New York (TADIAS) – Le Figaro has named three Ethiopians to its list of Africa’s 15 most powerful women, including the long distance track athlete and three-time Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba, and Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, the founder and CEO of the international Ethiopian shoe brand SoleRebels.
The French newspaper also selected Ethiopian-born model Liya Kebede who lives in the United States among Africa’s power women. Other leaders include Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current President of Liberia, as well as the South African actress and fashion model Charlize Theron, and Kenyan activist, lawyer, and blogger Ory Okolloh who works as Google’s Policy Manager for Africa.
New York (TADIAS) – Among youth worldwide, hip hop is a universal language, and so too among Ethiopians.
Two new music videos have been getting a lot of buzz lately: The first is called Bole Bole, which was staged at Studio 21 in New York, is directed by Supermodel Liya Kebede.
The second video is made by the Ethiopian hip-hop group Hahu, who have come out with a single entitled ‘Tadias.’
Both videos have positive lyrics combining Amharic and English words with a fusion of Eastern and Western beats and rhythms.
New York (Tadias) – Per New York Magazine: “After starring in 2009’s Desert Flower, model Liya Kebede continues her crossover into film. Her latest oeuvre is an arty online video directed by Jennifer Elster, which features Debra Winger, Terrence Howard, Rufus Wainwright, Yoko Ono, and other actors and artists trudging through empty woodlands and wondering aloud things like, “What do we want? And what are we willing to sacrifice to get it?” Titled In the Woods, the film will be released in small segments on Elsner’s website, ITWPathway.com.” You can watch the clip here.
Above:Supermodel, actress, and maternal health advocate,
Liya Kebede applauds the G8 for its $5 billion commitment to
maternal health. Photo: Liya at the Usher Fragrance Launch.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
New York (Tadias) – In an article posted on The Huffington Post, Supermodel and maternal health advocate Liya Kebede highlights a topic that failed to garner media attention amid news of protests and arrests during the recent G8 summit in Canada.
“Something important was overlooked — critical progress towards saving mothers’ lives. During this meeting of the world’s top leaders, mothers were finally at the top of the agenda. Almost every death resulting from childbirth is preventable yet politicians have historically shown little will to save these women’s lives. Last weekend, the G8 leaders proved otherwise with a $5 billion commitment to maternal health. Not only is this great news for women across the globe, but essential for the health of their children and the future economic development of their communities,” writes Kebede, who serves as the World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador.
“In Ethiopia — where I was born — most women still give birth alone. Medical facilities are often too far away, overcrowded or under-equipped to help them. Across Africa, dedicated health workers like the doctors at the Durame Hospital in Ethiopia struggle to serve too many with too little. The nurses, midwives and doctors at these hospitals are superheroes — they work tirelessly to save lives every day — but they cannot do it alone. With funding from the G8 and G20 countries, we can support these hospitals and set up clinics to serve isolated communities. For many women and children, especially those with health complications, this would mean the difference between life and death.” Read more.
She was one of the world’s biggest fashion models and the first black face of Estée Lauder. But when Liya Kebede returned home to Ethiopia and saw the chronic problems of maternal health her career took a new turn. Her campaign continues – and now she has set her sights on sustainable fashion.
Flicking through Liya Kebede’s pile of fashion magazine covers passes a calm and perfumed afternoon. In 2002, French Vogue declared May was “All About Liya” month, dedicating a whole issue to the African supermodel after the editor saw her in Tom Ford’s Gucci catwalk show. Describing the day they first met, Ford recalls: “She looked me in the eyes, and I was quite literally stunned. Liya projects an aura of goodness and calm that outshines even her extraordinary physical beauty. Later in the day,” Ford continues, “when trying to remember what she looked like, I could only remember her eyes.” Read more.
Above:Liya Kebede has been named by Time Magazine as one
of the 100 influential people who “most affect our world.”
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Friday, April 30, 2010
New York (Tadias) – President Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, Oprah Winfrey, Glenn Beck, Lady Gaga, and Liya Kebede are among the 100 individuals who made the cut into Time Magazine‘s annual list of influential people.
The 2010 TIME 100 – categorized as Leaders, Heroes, Artists and Thinkers – is made up of a diverse group of global newsmakers who are known for their powers of persuasion as well as for sparking controversy.
The Ethiopian-born model ranks number fifteen out of 25 “Heroes” on the 2010 list and joins notable personalities, such as former President Bill Clinton and Iranian reformist politician Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
Kebede, 32, who is being recognized mostly for her role as the World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador, has focused her advocacy work on maternal, newborn and child health issues since her appointment in 2005. She is also one of two Ethiopians who were recently named “Young Global Leaders” by the World Economic Forum.
“I first met Liya Kebede about 10 years ago in Paris. I was casting models for a show, and Liya came in. She looked me in the eyes, and I was quite literally stunned…,” writes fashion designer and film director Tom Ford in Time Magazine. “In today’s world, celebrity advocates are not rare. What is rare is to encounter one whose devotion and drive come from a genuine desire to better our world. Liya’s work comes from a place of sincerity, and her beauty is much more than skin-deep.”
We congratulate Liya Kebede on the honor given to her by Time Magazine.
Video: Liya Kebede on World Health Day in 2005
Video: Riz Khan – Supermodel Liya Kebede – 11 Oct 07 (Al Jazeera)
New York (Tadias) – Liya Kebede stars in the new movie Desert Flower, based on the true story of a former African supermodel who rose from a nomadic life to the top of the international modeling business.
The movie is an adaptation of the autobiography of Waris Dirie, who was born in Somalia and moved to London at age of 13 primarily to break loose from an arranged-marriage to a much older man, and a culture that subjected her to female genital mutilation (FGM) when she was only 5-years old. While in London she struggled to make ends meet working at McDonald’s and other odd jobs until she was discovered by photographer Terence Donovan, whose portraits of her would propel her into international stardom. She eventually graced the catwalks of New York, London, Milan and Paris, and was featured on the covers of Vogue, Glamour and Elle magazines. She was depicted in the 1995 BBC documentary entitled A Nomad in New York. In 1997, she ended her modeling work to become a full-time advocate against female circumcision, and subsequently was named a UN ambassador for the abolition of FGM by former Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Kebede, a supermodel herself, appears to be making a smooth transition into the world of acting. Her previous movie stints includes a role in the epic drama The Good Shepherd, directed by Robert De Niro, and the movie Lord of War featuring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Moynahan.
The independent film is scheduled to appear at the Venice Film Festival this month and will be released in Germany on 24 September.
New York (Tadias) – In a wide ranging interview with Hamptons Magazine, the premier lifestyle publication of one of the world’s most opulent communities, Ethiopian American Supermodel Liya Kebede discusses her new children’s clothing line, her upcoming movie gig, politics and more.
And what does Liya think of President Obama’s performance so far?
“Fantastic. It’s such a moment for us to have him as president. The way everybody sees America has completely transformed since he’s been in office, and everybody is looking up to him,” she told Hamptons.
“For me and my kids, living in America, it’s so great to see a black president. I’m not sure I thought I would ever see it in my lifetime. And now for my kids it’s something normal, which is priceless.”
Related: Interview with Sara Nuru: Germany’s Next Top Model Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff Photos by Oliver S
Published: Wednesday, June 3, 2009
New York (Tadias) – The following is an interview with Sarah Nuru, who was crowned Germany’s Top Model last month after she beat out 21,000 contestants to claim the coveted title.
Heidi Klum, the top model host, made the announcement in front of a packed crowd of 15,000 in the Cologne Lanxess Arena.
Watch the Video
The 19-year-old fashion model from Munich, whose parents
immigrated from Ethiopia, has earned the nickname “Sunshine”
from Germany’s Next Top Model, and was wildly popular with her
competitors.
