New York (TADIAS) – A group of filmmakers in Germany are preparing to document the legendary musician Teshome Mitiku’s return to Ethiopia. Teshome, who now lives in the United States, has not been to his home country since his forced departure more than four decades ago. The film entitled Swinging Addis, is a narrative of the artist’s role in the storied music scene of his generation and his remarkable personal story, which spans three continents and several countries, where in between he managed to earn a graduate degree in Sociology and witness his daughter become an international music star hailing from Sweden.
“I am very excited about returning to my country,” Teshome said in a recent interview with TADIAS. He is currently composing new songs for the occasion and he plans to give a homecoming concert in Addis Ababa and other parts of the country.
Teshome will be accompanied by several musicians from the Diaspora, including his daughter Emilia Mitiku and his brother, saxophonist Tewodros Mitiku. “I am also looking forward to jamming with the new generation of musicians in Ethiopia,” he said. “I love their energy.”
Regarding the film Teshome said: “It’s a multi-million-dollar project, we will be traveling to many places including Gondar, Gojam and to all the historical locations.”
— Click here to watch the trailer.
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.
—
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)
Washington, D.C. (TADIAS)- The last part of our exclusive interview with Ethiopian music legend Teshome Mitiku features his years abroad, his musician daughter Emila, and his plans to return to Ethiopia in the near future.
The artist, who is set to make a historic appearance at the upcoming Chicago Jazz festival, says he is also planning a trip home in connection with a documentary movie being made about him and his daughter by a German production company. The film entitled “Father to Daughter,” is about the transfer of music from one generation to another.
In last week’s segment, Teshome discussed the tense political climate of the late 1960’s that would eventually force him to abruptly leave Ethiopia for Denmark.
What was the first thing you did when you got to Denmark?
I took a cab from Copenhagen airport, and told the cab driver “Take me anywhere where they have music, club, bedroom and food” (Laughter). The cab driver took me to a place called British Pub. It was cold, there was a hotel and I slept for a while, got up and took a shower and dressed sharp in a nice Italian suit, and then went downstairs to get something to eat. I ordered steak and whisky (Laughter). A few minutes later the band started playing and more people started to come in and the mood was getting better and better. I moved to the bar stool and ordered another whisky. Later, I asked the piano player on the stage if I can sing with the group? They were stunned. Who is this guy? Who does he think he is? Then the piano guy said, “I have to ask the manager first.” I replied “go ahead and ask.” The funny thing is my character had apparently convinced them that I was some sort of royal. I was not aware of it at the moment but I was later to learn that it was not very normal in those days for a sharply-dressed black man to show up in a Copenhagen bar, order a steak and whisky and request to play the piano (laughter). They were not used to it. The manager came and immediatly asked, “Where do you come from, are you a Saudi Arabian prince?” (Laughter). They have never seen a black man dressed like that in their life. I was in a nice Italian suit. The manager said “Ok. Let me ask the band leader.” The band leader was named Stefan. He said “Okay, come on,” so I went up there and did some Nat King Cole song, I think it was Monalisa and about three more songs and people liked it and wanted more. Well, I said okay! Then the lady of the house, the boss, the owner, she came and invited me for a drink and asked me all about myself. I told her that I just arrived that morning from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. And she asked me, “Would like to continue to play with the group?” I said yes. Then she formally introduced me with the band leader Stefan, who to this day is my great friend. There I was offered a job, free lodging, laundry and food. So I started singing there.
Wow, how long did you stay there?
I played at the pub for about three months. Then we had a show at a nursing college in Malmo, an international city in Southern Sweden. We stayed there for a while and I begun to contemplate to move to Sweden because when I was there I discovered that they have a great music academy in Malmo. I also learned that you have to be fluent in Swedish in order to attend the school. So I applied for language school in Sweden and they accepted me, that’s how I moved to Sweden.
How difficult was it to learn the new language?
It wasn’t difficult. People think language is difficult, but if you are a musician you shouldn’t worry about language. After I studied Swedish things became easier. I started reading the newspaper. I could communicate with people. So I went ahead and applied to the music academy. I took the test. My dream was to be a conductor. They accepted me at the music school. But I changed my mind and enrolled at the University to study sociology and history instead.
What led you to change your gear from music to sociology and history?
I did not leave music but I wanted to study more. I was in a state of mind where I was struggling with several personal questions. It was a transformational period for me. In a way, I was still maturing and still growing up. I have done music but I also wanted to fulfill the high hopes my father had for me in education. My father always emphasized the importance of getting an education. He was a lawyer, he knew law and loved academia. He was dissatisfied with the Ethiopian justice system till the day he died. Our house was made of intellectuals, we talked a lot (laughter).
How was school like for you in Sweden?
I lived in the library for so many years. I would get up 6 AM like a soldier and at 7 o’clock I am at the library reading. I would do that until 12 or 1 pm and take short lunch break and get back and read. I was a good reader. I used to read five to six books a week on all subjects including philosophy, psychology, history, you name it. Books eventually became my friends, my house is full of books. I can not go anywhere without a book. So, I wanted education and knowledge. I wanted to learn everything. Whatever it takes. I remember trying to push myself to understand Albert Einstein’s theory, “ if he can understand it, I sure can,” I would say to myself. I was pushing myself. That part of me still exists.
Does that mean you weren’t playing music then?
Oh no, I was still playing music. In fact, I was part of a 12 piece jazz band and we used to play on weekends in Sweden and even travel to different states. In summer I was playing Swedish polka. So I earned money as well. I also had a full scholarship for my education.
How were you able to balance all that – new culture, language, school, music, life?
It was a lot to process. The Music part was easy, it came naturally to me, it was part of me. However, school was a bit unnatural, out of my tempo, so I had to work harder at it.
What drives you?
What drives me? Curiosity, discovering the unknown drives me. I like being surprised through new knowledge. In my university life I was an A student.
Were you ever homesick? Did you miss Ethiopia?
I longed for Ethiopia. For me she is embedded in my heart. I love her. Yes, I was very lonely and always longed for my country. I would wake up in the middle of the night when everybody is sleeping and walk to the dorm where there was a piano. I would improvise until sun break. That’s how I released my homesickness.
I am going to ask you a sensitive question. Does this mean you haven’t seen your mom since you left forty years ago?
I have not seen my mother since I left Ethiopia, yes. I haven’t seen her, we talk on the phone…but I haven’t seen her and she always…her dream is to see me before anything happens. But, God willing we will probably see each other soon.
Do you plan to go back?
Yes
When?
Sometime soon (laughter). I have certain core principals that I cannot compromise. We have to have mutual respect for our cultural diversity. My wish for Ethiopia is peace, stability and prosperity based on just principals. I have confidence in the new generation.
Well, you are going to be very surprised. For example, your Sefer (neighborhood) Qebena is different. Even the river has dried.
(Laughter) Yes I know, Qebena doesn’t exist in the way I knew it, only Mama. But I will go there, hopefully, soon…
Let’s talk about your daughter Emilia, the Swedish pop singer. You must be proud of her.
I am very proud of her. I have no words to express it. I used to call her my pearl, my life, my everything.
Is she the only one?
Yes, she is the only one. She has given me a reason to live ever since she was born. She is very smart. Emilia speaks five languages French, Swedish, English, German and Spanish fluently. She got the linguistic part form her mom and the music part from me. She is my everything. My pride. We text each other all the time, we communicate often. She is based in Sweden but lives in Germany and Hungary. I wanted her to be a musician. I encouraged it very much. Even when she was a baby I used to play Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky for her. When she was just two years old, I put her on the piano and told her “This is what you will be doing all your life” (laughter). So she fulfilled that dream for me. I clearly remember the night when she won the Swedish Award. It is equivalent to the American Grammy. She won for best singer, best video, best composer of the year. I mean, I was excited. She was in Japan and watching it via satellite. I was here that night. I was so proud and happy. I picked up the phone and called Voice of America and declared that my daughter has done it, just as Abebe Bekila did it for Ethiopia (laugher) . I was so proud!
Does Emilia speak Amharic?
A little bit, yes. She used to go to Sunday school to learn Amharic as a child. But she stoped when her teacher moved to another place. She also used to take piano, and ballet. She was a very busy child.
Does she plan to do a show in the U.S?
Yes, she actually has an album coming up that will be released in the U.S. market. We are also planning an album together.
Why did you relocate to US?
Well, everything with me has to do with music. I came to visit my brother Teddy sometime in the early 90s. When I came here I was shocked. I never thought that such a large number of Ethiopians had migrated to this part of the world. I mean everywhere I went there were Ethiopians. I said to myself, “ What am I doing in Sweden? This is where I need to be. Then I went back to Sweden, discussed my idea with Emilia. I said “now that you are grown, it is time now for papa to go discover life” (laughter). I gave my apartment to a friend and I was gone. As soon as I arrived here, I got involved in a lot of Ethiopian activities, including music, fundraising for different causes. I became socially involved with the community. That kept me going. I am currently working on a CD.
When is that coming out?
Perhaps in December. I would like to get involved with a lot of musicians, both legendary and contemporary and mix it with American music.
You are scheduled to collaborate with the American Jazz band the Either/Orchestra at the prestigious Chicago Jazz festival in September. How did that come about?
The Either/Orchestra had re-recorded one of my songs called Yezemed Yebada and one day I was driving in the area and heard the song on WPFW radio. I am like, what is that? This is my song? So, I pulled over to the side and called the DJ at WPFW. I asked him, “who is the composer of the song?” He read the album and said Teshome Mitiku. I said: “You are talking to him now.” They were pleasantly surprised. I asked about the orchestra and they gave me information about them and the DJ said they were located in Boston. I picked up the phone and called the leader Russ, I told him who I was and eventually we became friends. He called me about a month ago and invited me to join the group for preparation in Chicago and Boston. When I rehearsed with them, it was a great feeling. The band is fantastic. Our show in Massachusetts was sold out. I saw a lot of people there that enjoyed Ethiopian music, friends of Ethiopia and Ethiopians. They loved it. We are now getting ready for the Chicago festival. I am honored to join the band; I am actually going to be doing a couple of more shows and we are talking about more future projects, I am excited.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Yes, I would like to mention that a German production company is currently filming a documentary based on my life and Emilia’s entitled “Father to Daughter.” It’s about the transition of music from one generation to another. They are half way done. They came and filmed here. They have also been filming in Europe. Now, they want us to go to Ethiopia to complete the shoot. I plan to go. So that will be my first trip back to Ethiopia since I left four decades ago.
Is your daughter going with you?
Oh yes, but that will not be her first time though. Emilia was in Ethiopia last year. She was in the middle of preparing for the 2009 Eurovision Song competition and she was very nervous about it. So one day she calls me and she says: “Papa I have to go to Ethiopia to get a blessing from my grandmother before the contest. Can you come with me?” I said to her, “I want you to do that. I can’t come with you becasue I am working, but I want you to go.” So she did. She went to Addis Ababa straight to her grandmother’s house and stayed there for a week. So the two women call me up. My mother was crying, Emilia was crying. My mother said to me, “ Teshu now my life is fulfilled. Today is the happiest day of my life.” When Emilia was there she took a photo of my old house, the house I grew up in Qebena. When I saw that picture, it brought back so many memories that I had to write a song about it. It will be in my next album. It is called Enen Ayew (I saw myself).
Thank you so much Tehsome for your time and good luck.
Washington, D.C. (TADIAS)- Part two of our exclusive interview with Ethiopian music legend Teshome Mitiku highlights his reasons for his abrupt departure from Ethiopia forty years ago, his favorite song from that era and his experience working with Mulatu Astatke, the father of Ethio-jazz. Teshome is scheduled to accompany the Either/Orchestra at the 32nd Annual Chicago Jazz Festival in September.
You were a teenager when you started performing in clubs. How did your parents feel about that?
My father had already passed away. My mother was very supportive. My mother’s only concern was that I continue to go to school, but she never stopped me from playing, just worried about me. She is a great mother. She was a great singer too. She used to sing Bati, Ambasel, Anchi Hoye. Her words and lyrics were poetry and they are very touching. I mean I used to sit and cry as a child when my mother used to sing while she was washing clothes, ironing or cooking. So I guess my mother’s emotional singing had an influence on me. My mother was always my friend. As a teenager when I started working in clubs and begun making money, I used to take her to a hair dresser, to a café, piazza, everywhere and whatever she wants I used to buy. My mom always came first for me. So I have always done that, I still do that. She is a beautiful woman with a heart of gold. My mother loves her life, even today she tells me “as long as you are doing good I am happy.” What I really appreciate about her is she brought me up as a care-free kid. She allowed me the freedom that I needed. And when I left the country, I thanked her for it.
You left the country abruptly. When did you leave Ethiopia and why?
I left the country on January 27, 1970. The last few years of the 1960s was a very critical time in Ethiopia. Even though the music scene was upbeat, there was also an undercurrent of social discontent. We were not political at all, but we were very popular at the time and people used to come from all corners to watch us. I believe the security people had an eye on us. So, at the end what happened was that we did a show at the Haile Selassie University in Addis Ababa. That was, as I recall, the last major show I did in Ethiopia.
Why so?
Because they made it so, they made it the last time, it wasn’t me. When Soul Ekos band was performing at the University, there were about four to five thousand people there. I mean Lideta Adrarash (Hall) was packed; everybody was there. It was a period when students were engaged in open rebellion against the authorities. So the army and the police were there keeping an eye on the kids and the situation. So when we took the stage Seifu Yohannes did the first three songs. And when my turn came and I was warming up to do the usual popular songs, the crowed started to demand that I play Fano Tesemara. I replied “I cannot sing that right now, are you crazy?”
Why? Was it a political song?
Oh yes (laughter), Fano Tesemara was a political song (Fano Tesemara ende Ho Chi Minh ende Che Guevara). Then I said, I can sing it for you but can you handle what’s gonna happen afterwards? The kids shouted “yes Teshe come on.” And I said to them let me first sing Almaz Min Eda New. They would not have any of it. I mean they were demanding that I sing Fano first. Then I had to speak with the police about it. They were vigilantly watching, the army, the Kibur Zebegna (the imperial guard), all of them were there with their AK-47s. The security was literally on the stage. So I asked the army guy, “what do you want me to do now?” By then the students were already singing Fano Tesemara and they were saying Meret larashu (land to the tiler) and so on. I turned to the the army captain again. He said “Go ahead, you can sing it.” The crowd went wild.
You took a chance.
Yes I did, I was allowed to sing it, but that was the end of happy and innocent days for me. I never had any more peace after that. I was continuously harassed, investigated, and was suddenly asked to pay three hundred and fifty thousand Ethiopian Birr in tax. I was shocked. I said what? Then, once I was scheduled to perform at Zula club they came and took me to Sostegna tabia (3rd police station) and kept me for three days with all sorts of fabricated accusations. I had the sense that they were planning to put me away for good. That’s when I left Ethiopia.
Where did you go?
I had a visa for Sweden and Denmark, and I went to Copenhagen for a while.
Before we talk about your years abroad, what is your favorite Soul Ekos song from those days?
Woooooooow, wow wow, very hard question…they all hold special place in my life but I think Mot Adeladlogn I love the poetry. It is almost like Romeo and Juliet. It is romantic.
During your brief but illustrious career in Ethiopia, you also worked with several Ethiopian greats, including Mulatu Astatke. What was that experience like?
Working with Mulatu is like having a buffet of music. Mulatu is music himself. I have collaborated with him on many occasions. I worked with him way back in the 60s and later in the 90s here. We did Wolo songs together. I love working with Mulatu. He gives the singer or the artist a chance to express himself. He never competes with you or tries to push you. He always tries to understand the music first. Once he gets it, then he lets you express it. When you work with him it is you who is working. I wish I could work with him more often than I did.
This photo was taken at Bingo Club in Asmara in 1969. Shown third from left is Theodros ( Teddy )
Mitiku, the 9th person is Alula Yohannes and next to him is Teshome Mitiku. (Courtesy photo)
The band members and friends vacationing in Asmara, where they used to play on weekends at
Kangawe Station, an American Military base. Teshome is almost seated. (Courtesy photo.)
Washington, D.C. (TADIAS) – Teshome Mitiku has not returned to Ethiopia since his abrupt departure in 1970. In a recent exclusive interview with Tadias Magazine, the legendary artist who is scheduled to make a historic appearance accompanying the Either/Orchestra at the prestigious Chicago Jazz Festival in September, talks 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. in what the artist says is his first exclusive interview since his hurried journey out of Ethiopia 40 years ago. The soft-spoken and humorous artist, who sprinkles his answers with sporadic laughter, discussed with us his distinguished career spanning four decades and three continents.
Here is part-one of our 3-part series, which will be published in weekly installments.
Teshome Mitiku, courtesy Photo.
You began your career as a teenager in an era known as “Swinging Addis.” What was
the music scene like in Ethiopia at the time?
It was fantastic. It was an upbeat time. The 60s was an era where things developed from one form of life to another. So it was a transitional period for the whole country. New ways of thinking and doing things were emerging in singing, playing, and producing. The big band era was giving-way to small bands including groups such as the Soul Ekos band, the Ras band, etc. Music instruments were changing as well. Everywhere you went there were groups playing, clubs were packed. I was still in high school at the time, but I was already playing in different clubs with several settings. Then we ended up forming the Soul Ekos band. For the last two years of the late 60’s, I played with this band, which was the most popular band in Ethiopia. Although more such bands have flourished, I don’t think anybody could replace that group.
You were one of the founding members of the band. What are your memories of Soul Ekos?
My memories of Soul Ekos band is just full of love. We were ahead of our time in many ways. We were very organized, disciplined, we had a manager and each guy in the band loved his instrument. There was no question of when to rehearse or how to rehearse it. We were playing in clubs, touring and taping. Our ideas of bringing about modern ways of playing music was getting popular. We did the recordings like Gara Sir New Betish, Hasabe, Yezemed Yebada, Mot Adeladlogn and many many more. Each one of us loved playing together. So what we did was that we rented a big house in Entoto, which had nine bedrooms and a giant living room.
So you guys also lived together?
(Laughs) Yes that is how much we enjoyed each other, we lived together. Each one of us had our own bedroom though (more laughter). We would get up at 7 o’clock and by 9 we were on stage in the living room for rehearsal until 1 o’clock, and we take lunch break until 3 and get back and rehearse until 6 then we go home. But home is where we practice so everybody did whatever they wanted to after 6. We saw too much of each other, but it never felt like that at the time.
Were you making enough money to support yourself?
We were the highest paid band. But we never placed money at the center, the music was our center. But we had income. I mean we were playing on weekends at Kangnew station in Asmara (then part of Ethiopia) and we used to play at hotels, clubs, schools, universities so the income was there. We were booked everywhere. We were flying left and right nationwide and internationally. We went to Sudan, Kenya all kinds of touring. We were a busy band.
Do you still keep in touch with some of the band members?
Yes, Teddy (Tewodros Mitiku) the saxophonist, is my brother, so we keep in touch. He lives in Maryland and I live in Virginia, so we meet and we call every now and then. I also keep in touch with Alula Yohannes, the guitarist we call each other on the phone we are even thinking of performing together. There was sort of a small reunion way back in 1995 but that reunion wasn’t really a soul Ekos reunion it was a reunion of guys playing in the 60s. So we got together and played at the Hilton here, it was the relaunch of my carrier in music. So, we might do that again. But some of our guys have passed away: the singer Seifu, the trumpeter Tamrat, the drummer Tesfaye. Among the original Soul Ekos band, only four are still living: Teddy, Fekade, Alula and I.
Members of the former Ekos Band: from the left Alula Yohannes, Tesfaye Mekonnen, Tamrat,
Amha Eshete (band manager), Teshome Mitiku, Feqade Amdemesqel & Tewodros Mitiku. (CP).
When did you start playing music?
I started playing music in zero grade. At the time they actually had zero grade (laughter). When you pass zero grade then you go to first grade. Zero grade was where you learned your ABC’s and after you master the basics then you pass to first grade. Otherwise, you can stay in zero grade for a long time. It is after completing Kes temhirtbet, fidel and Dawit that I landed at Haile Selassie day school (Kokebe Tsiba) in Kebena, where they put me in zero grade. When I got there, I already loved singing. I loved music. I remember while getting ready to pack for school I would listen to songs on the radio, and I would just stand there and listen to the music and be late for school. I had that much love. I especially loved begena and kirar instruments. I used to stand there and listen. I also remember some of the zebegnas (guards) in Aswogag Sefer area where they used to play accordions, flutes, washint and stuff so I used to sit there with the zebegnas while the class was waiting for me.
You have made up your mind then?
Yes, early on– and I used to drum around the village. So, when I came to first grade I had a chance to study under a Danish music teacher named Paul Bank Hansen at the Haile Selassie day school music class. They gave me an entrance exam on singing, rhythm, and the concept of music and I passed it. And Mr. Hanson, who was my teacher then, said to me he would like me to become a member of a group he was building. So, there were about 40 to 50 students selected for music education. My brother Teddy Mitiku was one of them, and some of the guys from our band Tamrat Ferendji and Tesfaye Mekonnen, etc, most of them are from there. So, my teacher’s wife, Margret Hanson, started teaching me piano. I went to her once and asked: “Mrs. Hanson, can you please teach me how to play this thing.” I was referring to the piano, the grand piano in her house. She was shocked by my question and said: “Oh I will do that but you also have to promise me something. You have to keep time and come everyday from 4pm to 5 pm and I will teach you piano.” So she used to buy me candy, cookies, there was a Coca Cola and other some soft drinks. I sat beside her and started playing. That’s how I started playing the piano and went on to learn trumpet, violin, and drums. But the trumpet, my father didn’t like it. He said it will probably hurt your lungs. But I used to get up at 6 o’clock and go to school at 7 to raise the flag, so the entire neighborhood will hear my trumpet. Then in the afternoon I will blow my trumpet again and put down the flag and return it to the director’s office and go home. I used to do that on a regular basis.
You are also a song-writer. What is the writing process like for you?
The writing process for me is based on happenings, what happens in your life. All these songs didn’t come out of the blue, each one of the songs got their own history and their own rhythm. Even right now too, writing is based on situations and conditions. It is the state of mind I am in. Most of the songs that I wrote are really a reflection of the condition that I was in at the time. Like Gara sir new betish, for example, is about our house in Kebena where I grew up. When I wrote it the title was kebena new betish, that was the idea. And the house where I was born in and grew up in Ethiopia was just right under the hill (gara) and Kebena river is right under the bridge very close to the water. So I was in a state of mind where I was unemployed at the time because of a disagreement I had with the owner of the clubs. So I used to stay home, sit at home on the balcony and drink Saris Vino. My mother used to say, “Teshu what are you doing? “and I would say “just thinking” my mother would respond “don’t worry everything will be alright.” That’s when I sat down and started writing about our home, school and the girls at school and everybody that I know around me. So I wrote kebena new betish and after I wrote that song I went to the band and said lets hook this up. The band loved it. Then I started working at a club again, when we started playing the song and everybody at the club loved it. I mean the whole setting was different, the orchestration was different, the beat was different and the singing style was different. And it just became tremendously popular, even today. A legendary song. I don’t think they can replace that song.
It’s been re-recorded so many times by different artists. How do you feel about that?
I love it. I love the young generation. You know, that is the reason we recorded it so the next generation can pick it up and change the style and play it in different modes. I really appreciate them. Other radios talk shows have asking me about it and I said it is good. I wish all Ethiopians were like that. We should renew the style and do it again. The song is very open and you can add anything you want to it. One just needs to invest a little time on it.
Above:Members of the former Ekos Band: from the left Alula
Yohannes, Tesfaye Mekonnen, Tamrat Ferenji, Amha Eshete,
Teshome Mitiku, Feqade Amdemesqel & Tewodros Mitiku.- CP
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Saturday, July 17, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Either/Orchestra, the American jazz band that popularized Ethiopian classics in the United States through collaboration with legends such as Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete and saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya, has an upcoming show at the prestigious Chicago Jazz Festival on September 4th featuring Teshome Mitiku.
In the late 60’s, Teshome, along with his brother and alto saxophonist Theodros “Teddy” Mitiku, trumpeter Tamrat Ferendji, bassist Fekade Amde-Meskel, drummer Tesfaye Mekonnen, guitarist Alula Yohannes and singer Seifu Yohannes, joined to form the influential Soul Ekos Band – the first independent band to be recorded in Ethiopia. According to the artist’s website: “The band released numerous songs, including four hits written by Teshome: Gara Ser New Betesh, Yezemed Yebada, Mot Adeladlogn and Hasabe.”
Yezemed Yebada was later included on the first of the Ethiopiques CD series where it was discovered by the Either/Orchestra band leader Russ Gershon, who re-arranged it as an instrumental for his band. The song has since been re-recorded and released two more times including for the double CD Ethiopiques 20: Live in Addis (2005).
The Either/Orchestra band recently held a prelude gig at Liliy Pad in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at an event dubbed “A secret concert with Teshome Mitiku, a great Ethiopian voice.” As the leader tells it, this was a show that has been a long time coming. “In 1969, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a young singer named Teshome Mitiku wrote a song called Yezemed Yebada and recorded it under the aegis of the legendary Amha Records,” Gershon said in an email explaining the connection between Either/Orchestra and the Ethiopian musician. “Three years later Teshome left Ethiopia for Sweden, where he developed a music career, fathered a little girl who became the Swedish pop star Emilia, and eventually moved to the U.S.”
Teshome Mitiku will perform Yezemed – and several other songs – with the Either/Orchestra at the 32nd Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. Gershon tells Tadias Magazine that Getatchew Mekurya will also make an appearance at the longest running of the city’s lake-front musical events.
If You Go: The 2010 Chicago Jazz Festival will take place from September 2nd to the 5th in Grant Park. Learn more.
