Washington D.C. (TADIAS) — California-based Singer/Songwriter Meklit Hadero was on an East coast tour this month making stops at Joe’s Pub in New York City and Artisphere in the Dome Theater in Washington D.C.
NPR has dubbed Meklit’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.”
As the Examiner noted: “Her Ethiopian heritage is subtly woven into the fabric of each of her songs, influencing the unique character that makes her songs memorable. Meklit has been likened to a blend between Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone. Her music has been so popular that she has been interviewed by a variety of sources including NPR, PBS, and National Geographic. In 2009 she was named a TED Global Fellow and has served as an artist-in-residence at New York University, the De Young Museum, and the Red Poppy Art House. She maintains ties with her roots as the founder of the Arba Minch Collective, a group of Ethiopian artists in the Diaspora devoted to nurturing ties to their homeland through collaboration with both traditional and contemporary artists there. Meklit’s music is unique and familiar, all at once, inviting you to come to a place of relaxation and solitude whilst pushing the envelope of unique into the terrain of the familiar.”
Below are photographs from her D.C. show at the Artisphere courtesy of Malik photo.
New York (TADIAS) – The last time we spoke to Meklit Hadero, she was in Addis Ababa, inaugurating UN Women’s campaign for gender equity with a free concert at the UN compound. A week earlier she had been named a 2012 TED Senior Fellow.
Meklit’s collaborative research as a TED Fellow is entitled The Nile Project — an ambitious undertaking to create a multicultural musical platform for artists residing in the Nile basin countries. The Nile is the longest river in the world running through ten countries including Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt; the Nile countries also share a complex history of hydropolitics.
The Nile Project takes inspiration from The Silk Road Project, founded by Cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, with the vision to form international and interdisciplinary collaborations among artists and musicians worldwide.
Meklit’s partner in The Nile Project, Mina Girgis, was born in Egypt and is an ethnomusicologist who serves as Director of a community music center in northern California. “I grew up in Cairo and as a young kid I used to cross the Nile everyday to go to school,” he said in a fundraising video released on kickstarter.com. “As a kid you just take the Nile for granted and you think about it as a barrier than a river that connects Egypt to a lot of other cultures.”
Meklit’s connnection to the Nile grew out of her trip to Ethiopia in 2001. “My mom took me to the city of Bahir Dar in Northern Ethiopia to the shores of Lake Tana, which is the source of the Blue Nile,” she shares.
Meklit and Mina met last summer and came up with the idea to assemble a band composed of musicians from the various Nile basin nations. They plan to play and record music while touring the river on a boat made of recycled water bottles. In addition, they would like to bring along historians, scientists and other experts interested in the Nile Project to share information about the river through TED talks.
“Our floating caravan is going to include more than just musicians,” says Meklit. “We’re bringing together hydrologists, anthropologists, climate scientists, fishermen, all people whose life and work centers around the river.”
In the long term, they hope to lanuch an international tour with the new musical ensemble. The first step is to promote their kickstarter campaign to raise funds for their trip on the Nile as they audition and select local musicians to join the project.
—– For more information, read about the kickstarter campaign here.
New York (TADIAS) – In a recent interview with PBS, Ethiopian-American Musician Meklit Hadero contemplated the various meanings that she came across when researching her name. “My father is from the south of Ethiopia and Hadero means milk,” she said. “But once when I was in college I had a friend look up in a Geez-Amharic dictionary. Geez is the ancient language of Ethiopia and Meklit is a Geez word. He looks it up in the dictionary and he said ‘oh, it means one who knows the balance of things.'”
Like the meaning of her name Meklit’s music is a balance of various cultures: American jazz, Ethiopian classics, and sounds from the vibrant San Francisco’s art scene — all held together with her eloquent poetry. Meklit, who left Ethiopia when she was one year old, grew up in New York and graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science before settling in San Francisco where she currently resides. She has been compared to Billie Holiday, Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell. But her creative renditions of the traditional Ethiopian song Abbay Mado is as original as her piece entitled People of Movement, a musical tribute to refugees worldwide.
“At the moment, I’m finishing up two new collaborative albums, both set for release early in 2012 on San Francisco’s Porto Franco Records,” Meklit tells Tadias Magazine. She is currently in Ethiopia. “I came here to inaugurate UN Women’s campaign for gender equity with a free concert at the UN compound in Addis, as well as to perform at and attend the African Leadership Network Conference,” she said. “It’s always wonderful to be in Addis.”
Describing her upcoming albums Meklit said: “The first is with two Arba Minch Collective members and Ethiopian-American Emcees Gabriel Teodros and Burntface. We were all in Ethiopia together in May 2011, where we played in the town square of Harrar, at the foot of the castles in Gondar, and in Addis Ababa. I’ve also got an album coming out with Oakland soul singer Quinn DeVeaux, exploring soul interpretations of indie-rock and art rock songs, and really highlighting the soul roots of that music.”
The Ethiopian-American group’s name is CopperWire and the album is called Earthbound. “It uses concepts of outer space and intergalactic distances to unravel ideas around diaspora, separation, and the longing for home,” she said. “We’re all so excited about how the music turned out.”
Also, last week, it was announced that Meklit will be a 2012 TED Senior Fellow. “I’m so thrilled about that,” she added. “Folks can always keep in touch with me on Facebook and Twitter.”
— Watch: “Quick Hits” Highlight of Meklit Hadero’s “Leaving Soon” (PBS/Sound Tracks)
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.”
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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.
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)
New York (TADIAS) – Tadias TV caught up with Meklit Hadero during her recent 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.
The Ethiopian native, who left Addis Ababa as a toddler, tells Tadias she plans to return to Addis later this year to perform at an Afro-Roots concert. 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: Tadias’ Interview with Meklit Hadero
— Tigist Selam interviewed Hadero at Le Poisson Rouge after her concert with The Olatuja Project on June 1, 2010.
Above:NPR revisits its March interview with Meklit Hadero.
She is scheduled to perform in New York today, June 1st.
(Photo: Tsehai Poetry Jam – 2009, L.A.’s Little Ethiopia)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, June 1, 2010
New York (Tadias) – NPR’s Allison Keyes revisits her conversation with Ethiopian-born Meklit Hadero, who appeared on the show back in March.
The San Francisco- based songstress, whose voice has been compared to that of the legendary singer Nina Simon, is currently on tour in the East Coast – where she headlined Bernos’ 4th anniversary celebration this past weekend in Washington, D.C. and is scheduled to perform at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on June 1st.
“It is an honor to have Meklit Hadero perform at our 4th year anniversary,” said Beshou Gedamu, business partner at Bernos. “She is an amazing artist with a powerful voice that resonates.”
In her introduction of Hadero, the NPR host says: “Her sound is a unique blend, it’s an infusion of jazz, rich Ethiopian culture, and that artsy San Francisco flavor. It’s also got a spicy dash of visceral poetry that paints pictures in your head as you listen. Hadero’s first musical performance was just five years ago. At her first show she sang songs that were written by other artists, but now she is writing her own music. Her debut album is called On A Day Like This. Back in March Maeklit joined me to talk about her journey and we started out by playing her song Float and Fall. ”
Above: After a few years behind the scenes honing her skills
at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco, Meklit Hadero is
taking center stage. (Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Keck)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
New York (Tadias) – San Francisco- based songstress Meklit Hadero is scheduled to make an upcoming concert appearances in the East Coast, beginning with Bernos’ 4th anniversary celebration this coming weekend in Washington, D.C. and at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on June 1st.
The Ethiopian-born artist has been attracting national attention with the release of her new album On A Day Like This. Reviewers have compared her voice to that of the legendary singer Nina Simone. “Once you hear her smooth and silky voice it will be hard to forget it,” NPR’s Allison Keyes recently reported.
“It is an honor to have Meklit Hadero perform at our 4th year anniversary,” said Beshou Gedamu, business partner at Bernos. “She is an amazing artist with a powerful voice that resonates.”
Hadero obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science before moving to San Francisco to pursue her true love – music. NPR’s guest host described Hadero’s sound as “a unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco art scene and visceral poetry.” “It paints pictures in your head as you listen,” she adds.
Above: Meklit Hadero will perform at the Warehouse loft in
Washington D.C. on May 29, 2010. (Photo Credit: Tsehai
Publishers).
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Friday, May 14, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero will headline the concert at Bernos’ four year anniversary event in Washington, D.C. next weekend on May 29th, 2010.
The Ethiopian-born artist has been attracting national attention with the release of her new album On A Day Like This. Reviewers have compared her voice to that of the legendary singer Nina Simone. “Once you hear her smooth and silky voice it will be hard to forget it,” NPR’s Allison Keyes recently reported.
Hadero obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science before moving to San Francisco to pursue her true love – music. NPR’s guest host described Hadero’s sound as “a unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco art scene and visceral poetry.” “It paints pictures in your head as you listen,” she adds.
The upstart fashion company Bernos says that it is excited to host Hadero at its upcoming celebration.
“Every year is a milestone for Bernos. We wanted to do something different this year. We are influenced by African arts and music. One can see it reflected throughout our t-shirts, photoshoots and in our blog. It is an honor to have Meklit Hadero perform at our 4th year anniversary,” said Beshou Gedamu, business partner at Bernos. “She is an amazing artist with a powerful voice that resonates. In addition we’ll have Munit and Betty ‘Bsheba’ Tekeste open for her. We are looking forward to a night of musical bliss.”
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If You Go: The event takes place at the Warehouse loft in Washington D.C. on May 29, 2010. Learn more and buy tickets at Bernos.org.
Listen here to NPR’s Interview with Meklit Hadero:—
Above: Singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero at Tsehai Poetry Jam,
May 31, 2009 @ Messob Restaurant in L.A.’s Little Ethiopia.
NPR Ethiopian Singer: Soul Searching Led To Debut Album
March 24, 2010
Once you hear her smooth and silky voice it will be hard to forget it. Yet, years passed before she realized she wanted to become a singer. Ethiopian native Meklit Hadero went to college to major in political science, but after moving to San Francisco she found her true love: music. Now, only five years after her first public performance, she is out with the new album “On A Day Like This.” Guest host Allison Keyes talks with singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero about her life and finding herself through music.
Listen to the Story Here:— You can read the transcript of this interview at NPR.ORG.
