Ethiopian Benefactors Society Inc.

So... Long story short: I neglected to pay the $10 renewal fee for my original Blog, EthiopianWalker.com, so I lost the domain (pirate/squatter got it) and it's content was deleted. I later realized that Blogger had archived all my posts so I was able to cut and paste everything from the edit page to this new Blog.

Well, the reason I was neglecting my Blog in the first place is that a couple of friends and I started a small non-profit here in NYC called Ethiopian Benefactors Society Inc. Our Mission is to help young people in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia take advantage of the many educational and extracurricular opportunities that their city has to offer but may be financially out of their reach.

So, if you have the time and inclination come by and check us out : EthiopianBenefactors.org

Promise/Sacrifice - Ato Michael Belay

I saw this article a couple of months ago and I was really moved by it. This man Michael Belay from California went home to Ethiopia after decades here in the states, that's nothing new, but the amazing part is that when he went to his hometown and saw the conditions there he promised to build the children a school. Most of us go home and want to help people and end up giving a little money here and there but Ato Michael took it to another level:

"He returned the next year with his life savings – several thousand dollars – and helped build a temporary, adobe-style school. No floor. No beams. No chairs. But shade at least. And a further promise of a real school".

Well that would have been over the top if he stopped there, but no he kept going:

"He wrote 100 letters, and got 100 rejections".

I would have given up after that. I don't take rejection well. But Ato Michael did something I find to be totally amazing:

"...he put his three-bedroom home in Corona for sale. Belay's home sold for $449,000. He moved his wife and two children into an apartment, paid off what they owed and banked $10,000 for each child's education. The rest, more than $100,000, he took to [Ethiopia]".

At a time when people are trying to squeeze every penny of equity out of their home to buy some granite counter-tops and stainless steel appliances or to upgrade to a Mcmansion, this family gives it all up to help children:

"More than 250 children now attend his four-classroom school with library, bathrooms, showers and playground".

Wow.


http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/life/themorningread/article_1986185.php

Update: I just did a google search and found some more information on Ato Michael. The most relevant being the non-profit he has started to continue his work in Ethiopia called Happy in Ethiopia.

You can go to happyinethiopia.org and help with their school, water sanitation project, and a new clinic with an ambulance.

Bati and Blues

I've been waiting for this video to come out (and be posted on youtube) for a long time. This is one my favorite songs right now. It's has that "Azmari Bet" feeling with a cool blues sound. Think of it like mixing Kazanchis with Bole.... Nice!



The best line in the song: "meretwa be kofer yigengal itbte"

Hibist Tiruneh

I just saw the video for Hibist's second single from her new album "Tetaltenal Wey". This song really shows how far the music industry in Ethiopia has come. The song has a nice rhythm and beat, with its' guitar and drums, and as always Hibist's voice is great! I really like the first video for "Tegesegn", but this video, shot in Debre Zeit, is amazing. The concept and look are nice and the quality shows that Ethiopian video directors are catching up to their western counterparts.

Ethiopian Genetics

We all know Lucy or Dinkenesh as she is called in Ethiopia. She has been a source of pride for Ethiopia for more than 30 years now. Ethiopians love to point out that their country is the birthplace of humanity. Well now it seems that we have even better proof that it was our ancestors that have populated the earth over thousands of years. The LA Times and others report that "...the journal Science, offers striking evidence that an ancient band of explorers left what is now Ethiopia..." And to make it even better they added "...the researchers were able to show that humans spread around the globe through a series of migrations that originated from a single location near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia."

The evidence this report uses is "..the DNA of 938 people from 51 distinct populations around the world..." From these DNA samples they say that they have mapped the migration of people for the last hundred thousand (100,000) years and have traced it all back to Ethiopia.

For those who want to register and don't mind paying a fee you can read the original study at Nature International Weekly Journal of Science.

Ethiopian Comedians

I used to love watching these guys, and it was nice to sit and watch these videos again after a long time. I like their point about it being a healthy thing to laugh at oneself and have fun without hurting anyone. Laughter is the best medicine.



Here are a more Habte and Dereje videos on Youtube.

Ethiopian Poetry - Getem

I always enjoy the rhythm and power of Ethiopian Poetry but the Amarigna that the poets use and the Amarigna I use have no similarity at times. My Amharic is the same one that I brought along with me as a 3 year old from Ethiopia and the Amharic the poets use is a complicated, deep language that seems to be the true Amarigna.

Check out these Ethiopian Poems compiled by Meskot.com.

This guy (Tagel Seyfu) is more my speed... I understand every word.... maybe because all his stuff is put to videos:




Here are a few more of Tagel's poems.

Ethiopian Delivery Man

I mentioned to someone, in passing (and in a crowded room...my mistake), that I felt like taking a trip to Ethiopia. Within 24 hours I was contacted by 6 people, wanting to send things to their friends and family, one guy even came by with a bag of tube socks. I have three letters for these people... DHL. Just Kidding, I used to send things with people all the time but people need to know that Addis Ababa has almost anything you would want available for sale. There are malls popping up everywhere, and they are carrying quality goods. Now the affordability is another question.

Ethiopian Airlines

My friend was trying to be funny today and said that he has never visited Africa because he doesn't want to fly on some old airplane that was sold second hand to an African airline. He was joking but just in case anyone might have that idea, let me tell you it couldn't be further from the truth, especially for Ethiopian airlines (for international flights at least). This picture is from the inside of the plane on our way to Addis Ababa:



It is really nice in there. And if rumors are true, Ethiopian Airlines is getting the new Boeing Dreamliner in 2009. I might go to Ethiopia just to fly in it.

Ethiopian Home Cooking

If you are out there looking for some great recipes for some Ethiopian home cooking, look no further. Yewoin's Family Cooking has simple, anyone can follow, recipes for dishes that range from Lamb White Stew (Alicha) to Vegetable Sauce for Pasta or Rice. The site gets updated everyday so you can come back for more anytime. I just copied down the Teff Injera recipe and I'm heading to the kitchen right now.

Ethiopian Teff

I went to the airport yesterday to pick up a friend that was flying in from Addis Ababa. The airport is only 15 minutes from where I live so I didn't mind making the trip, until I saw the 3 huge bags he had. What is a single guy on a three week long vacation doing with that much luggage? Well, the first two bags were clothes and gifts (understandable) but the third was a 50 pound bag of Teff! Now I love Teff to, (according to Marilee Teff Page it has more calcium than Milk and 100% of daily recommended Iron) but it's 2008, why not just get on the Internet and order some Teff. Even Amazon.com is selling Teff these days!

Liya Kebede

Wow!




Double Wow!!




Triple Wow!!!

Liya Kebede Foundation.


More Liya!

Update:

It just keeps on coming! LemLem...... Liya's, made in Ethiopia, children's Clothing Line.

Eating Out In Addis Ababa

Eating out in Ethiopia is always a special experience. Not for the great organic food or the music or the variety, but the service. In the nicer "Injera places" the things that always gets you is the hand washing. Two maybe three people come over with hot water, soap, towels and you end up feeling like royalty and a little guilty.

But there is a funnier sometimes frustrating side to the service that you get in Ethiopia. My theory is that the wait staff in some restaurants see their customers like guests in their homes, so if you ask for one thing and they happen to bring another you are not supposed to complain. For example, we went to eat in my favorite breakfast spot Tic Tac and my friend ordered some scrambled eggs. A few minutes later the waiter returned with two eggs over easy. Even before my friend could say anything, the waiter said that he knew the order was scrambled eggs but here are two eggs over easy and tried to walk away. In his mind it was a simple mistake but their intentions were good, so eat the eggs as they are, as you would do in your aunt's or friend's house.

Another time I was having lunch at Meda, the best sports bar in Addis Ababa, and I ordered the steak and cheese sandwich from the menu. The waiter brought over a cheesburger and when I tried to complain he pointed to the contents of the cheeseburger and said, with a sincere look on his face, "there is the steak and there is the cheese. What's the problem?" I found that to be so funny that I just ate the Cheeseburger, and tipped him for the good laugh.

Here is a joke that illustrates how frustrated you may get eating out in Ethiopia:

A man walks into a restaurant and quickly signals
the waiter to come to his table. Once at the table,
>
> the waiter asks, "abet getaye, min litazez.."
>
> man: "betam erbognal ena fetan kitfo tolo
> betametalign des yilegnal."
>
> waiter: "eshi getaye. leb-leb? weynis tire?"
>
> man: "yaw yemifetnewin...tire."
>
> waiter: "eyshi. be-taba weyis be-sehan?"
>
> man: "ye-tegegnew lay."
>
> waiter: "eshi. mankias? ye-qend weynis ye-biret?"
>
> man: "ende nefsu. betam erbognal eyalkuh? mankiaw
> yekir."
>
> waiter: "eshi. be-dabo weynis be-kotcho?"
>
> man: "ante? bel asalifegn, mehede new."
>
> waiter: "be-taxi weynis be-egir?"
>
> man: "ende. ante? afinchahin endalilih?"
>
> waiter: "be-chama weynis be-tifi?"

Techno Arbegnoch

If your having one of those ruff Monday mornings and you don't have access to any good Buuna or that nasty green chewing stuff (yuck), then just turn on your speakers and play this video. I got it from a poster on Youtube named Abyssworld.

Ethiopian Idol

It's Sunday morning and as usual there is nothing interesting on TV. In Ethiopia right now people are probably watching Ethiopian Idol reruns. Yes, I said Ethiopian Idol, not American. Our form of Idol is just as popular as the American version and a couple of years ago when it began to air on ETV people of all ages watched and then talked about the contestants all week (to the point where ETV had to start playing reruns on different days of the week). It has some really good singers but mostly really bad ones. And just like here, people are willing to embarrass themselves on television, in front of the whole country. Plus there is the bad guy judge who feels like he is doing the contestants a favor by being as blunt as he can with his criticism. I would have never thought that this type of show would work in Ethiopia but I guess I would have been wrong.






Check out this Ethiopian Idol page on Youtube.

Lion of Judah

Without giving away my exact age, let me just say that I have been wearing my Lion of Judah ring for over a decade now, since I was sixteen years old. I had seen the ring on the finger of different relatives before then, but it wasn't until I saw it on the finger of Bob Marley in a video where he was speaking of Ethiopia as his home and the only place he wanted to be that I called my mother and begged her to get me one. God bless her, I had the ring within a month. And ever since it has amazed me with the type of attention it gets. For example, just a few years ago, my aunt came to visit from Addis Ababa and we decided to take her to Las Vegas for a long weekend. While applying for a rewards card at the Mandalay Bay the older Caucasian man behind the desk saw the ring and told me about the time he had lunch with Emperor Haile Selassie, as a journalist back in the 1960's. He said it was an occasion he would never forget. Then another time walking down 125Th street in Harlem, NY a couple of older African-American gentlemen stopped me and asked if I knew what type of ring I was wearing. They told me that as very young men they remember people protesting the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in Harlem, and the many people requesting passports and visas to go to Ethiopia to fight or help in anyway they could. And people I meet from the Caribbean who see the ring always remember Haile Selassie visiting their country and the things he donated, especially the churches.

It always amazes me the affinity that some people in this country have for Ethiopia. You would have never known it growing up here in the 1980's.

Injera Commercial

Here's the shuttle launch guy again, this time for Injera. I found this on the Piazza blog on Nazret.com. I love this commercial for so many different reasons, let me count the ways: first, it is great that there is actually a factory that makes Injera. Second, you can tell the commercial was made in the States but looks and feels genuinely Ethiopian. And lastly, that super serious voice, like in the pasta commercial I posted a while back, makes it seem like the most important news item since Barrack Obama won in Iowa!




Give them a call and get a pack of Injera Fedexed to yourself!

Desalegn - Balageru 2

I know this is a few years old but it's still one of my favorite songs. This is the first song that I saw on ETV that had both the the young and older people in my family screaming "turn that up" when it came on.

I still get a little choked up when he says that the farmers died before their animals; not breaking fast, not going against their faith, and not slaughtering the cows and sheep that were the children's pets.




Here is Abonesh's original Balageru. Also one of my favorite songs of all time.
(No, not because she mentions me {sorry for the inside joke})

Ethiopia from the Sky 2

I don't want to make fun of my cousin, but I have to tell you what happened. I was looking at the satellite images of Addis Ababa and ran into my Aunt's house. So I decided to call my cousin on her cell phone and tell her I was looking at their house from my bedroom in New York. Well, of course she didn't believe me but just to be nice she played along. Until I asked her whose car that was in their driveway (no one in that house owns a car). That just drove her crazy! She couldn't believe it... she actually went outside and tried waving at me. Now this is a very intelligent girl, not gullible at all, so this just made me enjoy it even more.

Later she told me the car belongs to another cousin of ours and that it has been there a couple of weeks. I guess those satellite images are updated pretty often.

Ethiopian Listro

I went with a friend of mine to a shoe store yesterday. His shoes were a little dirty so he wanted to get a new pair for the new year. He said $50 was a small price to pay to treat himself for New Year's. In Addis Ababa, he could have saved his money and for 10 santim (about 1 penny) he could have got his shoes washed and for 35 santim (about 4 cents) he could have had them cleaned and polished. A good Listro is very valuable if you're gonna walk around Addis Ababa, trust me. I had two favorite Listros over by Wolo Sefer. They were brothers who say they are 14- 15 but they looked more like 8 - 9 years old. They would go to school in the morning and work in the afternoons or vice versa. My shoes always got the VIP treatment because I always paid a full Birr (about 11 cents) for my daily polish.

After you spend a week or so in Ethiopia you start to think in Birr not Dollars, and it kind of clouds your vision a little. I always regret not taking the two brothers to their school and paying for their full year tuition before I left, it would have probably cost me $20 (US) each. Shoot, for all those months of shining my crappy shoes I should have splurged sixty bucks to pay for their school and get them both new uniforms and shoes.

Update: This is a picture of my shoe on an average day in Addis Ababa. Matter of fact I was heading to a fancy restaurant on Bole Road for dinner.

Bob Marley and H.I.M.

I got the idea for this post from a blogger at Nazret.com and I thought, with all the crazy stuff in the news, a song by my favorite artist of all time Bob Marley (Berhane Selassie) and H.I.M would be a fitting way to bring in the (fereng) New Year. Bob got the lyrics for the song from a speech given by Haile Selassie at the United Nations in 1963:

"On the question of racial discrimination, the Addis Ababa Conference taught, to those who will learn, this further lesson: That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil."






Enquan Aderesachu!!

You can listen to the whole speech here.

Ethiopia from the Sky

If you haven't already, you have to go to Wikimapia.org and take a trip around Addis Ababa. You feel like you're flying just a few feet from the ground. It was nice to go back to my old nieghrborhood Arada and see if anything has changed. I see it is still the same.



Head over to Wikimapia and take a walk (flight) around the world.

Update: You don't need any software or a special computer, just an internet connection.

Party Time

It's getting close to party time (new year's eve). My last time in Ethiopia I stayed in a hotel in the center of Addis Ababa. Every Wednesday and Friday there would be a party for children from the ages of maybe 14 to 17. These parties would take place from 12pm noon to 6pm at night. So obviously these children were skipping school to party.

If you're having images of Ethiopian children doing Eskesta and Guragigna all day, think again, these parties were straight up hip hop, r&b, and reggae.

Arbengoch in NYC

My mother was invited to attend service at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, NYC last week by a friend. The friend, a long-time co-worker was getting an honor for teaching at their Sunday school. My mother wondered out loud why they named the church Abyssinian (A one time name for Ethiopia). Since I spent most of my life walking up and down 125Th St., I better know this.

In 1808 (not a typo..1808) a group of travelers from Ethiopia visited NYC. In attempting to attend church service at The First Baptist Church of New York City they were told that they must sit in the slave section of the church (Slavery was not abolished in New York City until 1827). The Ethiopians refused and left that church with a few local Africans(or if you like, African-Americans as they had been here since the 1600's). They together created the Abyssinian Baptist Church a few blocks away. The members of this church 200 years later went to visit Ethiopia and reconnect with their roots.

So these Arbengnoch are heroes to many, not just us.




Update: For those with slight attention deficit issues Here they are with a techno beat.

New Dance

I don't know if it's technically a dance, and I'm not sure if it is part of any culture in Ethiopia, but this move is now being performed in almost every restaurant in Addis. I find it to be more scary than entertaining. Not to be funny, but I find myself just staring and waiting for a head to go flying across the room.

New Ethiopian Anthem

This should be the new Ethiopian anthem! Or at least these children should get a record contract. I thought that the song had a hip hop feel to it but after reading that the children are from Shashemene I realized it is Reggae. Big Up to whoever taught them this song.

Motown vs. Hip Hop

Occasionally my pants may fall an inch or two below my waist, mostly due to weight fluctuations on my part and not any subliminal messages from Hip Hop music. I've been getting a lot of grief about my pants from the older people in my family for years now, most recently at our annual Christmas party this week. Well, when I saw this video I couldn't pass up the chance to display the irony of Ethiopians from the Motown era, with their afros, mini skirts, bell bottoms, and dashikis, complaining about my allegedly Hip Hop pants.




And as exhibit number two, I submit this.

Ethiopian Twin 2

Like I was saying in an earlier post, I have a theory that everyone of African decent has a twin in Ethiopia. Here are just a few of the faces of Ethiopia, look and see if you see anyone familiar.

Addis Ababa in Pictures

This is one of the best videos that I've seen of Addis Ababa. It is a collage of pictures from all over the city. Of course it is of the best parts but let's take this one video at a time. The video includes pictures of of all the city's statues, Dembel Mall, Addis Ababa Museum, City Hall, Black Lion Hospital, African Union, Selassie Church, Sheraton Hotel, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Bole Mariam, the Train Station, ECA, Meskel Square, Kaldis Coffee Shop, Ring Road, Bole Airport, etc. etc. etc.....

Plus the music is great! Good Job whoever put this together.

Mekdim Ethiopia

I was just having a discussion with someone about the common cold. I tried to explain to them that it is more likely for them to pass the cold to another person through a hand shake as by giving them a quick hug and kiss. This reminded me of the time I walked into the offices of Mekdim Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. This organization is a non-profit that helps people living with HIV and AIDS, and is staffed mainly by those who are already infected. They do very good work with counseling, medical treatment, and education. In my opinion, the best thing they do is the home visits where they give certain patients messages (which is huge to a person who may not ever get human contact after becoming sick). Well, I knew that many in the office staff were HIV positive and was not concerned about that at all, but as I approached to say hello and then later to say goodbye I noticed that a few in the group were reluctant to shake my hand. I figured that their past experiences with people led them to expect me to be afraid and were surprised that I wasn't. I hope that with more groups like Mekdim Ethiopia people will worry more about passing the common cold with a handshake and not HIV.

Thank You Abera Mola

To those like myself who love walking the streets of Addis Ababa, there is no one that has had a bigger impact on our lives than Abera Mola. He has single handedly changed Addis forever. Before Abera Mola came to town about 10 years ago, you could not walk more than a few yards without having your nostrils assaulted. It seemed like the whole city had a smell to it that no one could really explain. Then little by little, one pile of garbage, one notorious urination spot, one clogged sewer drain at a time Addis Ababa got a fresh new start, thanks to this man and his team of young people. Vacationers who visited Addis now didn't mention any funny smells and the approximate time it takes to get used to it.



The most impressive of the cleaning projects has to be Ras Mekonnen Terrace! It was once a pile of garbage and waste, with a stench that would invade a car through closed windows and vents and then your mind through your skin and pores. Now it is a beautiful little garden cafe and you are free to pass with your car windows wide open, your skin exposed, and taking big yoga style deep breaths.

Thank you Abera Mola!


Update: You can see Abera Mola in this video. He is the tall one with the Kerrar. I hear he was a music teacher in New York for a longtime?

Surrounded by Mountains

First of all let me say Merry Christmas, as it is officially the 25th. I was thinking about midnight mass and church, and I remembered the time my 90 year old grandma took me with her to Lideta Mariam up on Kebena mountain (well that's the name of the neighborhood at least). It was fun just walking with my grandmother, it was the first time I've walked anywhere with her. But after a while it got kinda tuff. I was panting for breath and struggling to keep up.


That's when I finally turned around and saw the view. I have been coming to this neighborhood for years and never thought to come up here. Addis Ababa is surrounded by mountains, apparently that is what made it so attractive as a capital.

Hibist Tiruneh

This is my homegirl Hibist's new single, Tagesegn, from her new album that just came out a few weeks ago (Tetaltenal Wey). I think she has one the best voices in Ethiopia right now. Her last album was a hit. You could tell by how many mini-bus drivers were playing it. It seemed like it was coming from everywhere, the cars, shops, people's lips.

I was just talking to Hibist and she said she was heading to Ethiopia to play at the big New Year's Eve party. It's funny because she just got back from Addis Ababa last week. I think the headliners of the show are Hibist, Rihanna, and Akon.

Ethiopian Twin

This girl is so beautiful! She reminds me of someone I know. That's the thing about walking around Ethiopia, everybody reminds you of somebody. I have a theory; every person of African decent has a twin in Ethiopia! I've bumped into someone who looks like my mom, aunt, uncle, Richard Roundtree (Shaft), David Dinkins (mayor of NYC), Eddie Murphy, the African-American guy from police Academy 1. They might be a little shorter or skinnier, maybe darker or lighter but still have a uncanny resemblance.

Ethiopian McMansions

It is amazing the type of homes people are building all over Ethiopia these days. They have no need of a special place to find an oasis, they can just go to the third or fourth floor, or maybe their roof deck or the east wing, maybe the sub basement. I can't tell you how many square feet these homes are but my uncle has a 30-40 room hotel and they look to be about the same size.



I made my way into one house that was just finished and it didn't dawn on me to pull out my camera until I saw the bathroom:



There was a connecting sauna and gym on the other side.

Ethiopian Oasis

I'm not overly religious and I'm definitely not trying to convert anybody but after a few days of super hectic days of walking around Addis, there is nothing that can soothe your mind like visiting one of the churches. I don't mean going to the service (which may be nice), I mean just sitting in the compound when no one is there. It is amazing how quiet and still everything is in those compounds compared to the noise and pollution out in the street just a few yards away. And it is even more amazing how still and quiet your mind can get while there. It might just be all in my head but there is some type of energy in those places that you don't feel anywhere else. My favorites are Beata Mariam in 4 kilo and Qus Quam (spelling?) on Entoto mountain, but even the big churches like Selassie in 4 kilo and Giorgis in Arada have that same effect on me.



And as an added bonus you get to see the trees that used to be all over Ethiopia but which only exist in church and embassy compounds now.

What's Up(och)?

One of the best ways to get the most of Addis Ababa, whether you live there or are just visiting, is to grab a copy of What's Up Addis!. You might feel like a tourist with it in your pocket but this thing is very valuable. I have used it to find the best Indian restaurant I've ever eaten at , an amusement park for my little cousins, and a horse jumping show at the old Airport Golf Club. Instead of spending a whole Saturday eating cake waiting for the clubs to open, you can just unfold this odd shaped magazine and end up in an Ethiopian circus or something, like I once did.




Update: I found some pics and videos about what I was talking about earlier:

Ethiopian Art

I don't want to make it seem like all there is in Ethiopia is laughing and music. There is much more than that. One thing I love most is the art. You can go to one of the many art galleries to check out the modern artists and their amazing work. My favorite art gallery is Makush on Bole road. They have really nice paintings on display and for sale and if you get hungry you can sit down and have a great dinner.

If you want to see the origins of Ethiopian Art you can head over to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies on the Addis Ababa University campus. The institute is in the king's old palace that he donated to the school. The museum they have on the second and third floors is hands down the best museum in Ethiopia. You can even see Haile Selassie's old master bedroom and bath! (and walk-in closet from the 30's)!

Update: By the way, my grandfather was an artist. His name is Yigezu Bisrat. He used to do a lot of work with the Ethiopian Alphabet (Fidel), and border designs for diplomas. He never sold any of his paintings but there is one or two in the Addis Ababa Museum (the rest are with family in a secret location... in the south Bronx). Check out the site we put up to display his work.

Azmari Bet

No matter what type of night club you go to in Ethiopia, you always end up in an Azmari Bet at one point or another. These places are not much to look at but they pack a lot of entertainment in a room the size of an average NYC living room, if not smaller. They don't use any microphones, speakers, or amplifiers but the sound they get in those rooms is like high end surround sound from Bose. It probably has something to do with the bartender, waitress, bouncer, and every other employee singing along with the band.




These guys are obviously not in a Azmari Bet but they are real Azmaris. I don't know how much they paid them to get up in the morning like this. Those drums and those heavy hand claps in a 12' by 12' room will definitely get your attention.

Update: Sorry if anyone is offended by the lyrics.

Crown Hotel

It has been bothering me all day but I finally remembered the name of the restaurant in kaliti with the coffee pot shaped building.... Crown Hotel. It is a little out of the way but worth the drive. The place is huge and the live band is great. The sound they get from all the traditional instruments together is incredible. Plus they have 6 to 8 dancers unlike the other places that have 2 to 4.




Make sure to check it out.

Tilahun Gessese

You can't mention modern Ethiopian Music without mentioning Tilahun Gessese.

Tilahun Gessese is the Ethiopian Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, and Al Green put together. No one comes even close to matching his impact.

On a side note, I bumped into him in a mall somewhere about a year ago with his family. He looked very good given the circumstances.

God Bless him.

Soundtrack to the City

This is officially my second day of blogging and I can't believe that I have yet to mention the music. Life in Ethiopia (like a great 70's movie) has its own soundtrack. You can't do anything without listening to some type of music. You wake up up to religious chanting from the nearest church or mosque. Then as soon as you step out into the streets it is continuous music from the taxi cabs, store fronts, cafes, barber shops, and lately the new phenomenon of thumpin stereos from passing cars. But it's not over yet.... when you go out to eat at night is when you get a dose of real Ethiopian music in the restaurants like Yod Abyssinia, Fasika, and if your driving.....uhh I always forget the name but the big restaurant in Kaliti with the little house shaped like a coffee pot.... that place has the best band anywhere. At night you here all the old school instruments and you feel like your really gone back in time... the drums, the harp type instrument and the one string violin, the flute mixed with the great voices and amazing dancing sends you into a trance. This is all before you even get to the clubs!

Update: Someone had to remind me of the different names of the Ethiopian Instruments (I knew the names but didn't know which was which). The harp/guitar is the Kerar, the one string violin is the Masinko, and the flute is a Washint, and just to round it out, the drums are Kebero (Spelling is phonetic). And the name of the restaurant in Kaliti with the "coffee pot house" is Crown Hotel.

I'll post some music soon.

The Best Reason.....

I have to say that one of the best reasons to park your SUV or Corolla and walk is all the beautiful women strolling up and down the avenues. You are not gonna get the time of day but it doesn't hurt to admire from a far.

Funny

In the funny man tradition of Ethiopia:


These guys just kill me...ahhh to be young again.

You can check out their other songs here , here and here.

Dramatic Television Commercials

In Ethiopia these days you watch tv for the commercials. Every time one comes on it grabs your attention. Not for its great production value or music but because of the announcer who sounds like he is describing Ethiopia's first shuttle launch.

Laughing in Addis - Tesfaye Kassa

The best thing about going around Addis Ababa on foot is the laughter (the last thing you would expect). Everyone thinks they're a comedian. Everyone has a comment to make. If you are not in the mood (like most old school New Yorkers) it could be annoying but for everyone else it is hilarious. If you have a great joke you can make a friend for life. Here is one of the best comedians Ethiopia ever produced: His name is Tesfaye Kassa.