“Meleya Keleme” CD released to commemorate friendship treaty between France and Germany

By Groum Abate

Musicians Girma Yifrashewa and Michael Belayneh released a new CD entitled “Meleya Keleme” co-financed through the common support fund for Franco-German cultural projects in third world countries on the occasion of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Franco-German “Friendship Treaty”. The lyrics of the new music are written by the well-known Ethiopian playwright, actor and poet Getnet Eneyew.

 The new CD will be officially presented at an Ethiopian music concert on Friday November 14, at the Hilton Hotel. Girma and Michael recorded three of the eight tracks, with French violinist Patrice Legrand, director and German cellist Markus Lentz who will be in Addis to perform at the concert.

This Ethio-Franco-German musical realization was made possible through the collaboration of the Alliance Ethio-Française and the Goethe Institute in Addis Ababa under the sponsorship of their two embassies.

The CD will also be released in France and Germany, and will then be made available in other countries through the international distribution network of BNL Productions based in France.  

On January 1963, President Charles de Gaulle and Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed a treaty of friendship which set the seal on the reconciliation between Germans and French in an historical disputed Europe. The treaty was named “Elysée Treaty” after the place where it was signed in France.

Girma, Michael, Patrice and Markus will soon be on tour in France and Germany.

Ethio-Indian cultural exchange

By our staff reporter

A Ten-member folk dance troupe from Rajasthan, northern India led by Ustad Nizamuddin, has been on an eight-day visit in Ethiopia starting the 3rd of November.

The visit, sponsored by the Indian council for cultural relations (ICCR), government of India, is under the auspices of the Indian-Ethiopian cultural exchange program.

The dance troupe is scheduled to give four performances, two of which will be in Addis and two in the towns of Mekele and Adigrat consecutively.
The group consists of six male musicians and four female dancers well known for their traditional folk songs.
They are renowned for their performances on occasions like weddings, childbirth and other festivities in the desert of Rajasthan. The group has also participated in the celebration of Indian festivals in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.