BOSTON — The largest independent college of contemporary music in the world has awarded honorary degrees to the Eagles and Grammy Award-winning country singer Alison Krauss at a ceremony in Boston.

The city’s Berklee College of Music also has honored influential Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke, an alumnus.

The artists were honored during the school’s commencement ceremony Saturday.

Students paid tribute to the artists with a concert featuring their music. More than 900 students from 58 countries graduated from Berklee this year.

Eagles Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit didn’t perform at the nonprofit school.

Berklee says its alumni include Quincy Jones, Esperanza Spalding, Diana Krall, Joey Kramer, Natalie Maines, John Mayer, Aimee Mann, Branford Marsalis, Melissa Etheridge and Gary Burton, who have won a total of 221 Grammys.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

source: Associated Press

Adanech Admassu, one of Ethiopia’s few female film-makers, has won a prize at the One World Media Awards ceremony in London.

She took the Special Award for her film Stolen Childhood, which tells the true story of a young girl who is forced into marriage.

She says it is a fate she managed to avoid with the help of The Ethiopian Gemini Trust.

Ms Adanech, who grew up in a one-room house in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and sold snacks on the street to help her mother, told BBC Africa’s Akwasi Sarpong how she made the journey from vendor to award-winning film-maker.

AUDIO: BBC Africa’s Akwasi Sarpong interview with Ethiopia’s female film-maker Adanech Admassu

Though the contract was for 280,000 copies, up to 2.2m copies may be on the market

Two weeks after the release of the much anticipated album Tikur Sew of megastar Tewodros Kassahun, a.k.a. Teddy Afro, disagreements have surfaced between producers of the album, Adika Communications and Events Plc, and the artist, over the number of copies that are available on the market.

Adika, which bought the rights to Teddy’s master copy for four million Br, and Supermax, a Dubai-based CD publisher, inked a contract on March 29, 2012, for the printing of 280,000 CD copies, amounting to 4.97 Br apiece.

Starting from March 31, 2012, Supermax delivered 20,000 copies a day, until April 13, the day it fulfilled the terms of its contract.

These copies also included cassettes, claims Ashenafi Zeleke, general manager of Adika Communications. However, the contract that Fortune saw is vague about the printing of cassettes, stating only that the 20,000 copies that Supermax was supposed to print were in the form of CDs.

Around 2.2 million copies were available in the market of which two million were in the form of CD’s and the rest in Cassettes, sources close to the artist claim. This amount is much greater than what was stated in the agreement.

Another source of contention was the Meta Brewery SC logo, the exclusive sponsor, was displayed on the album cover of 120,000 copies. Meta, which is currently in the midst of a massive promotion campaign, after being acquired by Diageo Plc, the world’s biggest liquor maker, for 225 million dollars. The artist was not happy about having Meta’s logo displayed on these copies and requested for their disposal, which Adika had agreed to, sources claim.

However, such copies were available in the market with Meta’s logo blacked out with a marker.

While admitting the existence of such copies in the market, Ashenafi stated that there was no such agreement to destroy the CDs.

“We are discussing the issue with the artist and have come to an agreement to give a joint briefing,” he explained refusing to comment further.

Over 2.2 million copies of Tikur Sew have sold in the past two weeks and have generated a little over 50 million Br, so far, according to sources close to the artist.

According to the contract that Adika has with the artist, the latter has a 20pc share of the net profit that Adika generates from the sales of the album. In accordance with this agreement, Adika has agreed to update the artist about the sale of the album.

“He has only been told that around 100,000 copies have sold so far,” a close source to the artist told Fortune.

Fast becoming a dominant presence in the entertainment industry and known for its western-style promotion strategy, Adika has bagged major contracts with famous recording artists in the past year, and has many more projects in the pipeline, including major deals with songstress Abiy Lakew and musician Michael Belayneh.

A sister company of Adika Tour & Travel, the Company was established in November 2010 by three shareholders, Awad Mohammed, managing director of Adika Tour & Travel; Ashenafi Zeleke; and David Kirba.

source: addisfortune.com

Rastafarians gather in Shashemene, Ethiopia to celebrate the 46th anniversary of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica in 1966. Selassie's visit prompted an influx of Jamaican Rastafarians to Ethiopia, but now some say the country has not measured up. (AFP Photo/Jenny Vaughan)

A ceremonial fire burns as dreadlocked Rastafarians sway to drum beats, chanting “Haile I! Selassie I!” in praise of the former Ethiopian emperor whom they uphold as God incarnate.

Marijuana smoke rises from the crowd, decked out in their trademark red, gold and green — also the colours as the Ethiopian flag — as they celebrate the 46th anniversary this month of Haile Selassie’s visit to Jamaica.

That trip prompted an influx of Jamaican Rastafarians to the Horn of Africa state, which they believe is their promised land.

But some feel Ethiopia has not measured up — and now want change.

“After the visit of Haile Selassie in 1966 in the Caribbean, the Jamaican Rastafarians started to pour in” to Ethiopia, said researcher Giulia Bonacci at the French Centre for Ethiopian Studies in the capital Addis Ababa.

When the movement emerged in the 1930s among descendants of African slaves in Jamaica, it adopted Haile Selassie as the messiah, at a time when he stood out as the only independent black monarch in Africa.

They even took their name from his pre-regnal title — “Ras” for “head” and his birth name “Tafari”.

A supporter of decolonization and cooperation among African states when they were still largely under European control, Haile Selassie set aside land south of the capital in the 1950s to welcome back the African diaspora.

The 500-hectare (1,200-acre) plot in Shashemene, 250 kilometres (155 miles) from Addis Ababa, was offered to descendents of slaves who wanted to return “home”.

It is one of Africa’s few Rastafarian communities and residents hold fast to their cultural mainstays: dreadlocks, vegetarian diets, reggae music and marijuana smoking.

But life changed in 1974 when Haile Selassie was overthrown in a coup led by Mengistu Haile Mariam whose Marxist-Leninist regime confiscated the Shashemene plot, prompting most Rastas to flee its authoritarian rule.

Though 40 hectares have been returned to the community since Meles Zenawi, now prime minister, took power in 1991, the 600 or so Rastas from the Caribbean, North America and Europe living there today are “tolerated” by the government, holding neither citizenship nor any legal right to the land.

“There is an absence of a clear policy of the Ethiopian government towards the community, which leaves a lot of its members in limbo and facing difficult legal issues,” said Bonacci, who has written a book about Rastafarians settling in Ethiopia.

Kestekle Ab, 82, who moved from Jamaica 11 years ago, said authorities recently told him to relocate to make room for construction of a new road.

He arrived when Shashemene was a sparsely populated rural area. Today it is a bustling city of about 120,000. Donkey carts are outnumbered by three-wheeled motorised rickshaws that flit about streets lined with crooked wooden stalls selling single cigarettes, warm juice and biscuits.

“I won’t have a home, my home is in the middle of the road. So where am I going to stay?” he asked, sitting in his cramped, airless clay hut decorated with a fading portrait of Haile Selassie and a Rasta flag peeling from the wall.

“We have a right to the land,” he said.

“It’s not threatened, it’s being taken away,” Ras Kabena, 58, said angrily as he poked kernels from corn cobs to plant ahead of the rainy season.

Kabena, who moved from the Dominican Republic two decades ago, runs a natural health clinic on the grounds of a Rasta church but said authorities are encroaching on the fields where he grows food and medicinal herbs.

Rastafarian priest Ras Moya attends festivities in Shashemene, Ethiopia to mark the 46th anniversary of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica in 1966. After Selassie's visit, Jamaican Rastafarians started moving to Ethiopia, but now some say the country has not measured up. (AFP Photo/Jenny Vaughan)

Rastafarians say it was the “divinity” of the land that drew them to Ethiopia, which is mentioned in the Bible more than 30 times and is believed to be the birthplace of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

“This is the promised land, this is where God is born,” said Ab.

Yet the Rastas’ vague status makes it difficult to set up business and access services open to nationals.

“I’m in Africa and I’m illegal in regards to status. I don’t feel illegal because I’m returning home, but when you’re talking about the letter of the law, yes, in fact, it’s reality,” said Carol Rocke, 56, who runs a Caribbean restaurant.

When she was “ordained by God” to come to Ethiopia from Trinidad six years ago, she applied for a business licence but was only allowed to operate as a foreign investor, limiting her business to the region around Shashemene.

Paul Phang, 55, a Jamaican-born Rasta priest who sits on Shashemene city council, insists the government has been increasingly supportive.

In 2006, the regional president “said the land that had been given to the black people of the West — no more of it should be molested, it should be honoured as a historical heritage for the diaspora community,” Phang said.

But Rocke feels authorities are dragging their heels. “They have not been active enough, it’s like they don’t know how to deal with us,” she said.

The Rastafarians now want clarification, and sent a petition to parliament three months ago urging the government to grant them legal status and legal title to their land. As yet they have not heard back.

“We have been here over 50 years. That means we have been integrated into the Ethiopian society, into the Ethiopian culture. Some of us have Ethiopian husbands, some of us have Ethiopian wives,” Rocke said.

But “our roots have been stanched, we have not been able to develop as a people.”

source: AFP

With in less than a week Adika was able to get 6.3 million birr and the other share will go to the music shops.

The newly released Teddy Afro’s album “Tikur sew” hit a new record in Ethiopian music industry with a sale of 300,000 CD and 120,000 cassettes worth of close to ten million birr in less than a week.

This album sale was collected from Electra and Ambassel music shops in Addis Ababa and the other regions with the exception of northern Ethiopia which is distributed through Tana Entertainment.

Adika events and communication delivers the CDs worth of 17.50 birr and the cassettes with nine birr for the music shops and it was decided to be sold 25 birr for the CD and 13 birr for the cassettes on the market.

With in less than a week Adika was able to get 6.3 million birr and the other share will go to the music shops.

Since the release of this album last week, April 14, the album has been sold in a huge quantity. Especially on the date of the release last Saturday a huge number of crowds were witnessed around the music shops in a long queue and also the album was sold on the street vendors.

Even if it was decided to be a fixed sale the album was even sold with a price of 50 birr on the streets.

“We notified through the different Medias not to buy the album more than the fixed price but some of the dealers were even talking about shortages while we are still delivering and selling the album more than the price,” says Ashenafi

The music shops requested 500,000 CDs and 200,000 cassettes and according to Ashenafi the album is still ongoing production.

This album has been also distributed abroad through Adika agents starting from the release date and according to Ashenafi Zeleke Adika events manager the sale of the album is not known yet.

Source: ethiopianreporter

Jah Lude Awol, 36, is an Ethiopian singer-songwriter and musician. The reggae singer was born and raised in Addis Ababa. Jah Lude’s music is heavily influenced by the cultural and old plays which are almost forgotten by the new generation. The artist also celebrates his belongingness to his homeland in his music.

Ever since his album that contains 16 songs was released, some 15 thousand copies have been sold from the published 25 thousand CDs. Some 10 thousand tapes have been also published. Jah Lude wrote all of his songs and some of them took him six months while others only took him 10 minutes. The new artist, who is on the spotlight, spoke to Meiraef Berhane of The Reporter.

What does Jah Lude mean?

I cannot explain what Jah Lude means specifically. My name always has different meanings depending on the situations that I am in. However, my parents named me Jah Lude from the Qur’an. And people who know the historical meaning of the name have told me that people who are warriors used to be named Jah Lude.

When did you start your musical career?

I think I am an born musician. I was only eight years old when I wrote my first song.

What was your inspiration to become a musician?

I always listen to different rhythms made out of natural and artificial sounds in my surroundings. That’s what inspired me to be caught up in music. But one person to whom I should give credit in my life is Bob Marley. He has been a big inspiration and good role model to me to keep doing what I am doing regarding my musical career. I loved reggae because of him: and he always has a good place in my heart.

Is that why you have your dreadlocks?

Not really. I spend most of my time working on my music. I always wash my hair but never looked at it in the mirror. To that extent I just saw what my hair looks like recently, while pictures were taken for my album design. When I looked at my hair carefully, some of them are stuck together and look like a dread while some of them look fluffy. I have never been so concerned about my outer look; rather, I prefer spending much of my time talking with my inner self. I forgot to be concerned about my look and my focus was dedicated to cultivate my art potential and got impressed in a way. However, after seeing what my hair looks like in the pictures, I have started cutting my hair and my beard.

How long did it take you to finish your album?

It took me ten years. But ever since I was eight years old, I have always wanted to work on my album.

One of your songs, Fayamo, is mixed with Oromiffa. How did you come up with the idea of mixing Oromiffa with reggae?

People from the neighborhood where I grew up are Oromiffa speakers. My family speaks Oromiffa; but I can’t speak the language. However, an Oromiffa singer, Tadele Gemechu, brought up the idea and asked me if I can do it and I did it. But to sing the song I had to study the accent of Oromiffa and the language as well.

Most of your songs remind people about the cultural plays which are almost forgotten. And also there are songs that celebrate being an Ethiopian and the country itself. What made you do that?

I am not exactly sure. I have works that express my feelings which, of course, are beautiful pieces. I also have many other works that still express my feelings, which people might not easily understand. So I have selected the type of songs that people might easily understand and like. Renowned musicians like Ephrem Tamiru and Tadele Robba have helped me with my music selections. And we loved our choices as we listened to them again and again.

How much money did you spend on your album?

All I have spent is my knowledge and my musical work. My focus was on the art work. However, artist Tadele Roba has produced the album and he is the one who knows how much money was spent on the album. I am not into the financial details.

Which song do you prefer or like from your album?

I don’t know what to prefer and what not. But I think I like “Asha bel yaho” as it can represent all of the songs in the album and it is a song about freedom.

On your billboard, there is a term that shows where you are from. It says ‘I am a hillbilly’. Many try to hide where they are from or their origin but you put your background on the front. How did you do that?

All of us came from agrarian ancestors. Some 100 years ago Addis Ababa was a city center. So I am proud of the fact that I am from that background.

Your music is being played everywhere. Now you have come on the spotlight and are you ready for any criticism or admiration?

The inner peace that I have ordered me to do my songs. So I don’t think I will be facing that much criticism. What I know is I am doing my job right. What I did was just offering the type of music that I have.

Where have you spent your time abroad and how long has it been since you moved back here?

It has been almost five years since I moved back here. I have tried to settle here some six years ago but the country was not stable politically and there was no peace. Since I couldn’t live in that environment I went back to where I have been, Djibouti. It is impossible and difficult to work in an environment that is not peaceful. The songs that I have in my album are made in a peaceful environment. My songs literally preach identity and belongingness. For to that reason I am sure that children will be singing my songs five, six and seven years from now.

Though it is not literally mentioned in the music, one of your songs, which is titled “Yachin neger”, is about condom. The change of the title allowed people to listen and sing along. What made you change the title?

When I was eight years old I wanted to write a lyric about love. However, the first thing that came into my mind is the first person that will read the lyric – that is my father. So I used to change the subject to country issues. Whenever I write a lyric, I always follow what my feelings tell me. If I have to write a lyric I want to be comfortable and free from any other negative feelings. My parents, whom I respect the most, listened to the “Yachin neger” lyric and they liked it. The lyric reminds people that it is a great decision to abstain. If not, sex should be had after marriage. However, if the person finds it impossible to take it that far, it is preferable to use the condom. And the way I used the words makes people to be comfortable and listen to it without any hesitation.

What made you write about the issue?

It just came out of my feelings. I felt it and I wrote it.

People who listened to your songs say your voice is good and the music is not loud. They say that it just flows simply through the ears. What do you say about that?

I think I got the math right. I was able to link the words that are coming out of my mouth with the tempo, but nothing else.

What meaning does music give you?

I don’t think I can be able to answer this question, just like I can’t define my name. If I ask you to define love, I don’t think you can. Music is the same thing to me is.

How does it feel to work with Kamuzu Kassa, the person who mixed and arranged your music?

Honestly speaking, Kamuzu is a special person to me. He always understands me when I connect with music. Working on my music, both of us share a similar spirit. I admire his talent and I appreciate the way he understands what the singer has.

Who designed your billboard?

The designer is called Senay. I was impressed by his view. He made people see what I did not expect. The scarf on my head and the round hat together with my mustache made me look like Emperor Menilik II. The green, yellow and red color that dominates the graphics and the fact that may name is Jah Lude gives a unique vibe and impression to the design. I just gave him my picture. And everything is his own creativity. After I have seen what he has done to the graphics I was convinced that there are a lot of professionals out there who can do many things.

Your picture looked like Emperor Menilik II. Was that on purpose?

Frankly speaking it was not on purpose. It just happened to look like that and it is accidental.

Before publishing your album, how many songs did you make?

I have composed music with Joseph, which is entitled “Gobeze”. I have also worked a song with Teddy Yo under that titled “Regga Tigile”. Next, I am planning to work with Tadele Roba on the remix of some songs. I also have a plan to work on songs that are almost forgotten and on the verge of falling or being washed out.

Can you tell us about your song that you have worked with the renowned Jamaican reggae star Mikey General that is entitled “Ethiopia”?

I have worked a piece in Kenny Aalen’s studio some three years ago. I have used the lyric in one of the songs in my album called “Hager Bet”. Mickey General and Raga Lox listened to the piece that I had in Kenny studio and they have used it to remix in the song they have made. They have introduced the song in Jamaica and it has a big hit. I also loved what they have done to that song.

Have you been to music school?

I did not go to any music school. I have learned music with my personal and natural interest. I just listened to a lot of reggae music and that is how I have learned its style. As a new person to the industry I have started testing the flow of music and the impression that I had for it together with my interest made me to be what I am today.

Do you play any instrument?

I play Bongo and Djembe drums.

To conduct this interview with you, I had to talk to Tadele Roba. I fixed the appointment with him and that is how I got to you. Why don’t you have a cell phone?

Whenever I am working on my music I don’t want my mobile to disturb me. That is why I don’t want to have one. However, I spend most of my time with common people that I am currently working with and hang out with. So if anyone needs to get in touch with me I can be reached through them. But in the near future I will be subscribing to a landline and I will be assigning someone who takes care of it. I won’t be engaged in receiving calls.

What do you do to relax?

I usually relax in my house by composing some music. But if my feelings exceed that, I will go out to other towns and hang out there.

Do you read books?

Yes. During fasting season I don’t do musical works and that would be the best platform for me to read books.

What makes you happy in life?

I am always a happy person. But I don’t exactly know what makes me happy. What I know is I am happy and I am grateful for that.

Are you married?

No I am not. But I have a plan to get married and have children, just like everybody else.

You seem like a person who is relaxed. Moreover, you seem that you kind of live your own world. Is that right?

Yes I am relaxed. I have my own world that is called Ethiopia. When I merge my identity with my inner love for music, Ethiopia is my world. Wherever I am and wherever I go Ethiopia is always with me. Ethiopia is the country to which I give the most values in my life. I belong to Ethiopia and that is my world.

Source: ethiopianreporter

Video: The Kassa Show – Interview with Jah Lude and Kamuzu Kassa

Tewodros Kassahun, a.k.a. Teddy Afro, will soon bring his brand new album titled, Tikur Sew, out. The music industry has long been talking about the album that the popular musician was paid over four million Birr for. As controversial as the musician has been over the issues that he deals with in his songs, the new album is expected to be a musical hit for the industry. The legendary pop and reggae star was released from jail in August 2009 for good behaviour, after he was found guilty in a hit-and-run manslaughter case in October 2008. Promoted by Adika Communications and Events Plc, an emerging event organiser, the album is expected to be released on the eve of the upcoming Easter Holiday. To get it going, the album cover aims become a conversation starter, advertised at the ends of long poles installed by Alliance Media, a foreign company, across the city.

source: addisfortune

With a fresh style of stage appearance, Nhatnael Ayalew, a.k.a. Nhatty man, is captivating many music lovers these days. He is one of the young, gifted musicians who are building a good reputation in giving a good performance in the country. In his shows, Nhatty man makes the audiences jump up and down, dance, cheer and have a unique musical experience.

Dropping out from college from civil engineering department at Addis Ababa University, he started pursuing his music career as a DJ (disc jockey). However, it did not take him a long time to secure his fun base, especially his single ‘new brand day’ was one work that earned Nhatty man critical acclaim. After the release of his new album entitled ‘Man’ last year, he says that the feedback was beyond expectation. This album will be launched officially on April 25 at Laphto Center with the inclusion of four new and two new remixed tracks. The popular singles “amerogn” and “addis ken” will be included in this album. Now preparing for a big concert, he rehearses for close to seven hours a day. Until the concert, Nhatty man was not performing at nightclubs. Apart from the rehearsals, he also works out three times a day.

Morning:

Around 6 a.m. I am already up and ready to take my car for a drive to Bole Bulbula forest. For almost one and a half hours I work out and jog in the forests. After that I take a drive to Bole Medhanialm to buy vegetables in one of my usual fruit shops. Since I would get tired afterwards, I just head home to take a nap for the duration of one to two hours.

Afternoon and Evening:

I always crave for raw meat (kurt siga). So I would usually go to Chechnya road with some friends to have raw meat. However, during Lent, I avoid eating meat for over two months. During that time, I stay in my house eating fasting food with the rest of my family. From fasting dishes, I love shiro wot. Our lunch is not extended; rather it is a quick lunch. I am not that much of a TV or a radio person. Whenever I get the time, I surf the internet, browsing through different sites. These past weeks, my life took a different turn as I dedicated long hours to my rehearsals.

Since I am part of two bands, Mehari Brothers and Zemen, and both in the concert, I practically rehearse every day of the week at different venues. When I do not have a concert, I pretty much spend my time hanging out with my friends. We always try not to do the same thing time and again. There are days when we sit and chitchat for long hours, even doing some work or studying music. I hate going out (clubbing) on Saturdays. The crowd that is out on Saturdays makes me uncomfortable. It has been three years since I had a gig on a Saturday. Even if I want to have a couple of beers, I do not go out; rather I have it in my house. If it was not a fasting season, I would have kurt for dinner but now I have my vegan food at home. After heading home early, I sit online for hours. I am immersed in a virtual world. The social media do not appeal to me that much. I watch a lot of musical video clips, study some lyrics, and study some guitar chords while I am online. Sometimes, there are days when I watch cartoons but I am not into films that much. Since I have a studio in my house, there are days I listen to some music, work on new tunes for hours and go to sleep very late at 1 am.

source: Ethiopianreporter

As the name itself implies, Dub Colossus, a collaboration between Ethiopian and British musicians, is an epic musical project. The group, which is composed of a pianist Samuel Yirga, Sax player Feleke Woldemariam and three vocalists, Sintayehu Zenebe, Tsedenia Gebremarkos and Termage Woretaw together with talented British musicians, appears to be growing on the world music scene.

With the ground-breaking debut album entitled ‘A town called Addis’ released in 2008, Dub Colossus was able to offer a distinctive new style to audience. The album saw the blend of contemporary, traditional Ethiopian music, jazz and dub reggae styles, while many instruments like brass section, percussion, keyboard, kirar, bass, drum and guitar were mixed to give the unique flavor.

Following the release of their first album, Dub Colossus had the chance to tour the world and get critical acclaim for their work. The tour was particularly a success in Europe and the review of different media outlets including the BBC was tilted to their favor. Their second album ‘Addis Through The Looking Glass’ released in April 2011 also won best album of the year award in England in world music category in the same year. In this album, Samuel Yirga took up big role in arranging the music.

Samuel, 26, jammed alongside big names and participated in big festivals like Glastonbury festival where he performed in one stage with renowned singers such as Jay Z, Emmy Winehouse, Eddie Grant and so on. They performed in front of forty thousand audience and Sintayehu, a.k.a Mimi, was able to captivate the crowd with her eskista where the audience was seen trying to do the eskista.

After landing a high profile album deal with Real World Records, Samuel is now finishing up his instrumental album ‘Guzo’ and is expected to be released in the coming June. He spoke to Tibebeselassie Tigabu of The Reporter about the journey so far, current projects and plans for the future; Excerpts:

The album ‘Addis through the looking glasses’ was chosen as best album of 2011 in world music category. Can you tell me a little bit about the album?

In fact, it is not official yet. I think twenty days is left for the official announcement. The selection was based on a magazine named Song Lines in London. It is a famous magazine all over Europe. There was a voting system for albums or musicians who were reviewed on that magazine. The band Addis Acoustic project also got coverage on this magazine hence based on that we were able to get five stars.

How did ‘Dub Colossus’ come to be? I think its inception was dated as far back as 2006?

The first idea came from a producer called Dan Harper. He had a home studio here. He recorded music here. After that, the current producer Nick page, a.k.a Dubulah, who was behind London’s innovative Trans-global, underground temple of sound, took over and he recorded a lot of music in his stay in Addis Ababa. After two years, he came back and tried to get in touch with the team, but we all had forgotten about the recordings immersed in our own personal projects. However, he had secured a deal with The Real World Records, a big recording company. We went to England for two weeks and we recorded some of the songs there. After a month we went back again and we started performing in different festivals like Glastonbury and played in Barbican Hole in London. At the event Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete and Getachew Mekuria performed with Either Orchestra.

How was your first album, ‘The town called Addis’?

I do have some reservations when it comes to that album. As a musician some of the things did not make sense. One of the Azmari’s dub is a good music, but when I try to see it through bars, there was a little bit of misunderstanding with the melody. Some of the things were not in harmony and were off the beat. So, when we played it live, we had to shape it a little bit. The live performance and the album are too different. When it comes to the second album, we got involved in arrangement and composing; so it was better. With the first album, we had no idea as to what they were trying to do and how they shaped it. But I liked the second album; it is not that I participated in arrangement; rather it has an Ethiopian element.

How was the feedback?

The label of the album, The Real World, is big and they promoted it well. Whenever we travel people recognizes who we were. It was also quite an experience. We had an amazing review for the album, including on the BBC.

What was your contribution in composing the second album?

I did all the sampling from the Ethiopian music side. Feleke also added his own part; I can say that it was a collaborative work. As Ethiopian musicians there are Ethiopian elements that we want to add that may not be understood by foreigners, as they do not know the culture deeply. Since the music is a product of the culture, it will be judged by the culture. So, we did what we can and the product turned out to be amazing.

Since the music is a blend of many genres, including traditional, jazz, reggae and like, can we say that your work is for urban dwellers?

To try to represent Ethiopian music on an international venue is a bit difficult; it has to be shaped a little bit so that it can fit the audience. We have to mix Ethiopian music with jazz, reggae and other genres. The second album was released in April 2011 and people are still listening to it. In this album, that is what we did; we gave them Ethiopian music fused with popular western styles. Personally, it also helped me by opening up new doors. People recognize me as the pianist from Dub Colossus now.

What is world music?

What we refer to as pop music is not a category; anything that can be pop(popular) fits the description. There are some works that are traditional, like Latin music which is very famous around the world or also can take some music from Africa. Now, what is classified as world music is traditional music from the developing world that incorporates/ fuses some elements from the western popular music. Peter Gabriel created the opportunity and the exposure for people, who have distinctive culture. The popular genres then infiltrated the world.

What are you doing currently?

I have a lot of projects. There is a weekly program in Jazz Amba with Alemayehu Eshete. Previously, we used to play with Zeritu Kebede. Apart from that, I am doing albums for upcoming artists. I was doing an album for Zeritu, but we were busy, so I told her and she took the job to other composers. At this time, what I am interested in a brand-new artist because I want to create new music styles. With established artists, it might be a bit tough to guide them to a new direction as they do not want to lose what they had achieved already. But as a producer, it is easy to guide new artists. Additionally, I am also doing an album as a vocal artist. I am finishing the album now. But first the instrumental album should be released; I am looking forward to it. This album involved vocalists like Genet Masresha (traditional singer), Cuban/ Haitian choir, Nicollete Nigerian/ England reggae singer and collaboration of renowned British jazz musicians.

Tell me a little about this album?

Let me start with a piano solo. I did the Ethiopian Bati with a piano. In each song, there is an Ethiopian rhythm. For instance, “firma ena woreeket” has anchi hoye (one of five rhythms in Ethiopia) rhythm. There is a song also about the African diaspora, which I wrote with Nicollete. The message might be strong as it criticizes the whole system and African leaders for African migration and the brain drain. There are jazz tracks with Ethio jazz style and ‘tizita’ with a different style. Also some traditional and calm melodious songs were included in the album. What I did was that mixing of the popular songs, my own creativity, with a traditional. The question was how to label the album so that the audience knows that it offers diverse music from every genre. Since I have already signed with this recording company, for another album I might stick to one style. We released EP around June. It has four songs Bati, Abet Abet, Habesha diaspora with improvisation, Ambassal inbox. It was sold out in WOMAD festival.

Have you ever tried doing vocal?

It started as a dream. When I was in Yared music school, I tried singing a couple of times. But my friends know that I sing. Now the album type will be Rand B and it is in English for international audience and the Amharic ones for Ethiopian audience. I am doing the music arrangement but my friends are doing the lyrics. I am talking with a different producer to do this album.

How did you get into music?

I started music when I was a child. I used to sing whenever I hear music. I pretend like I am playing a drum. But I was always focused on school. My family did not want that either. When I was in the 4th grade I performed with other eighty children in A.A stadium about peace that was my first experience. In high school, I was focused on the academics. Sadly, I did not get the minimum requirement to enroll in a University so I was trying to take the matriculation exam again. In the meantime I heard about an exam in Yared music school and I told my parents; which, of course, did not please my father. Even if he does not remember, now his exact words were “we do not want Azmari in our house”. My sister knew two instructors from the music school and I was registered and went to Aklilu’s office. He tested me and was impressed by my talent but for me, it was my first time to touch a piano. More than 2,500 students were there and I made it.

How did you get into the club scene?

I played the piano for short duration in Kings Hotel, Ghion Hotel, Global and Gas light. After that, I joined Imperial Majestic band with Sydney Salmon and this was the time I fell in love with reggae. We used to go to different cities and also played in a clubs called changes. After that, I started performing with Zeritu at Platinum club. I played in different clubs for a while and decided to stop. I did not enjoy the club scene so I focused more on concerts. I did not like the smell of cigarette, drinking and other unnecessary staff. A couple of years back, we talked about forming a band, the Nubian Arc, and we played at Flirt for a while. But I could not stand the nightlife that was so chaotic. Jazz Amba was a good place, where we can play early and finish music early. There is no venue that is for family, or people to enjoy music except the nightlife.

Did you have concerts that made a lasting impression on you?

We had a festival in Scotland for 21 days. I had mixed feeling about that concert. Nobody knew who we were because we were from Ethiopia; even the Ethiopians were not interested in our music. On the 20th day, we got a good review and four stars. In Spain, Malaga, people went crazy with our music. With Zeritu in Sweden, Selam festival and WOMAD festival were great. I am not a kind of person who gets excited with little things. I always want perfection. I want to give good music and engaging the audience.

How do you see Ethiopian music on the internationally scene? Many renowned musicians are sampling Ethiopian music these days, they are doing fusions and foreign bands are playing exclusively Ethiopian music. How do you see that?

I think it is good for Ethiopian music to gain international recognition. I have big respect for Frances Falsceto, who promoted our music. He opened doors for many musicians, including Mulatu Astatke and Mahmoud Ahmed. The old musicians left their legacy and the Ethiopiques was an icebreaker on the international arena. Now, Ethio jazz is leading the jazz scene internationally. I advise Ethiopian musicians to seize this opportunity and experiment with our music. We have a lot to give musically.

What is the way forward for you?

I am going to Australia. Also with Dub Colossus we have tour plans. Apart from that, with the release of my album in June, there will be upcoming tour. I also want to do a film on my musical journey and so far it is on the discussion stages. Apart from that, I am trying to establish a band named Afro Funk; so I am waiting for that to happen eagerly. We are also planning to have a music festival next year.

source: ethiopianreporter

‹‹ስለቴዲ አፍሮ የምናገርበት አንደበት የለኝም›› አስመሮም ኃይለ ሥላሴ

የሰው ሕይወት አጥፍቷል በሚል በአሥር ቀናት ውስጥ በሞት እንዲቀጣ ወይም የነፍስ ዋጋ 700 ሺሕ ብር እንዲከፍል የፍርድ ውሳኔ ተላልፎበት፣ አርቲስት ቴዎድሮስ ካሣሁን (ቴዲ አፍሮ) ሙሉ ክፍያውን (700 ሺሕ ብር) ከፍሎ ያተረፈው ኢትዮጵያዊው አስመሮም ኃይለ ሥላሴ ገብረ ኢየሱስ፣ የካቲት 14 ቀን 2004 ዓ.ም ከእስር ተፈታ፡፡ የካቲት 15 ቀን 2004 ዓ.ም አዲስ አበባ ገብቷል፡፡

አስመሮም የቀድሞ የሶማሊያ ግዛት በነበረችው ፑንትላንድ ቦሳሶ ወደብ አካባቢ ከሦስት ዓመታት በፊት በሚኖርበት ቤት ውስጥ ከሌሊቱ 7፡30 ሰዓት ሲሆን በር ሰብረው አደጋ ሊያደርሱበት በሞከሩ ሶማሊያውያን ላይ በወሰደው የመከላከል ዕርምጃ፣ አንድ ሰው ሞቶ ሌላኛው በመቁሰሉ ለእስር መዳረጉንና በመጨረሻም በሞት እንዲቀጣ ወይም ገንዘብ እንዲከፍል ተወስኖበት ነበር፡፡ ለነፍስ ዋጋ ክፈል የተባለውን 700 ሺሕ ብር በአሥር ቀናት ውስጥ ካልከፈለም በዕለተ ዓርብ ጥቅምት 17 ቀን 2004 ዓ.ም ግድያው ይፈጸምበት ነበር፡፡ ጥቅምት 14 ቀን 2004 ዓ.ም አዲስ አበባ ከተማ የምትኖረው እህቱ ልዋም ኃይለ ሥላሴ ወደ ሪፖርተር ጋዜጣ ዝግጅት ክፍል መጥታ ባቀረበችው ጥቆማ መሠረት ሁኔታው በመዘገቡ፣ አርቲስት ቴዎድሮስ ካሣሁን (ቴዲ አፍሮ) በጋዜጣው የወጣውን ዜና በማንበብ አስመሮምን ሊታደገው ችሏል፡፡ ሕይወቱ መትረፉንም በወቅቱ መዘገባችን ይታወሳል፡፡

በፑንትላንድ ግዛት ታስሮ ሦስት ዓመታት ከአንድ ወር የቆየው አስመሮም፣ ስደት የጀመረው በኢትዮጵያ ኤርትራ ጦርነት ወቅት በ1990 ዓ.ም መሆኑን ለሪፖርተር ገልጿል፡፡ ተወልዶ ያደገው አስመራ ከተማ ውስጥ መሆኑን የገለጸው አስመሮም፣ እናትና አባቱ ኢትዮጵያዊ በመሆናቸው በወቅቱ የኤርትራ መንግሥት ያለምንም ሀብትና ንብረት ስላባረራቸው እሱና ጓደኞቹ ወደ ምፅዋ መሰደዳቸውንና ከቤተሰቡ ጋር መለያየቱን ተናግሯል፡፡

ከምፅዋ 2000 ናቅፋ በመክፈል ወደ የመን፣ ከየመን ወደ ሳዑዲ ዓረቢያ ገብቶ የተወሰነ ጊዜ እንደሠራ ተጠርዞ ወደ ኢትዮጵያ መመለሱን የሚናገረው አስመሮም፣ ከቤተሰቦቹ ሲለያይ አድራሻ ባለመቀበሉና ኢትዮጵያንም ሆነ ኢትዮጵያዊ ዘመዶቹን ስለማያውቃቸው፣ አዲስ አበባ መጥቶ በያዛት ገንዘብ ከመዝናናት በስተቀር ምንም ማድረግ አለመቻሉን ገልጿል፡፡

ለአሥር ጊዜያት ስደትን ሞክሮ ከተወሰነ ጊዜ የሥራ ቆይታ በስተቀር ተረጋግቶ መሥራት አለመቻሉን፣ እዚያ ሆኖ ሲሠራ ለቤተሰቡ ገንዘብ የሚልክበት አድራሻ ስለሌለው ሌሎች ለቤተሰብ ሲልኩ ያዝን እንደነበር ገልጾ፣ በስምንተኛው የስደት ጉዞው ወንድሙን ጅዳ እስር ቤት ውስጥ እንዳገኘውና አብረው ተጠርዘው ወደ ኢትዮጵያ ከመጡ በኋላ ቤተሰቦቹን ማግኘቱን አውስቷል፡፡

ቤተሰቦቹን (አባቱን፣ እህትና ወንድሞቹን) መቀሌ ሄዶ ካገኘና አብሯቸው የተወሰነ ጊዜ ከተቀመጠ በኋላ ምንም የሚሠራው በማጣቱና አባቱ ሲቸገሩ (እናቱ በሕይወት የሉም) ማየት ያልቻለው አስመሮም፣ ተመልሶ ወደ ስደት መጓዙን ገልጿል፡፡ የተወሰነ ጊዜ ቤተሰቡን ከረዳ በኋላም ተጠርዞ እንደገና መመለሱንና ለመጨረሻ ጊዜ ወደ ስደት ሲሄድ ከሐረር ወደ የመን የተጓዘች ፈሪሀ አብዲ የተባለችን ልጅ ማግኘቱንና በፍቅር አብረው መኖር መጀመራቸውን ተናግሯል፡፡

ከፈሪሀ ጋር በፑንትላንድ ግዛት ቦሳሶ ወደብ ላይ ሻይ ቤት መክፈታቸውንና ሦስት ልጆች መውለዳቸውን የገለጸው አስመሮም፣ ሁለቱን ልጆቻቸውን ወደ ኢትዮጵያ ልከው የመጨረሻዋን ልጅ ይዘው በጋራ እየሠሩ እያሉ ከሦስት ዓመት በፊት ያልጠበቁት ችግር እንደገጠማቸው ገልጿል፡፡

አምስት ሶማሊያውያን ከሌሊቱ 7፡30 ሰዓት ሲሆን የመኖሪያ ቤታቸውን ሰብረው በመግባት ሊያደርሱባቸው የነበረውን አደጋ ለመከላከል ባደረገው ትግል አንድ ሰው በመሞቱና አንዱ በመቁሰሉ ለእስር መዳረጉንም ተናግሯል፡፡ የአንድ ወር ሕፃን ይዘው ይኼ አደጋ በመፈጠሩ የልጆቹ እናትና እህቷ የደረሱበትን ሳያውቅ የታሰረው አስመሮም፣ በወቅቱ ለማምለጥ ቢሞክርም በቁጥጥር ሥር መዋሉን ገልጿል፡፡ ከ20 ቀናት ቆይታ በኋላ ፍርድ ቤት ቢቀርብም የተፈረደበት ሞት መሆኑን የገለጸው አስመሮም፣ የነበረውን ሁኔታ ያውቁ የነበሩ የቦሳሶ ወደብ ነዋሪዎች ፍርዱን መቃወማቸውንና የኢትዮጵያ ቆንስላዎችም ጣልቃ በመግባታቸው የሞት ፍርዱ ወዲያው ተግባራዊ መሆን እንዳልቻለ ገልጿል፡፡

ፀቡ እንደተፈጠረ ለጊዜው በመጥፋቱ 250 ኢትዮጵያውያን ታስረው እንደነበርና እሱ ተይዞ ሲቀርብ ወደ ኢትዮጵያ እንዲመለሱ መደረጉን ማወቁንም ተናግሯል፡፡ የገደለው ሶማሊያዊ ‹‹ዑስማን መሀመድ›› የሚባል ጎሣ ዝርያ አባል በመሆኑ ከፍተኛ ክብር እንዳላቸውና እነሱን መንካት ከፍተኛ ቅጣት የሚያስቀጣ መሆኑን፣ ፖሊሱም፣ ዳኛውም የአገሪቱም መንግሥትም የሚያደላው ለእነሱ መሆኑን አስመሮም ፍርድ ቤት ሲመላለስ ማወቁን ተናግሯል፡፡

በአካባቢ ነዋሪዎችና በኢትዮጵያም ቆንስላ ተፅዕኖ በድጋሚ ወህኒ ቤት ውስጥ ባለች አንድ ክፍል ውስጥ ዳኞች ተሰይመው ለፍርድ ቢቀርብም፣ እንደገና በሞት እንዲቀጣ እንደተወሰነበት ገልጿል፡፡ በሶማሊያ ሞት የተፈረደበት የሚገደለው ከጠዋቱ 11 ሰዓት ላይ ሲሆን፣ ከሦስት ወራት በፊት አንድ ቀን እሱንም ከእስር ቤት አስወጥተውት ሊገድሉት ይመጣሉ፡፡ የማረሚያ ቤቱ ኃላፊ ‹‹አስመሮም ልትገደል ነውና የምትናዘዘው ካለህ እዚህ ላይ ጻፍና ፈርም፤ ይኼው መኪናና ሽማግሌዎች ቀርበዋል፤ በቀብር ቦታም ሌሎች ሽማግሌዎች እየጠበቁ ነው ፍጠን፤›› እንዳለው ይናገራል፡፡

‹‹ትንሽ አሰብኩ፤ ተስፋ የለኝም፤ ቆም ብዬ ሳስብ ሶማሌ የገንዘብ ነገር እንደማይሆንለት ተገነዘብኩ፤ ከዚያም አዛዡን አንድ ነገር ተባበረኝ አልኩት፤ ከአንድ ሐበሻ ዘንድ ከ15 እስከ 20 ሺሕ ዶላር ስላለኝ ተቀበልና ለቤተሰቦቼ ላክልኝ አልኩት፡፡ እሽ ምን ልርዳህ አለኝ፡፡ ሞባይል ስጠኝ አልኩት፤ ቦሳሶ ወደሚኖርና የእኔን ጉዳይ ለሚከታተል ጓደኛዬ ደውዬ የሆነውን ሁሉ ነገርኩት፤›› የሚለው አስመሮም፣ ጓደኛው ተሯሩጦ በፑንትላንድ ለኢትዮጵያ ተወካዮች በመናገሩ፣ የአገሩ መንግሥት ግድያው እንዲቆም በማዘዙ መትረፉን አብራርቷል፡፡

የፈጣሪ ኃይል ስላለበት በሚስጥር ሊገድሉት የነበረውን ሴራ ሁሉ አልፎ እስሩ የፑንትላንድ ኃላፊዎች ወደሚኖሩበት አካባቢ መቀየሩን፣ ኃላፊዎችና ሀብታሞች ከሚበሉበት ዋሚ ከሚባል ሆቴል በቀን ለቁርስ፣ ለምሳና ለእራት የ30 ዶላር ምግብ እየታዘዘለት ሲመገብ ቆይቶ፣ መጨረሻ ላይ የካቲት 14 ቀን 2004 ዓ.ም መለቀቁንና ለአገሩ መብቃቱን በደስታ ገልጾልናል፡፡

‹‹ስለ ቴዲ አፍሮ የምናገርበት አንደበት የለኝም፤ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ያመስግንልኝ፤ እኔ ደሃና አቅም የሌለኝ ወንድሙን ስላዳነ፣ እግዚአብሔር ደግሞ ለእሱ የሚያደርግለትን ሁሉ አብዝቶ ያድርግለት፤ በአጠቃላይ የኢትዮጵያ መንግሥት ልዑካንን፣ በፑንትላንድ የኢትዮጵያ ቆንስላ ጄነራል ኮሎኔል አስመላሽ ወልደ ምህረትና ባልደረቦቻቸው፣ እንዲሁም የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ላደረገልኝ ነገር በሙሉ እግዚአብሔር ያክብራችሁ፤›› በማለት አስመሮም ያለውን አክብሮት ገልጿል፡፡

source: ethiopianreporter