Liberation Heroes VII

By Tesfu Telahoun

On page 85 of the 2006 National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World, is a map of Africa and under the name of each nation is a date to signify year of independence /statehood. Ethiopia’s entry is unique as befits such an enigma of a country. Ethiopian independence defying time, the authoritative Atlas, could not pinpoint a non-existent date and acknowledged this nation’s ancient status by entering “over 2000 years old.”
Ethiopians would say the story began much further back but that is not the objective of Africa Unite but rather to profile a few of the special heroes that figured prominently in the countless wars that Ethiopia fought and won to keep its distinct status of freedom in perpetuity.

Emperor Menelik
Reigned 1889 - 1993

Emperor Menelik is probably the most popular monarch of the last couple of centuries. This visionary was always a larger than life figure and even in death the population was spared news of his passing until many years after the fact.
Menelik, before ascending to be Neguse-Negest - king of kings, in 1889, had spent a decade of house detention in Maqdala fortress by Tewodros. Many scholars of Ethiopian history and avid gadflies of African history such as yours truly do not fail to note how similar were the personalities of captor (Tewodros) and captive. Both burned with zeal to unite, expand and modernize Ethiopia. Both were brilliant military planners and deft political tacticians - including in handling with finesse (although this is debatable in the case for Tewodros) diplomatic relations with Africa - obsessed European nations and historical enemies on the fringes of the far flung Empire.
The future nation builder was not destined to rot away even inside a castle. He escaped and made his way south to his native Shoa where he was promptly made king.
When Emperor Yohannes (1872-89) departed from the throne, Menelik, having consolidated his power, became ‘Atse’ (Emperor ). In the first year of his reign, Italy, which had began its quest for an African colonial emperor by entering southern Somalia, trespassed by interpretative trickery, the now infamous Treaty of Wechale and the two countries went to war. Who the victor was is a matter of historical record, setting the general tone for the outcome of future engagements against Italy.
Colonial expansion in Eritrea however, began to extend southwards and when in 1895 the Italians occupied Mekele in Tigray province, they forced Menelik’s hand. Events rapidly led to the historic victory at Adwa - a shining moment in Ethiopian and African history.
Adwa marked a turning point in how the world came to regard Ethiopia. The victory, the first by a sovereign black nation over a modern European power, sealed the inviobility of Ethiopian sovereignty.

Belay Zeleke - the renegade hero

Birth – in the former province of Wello, circa 1896, to a Borena mother and Gojam father.
The Rise
Becomes a teen outlaw at large after murdering an uncle. The fugitive remains in forests and desert hideouts for 15 years, gathering a large following of fellow bandits.
Belay Zeleke is handed an opportunity to redeem himself when Fascist Italy invades and over-runs Ethiopia in 1933. Soon, he emerges as a thorn in the side of beleaguered Italian forces and their ‘banda’, their much despised Ethiopian collaborators.
In one particular battle, Belay Zeleke captures a full general and personally executes him by hanging. For such exploits, the former bandit’s reputation began to taken on heroic dimensions.
The Fall
May 1941 saw the Italians utterly defeated and Emperor Haile Sellasie return from a five year exile. As was Ethiopian custom the Emperor rewarded the leaders of the patriotic resistance with landed titles in their respective provinces. Belay Zeleke was not pleased with the size of land and the low stature of a minor position. He rebelled and returned to the forests and was soon labeled a brigand and hunted down by the empire’s forces. Captured, Belay made repeated escape attempts but in the end, couldn’t escape the hangman’s noose.
Belay Zeleke remains a controversial figure in the Ethiopian pantheon of war.

“Dire Dawa”
A new flavor of musical spice

By Abiy Demilew

“This is one of the most beautiful albums I’ve heard,” said a friend seated next to me. “I still couldn’t stop admiring the musical arrangement in the songs.” Not only as a music addict of long time, but also as a man in the business he usually gives more professional comments on different releases. “This is a rich album of live instruments harmonized well,” he added and I agreed, as we were talking about “Dire Dawa”, the latest album from Minyeshu.
Mixbite afrobeat is one the internationally acknowledged institutions which is very much known for its CD reviews. And only two weeks ago this company reviewed ‘Dire Dawa’ by the Holland based Ethiopian traditional singer and songwriter, Mineshu Kifle.
“Dire Dawa, the new CD from the Ethiopian singer and dancer Minyeshu was released recently. Her music can be called emotional and relaxed, but it can also be very happy and active. Melodic sounds that can give you chills, especially when you realise on what personal suffering it is based.”
I was not surprised to read this as I already was fantasizing the flavors of this album from different perspectives.
For many music lovers, Ethiopian music of 50’s, 60’s & 70’s known as ‘the golden age’ music, still live as original musical tune of creativity and originality. Live bands and their recordings still color the musical talent being able to capture the hearts of many.
Gradually, after band music started vanishing from the Ethiopian contemporary music folder, live performances and studio recordings have shifted to a one man band recording of Keyboards of computerized styles. This has impacted on recordings of musical talent and creativity being products of one person’s creativity.
Dire Dawa, enriched with the rich composition of local and international influences, combines various musical instruments of home and abroad, navigating through different tunes of the creative valley.
Ethiopian tunes transfused with Mali, Jazz, blues, reggae and many other international influences take the listener to a world of unknown dimension.

“That exile and the consequences for her personal life are also reflected in her self-written songs that can be heard on her second CD, Dire Dawa,” says a critique in Mixbite afrobeat. “Mix that with the special melodies that features Ethiopian music itself and she already have made the album of the year, as far as I am concerned.”
Each track has a story, a personal message. The album is a musical recording Minyeshu’s arrival in the western culture. And of course, the mixing of its roots with those of her - albeit necessarily - new home created a whole new music genre. And that makes it so interesting to hear and to be at a live-event, writes Mixbite afrobeat.Dire Dawa is an album with a deep emotional charge that will touch the listener for sure. People who go to see Minyeshu on stage during one of her many appearances this season will not soon forget her, according to the critique. “Minyeshu exchanges influence from her traditional African upbringing with the genres of her current surroundings in Western Europe. This delicate mix lies visible and audible in Minyeshu´s sublime performance.”
Minyeshu, on a short promotional visit to her home country, said the album is a product of a long battle to bring out a unique color of music to quench the thirst of music lovers home and abroad.
Most of the songs in the album were written by her, and she says they are the reflections of her internal world. “Dire Dawa is my second solo album after Meba (2002), and on each album, I have written songs for the love of Ethiopian mothers and children,” she said.
Very much interested and styled to the traditional and ethnic sounds and musical styles with international influences, now she is one of the leading Ethiopian musicians introducing and promoting Ethiopian music to the world music scene.
“Our traditional and ethnic musical richness takes anyone to an unknown special world. So, rather than singing in pop and contemporary styles, it gives me a bold pride and self being to show the world the uniqueness of our cultural resources,” says Minyeshu.
Minyeshu has performed on big international stages with various popular musicians of the world in the last few years. “Performing on the international stage gives you a chance to tell the world about your country, and that’s very important.”
Minyeshu Kifle started singing and dancing at a young age in the National
Theater of Ethiopia. With the accompaniment of the band Chewata, she made
the album ‘Meba’ (2002), an impression of the diversity of the Ethiopian
musical culture. Minyeshu brings ancient songs up to date with contemporary
arrangements, and generates an exciting direction in Ethiopian and
international music with her own compositions.