Tadias Magazine
Events News | Photos by Matt Andrea
Published: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Washington, D.C (TADIAS) – Mahmoud Ahmed and Gosaye Tesfaye performed at the historic Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. during a Memorial Day weekend concert on Saturday, May 26th. It was the first time that Ethiopian music was featured at the iconic venue, which reopened in April following a $29 million renovation. The event was organized by Massinko Entertainment, and also included an appearance by guitarist Selam Woldemariam who is part of an upcoming concert with Brooklyn-based musician Tomas Donker at Summer Stage in New York.
Washington, D.C. (TADIAS) – After three decades of being out-of-use, the historic Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. reopened on Monday, April 9th following a $29 million renovation. The ribbon cutting and community day event was attended by local residents and officials, including Mayor Vincent Gray, Rep. Eleanor Norton, Councilmember Jim Graham and former DC Mayor and current councilman Marion Barry.
During its heyday the Howard Theatre, which opened in 1910 a few blocks away from Howard University, was one of the most prominent symbols of African-American culture in the United States. The music legends that graced its stage include Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, the Supremes, and many others.
The restored venue also attracted celebrities to the opening gala on Thursday, April 12th. The star-studded guest list included Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Dionne Warwick, Smokey Robinson, and Motown records founder Berry Gordy.
“I remember seeing a show here once with James Brown,” Mayor Gray said, speaking at the April 9th ceremony. “In the middle of his show, James Brown stopped, put everybody out of the band, and went through the band and played every instrument, that was the caliber person he was.”
New York chef and restauranter Marcus Samuelsson, who attended the event, is in charge of the menu for the newly refurbished music hall.
Below is a slide show of photos from the opening by Matt Andrea for Tadias Magazine.
New York (Tadias) – Artists for Charity hosted its 4th Annual Holiday Benefit Art Auction this past weekend. The network of artists, volunteers and donors operate a home for HIV positive orphans in Addis Ababa. The 2010 gathering took place on Saturday, December 4th at the WVSA Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Here are images from the event:
Auctioneer Steven Talbot, AFC Founder Abezash Tamerat and her daughter getting ready to start the live auction.
A painting of Cherkos up for bid.
Omo Valley portrait.
Addis street scene by Solomon Asfaw.
Steven Talbot and Michael Astatkie discuss an AFC child’s art.
Bidders at the 2010 AFC art Auction.
At the 2010 Artists for Charity Fundraiser.
— Learn more about AFC at Artistsforcharity.org.
New York (TADIAS) – Early last month we attended a fundraiser for the Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Organizers had hoped long-distance legend Haile Gebrselassie would be the featured guest speaker. Haile, who had injured himself a day earler at the New York City Marathon, had flown directly home from NYC following the race and could not attend the gathering. The event, co-sponsored and hosted by the Chevy Chase Running Company, took place on Monday, November 8th, 2010 at the Chevy Chase Running Company store.
According to GGRF, portions of the proceeds from the event will help to “subsidize scholarships for girls to attend training at the Yaya Africa Athletics Village, an athletic center in Sululta, Ethiopia, which is presently under construction and in which Mr.Gebrselassie is a partner.” GGRF was established in 2006 to provide funds for athletic shoes, clothes, meals, coach subsidies, and other training-related expenses for disadvantaged Ethiopian girls who are training to be professional runners. One of its sponsored athletes, Dinknesh Mekash Tefer of Running Across Borders, recently broke the women’s course record for the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon in Scotland, winning her first international race.
The following video features Tigist Selam’s conversation with Dr. Patricia E. Ortman, Executive Director of the foundation, as well as footage of additional speakers at the event.
