found that only sixteen percent of Ethiopian Israelis are high-school graduates.

Like many of their peers in their early twenties, they decided to come to New York. Unlike most, however, they founded, or helped to start two non-profits: BINA and Chassida Shmella.

Chassida Shmella is the word stork in Hebrew and Amharic. It echoes an old tradition, of asking the storks as they migrate from Europe, (over Israel) to Africa: “Stork, stork, how is our beloved Jerusalem?”

These two organizations help Ethiopians network in the big city as well as help them to preserve their tradition.


Above: The renowned Ethiopian-Israeli BETA Dance Troupe was one of the highlights at the 2010 Sigd
festival in New York hosted by Chassida Shmella, The Ethiopian Jewish Community of North America,
and the 92nd Street Y Resource Center for Jewish Diversity.

The community has grown in the last five years but these organizations still struggle for support. Their community is too small to receive funding from larger organizations, and they are having trouble growing, because they lack support for education, for Jews and non-Jews about Ethiopia’s Jewish heritage.

Shabbat Dinners with Ethiopian food, Annual Ethiopian Film Festival and other cultural programs by BINA and Chassida Shmella are much needed. It’s crucial not only to strengthen the sense of community, but also to overcome ignorance from American Jews and even Israeli New Yorkers.

“Ninety Nine percent of people did not believe that I was Jewish,” said Goshu, 28, wearing a silver Star-of-David pendant. “And then, there were the Israelis, who asked ‘What, are you Ethiopian? What are you doing here? Were you unhappy in Israel?’” She replied with the same question. “Why are you here? Were you unhappy there?”

American Jewish foundations, which were key players in the Ethiopian Jews’ exodus, replied to Barhany’s request: “Isn’t it enough we brought them to Israel?”

During the Sigd holiday festival in the Upper East Side 92Y in September, Mullu, dressed in a traditionally-embroidered white dress, said they still need a lot of help.

“We are reaching out for everybody, every organization, every individual to be involved, to help us grow this organization, to help a younger generation be a part of the Jewish nation.”

Reaching out to everyone has worked. Barhany said that more than thirty percent of the Ethiopian-American community supports and participates in the community’s events. With fewer resources but a lot of enthusiasm, their help is crucial for these organizations’ growth.

After ten years in New York, Barhany is no longer a stranger, but she’s not ready to announce the end of her journey just yet.

“I call myself the wandering Jew,” she said.

Like the storks, she will keep traveling. Israel, and Ethiopia are her next stops, but not the last.

—
About the Author:
Dana Rapoport is a journalist based in New York. She worked as a foreign news editor for Israel’s largest broadcast news channel, Channel2, before attending the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. Rapoport also holds a BA in History and Theatre from Tel Aviv University. She hopes to keep covering the Ethiopian community here, and in Israel.

Events, Featured, Interviews, Podcast

Tadias TV: Early Sneak Peek of Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Harlem

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Tadias Magazine
Events News (Video)

Published: Friday, December 17, 2010

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.

WATCH:

Featured, Reviews

Top 10 Most Viewed Stories of 2010

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Above: Images from the most popular stories of 2010 posted
on Tadias.com b/n January 1, 2010 and December 15, 2010.

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Thursday, December 16, 2010

New York (Tadias) – Some of the top stories featured on Tadias.com this year include, among others, the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409, a violent arrest inside an Ethiopian church in Texas (caught on tape), the appointment of Captain Amsale Gualu as the first female captain at Ethiopian Airlines, as well as our exclusive interviews with rising music star Meklit Hadero, international model Maya Gate Haile and Ethiopian legend Teshome Mitiku.

The stories are displayed in the order in which they were ranked by Google Analytics. We have included links to each article as well as videos when available.

Here’s a look at the 10 most-read stories of the year.

1. Names of Passengers Aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409

Above: Ethiopian women mourn the death of a relative killed aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409, which crashed into the Mediterranean sea minutes after taking off from Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport in the early hours of Monday, January 25, 2010. The 90 passengers and crew that perished hail from nine countries: Ethiopia, Lebanon, Britain, Canada, Russia, France, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. (Photo: Getty Images).

 

2. Tadias TV Interview with Meklit Hadero

Above: We caught up with rising music star Meklit Hadero during her summer concert at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on June 1st. The Manhattan appearance was a homecoming of sorts for Hadero, who spent part of her childhood in Brooklyn. She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science before settling in San Francisco where she launched her music career in 2004. Her debut album, On A Day Like This, has garnered national attention with repeated highlights on NPR. Reviewers have compared her sound to that of Music legends Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell. Watch the video below.

 

3. Exclusive Interview With Model Maya Haile

Above: Earlier this year we also highlighted international model Maya Gate Haile. The Ethiopian-born model grew up in Holland before relocating to New York where her fashion modeling career has flourished. She is represented by the world’s top modeling agencies including IMG, Elite and Ford. Maya also works closely with UNICEF’s New Generation program. Her husband, Chef Entrepreneur and Author Marcus Samuelsson, introduced her to UNICEF and currently serves as Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Here is Tigist Selam’s conversation with Model Maya Haile at home in Harlem.

4. Violent Arrest Inside Ethiopian Church Caught on Tape

Above: The incident happened at the Dallas Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Garland, Texas, on Sunday, May 2nd when a female congregate, Yeshi Zerihun, interrupted morning announcements to ask questions about church business, including about the presence of the unusually large number of police officers outside the church that day. She was told her questions were out of order, but other worshipers began shouting for answers. An amateur video shows the cops entering the church following a man in a suit and hysteria breaking out. Watch here the local news report.

5. Ethiopia Election Marred by Charges of Voter Intimidation

Above: Ethiopia's 2010 national election was marred by charges of fraud and voter Intimidation. The country's two largest opposition parties were crushed in parliamentary elections held on May 23, 2010. The nation's 31.9 million registered voters went to the polls to select 547 members of parliament and representatives to regional councils. The results showed the ruling party sweeping 99 percent of announced seats. Opposition leaders contested the results through the court system which they eventually lost. The election process was roundly criticized by international observers. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi dismissed outside criticism as foreign interference – violating the sovereignty of Ethiopia. (Photo credit: AP)

6. Ethiopian Airlines Appoints First Female Captain

Above: She may not be the first Ethiopian woman pilot, but Captain Amsale Gualu Endegnanew (right) is just as pioneering. She is the first female to become captain in the history of Ethiopian Airlines. “Captain Amsale proudly took off her first flight from the left hand seat of the flight deck of a Q-400 aircraft from Addis Ababa to Gondar then to Axum and finally returned back to Addis Ababa after a total of 3.6 flight hours,” the airline said following her historic flight on October 14, 2010. We don't have a video of Captain Amsale, but take a look below for a tour inside Ethiopian Airlines' latest Boeing jet. (Photo: Ethiopian Airlines via Nazret.com.)

7. Ethiopian Community Mourns 5 Dead in Seattle Fire

Above: Nisreen Shamam (left), Yaseen Shamam (C) and Joseph Gebregiorgis (R). They were among those killed in an apartment fire in Seattle on Saturday, June 12, 2010. Thousands attended a public memorial service held on Saturday, June 19 at Seattle Center’s KeyArena. The service included an emotional visual tribute: One by one, the lives lost were celebrated on screen, a series of snapshots taken in happier times. The boy who dreamed of playing point guard for the Boston Celtics. The siblings who adored their older brother. The girl who liked to jump rope. And the young woman who could win any argument she set her mind to. Killed in the swift-moving fire at Helen Gebregiorgis’ apartment were three of her children — Joseph Gebregiorgis, 13, Nisreen Shamam, 6, and Yaseen Shamam, 5; her sister, Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis, 22; and a niece, 7-year-old Nyella Smith, daughter of a third sister, Yordanos Gebregiorgis. (Seattle Times)

8. Simon Bahta Arrested in New York City

Above: New York City police arrested Simon Bahta Asfeha, the man wanted for the Virginia killings of his girlfriend – 27-year old Seble Tessema – and their 3-year-old daughter. Investigators in Alexandria had initially thought that Asfeha “may have sought refuge in the large Washington, D.C., area Ethiopian community or in a homeless shelter, ” according to America’s Most Wanted TV show. But he apparently had run away to New York City, where a witness alerted authorities on his location. He was captured without incident on Thursday, April 29 2010 in a coordinated effort between NYPD, the U.S. marshals, and Alexandria police. Watch below local media report of the crime.

9. The Nun Pianist: Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru

Above: Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru after performing for the first time in 35 years in Washington, D.C. on July 12, 2008 (File photo by Makeda Amha). The 85-year-old classical pianist and composer, whose music has been popularized in recent years by the Ethiopiques CD series, is attracting younger audiences. “Every time I have put this on at least three new conversions occur, where the listeners go on to permanently install this woman’s music on their stereo,” Meara O’Reilly notes in a recent highlight on Boing Boing. “My neighbor even stalked me once just so she could listen to it more, until I just gave her my extra copy.” Listen to the music here.

10. Exclusive Interview With Ethiopian Legend Teshome Mitiku

Above: Teshome Mitiku (second from right) has not returned to Ethiopia since his abrupt departure in 1970. In a recent exclusive interview with Tadias Magazine, the legendary artist who made a historic appearance accompanying the Either/Orchestra at the prestigious Chicago Jazz Festival in September, talked about his extensive music career, his memories of Ethiopia and his famous daughter, the Swedish pop star Emilia. Teshome burst into Ethiopia’s music scene during a period in the 1960′s known as the “Golden Era.” He was the leader of Soul Ekos Band, the first independent musical ensemble to be recorded in the country. The group is credited for popularizing Amharic classics such as Gara Sir New Betesh, Yezemed Yebada, Mot Adeladlogn and Hasabe – all of which were written by the artist. Prior to settling in the United States in the early 1990′s, Teshome spent over 20 years in Sweden, where he continued to hone his music skills, earn a graduate degree in Sociology, and witness his daughter grow up to become a Swedish ballad and pop music singer. We spoke with Teshome Mitiku over coffee on U street in Washington, D.C. The following sound features one of the artist's favorite songs, Gara Sir New Betesh.

Swedish pop singer Emilia (Teshome Mitiku’s daughter)

Family, Featured, Profiles

Meet Young Entrepreneur Eskat Asfaw: College Shuttle

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Tadias Magazine
By Martha Z. Tegegn

Published: Monday, December 13, 2010

Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – When Eskat Asfaw joined the Entrepreneurship Club in Frostburg State University’s business department as a student, he had no idea a great business venture would soon be born. When his professors pointed out that there was an unfulfilled need for transporation for college students, Asfaw had a moment of enlightenment and immediately set to work to address that gap.

“I have always wondered how students without cars moved around,” said Asfaw, who immediately brought his exciting idea to his colleagues and advisors: to provide transportation to students who reside a good two and half hours away from major public transportation stops. Asfaw then presented his idea alongside his two major investors — his parents who agreed to help him finance the purchase of his first van.

From there College Shuttle was born — “an innovative business addressing a need that is largely not met,” says his sister Alegnta Asfaw.

Today, after two years in operation College Shuttle has become a company with 7 colleges and university clients and serving close to 100 students in any given week. Asfaw runs three more vans and provides access to a dozen more.

To meet the growing demand, this young entrepreneur runs his business literally all day and night. “If I am not responding to a phone call I am checking the website (Collegeshuttles.com), or driving occasionally when the demand is high. I will take a break when my company grows to its potential.”

The self-professed music lover admits that before he bumped into this great venture he had always wanted to own a nightclub. In the past, he had supplemented his living through parties that he organized in the Metro Washington region and at Frostburg State University, where he earned his business degree.

Asfaw’s business is not only a pioneering idea but also a great job opportunity that pays well for students who are looking for weekend jobs to supplement their income. He has more than a dozen students working for him as web developers, marketers, and van drivers.

College Shuttle transports student to and from public transportation stops throughout the Baltimore and DC metro regions. “It was an instant success” said Eskat (short for Eskatnaf). “All I had to do was put some flyers up with my number and email address.” Although starting up any business includes some level of risk, his family says “he is always careful and makes sure ….he is responding to a need.”

Dr. Marty Mattare, one of his professors who was instrumental in the success of his company and still lends a hand when needed, says “Eskat has shown great persistence in his pursuit of College Shuttle. He worked very hard to make it a success and sought feedback and advice from a number of people. College Shuttle has also provided great opportunities for students to work in an entrepreneurial environment and contribute to a successful small business startup. I have no doubt that Eskat will go far with this enterprise!”

College Shuttle has received the Trident Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Asfaw is recognized in the Frostburg/Alleghany area for creating jobs and stimulating economic growth. According to his professor, he has inspired other students to become entrepreneurs and has himself mentored more than 15 students in Frostburg and continues to do so. His sister Alegnta says, “I believe this is the kind of leadership and innovative thinking that we want to showcase among young Ethiopians in America.”

The 26 year-old businessman left Ethiopia as a young boy in the early 90s has never been back. However, someday he wants to return with “some philanthropic project in Ethiopia—particularly in the education area.”

Eskat Asfaw of College Shuttle won the 2010 Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. He “was very enterprising; he had a vision of a company and worked diligently to make it successful,” says Dr. Marty Mattare, his former professor. (Courtesy Photograph

MT: How do you feel about the award and your professor’s comment?

EA: It is very humbling and nice to get everyone’s support.

MT: Tell us a bit about yourself. Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

EA: Well I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we lived in Bole area; and then migrated to Kenya when I was about 7, then moved to America in 1996.

MT: What was it like growing up in Kenya?

EA: Kenya was nice, I went to elementary school there. I liked Kenya. I have more memories of Kenya than Ethiopia — I only remember our dog and house {in Ethiopia}.

MT: You went to college in Frostburg, Maryland. Tell me about Frostburg.

EA: Frostburg is in Western Maryland. That is where I went to school. I was a business major. I went to Montgomery college first and then transferred to Frostburg State University, and I graduated from there in 2009.

MT: I read in one of your college newspapers that your idea for College Shuttle was appluaded by the business department at Frostburg State University. Can you tell us more?

EA: I joined the Entrepreneurship Club as soon as I heard about it. I used to go to all the business conferences religiously, and when I heard about this club I had to go — who better to join than me [laughs]. The club advisor was a really nice man. He was telling us about different things that the school needs….since he was there for 27 years. One of the needs was transportation. I was wondering about transportation myself so I kind of took it to heart and kept thinking about it, writing down numbers and stuff in class. My advisors were very impressed with my idea.

MT: Transportation for whom?

EA: For the students in Frostburg. It is about 2 and 1/2 hours away…and there is no way to get there except by train or car.

MT: Where are the students from?

EA: Most of the students are from Baltimore and DC metro area.

MT: So, you were still in school when you got started.

EA: Yes, it started there and then. I didn’t know anyone. I used to go to class and then back to my apartment. I met with one guy and I asked him if he can help me to get to know people. That summer I put together some flyers with my personal information. I did the flyers a week before school started …….and the calls started coming. The majority of our customers are freshmen or sophomores and don’t own cars yet.

MT: How do you handle the logistics of running such a business?

EA: We now have an 877 toll free number as well as a web site. Most of our customers go online and register and pay online. Once they do that we send them a pickup time.

MT: Your shuttle service is limited to weekends. Why?

EA: The whole point is to get the students home for the weekend. They have different reasons for going home every weekend, leaving on Friday and returning on Sunday.

MT: Do you drop off the students at their homes?

EA: We drop off our customers at public areas close to their home such as metro stations, malls etc. It is a lot easier for their parents to pick them up when they are at a closer location. The majority of the time it is parents who make the arrangement for their kids. They would rather do that than driving two and half hours to come get their kids.

MT: How large is your customer base?

EA: We serve seven colleges now: Frostburg, West Virginia, Allegany College, Petomac State College, and three more colleges in Eastern Maryland. Our focus is just students. Our motto is students need their own transportation services. As students they have already a lot to deal with. We are just trying to fulfill the transportation part of it. Our time slots and services are flexible to students to meet their need. Students are very rash themselves. We work with their ever changing last minute decisions.

MT: What makes your business different than other shuttle services? Do you have any competition?

EA: Yes, there is a competition such as the bus line and train stations….but what we do is quite different. The way we treat our customers and the simple fact that our business is solely dedicated to students makes us preferable and it makes a world of difference to our success.

MT: How many employees do you have?

EA: I am the sole owner but I have many drivers. I also drive when necessary. I love driving. I have a lot of students that work for me, about a dozen. They work on graphic design, web designing, marketing; a lot of the work is done by the students themselves. So it is kind of a great side job for them. I set high standard for them and if they meet that standard they get paid more and they stay with me longer.

MT: How many vans do you have?

EA: We have three of our own but we do have access to many more on a need basis. Our vans are 15 passenger buses.

MT: Where do you say your entrepreneurial spirit comes from?

EA: Well, I always enjoyed business. Even when I was in high school in Silver Spring I had a lawn mowing business. My sisters used to work for me and we worked in a couple of areas in the neighborhood. I just enjoy business. When I got to college I started promoting parties. That is how I made most of my money. Then this came along and I just knew I wanted to make it a success and I truly believed in it.

MT: Do you have role model?

EA: Nick Friedman from College Hunks Hauling Junk. We have a lot of similarities and the way he transformed a simple idea to a nationwide success impresses me. I met him for a coffee once and he gave me few feedbacks and it helped shaped my business. I still communicate with him when I need to. He is my strong role model in business. On a personal level, I also look up to my father and older brother; they are great individuals that see the future clearly. And one thing I figured out as I matured is that my father is always right. Sometimes I wish I listened to him more. Another thing is my father supported all my decisions in life. He cares about my business as much as I do.

MT: Tell me about your family. How have they influenced you?

EA: Family means a lot to me. We are very close family. Everyone knows everything about everyone…my mom calls about ten times a day to checkup on me. My mom and dad were my main investors when I started the business. Without them I wouldn’t have been a business owner. They helped me buy the first van. To this day I turn to them for advice. In Ethiopia my grandparents were business owners. My mom was also into coffee business. In this country, my parents own a popular store in Chevy Chase. So from early on I understood that business played a huge role in American lifestyle. I would say, the culture in whch I grew up has a big influnce in me. Even if I grew up in America, I feel like how I was brought up makes it easier to respect my customers and easier to talk to them without feeling of entitlement. And I get a lot of positive feedback from customers saying, you are very down to earth and I think it is an Ethiopian thing.

MT: What’s the long-term plan for College Shuttle?

EA: I want to go national and hire a lot of college students. My goal, in about 6 years or so, to be in as many universities and colleges as possible. I am doing the research on the need. I see it happening already. A lot of rural universities and colleges have transportation gaps. Most of the colleges we service right now, we were asked to be there. I feel like we are doing a community service as well. Parents can have safe transportation for their kids to and from colleges. We service everyone and our customers are from all walks of life. I think it is also a great idea to explore what you can do as an individual and contribute to the work force. You will end up creating a job not only for yourself but for others too.

MT: Thank you and we wish you great success.

EA: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my story.
—

Related:
FSU Alumni Runs Shuttle Service for Students (The Bottom Line)
Filling a Need for a Ride Home From College (Frostburg State University eNEWS)

Other profiles by Martha Z. Tegegn
Exclusive Interview With Ethiopian Legend Teshome Mitiku (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)
Why Girls Gotta Run: Interview with Dr. Patricia E. Ortman
A Conversation with filmmaker Haile Gerima

Featured

4th Annual Artists for Charity Holiday Benefit

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Tadias Magazine
Events News

Updated: Friday, December 3, 2010

New York (Tadias) – With the holiday season upon us and in this season of giving, we’d like to highlight the work of Artists for Charity (AFC) – a network of artists, volunteers and donors who operate a home for HIV positive orphans in Addis Ababa. The non-profit organization will hold its 4th Annual Holiday Benefit Art Auction, featuring the work of emerging and established artists, on Saturday, December 4th at the WVSA Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The AFC Children’s Home got its start seven years ago after its founder Abezash Tamerat, a young soul-searching artist traveled to Ethiopia and learned firsthand about the impact of HIV/AIDS on children.

In her bio that she sent to Tadias, Tamerat states: “In 2003, I traveled to Ethiopia and saw first-hand the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. Having lost their parents to the deadly virus, many children were left unable to fend for themselves as orphans. Relatives took in these children only to find the bonds of family too weak to overcome the stigma of AIDS in Ethiopia; they were neglected and abused by the very people they looked to for help. Having grown up in the foster care system in the United States I knew that these children deserved better. They deserved the same opportunities that I received. Compelled to act, I started a children’s home for HIV-positive double orphans who had been turned away by other childcare organizations because of their age, poor health, or disability. I was ridiculed at first. People asked me why I would start a home for dying children. At that time, there were no guarantees that these children would live to see their next birthday. But for as long as they are given hope, the spirit in children is strong. Surrounded by a loving environment, placed on a nutritious diet, and provided life-saving antiretroviral medication, these children have not only survived – they have thrived.”


Artists for Charity Founder Abezash Tamerat. (Photo Courtesy of Artistforcharity.org)

Fast forward to 2010 and the home still provides all the basic necessitates for these children, such as food, shelter, medical attention, school fees and supplies. The group also has other projects, including an Artist-in-Residency program which allows qualified volunteers to spend up to a year in Ethiopia while sharing their creative talent with AFC children.

“Seven years later, Artists for Charity is going strong,” Abezash says. “We have grown into an international network of artists, volunteers, and donors; each is dedicated to our mission — proving that many people working together can accomplish much for those who need hope the most. If you feel compelled, I hope you choose to join us and become an Artist for charity.”

The annual art auction, which helps to raise funds for the organization, is scheduled for Saturday, December 4th in Washington, D.C.

If You Go:
AFC’s 4th Annual Holiday Benefit & Art Auction
WVSA Gallery (1100 16th Street, NW)
Advance tickets: $20
Ticktes at the door: $25
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Learn more at Artistforcharity.org

Video: Artists for Charity Children’s Home

Featured, News

DC9 Gets the Green Light to Reopen

  • Above: District’s Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration
    unanimously voted Wednesday Dec. 1st to reopen DC9 club.

    Tadias Magazine
    News Update

    Updated: Thursday, December 2, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – Washington, D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration has voted to reinstate the liquor license for DC9, the nightclub that was shut down following an October incident in which five club employees – including former co-owner William Spieler – were accused of beating a man who died outside the bar. The city’s Police Chief Cathy Lanier had acted to suspend the liquor license after noting the circumstances of Ali Mohammed’s death on the morning of Friday, October 15, 2010. The men had allegedly chased Ali then tackled and beat him after he was denied entrance to the bar around 2:30 a.m., and after he allegedly returned to throw a brick through the window. The employees have said they are innocent and prosecutors have dropped all charges, citing insufficient evidence to support the case.

    Ali, who was a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, came to the United States from Ethiopia in 1997. He graduated from Coolidge Senior High School in Washington, D.C.

    According to Cynthia Simms, spokeswoman for the liquor licensing board, the reopening of DC9 on Dec. 15 is attached to certain conditions. Simms said the decision will be reviewed at another hearing scheduled for January 19, 2011.

    Per the The Washington Post: “Among other conditions of DC9’s reopening, the club will not be allowed to employ Spieler of any of the four other men involved in the Oct. 15 incident, Simms said. She said the board’s ruling could be reversed or altered Jan. 19 if more information about Mohammed’s death becomes available. Police and the medical examiner’s office are continuing to investigate the encounter on the street that night and Mohammed’s medical condition and injuries at the time, authorities said. They said they would not be legally barred from refiling criminal charges in the case if new information warranted such a move.”
    —

    Photographs from Wednesday Dec. 1st, 2010 (Outside the ABRA office)

    Friends brave rainy day to gather outside 1250 U street. (Photo: Samson Balekier)


    Taken on December 1, 2010 at 1250 U street in D.C. Photo by Samson Balekier.

    Related:
    Tadias TV: Reactions to the beating death of Ali A. Mohammed

    Liquor board rejects DC9 reopening
    Wednesday, November 17, 2010

    The owners of District club DC9 lost a bid Wednesday to reopen after members of the District’s Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration unanimously voted to keep it shuttered in the wake of an October incident in which five club employees were accused of beating a man who died outside the popular nightspot.

    District prosecutors dropped charges against the five employees on Nov. 5, saying evidence available at that point did not support the case.

    The employees have said they are innocent.

    DC9 is on Ninth Street near U Street in Northwest.

    Another hearing on the club’s reopening is set for Dec. 1, said alcohol board spokeswoman Cynthia Simms. Read the story at The Washington Post.

    Related:
    Death outside a D.C. nightclub (The Washington Post Editorial)

    Today’s photo: Friends and family stage a rally (Wednesday, November 17, 2010)

    Friends and family staged another rally on Wednesday morning, Nov 17 outside the hearing.

    Photos by Samson Balekier.
    —————-

    DC9 Poised to Regain Liquor License, Ali’s Friends Prepare to Protest
    Tadias Magazine
    Video and Editorial

    Published: Sunday, November 14, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – The beating death of 27-year old Ethiopian immigrant Ali Ahmed Mohammed continues to spark outrage and dismay in the Ethiopian American community. The murder charges filed against DC9 nightclub co-owner and four of its employees, which were later reduced to charges of aggravated assault, have since been dismissed entirely citing the medical examiner’s determination that the victim’s injuries were not consistent with a brutal beating.

    While the liquor license for DC9 was revoked following the incident, the bar has been granted a new hearing before the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, scheduled for Wednesday, November 17 at 9:30 a.m. “That hearing has been set because representatives for DC9 filed a request to the board that it reconsider its Nov. 1 decision to continue the bar’s suspension for at least 30 more days,” TBD reports. “This new hearing doesn’t necessarily supplant the already scheduled Dec. 1 status hearing, but if the Board decides to go ahead and take action on the case on Wednesday, it theoretically could.”

    The city’s Police Chief Cathy Lanier had acted to suspend the liquor license last month after noting the circumstances of Ali’s death on the morning of Friday, October 15, 2010. According to initial police reports, the young man who worked as a security guard at a local deli, was denied entry to the DC9 nightclub around 2:30 a.m., but he returned to throw a brick through the window. What followed next was described by Lanier as extralegal punishment against the victim. Five men chased Ali— including the club’s owner Bill Spieler and employees Darryl Carter, Reginald Phillips, Evan Preller, and Arthur Zaloga – then tackled and beat him, police said. When officers arrived, all five men were still on the scene and Ali was in critical condition, Lanier said. He was pronounced dead a short time later. “In my opinion, you talk about a beating like this as a result of property damage, someone has lost his life in a savage beating in what appears to be vigilante justice, it’s ridiculous,” the police chief had said.

    Attorneys for the defendants have been aggressive in their attack of the police version of events, accusing the cops of rushing to judgement. According to the Washington City Paper, during an ABRA hearing earlier this month, “The defense played a radio call placed by the EMTs who picked up Mohammed the night he died. In a call to Howard University hospital, the emergency workers describe Mohammed as being a victim of cardiac arrest, not bludgeoning. They explain that Mohammed has had a “cardiac arrest after a fight.” They also recount that he went unconscious in the presence of police, contradicting the police version of events—which claims Mohammed was dead or very close to it when the first officer arrived on the scene. Throwing the wrench into the credibility of the EMTs, though, is the fact that they refer to the young Mohammed as a ’45-year-old.'”

    Meanwhile, Ali’s parents are still awaiting proper explanation of what exactly happened to their son. Friends and family say they plan to stage another rally on Wednesday morning. At a gathering held last week outside the U.S. attorney’s office, the mother, Sashie Bule, who carried a sign bearing her son’s photo is reported by The Washington Post to have stated: “I need answers…I want to know what happened to my son. He didn’t deserve this.” Nunu Waco, Ali’s cousin, told The Washington Post, her family was shocked by the prosecutors’ decision to drop all charges. “Our family deserves better,” she said. “American citizens deserve better.”

    U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. insists the investigation is continuing. “Our work is not done,” Machen said in a statement after all charges were dismissed by his office. “The tragic death of Ali Ahmed Mohammed demands that we undertake a careful and comprehensive investigation to determine precisely how he died. . . . The search for justice cannot be rushed, and we will continue to pursue an active and vigorous inquiry.”

    Organizers say Wednesday’s gathering is scheduled near 12th and U street.

    In the following video, Tadias TV documents the reactions of Ali’s friends and individuals in the community to the prosecutors’ decision to drop all charges.

    Tadias TV: Reactions to the beating death of Ali A. Mohammed

    Related News Videos:

    Related: Man Died After Beating Outside DC9 Nightclub (WUSA 9)

    • Events, Featured, Podcast

    Conversation with Dr. Patricia E. Ortman About ‘Girls Gotta Run’

    Tadias Magazine
    By Tadias Staff

    Updated: Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

    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.

    —
    Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

    Featured, News, Podcast

    Spotlight on Dawit Kebede: Winner of the 2010 Press Freedom Award

    3 Comments

    Above: Dawit Kebede, Editor of Awramba Times newspaper in
    Ethiopia, was honored with CPJ’s 2010 press freedom award.

    Tadias TV
    Events News

    Wednesday, November 24, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian journalist Dawit Kebede, Founder and Managing Editor of Awramba Times, was one of four journalists who were honored at the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 20th Annual International Press Freedom Awards benefit dinner on the evening of Tuesday, November 23rd at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria. Dawit Kebede was one of the first journalists to be jailed for reporting on the violence following Ethiopia’s 2005 national elections. He was released two years later by presidential pardon. He continues to live and work in Addis Ababa where he publishes the last independent political Amharic newspaper in the country.

    The CPJ event, which attracted nearly 1000 guests, also paid tribute to award winners Nadira Isayeva of Russia, Laureano Márquez of Venezuela and Mohammad Davari of Iran (Davari did not attend the ceremony because he remains imprisoned in Iran).

    The awards dinner raised a record of nearly $1.5 million for CPJ. It was chaired by Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman and President of Sony Corporation, and hosted by former “NBC Nightly News” Anchor Tom Brokaw. The award presenters included Christiane Amanpour, Host of ABC News’ “This Week,” Victor Navasky, Chairman of the Columbia Journalism Review, and Robert Thomson, Editor-in-Chief of Dow Jones & Managing Editor of The Wall Street Journal.

    WATCH

    Featured, Interviews, Podcast

    Tadias TV Explores Washington’s Ethiopian Neighborhood

    Tadias TV
    Video by Kidane Mariam

    Posted: Sunday, November 14, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – We recently took a quick trip to Washington’s U Street neighborhood nicknamed ‘Little Ethiopia.’ Andrew Laurence, a long time resident of D.C. – whom CNN recently called the “unofficial historian” of the block – shared with us some interesting insights.

    Here is Tadias TV’s brief tour led by Andrew Laurence.

    Video: Tadias TV Explores Washington’s Ethiopian Neighborhood

    Events, Featured, News

    Victory Dinner for NYC Marathon Winner Gebre Gebremariam – Photos

    7 Comments

    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)

    Related:
    Click here for NYC Marathon 2010: Results, Video, Photos
    Gebrselassie having second thoughts about retiring (AFP)
    Gebre Gebremariam wins first ING New York City Marathon, injury forces Haile Gebrselassie to retire

    Video: Post Race press conference (TsehaiNY)

    Featured

    Gebre Gebremariam wins first ING New York City Marathon, injury forces Haile Gebrselassie to retire

    8 Comments

    Above: Ethiopia’s Gebre Gebremariam crosses the finish line
    in Central Park in his marathon debut. (Associated Press)

    BY Wayne Coffey
    DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

    Originally Published:Sunday, November 7th 2010, 12:03 PM
    Updated: Monday, November 8th 2010, 1:15 AM

    He took his gloves off in the 23rd mile, flinging them into the air as if they were autumn leaves. His ski cap came off not long after. Soon Gebre Gebremariam was gone, shedding his two top competitors next, a rawboned Ethiopian ruling a remarkable race that included a stunning retirement, an indomitable miner and the largest field in the annals of sport.

    “It’s my first marathon, and I’m number one here,” said Gebremariam, 26, not long after he crossed the finish line in two hours, eight minutes, 14 seconds, to capture the 41st ING New York City Marathon Sunday. “I am so happy to win.”

    In achieving his upstart triumph on a day when a record 45,344 runners started, the 5-10, 123-pound Gebremariam became the first rookie to win the race in 27 years, taking a prize that most figured would go to his 37-year-old countryman, Haile Gebrselassie, the marathon world record-holder and a man widely acclaimed to be the greatest distance runner in history.

    Read more.

    Click here for NYC Marathon 2010: Results, Video, Photos

    Related:
    Video: Post Race press conference (TsehaiNY)

    Featured

    Cheer on Marathon Runners at Columbus Circle

    Above: Haile Gebrselassie (L) and Derartu Tulu will represent
    Ethiopia at New York City Marathon on Sunday November 7th.

    Tadias Magazine
    Events News

    Updated: Saturday, November 6, 2010

    Special Note:
    Ethiopian fans plan to gather at Columbus Circle, which has bleachers set up for spectators and a special stage sponsored by Continental Airlines to provide inspiration for the final .2 miles.

    You can take the 1, D, or A train to 59th (8th avenue).

    Check the official New York City Marathon website for race time.

    Haile and Derartu Expected to Take Charge at NYC Marathon
    Published: Tuesday, November 2, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – Long-distance running legends Haile Gebrselassie and Derartu Tulu are widely expected to lead the charge in their respective categories at Sunday’s New York City Marathon.

    Gebrselassie, who has more than 130 major-race victories under his belt and is the current world record-holder, will run the New York City Marathon for the first time. Although questions have been raised about the possibility that the double Olympic 10,000-meter gold medalist may not be able to conquer the difficult New York City Marathon route in world record time, his agent says he remains motivated and optimistic. “We have to be realistic; we know there are not that many opportunities left,” Jos Hermens of the Netherlands told The New York Times. “But in his mind, he is so competitive, he feels he can run half a minute or a minute faster in ideal conditions and in good health.” Gebrselassie will be joined by fellow Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam and the professional men’s defending champion Meb Keflezighi of the United States, among others.

    In the pro women’s field, two-time Olympic 10,000m champion Derartu Tulu, the first Ethiopian woman to win the New York City Marathon, will defend her title while leading a pack of other women from her country. Other participating Ethiopian female athletes include the 2010 Boston Marathon champion Teyba Erkesso, Werknesh Kidane, and Bronx resident Buzunesh Deba. Derartu also faces tough competition from American Shalane Flanagan, the 2008 Beijing Olympic bronze medalist, and Mary Keitany of Kenya, the 2009 World Half Marathon champion – both making their marathon debut – as well as from experienced marathoners like Ludmila Petrova and Inga Abitova of Russia.
    —

    Related:
    Running New York in His Prime Was a Priority for Gebrselassie (NYT)
    —

    2010 Abebe Bikila Award Goes To Paul Tergat of Kenya

    Meanwhile, one of Haile Gebrselassie’s professional rivals, Paul Tergat of Kenya – considered to be one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time – will receive the 2010 Abebe Bikila award for his contributions to distance running. Tergat, who retired in 2009, will be honored at a ceremony preceding the Continental Airlines International Friendship Run on Saturday, November 6, also here in New York City.

    The New York Times highlights the long and friendly competition between the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes: “Their rivalry has been one of the richest in running history and symbolizes the development of distance running by Ethiopia (Gebrselassie) and Kenya (Tergat). Over the course of a decade, Gebrselassie, 37, and Tergat, 41, ruled the distance running world,” NYT notes. “From 1996 to 2000 Gebrselassie won titles in the 10,000 meters at the world championship and Olympic Games. Tergat finished second each time. Gebrselassie set the 10,000 world record (26 minutes 43.53 seconds) in 1995 until Tergat broke the record (26:27.85) in 1997. Gebrselassie reclaimed the record (26:22.75) in 1998, now held by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele (26:17.53).”

    The annual prize , named after Ethiopian legend and double Olympic marathon winner Abebe Bikila, has been awarded to athletes since 1978, and it honors individuals who have made a significant contribution to the sport of long-distance running. Per Wiki: “Past winners of the award include: Olympic gold medallists Frank Shorter, Rosa Mota and Lasse Virén; world record breakers Paula Radcliffe, Khalid Khannouchi and Paul Tergat; and multiple major marathon winners Grete Waitz, Alberto Salazar and Joan Samuelson. While the award has typically been associated with elite level runners, particularly marathon runners, it has also been given to non-athletes. Fred Lebow – creator of the New York Marathon – became the first person to win the award who was not a professional athlete in 1995. The 2001 award was given to Mayor of New York Rudy Guiliani on the basis of his dedication to the city in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. The 2009 winner, long-time road running organizer and event director Allan Steinfeld, was the third non-professional athlete to receive the award.”

    If You Go:
    New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 7
    Daylight savings time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sun.,
    Don’t forget to set your clocks.

    Ethiopian fans plan to gather at Columbus Circle, which has bleachers set up for spectators and a special stage sponsored by Continental Airlines to provide inspiration for the final .2 miles.

    You can take the 1, D, or A train to 59th (8th avenue).

    Check the official New York City Marathon website for race time.

    You can also catch the race on TV, Web, and Mobile. Learn more at the officail webiste of the ING New York City Marathon.

    Video: Past Champions of the New York City Marathon—

    Video: Haile Announcement—

    Video: What’s On Now on NYRR’s Marathon Channel (Watch Live)

    Watch live streaming video from nyrr at livestream.com

    Related:
    Poll: Who Will Win The NYC Marathon Women’s Race? (Competitor.com)
    A New York Novice, Favored and Unknown (The New York Times)
    Despite Money, Medals and Records, Gebrselassie Remains Motivated (NYT)
    In Ethiopia, a System Built to Go the Distance (The New York Times)
    Running for a good cause: Girls’ lives ( The Washington Post)

    Cover image photo credit: Haile Gebrselassie by Marco Steybe and Derartu Tulu by photorun.net.

    Featured

    Ethiopia Fossil Find Could Shed Light on Climate Change

    Above: Scientists in Ethiopia have unearthed 22-million-year-
    old fossils that can provide a unique key to an uncharted past.

    Voice of America
    24 October 2010
    Addis Ababa

    Scientists in Ethiopia have unearthed 22-million-year-old fossils, fauna and flora, completing a chain of data that could shed light on the phenomenon of climate change.

    The latest discovery was made in an ancient lake bed 150 kilometers northeast of the Ethiopian capital. It is not the oldest find of amphibian, mammal and fish fossils in Africa. But principal investigator Mulugeta Feseha, a geologist at Addis Ababa University, says it completes a picture of climatic conditions over a 30-million-year period.

    “This is a unique aspect of Ethiopian geology that can contribute towards modeling of ancient climate or environmental reconstruction. When we think of developing a model we have to find sites that are 28 million, 25 million, 20, 10 up to zero. That is how you develop a model. So this 22-million-year-old fossil site fills a gap that has never been identified in all parts of Africa.”

    Mulugeta says since there were no humans on earth 20- to 30-million years ago, comparing carbon-dioxide levels between then and now will help in understanding to what extent human activity affects climate change. Read more at VOA.

    Events, Featured, News

    Haile Gebrselassie Featured Speaker at Girls Gotta Run Fundraiser

    2 Comments

    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)

    Featured, News

    Ethiopian Community Mourns Death of Young Man, Demands Justice

    Above: One of the memorials honoring Ali Mohammed during
    the candelight vigil. He was killed by a gang of men last week.

    The Hilltop
    The Student Voice of Howard University

    By Genet Lakew
    Managing Editor

    The block of Ali Mohammed’s death also served as the site of his vigil.

    Friends, family, and members of the Ethiopian and D.C. community came together to remember the life of the 27-year-old man who died early Friday morning.

    Attendees held up neon green and bright yellow signs that read “The Truth Shall Prevail,” “We Want Justice” and “Any Death Should Not Go Unpunished.” Some shined white and pink candles and another person hoisted the green, yellow and red Ethiopian flag. A few women were clad in all black attire, a way to show mourning after a death in Ethiopian culture.

    While the debate over whether Ali’s death was homicide or if he died from preexisting conditions continues, his family and friends mourned his loss.

    “My son was not a violent man and did not deserve to die as he did,” said his father, Ahmed Mohammed Galtchu, Tuesday evening, holding back tears.

    Galtchu said he and his family hope for justice for his son and punishment for those responsible for his death. He thanked the crowd for coming out to show their support.

    Ali died at approximately 3:15 Friday morning at Howard University hospital. Earlier, at 2:30 a.m., he was on 9th Street NW trying to get into the DC9 bar and club. To his disappointment, Mohammed was turned away from the party.

    He allegedly threw a brick through the windows of the venue in frustration. Soon after, five men who worked at the club, including the owner, chased him down the 2000 block of 9th Street. According to statements made by D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, these men allegedly “savagely beat” Mohammed to death.

    The employees were arrested and initially charged with second-degree murder. That charge was later reduced to aggravated assault, a move that upset Mohammed’s family.

    Ali’s cousin Nunu Wako, who spoke during the vigil, said she had never seen him raise a hand on others and the beating of “five to one is utterly barbaric, is savage.”

    Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham was present and expressed support for the Mohammed family.

    “We share the loss today of Ali,” said Graham. “We will have justice in this case.”

    Graham emphasized his close relationship with the Ethiopian community in D.C. and particularly the unofficial “Little Ethiopia” neighborhood of 9th Street.

    He announced that there is “evidence sufficient to justify charge of murder” in the case.

    “Igziabeher yimesgen, amen, amen,” Graham said, meaning “Thank God” in Amharic, a few of the terms he picked up when he visited Ethiopia in 2004 and in his dealings with his Ethiopian constituents.
    

    He urged the crowd to please let the situation run its course and allow the authorities to handle the case.

    A woman from D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty’s African Affairs office read a letter from the Mayor, who shared his condolences for the Mohammed family.

    Read the rest of the article at The Hilltop Online.

    Video: Ethiopian Community Holds Vigil For Beating Death Victim

    Video: Vigil Outside DC9 Nightclub Turns Into Anger

    Video: Man Died After Beating Outside DC9 Nightclub (WUSA 9 Online)

    Related video

    —

    Related:
    Is A cover up in the Making in Ali’s Death?
    A Peek Into the DC9 Murder Investigation

    Watch: Police Chief on alleged beating near DC9

    View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

    Watch: Witness describes DC9 incident

    View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

    Related:
    Witness to D.C. beating says victim cried for mercy; 5 charged (The Washington Post)

    Featured, News

    Ethiopian Community to Hold Vigil For Beating Death Victim

    2 Comments

    Above: The owner of DC9 club and four employees have been
    charged in a fatal beating of Ali Ahmed Mohammed of Ethiopia.

    Tadias Magazine
    By Tadias Staff

    Published: Tuesday, October 19, 2010

    Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – Friends and family of Ali Ahmed Mohammed, who was beaten to death last week by a gang of five men here, will gather for a candlelight vigil Tuesday evening.

    According to the city’s Police Chief Cathy Lanier, the 27-year-old Ethiopian immigrant was denied entry to the DC9 nightclub around 2:30 a.m. on Friday October 15, but he returned to throw a brick through the window. What followed next was described by Lanier as extralegal punishment against the victim.

    Five men chased Ali— including the club’s owner Bill Spieler and employees Darryl Carter, Reginald Phillips, Evan Preller, and Arthur Zaloga – then tackled and beat him, police said. When officers arrived, all five men were still on the scene and Ali was in critical condition, Lanier said. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

    “In my opinion, you talk about a beating like this as a result of property damage, someone has lost his life in a savage beating in what appears to be vigilante justice, it’s ridiculous,” the police chief said.

    All five men were initially charged with second degree murder, but they were later released after the chargers were reduced to aggravated assault. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff signaled in court that the charges might change again, depending on the findings of the D.C. Medical Examiner.

    Meanwhile, a police source tells the Washington City Paper that he is certain at least one of the five accused will face murder charges. According to the paper, the cop said a witness had “watched the defendants Carter, Zaloga, Speiler and Phillips kick and stomp the victim on the head and the body as defendant Preller held the victim down.” The witness claims to have watched Spieler “kick Mr. Mohammed several times, then stop when the police approached and attempt to flag down police.”

    “The source offers that the five suspects may have been on automatic pilot: ‘Sometimes people do things and they regret what they do afterward,'” the newspaper reported.

    Per FOX 5 News: “One of the attorneys put forth an ‘initial discovery request’ that any security video of the incident be preserved.”

    The next court hearing will take place on November 8.

    The candlelight vigil is scheduled for 6:00 PM at the corner of 9th and U Street.

    Video: Man Died After Beating Outside DC9 Nightclub (WUSA 9 Online)


    —

    Is A cover up in the Making in Ali’s Death?
    A Peek Into the DC9 Murder Investigation

    Related:
    Witness to D.C. beating says victim cried for mercy; 5 charged (The Washington Post)

    Featured, Reviews

    A Novelist’s Voice, Both Exotic and Midwestern

    Above: Dinaw Mengestu is a journalist as well as a novelist.
    He is pictured here with copies of his “How to Read the Air.”

    Books
    The New York Times
    By LARRY ROHTER

    Published: October 15, 2010

    Early in Dinaw Mengestu’s new novel, “How to Read the Air,” the main character, a troubled young Ethiopian-American named Jonas Woldemariam, goes to a job interview, only to be asked, “Where’s that accent of yours from?” by a prospective boss baffled by his seemingly alien provenance. “Peoria,” Jonas replies, puzzling his interviewer even further.

    Life has sometimes been like that for Mr. Mengestu, too. His name, “so clearly foreign and other,” he admits, and pedigree can make it difficult for some of the people he encounters to see past an ostensibly exotic exterior to the very American core underneath.

    But as a novelist, Mr. Mengestu, 32, has made such doubts and confusion about identity and belonging his stock in trade. His work is populated by exiles, refugees, émigrés and children of the African diaspora, all struggling both to find a place in the American landscape and to make sense of their attenuated relationship to the world they left behind.

    “It’s less about trying to figure out how you occupy these two cultural or racial boundaries and more about what it’s like when you are not particularly attached to either of these two communities,” he said recently in an interview in Manhattan at the offices of his publisher, Riverhead Books.

    Read more at The New York Times.

    Listen to NPR’s interview with Dinaw Mengestu:
    ‘Heaven Bears’ Author Finds Beauty In ‘The Air’

    Related:
    ‘Dinaw Mengestu’s novel of the Ethiopian conflict’s legacy (The Seattle Times)
    Immigrant tales and a fateful road trip (The Miami Herald)
    Excerpt: ‘How to Read the Air’ (penguingroup.com)
    Book Review: ‘How to Read the Air’ by Dinaw Mengestu (The New York Times)
    Book Review: ‘The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears’ by Dinaw Mengestu (NYT)
    The Daily Beast speaks to Dinaw Mengestu

    Cover Image: Ethiopian American author Dinaw Mengestu (Photo: Ed Ou/The New York Times)

    Featured, History

    Ethiopian Airlines Appoints First Female Captain

    57 Comments

    Tadias Magazine
    By Tadias Staff

    Published: Friday, October 15, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – She may not be the first Ethiopian woman pilot, but Captain Amsale Gualu Endegnanew is just as pioneering. She is the first female to become captain in the history of Ethiopian Airlines.

    According to the company, the pilot was at controls of a next generation Bombardier airplane for her historic flight, which she performed over domestic routes on October 14, 2010. “Captain Amsale proudly took off her first flight from the left hand seat of the flight deck of a Q-400 aircraft from Addis Ababa to Gondar then to Axum and finally returned back to Addis Ababa after a total of 3.6 flight hours,” the airline announced in a press release.

    “Captain Amsale joined Ethiopian Airlines Pilot Training School on July 10, 2000 and started her career as first officer on November 26, 2002. Since then, she has trained and worked on Fokker-50, 757 and 767 aircraft as first officer. Captain Amsale has been able to complete successfully all the necessary training requirements and passed through rigorous checks to gain her four stripes. She has a total of 4475 flight hours under her belt when she becomes the commander-in-chief of her flight.”

    In a brief statement following her groundbreaking flight, Captain Amsale said this moment has been a long time coming. “It is a great privilege to become the first female captain of the national carrier,” she said. “I have been trained and passed through various ladders at Ethiopian Airlines.”

    “The company has been very supportive of my efforts to realize my vision of becoming a captain,” she added.

    Congratulating her on the occasion, Weyzero Elizabeth Getachew, a Senior Vice President for Human Resource Management and the highest ranking female executive in the airline said, “Captain Amsale’s success is a great achievement on her part and it is also an achievement for the airline. It is my hope that other females will be inspired by her success and Ethiopian will see more female candidates in the near future.” The country’s flag-career currently has four female pilots working as first officers.

    Who is Ethiopia’s first female pilot?

    Some say Weyzero Asegedech Asefa, who became a pilot post World War II, is the first Ethiopian female pilot. While others argue that Weyzero Mulumebet Emeru, whose flight training was interrupted when the Italians envaded Ethiopia in 1936, holds the title of first Ethiopian female pilot.
    —

    More photos courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines via Nazret.com

    Learn more about Ethiopian airlines at ethiopianairlines.com.

    Related:
    Interview with Girma Wake: Former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines (Capital Ethiopia)
    Video: Ethiopian TV on the First Female Captain at Ethiopian Airlines

    Featured

    Abi Mariam: Young Humanitarian of the Year

    5 Comments

    Tadias Magazine
    Events News

    Published: Monday, October 4, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – The St. Mary Hospital Foundation hosted its 19th annual Gala at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds last week. The event, held on Saturday, September 25, 2010, recognized a number of honorees for their contributions to the organization during the year – including Ethiopian American high school student Abi Mariam, who was named this year’s Young Humanitarian.

    The theme for 2010 was “The High Desert … A World of Possibilities” and was sponsored by High Desert Primary Care Medical Group and Premier Healthcare.

    Abi, who began volunteering at St. Mary Medical Center in 2007, was honored for her activities at the hospital while simultaneously juggling school work and several extra curricular programs, including co-founding an on-campus tutoring club and completing five Advanced Placement courses. Her mother, Mesrak Gessesse, is Director of Network Development at St. Mary, and her father, Alemayehu G. Mariam, is a lawyer and professor at Cal State San Bernardino. “I’ve grown up at St. Mary Medical Center,” Abi said. “I like being able to give back to an organization that’s given a lot to my family and my community.”

    After high school, Abi plans to attend college and study political science and government. “I have been fortunate to realize at a young age that a life serving others is a life well lived, and I believe my talents and interests will be best directed to helping others through my understanding and usage of our government,” she said. “I’ve been blessed with an unbelievably supportive family, wonderful teachers and amazing friends…These gifts are not mine to keep; they’re something I should share with others, and the only way I can give back some of what I’ve been given is through service.”

    The other honorees included Dr. David Bolivar, who was also named Humanitarian of the Year in part because of the school he recently helped to build in Colombia; Ron and Dorthy Axelrod, who were acknowledged as Patrons of the Year for their charitable estate planning through St. Mary Hospital Foundation; and Dr. William Suval and his wife Diane, who were recognized as this year’s Honorary Chairs for their extensive involvement in community-oriented programs.
    —

    Learn more about the event at Victorville Daily Press. Abi also blogs at Shades of Gray.

    Events, Featured

    Teza Los Angeles-Opening Weekend Events

    Tadias Magazine
    Events News

    Thursday, September 23, 2010

    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.

    Review: ‘Teza’ gives a woefully unclear look at Ethiopia
    Los Angeles Times – Michael Ordoña – September 24, 2010

    Related past videos:
    Watch: Haile Gerima discusses independent film making at Teza’s opening in New York City

    Video: Watch the Trailer

    Featured, News

    Atlanta to Host The 2011 Ethiopian Soccer Tournament

    15 Comments

    Above: Atlanta edges out Toronto to host the next Ethiopian
    Soccer Tournament. (Photo by Kal Kassa/Tadias Magazine file)

    Tadias Magazine
    By Tadias Staff

    Published: Tuesday, September 21, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – The Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America has announced that Atlanta will be hosting the organization’s soccer tournament for 2011. The tournament site was selected by the group’s nine-member Executive Committee.

    The federation’s spokesperson Fassil Abebe confirmed the decision: “Yes, Atlanta has been selected as the 2011 Tournament/Festival site after carefully considering the bids from Toronto and Atlanta,” Fassil told Tadias Magazine.

    The 2011 tournament will mark its fourth return to Atlanta. The city’s Ethiopian soccer team is also four time champion of the national competition, bringing the trophy home in 1994 and 1997 while winning the cup at home games in 1998 and 2005. Atlanta hosted the ESFNA soccer tournament & festivities in 1986, 1998, and 2005.

    The announcement dashes the hopes of the runner-up Ethio Star, Toronto’s Ethiopian soccer team, who put up a spirited bid to host the upcoming event.

    “After thoroughly examining the proposals from both Atlanta and Toronto, the Executive Committee (EC) has selected Atlanta as the 2011 Tournament site,” ESFNA said in a brief statement posted on its website. “The EC and Board of Directors of ESFNA will hold their Winter meeting in Atlanta October 16 and 17, 2010.”

    The annual gathering, which next year celebrates its 28th anniversary, goes far beyond sports entertainment, allowing families and friends in North America’s Ethiopian immigrant community to come together in celebration of sports and their cultural heritage. The tournament week is a popular time for networking, alumni gatherings, small business catering, music performances, and reunion parties. Hosting also offers a variety of benefits to the community, including local economic impact stemming from hotel, transportation, food and other-related purchases.

    —
    Cover Image: At the 2010 San Jose Ethiopian Soccer Tournament by Kal Kassa.

    Related from Tadias archives:
    Photo Journal: San Jose Ethiopian Soccer Tournament 2010—

    Photos from Chicago: Ethiopian Soccer Tournament 2009 (Tadias)

    Art, Featured, Podcast

    Backstage With Danny Mekonnen and Melaku Belay at Joe’s Pub in New York

    5 Comments

    Above: Tadias TV spoke with Fendika’s group leader Melaku
    Belay (left) & Debo band’s founder Danny Mekonnen (right).

    Tadias TV
    Events News – Video

    Published: Monday, September 20, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – The Boston-based Debo band and the Fendika traditional dance troupe from Addis Ababa performed to a sold-out audience in New York.

    The American and Ethiopian musicians, who made their first joint international appearance at the 7th Sauti za Busara music festival in Zanzibar earlier this year, launched their U.S. tour on Friday, September 17, 2010.

    The fifteen piece cross-cultural jazz collective is scheduled to make upcoming stops at select American cities, including Philadelphia, Boston, Richmond (VA), Chicago, and Milwaukee with expected highlight concert at the Chicago World Music Festival.

    Tadias TV caught up with Debo band’s founder and Harvard graduate student Danny Mekonnen as well as Fendika’s group leader Melaku Belay at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan.

    Watch: Backstage With Danny Mekonnen and Melaku Belay

    Featured, Podcast

    Twice in a Lifetime: New Film Documents Debo Band’s Journey to East Africa

    Above: Debo band’s upcoming NYC show highlights Fendika,
    traditional dance group from Ethiopia. (Courtesy photograph)

    Tadias Magazine
    By Tadias Staff

    Published: Tuesday, September 14, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – Debo Band’s recent musical performance at the 7th Sauti za Busara festival in Zanzibar is now featured in a documentary film entitled Twice in a Lifetime. The film captures the group’s energy and poignancy through clips of live performances interspersed with interviews and behind–the–scenes footage as the band travels from Ethiopia to Tanzania.

    The fifteen piece cross-cultural jazz collective from Boston, founded by Ethiopian-American Harvard graduate student Danny Mekonenn, combines Ethiopian classics with modern sounds and traditional azmari grooves from Addis Ababa.

    The band – along with musicians and dancers from Fendika Azmari Bet (traditional live music bar) in Addis – is scheduled to perform in New York City at Joe’s Pub on Friday, September 17, 2010.

    Watch: Twice in a Lifetime – Debo Band’s tour to East Africa

    Twiceinalife from Ashley Hodson on Vimeo.

    If you go:
    09/17/10, New York, NY, Joe’s Pub
    Time: 9:30pm. | Admission: $15 in advance/$20 at door
    Address: 425 Lafayette St.. | Venue phone: 212-967-7555. | 9:30

    Note from the band:

    New Yorkers! Our collaborators from Ethiopia are arriving this week,
    and we hit the ground running with a fantastic show in NYC. This is
    the stage show we brought all the way to Zanzibar, don’t miss it!

    BUY TICKETS

    Video: Sauti za Busara 2010: Debo band

    Related from Tadias Archives:
    Video: Interview with Debo band founder Danny Mekonnen at L’Orange Bleue – NYC (2009)

    Art, Events, Featured

    LA Premiere Of Teza To Honor The Late UCLA Professor Teshome Gabriel

    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

    Tickets $10 at www.cinema.ucla.edu
    Box office opens one hour before showtime

    All proceeds from this screening will benefit
    the Teshome Gabriel Memorial Scholarship Fund at
    the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

    Click here for more details:

    Cover Image: Dr. Teshome H. Gabriel. Photo credit – UCLA Newsroom.

    Related past videos:
    Watch: Haile Gerima discusses independent film making at Teza’s opening in New York City

    Video: Watch the Trailer

    Featured, News

    Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting

    3 Comments

    Above: Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, one of the invited speakers
    at the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative meeting on 22 September.

    Tadias Magazine
    By Tadias Staff

    Published: Thursday, September 9, 2010

    New York (Tadias) – Former President Bill Clinton has invited Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, founder of Ethiopia’s environmentally-sensible footwear brand, to participate as a panelist at the upcoming Clinton Global Initiative meeting scheduled to open in New York City on September 20th, 2010.

    According to the company, Bethlehem becomes the first African entrepreneur to be invited as a speaker at the annual event, which brings together global leaders from various industries to address the world’s pressing social issues.

    This year’s meeting will be attended by First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams among others.

    Sole Rebels footwear, Ethiopia’s first fair trade fashion product and winner of the 2010 Eco-Bold Green Award, is produced using indigenous practices such as hand-spun organic cotton and artisan hand-loomed fabric. Tires are also recycled and used for soles. The end result is environmental friendly, vegan footwear.

    Bethlehem says she is looking forward to her presentation. “I hope to offer new insights like how we have constructed our supply chain for our business, with a focus on indigenous production techniques, and local and recycled materials,” she told WFTO. “I also want to emphasize that a company like ours can build scaleable community based businesses that allow people to have well paid jobs, while creating market-leading products and preserving the environment.”
    —

    Cover Image: Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu (Courtesy photo)

    Related story:
    CNN’s African Voices features Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu

    Watch: Turning old tires into shoes (7:10)

    Video: Young SoleRebel (8:07)

    Video: Creating window to world market (7:24)

    Events, Featured

    Ethiopian Torontonians Gearing Up For 12th Ethiopian Day Celebration

    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.