Tag Archives: Tsedey Aragie

Featured, Interviews, Profiles

Tadias Video Interview: Ethiopian Rock Band Jano Live in DC (UPDATED)

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Tadias Magazine
By Tsedey Aragie

Updated: Monday, July 15, 2013

Washington, D.C. (TADIAS) – The sound of Ethiopia’s new generation, the rock band Jano, delivered one of the most exciting and highly anticipated live musical performances scheduled during the 2013 Ethiopian soccer tournament festivities held in Washington, D.C. last week.

The following is Tadias Magazine’s exclusive and in-depth video interview with members of the band who played for the first time in the United States on July 4th at the historic Howard Theatre.

Watch: Color and sound updated — JANO Band July 4th – Howard Theatre (TADIAS Interview)

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Related:
Tadias Video Interview: Grammy-nominated Singer and Songwriter, Wayna
CNN Features Ethiopian Rock Band Jano
Summer of Ethiopian Music Continues: Krar Collective in NYC, Young Ethio Jazz in D.C. (TADIAS)
Tadias Interview: NYC Abay Team’s Success at 30th ESFNA Tournament
Mahmoud Ahmed and Teddy Afro Bring Echostage Home (The Washington Post)
Debo Band & Young Ethio Jazz Band at Yoshi’s in San Francisco – July 17th (TADIAS)
Highlights of Ethiopian Music During Soccer Tournament Week (The Washington City Paper)
Summer of Ethiopian Music: Jano to Fendika, Teddy Afro to Mahmoud Ahmed (TADIAS)
Hailu Mergia: A Beloved Ethiopian Musician of a Generation Ago (The Washington Post)
Reissues Songs From Hailu Mergia, Local Cab Driver (The Washington City Paper)

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Featured, Profiles

DCTV Honors Tsedey Aragie: ‘New Producer of the Year’

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Sunday, June 30, 2013

New York (TADIAS) – Tsedey Aragie, Tadias Magazine’s video reporter since 2010, has been honored by DCTV with the “Best at Viewers’ Choice” award for her TV program on the local public access channel highlighting health and lifestyle topics affecting residents of Washington, D.C.

Tsedey received the “New Producer of the Year and Innovative Program of the Year for creativity, production quality and audience impact” awards at a ceremony held in the District for her show entitled The 30-Day Health Challenge.

“I am very humbled by the awards,” said Tsedey, who shared the stage on June 22nd at the DCTV Viewers’ Choice Awards gala with other winners including Denise Rolark Barnes, Publisher of The Washington Informer, whose publication was recognized in Sports category for an interview marking the resurgence of boxing in the District of Columbia.

“I can honestly say the awards came by surprise,” Tsedey told Tadias. “The purpose of the show is to educate and empower people to be proactive about their health and lifestyle and influence others around them.”

In an interview with The Washington Informer, Bob Thomas, DCTV’s vice president of operations, expressed his admiration for Tsedey and her contribution to the station. “I really appreciate her growth,” he said. “The awards are very important because they allow not-famous producers to become known.”

Tsedey, who was born in D.C. and raised in New Jersey, has covered several Ethiopia-related events in Washington and New York for Tadias, including the unforgettable performance by Debo Band and Fendika collective two years ago at the 41st annual Lincoln center summer music festival in New York, where she interviewed the band members, as well as the Director of Public Programming for Lincoln Center. The same year she sat down with Ethiopian-born couture bridal fashion designer Amsale Aberra highlighting the reality TV show Amsale Girls, the celebrity designer’s success in the wedding-gown industry, and her memories of Ethiopia. More recently Tseday had a well received Google hangout session with Emmy award-winning Ethiopian American journalist Bofta Yimam, and a series of Town Hall meetings spotlighting mental health issues in the community, which has attracted the attention of health authorities both in the U.S. and Ethiopia.

Regarding The 30-Day Health Challenge on DCTV, Tsedey notes that the participants in the show are committed to a one month challenge to adopt long-term lifestyle changes. “The outcome has been outstanding,” she said. “In the 30-day period our participants experienced a range of results.” She added: “Some were able to loose 10-30 lbs., discontinue the use of blood pressure medication, reverse diabetes, and even discontinue the use of inhalers.”

This fall “The 30-Day Health Challenge Reality T.V. show” (3rd season episode) is heading to Eleanor Roosevelt High School, a Maryland public magnet high school specializing in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering. “Very excited about that,” Tsedey said. “It has been my goal since the inception of the show to work with the youth. In this country the statistics are staggering and young people are suffering from high instances of obesity and diabetes. And so, I’m really looking forward to work in a field that I’m passionate about.”
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Related:
DCTV Honors the Best at Viewers’ Choice Ceremony (Washington Informer)

Watch: 30 Day Health Challenge – TV Show (2nd season)

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For updates you can follow the program on Twitter @30DayHCTV.

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Events, Featured

National Mental Health Awareness Month – Community Forum In DC

Tadias Magazine
By Tsedey Aragie

Published: Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

Washington, DC (TADIAS) – This is Mental Health Awareness Month and I will be moderating another public session on the topic on Monday, May 6th at the Shaw Library in D.C. The conference is the latest in a series of events on the subject designed to spur outreach and awareness efforts in our community. We especially encourage people with skills in health care to participate in the forum. During our last meeting it was highlighted that there is an under-utilized wealth of Ethiopian & Eritrean medical professionals among the East African populations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Often behavioral health experts are at the forefront of this fight and your input is essential in our ongoing conversation.

“It is up to all of us to know the signs of mental health issues and lend a hand to those who are struggling,” President Obama said in the proclamation making May Mental Health Awareness Month. “Shame and stigma too often leave people feeling like there is no place to turn. We need to make sure they know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness — it is a sign of strength.”

The organization My Love in Action, which is currently conducting a needs assessment survey in our community, is hosting the upcoming town hall. As you know, particularly among Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrants, the stigma associated with mental illness has led to many unnecessary tragedies and it is important for us to uproot this problem as a shared responsibility. We encourage everyone to take part in the dialogue. We have some great programs, workshops and speakers lined up. And as always, your feedback is going to be very valuable.

For those who live outside Washington, you can still partake via a conference call (see info below) or follow the discussion live online.
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IF you go:
Date: Monday May 6th
Time: 6pm sharp
Address: 1620 7th St NW, Washington D.C. 20001
Location: Watha T. Daniel Shaw Library (downstairs)
Phone conference: (267) 507-0240 pin #939807
Live Stream Link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/filmstockinc
More information at www.myloveinaction.org
Follow updates on twitter @MyLoveInAction.
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Related:
Report From Second Community Forum on Mental Health – Video
Dr. Welansa Asrat on Mental Health Taboo in the Ethiopian Community

Watch: Video Clips – ‘2nd Community Forum on Mental Health,’ December 15th, 2012

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Featured, Health, News

Report From Second Community Forum on Mental Health – Video

Tadias Magazine
By Tsedey Aragie

Updated: Friday, December 21, 2012

Washington, DC (TADIAS) – Last week I hosted the second public forum on mental health here in Washington, D.C. The interactive get-together attracted over 100 participants from across the country who joined the conversation via conference call as well as an online live stream channel in addition to those who attended in person at the Shaw Neighborhood Library.

I am happy to report that it was another fruitful and educational event. My only regret is that we ran out of time before we could cover all the speakers because we did not assign and monitor time segments properly, which we will fix next time.

One of the key point that was repeatedly emphasized at the meeting was the need to incorporate religious leaders in this dialogue as well as in the treatment and healing process for individuals. There are studies that show that the close knit and communal nature of our culture does play a protective role in preventing mental illness.

As tax payers we do have the right to vocalize the importance of including natural remedies to be recognized as part of the treatment plan by lobbying the appropriate government agencies that write the policies governing health service providers.

It was also noted that there is an abundance of health professionals among the Ethiopian & Eritrean populations in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, but that talent pool is under-utilized. Often medical professionals are at the forefront of this fight and if given the proper training could recognize any ongoing mental health issues as they are developing, most importantly as it relates to substance abuse and addiction.

We also learned that the World Health Organization has partnered with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health to implement a Mental Health program in Ethiopia that could also be used as a resource.

The impact of Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD), which is commonly found among war veterans in this country, is another mental health problem that affects immigrants who have witnessed violence in close proximity, and how detrimental these effects are on a person’s psychological well-being, especially for those who have experienced violence in the Horn of Africa. Another issue raised was the impact of political oppression and how it affects an individual’s psychological makeup.

We also received an update from the working-team that was tasked to conduct research. The advocacy-group is led by the organization “My Love in Action” and they are to come up with a needs assessment survey, and create outreach programs geared towards collaborating with organizations that work with professionals in the behavioral science fields, including educational institutions, as well as student associations. They are making progress but they need your help so please get involved.

Sadly, our event took place the day following the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut where a 20-year-old gunman shot and killed 26 people – mostly children – at Sandy Hook Elementary School before committing suicide himself. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims’ families.

Below is a short video featuring clips from the “Second Community Forum on Mental Health” held on Saturday December 15th. I will keep you posted on future gatherings. In the meantime, you can follow updates on twitter @MyLoveInAction.

Watch: Clips from the “Second Community Forum on Mental Health” held on December 15th

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Related:
Community Forum II on Mental Health Announcement
Interview With Dr. Welansa Asrat About Mental Health Taboo in the Ethiopian Community
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Art, Events, Featured

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

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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.

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Featured, Interviews

Preview: Tadias Interview With Amsale Aberra

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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.

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