Ethiopia’s Pop Star Out of Jail, to Stage Big Concert

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia , Aug 19 (IPS) - He has not yet decided where and when it will be, but Ethiopia’s sensational musician Tewodros Kassahun a.k.a. Teddy-Afro, will stage a major concert for the first time after his release from controversial imprisonment.

Tewodros is famous and sensational for his strong lyrics; including some that depict the ruling party as no different from its dictatorial predecessor.

The 32-year-old singer was first arrested by investigators of the Addis Ababa Police Commission in November 2006. He was accused of killing Degu Yibeltal, a homeless teenage boy in a hit-and-run motor vehicle accident.

However, Tewodros has always claimed that he was out of the country on the date of the accident and there has been view in the public that the government incriminated Teddy to punish him for his too critical lyrics.

But his stay in prison hasn’t put him off singing and Tewodros is to start performing again with a big concert. "Possibly it is with a big concert that I will meet Ethiopian people," Tewodros told IPS the day after his release on parole after 16 months in prison.

He said he learnt a lot in prison and he considers the "trying time" as a part of his life that made him stronger. He added he managed to write some poems during his incarceration but he could not compose lyrics because he could not access musical instruments.

"I need a long break now," he said.

On the day of Tewodros’s release, August 13, he was brought to the deserted compound of the Federal High and First Instance courts.

The court yard was deserted because during Ethiopia’s main rainy season, courts are in recess for two months.

Quite contrary to experiences in the past year, during which time Teddy was brought to this court more than 20 times for trial, there were no fans: none knew that he would be brought to court.

Rather, as many expected his release the previous day, they had been waiting more than 10kms away, in front of the prison centre on both days.

Tewodros’s application for parole was made last Thursday afternoon. It was supported by the recommendation by Kality Prison Centre – the largest and highly secured detention facility in Addis Ababa. It is where politicians like Bertukan Mideksa, a prominent female opposition politician and former judge, are also kept.

Ethiopia’s law entitles a convict for release on parole after serving a third of their sentence if the prison administration recommends the release to court stating he has been on good behaviour during his term. The recommendation is initiated upon the prisoner’s application for parole stating that he understands the supremacy of the law and regrets his acts.

Judge Leul Gebremariam, who originally sentenced Tewodros to six years imprisonment and a fine of 18,000 Birr (about $1,500) in December, was the man who granted Tewodros his freedom.

Leul told the singer that the court accepted his application for parole and the prison’s recommendation. The judge wished Tewodros "good luck" but also reminded him that if he commits any crime in the next two years the parole will be revoked.

Though many expected his release this time around, his homecoming at dusk that Thursday came as a surprise to his mother, Tilaye Arage.

"When he got into the compound, I was (so) shocked that I could not even stand straight," his mother told IPS the next day as she was hosting flocking relatives and friends, as well as fans of her son.

Many of Teddy Afro’s fans have resolutely stood by him during his trial and incarceration. His popular 2005 album was released during the country’s elections and many of the songs called for change. It is because of this that many believe there is political conspiracy behind his imprisonment.

"I don’t accept that Teddy committed the crime," Eskendir Abel, owner of Ebaw Promotion and a devoted fan of Tewodros said.

Eskendir’s company – host of the annual Miss Virgin Beauty Contest, a beauty pageant for virgin girls – is going to devote part of this year’s contest as a welcome event to the singer.

An excited Eskendir described Teddy’s release as one of the most wonderful moments in his life.

"I think he was imprisoned mainly for his strong lyrics that are too critical of the government," said a young fan requesting anonymity.

Nonetheless, Tewodros appears to be timid of the issue of his guilt. "I would rather not comment on that," Teddy said. He is rather cautious in his comments to media.

But the evidence of his trial is there for all to see. When the Federal High Court heard the trial, four witnesses testified against Tewodros – all police constables brought by the prosecutor.

But earlier in the trial Teddy said he was out of Ethiopia the night Degu was killed. He argued that the date of his arrival into the country, as indicated on his passport, was November 3. Degu was found dead on the night of November 2, 2006.

But the High Court found him guilty of killing Degu while driving a private blue-black BMW.

According to Ethiopia’s penal code, the penalty for the death of a hit-and-run victim ranges from five to 15 years of imprisonment and fine up to maximum of 15,000Br ($1,250).

The pop-star was sentenced last December by the High Court to six years imprisonment and fine of 18,000Br ($1,500) after he was found guilty on two counts: homicide, including driving without license; and hit-and-run manslaughter.

Immediately after sentencing, his lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court. The court reduced the sentence by four years, and the fine to 11,000Br ($916) in February.

Tewodros’s two-year prison sentence was calculated inclusive of the time he already served and in February he was 13 months away from freedom.

But with eight months of his prison term still remaining, the judge who sentenced him changed his mind and decided that Tewodros should be released earlier.

"We accept the court’s decision," Shimeles Kemal, a government spokesperson told IPS.

But he ferociously reacted to the view that Teddy’s imprisonment is politically motivated saying "it is highly flawed accusation". "The final arbiter that determines guilt is the court and that institution found him guilty of the crime," Shimeles said. "This is an ordinary crime with no relation to politics and the convict was sentenced accordingly."

Despite the government’s persistent argument that "no one would be imprisoned for holding an opinion", critics of government say Teddy’s case clearly represents how government reacts to political dissent.

Yet, for others his release represents a milestone change in the ruling party’s long established iron-feast attitude. "This is quite a change from the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front’s ‘only my way’ of handling things that we have seen for the past 18 years," an independent media expert told IPS on condition of anonymity.

Teddy plans come-back tour around the world

By Groum Abate and
Muluken Yewondwossen

The young, talented and recently free from prison, Tewodros Kassahun alias Teddy Afro is planning a tour around the world to thank his fans for their support during his imprisonment.
Teddy told Capital that he will take the next two months off, preparing in Ethiopia, and will then launch a worldwide come back tour. He said that he has no plans of releasing a new album yet.
Teddy Afro was freed from the Kaliti prison on Thursday August 13, after serving 16 months of a two-year sentence for hit-and-run manslaughter.
He thanked the public, who he said supported him morally during his prison term.
The performer, who was at his mother’s home after being released from the prison on probation for his good behavior, has no plan of engaging in any kind of performance for the next two months.
Teddy was found guilty of killing Degu Yibeltal, an 18-year-old homeless while driving his BMW through Menilik Avenue in 2007.
He was first sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of 18,000 birr by the Federal High Court. This was later reversed by the Supreme Court after he appealed. The Supreme Court lowered the sentence to two years and 11,000 birr in February after his lawyer argued that the victim had been drunk and was lying unconscious on the road when he was hit by the car.
Furious by this, the prosecutor’s office appealed and the fine was increased back to 18,000 birr.
On Facebook, a social networking site, the performer thanked fans who had been following his trial diligently for the last two years. He concluded his message to his fans saying: “Love as always wins”.
In 2001, Teddy released his second album, ‘Abugida’, named after the Abugida syllables of the Ge’ez language. Several tracks quickly caught the ear of many listeners in Ethiopia, including ‘Haile Selassie’, a tribute to the late Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I; and ‘Haile’, in honor of the Olympic long distance champion Haile Gebrselassie.
His third album and which was a hit in Ethiopia, ‘Yasteseryal’, was released in 2005. The release of this album coincided with elevated political tension in Ethiopia surrounding the general elections in May 2005.
His politically and socially inspired songs vibrated a call for unity and peace yet stirred controversy, originating mostly from the song “Yasteseryal”, which was banned from government radio and television stations.
On November 3rd, 2006, investigators from the Addis Ababa Police Commission arrested Teddy Afro suspecting him of leaving a scene of a car accident that they alleged caused the death of an 18-year old Degu Yibeltal.
Degu, who lived on the streets in Addis, came from Gojjam originally to live with his uncle, before he became homeless. He was killed on the night of November 2nd, 2006, after he was hit by a car. Police was told the plate number of a BMW by a taxi driver who remained anonymous.
After he was put under custody for a day, Teddy was released on a 50,000 Birr bail. In April 2008, he was arrested and charged with murder.

Lula Gezu wins Miss World Ethiopia 2009

Addis Ababa, August 18, 2009 -- The “Miss World Ethiopia” contest was held on August 15th, 2009, at the Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa. The beauty pageant and gala dinner started around 7:00pm local time. The contest was organized by Artaele Enterprise, and it was the seventh of its kind and the third for Artaele Enterprise. The pageant was conducted with the motto of “Beauty with purpose”.

Twenty Five contestants participated in this event. At the beginning of the competition the contestants came out in swimming suits, followed with traditional and evening dresses. They were judged on catwalk, self expression, and their knowledge of their country and its resources, as well as on things like the environment and globalization.




The four judges who were selected for the competition were not informed about their responsibilities a priori, but were simply invited for the event. As per the organizers, this arrangement makes the competition fair and objective. The four judges of the “Miss word Ethiopia 2009” came from different backgrounds and experience, and among them were beauty expert, traditional cloth designer, culture and tourism public relations officer, and an investor.

Among the contestants, six of them came from Harar, Dire Dawa, Bahir Dar, and Mekele. Out of the 25 contestants, 12 of them passed to the next stage based on interview results and their confidence. Then, from the 12 contestants, six were selected as finalists for the top five positions, as two contestants got the same points and were tied.

The final competition among the six contestants was a little tough because each of them were required to promote themselves, their country, and explain why they should be “Miss world Ethiopia 2009” in only one minute. After the judges passed their decisions, the last three finalists were announced by program host, around 11:50pm (local time).

After all was said and done, Lensa Tilahun, the 1.93m tall, elegant girl from Oromiya, became the 2nd runner up, and Hiwot Assefa, the 1.78m tall girl with a slim body and charming face from Addis Ababa, became the 1st runner up. The crown of “Miss World Ethiopia 2009” was awarded to Lula Gezu (1.77m tall, 56 kg), a sophomore psychology student at Mekele University from Addis Ababa, a chocolate color and charming girl with high confidence. She received the crown for “Miss World Ethiopia 2009”.

Lula Gezu was awarded a Diamond ring worth 60,000 ETB from Zoskales Dimond. The award was handed over by Ato Neway GebreAb, Senior Economic Advisor to Prime Minster Meles Zenawi. Both the 1st and 2nd runner ups were also awarded a Diamond ring worth about ETB 50,000.

It is to be recalled that the organizers invited contestants for the competition only a few weeks back through various media outlets. The twenty five contestants got training on choreography and catwalk for only two weeks. This lack of sufficient training and experience was evident by the contestants’ shyness, lack of confidence, less than optimal presentation, and lack of general knowledge. Some of them were very shy to the point of giving inaudible answers, and inability to understand or answer questions properly.

In an exclusive interview with Ezega.com, the winner of Miss World Ethiopia 2009, Lula Gezu, said that she is very happy with the competition. She believes that she prevailed over the other contestants by her confidence and the way she answered the questions, in addition to her external beauty.

Ezega News asked Lula if she is satisfied with the training she received in the last fifteen days. Lula answered, “this is my second competition as I have been the 1st runner up of “Miss World Ethiopia 2007”. So, it was not that hard for me. But, for many new comers to the competition, it could have been very difficult indeed with such a short training.”

Luna Gezu will go to London, as well as contest in South Africa in December 2009, representing Ethiopia against contestants from 120 other countries.

The 1st runner up, Hiwot Assefa, will contest for the title of “Miss Intercontinental” in Belarus in September 2009. Hiwot told Ezega News that she is happy with the competition and the final results. Though she is inclined more towards modeling, she enjoyed the completion very much.

The upcoming Miss World contest will be televised live worldwide in more that 190 countries and with expected viewers of more than 3 billion. According to Artaele Enterprise Managing Director, Ato Tesfazghi Aberra, who talked to Ezega News, this competition will have a big impact by projecting a positive image of Ethiopia to the world. In addition, it will create a great opportunity for us by promoting the Ethiopian culture, tourism, values and customs, and present the country of Lucy, Queen of Sheba, and the cradle of mankind.

Gigi resurfaces in Germany

The celebrated Ethiopian singer Ejigayehu (Gigi) Shibabaw has been away from the limelight for a couple of years. But recently, she has resurfaced in festival in Germany.
A web report has it that Gigi and her producer and bassist husband Bill Laswell have performed at Krems festival on July 27 in Germany.
Looking at the picture posted on the German web, Gigi had a slightly different look with relaxed dress, tight and unfasten shirt and a little extra weight.
Musically speaking, it has been a successful come-back. The web has a positive review of her and her husbands’ performance.
The New York based couple’s music has been a blend of dub, reggae, funk and traditional Ethiopian music, reported the web.
Gigi has been hugely popular at home and abroad for her hits like ‘Gud Fela’ and ‘Balewashintu’.
Der Standard

Pop Star Teddy Afro Freed From Jail in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's most popular singer, Teddy Afro, was freed early from prison on Thursday after serving 18 months of a two-year sentence for hit-and-run manslaughter.

The performer, whose real name is Tewodros Kassahun, was found guilty of killing an 18-year-old homeless man while driving his BMW in the capital Addis Ababa in 2007.

Lawyers said he was freed early because of good behavior.

"I would like to express my respect and gratitude to all the people of our country," Afro told state TV after his release.

"I was able to meet many good people in prison, from the lowest-ranking policemen to the highest administrator. I had a nice time. My relations with other prisoners were also good."


Afro, who is well known for criticizing the government in his fiery lyrics, is hugely popular among young Ethiopians and sings mostly in the local Amharic language.

Hundreds protested outside the court during his trial -- an unusual event in a nation where dissent is rare.

His sentence had been cut from six years in February after his lawyer argued that the victim had been drunk and was lying unconscious on the road when he was hit by the singer's car.

Afro has always denied being in the vehicle.

(Reporting by Barry Malone and Tsegaye Tadesse; editing by Daniel Wallis)

LET US BE LIKE THE MARKET

By Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin, PhD

Much has recently been made of my ethnic identity although this is a matter of no relevance whatsoever to a reasoned discourse on the existence of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange. However, when the unnecessary gets in the way of the important, however unpleasant it may be, it must be faced. I am Ethiopian, as truly and wonderfully as that is, and no one has the right to define, reduce, or otherwise dismiss my identity. I do not apologize for or defend who I am, as each one of us, whoever we are, has a God-given set of circumstances that uniquely defines us.

My reality is that, born in Addis Ababa, I first left Ethiopia with my family at the age of four to live in New York city, accompanying my father, Zaude Gabre-Madhin, who was a senior United Nations official, prior to which he served in the Imperial government. Upon returning a few years later, my family then left Ethiopia again, escaping the chaos of the new Dergue regime, this time to Rwanda and later Togo, Malawi, and Kenya. I thus grew up in six different countries, going to school in French as well as English, and learning Swahili along the way. Throughout this time, my parents, to whom I owe everything, instilled in me and my sisters the deepest love and pride for our country Ethiopia. As I grew up in different cultures, grappling to understand my adolescent identity, I drew on the stories my parents told me of my heritage and of those who came before me. My mother, Bizuwork Bekele, who never missed a chance to boast about her beloved Harar, shared stories of my incredible great-grandmother, Imahoy Saba Yifat, from Menz and Gondar by origin, who lived in rural Hararghe as a widow after the Italian invasion and was one of the few women fighters of her time standing up to the invaders to defend the land and her six children. I heard about her son, my grandfather, Ato Bekele Haile, a respected magistrate serving as a judge in Harar town, himself of Gurage and Amhara ancestry, and of my mother’s birth in the historical site today known as the House of Rimbaud. As a young child, I loved to sit for hours with my maternal grandmother, Imahoy Beletshachew Habte-Giorgis, a witty, intelligent,and extremely strong-willed woman who would often exclaim in Afan Oromo which she and her children, including my mother, spoke fluently, as she laughed recalling how she managed her coffee farms in the areas around Jijiga, Fedis, and Deder, where many of my relatives still live today.

My father, for his part, mostly to amuse his daughters, named the water tank in our UN provided house in Kigali, Rwanda, “Bulga Springs” to recall his father’s birthplace in northern Shewa. He would proudly speak of my grandfather, Fitawrari Gebremedhin, a noble and highly disciplined official in Emperor Menelik’s time, who later settled in Wolaita Soddo in the late nineteenth century, marrying my grandmother, Woizero Ayalech Alaye, niece of the great Wolaita King Tona. At the age of seven, I remember visiting Soddo where my father was born and where many of my relatives still live, to spend time in his last years with my grandfather who was then nearly a century old. A tall, dignified, and handsome man, deeply religious, my grandfather showed me and my sister his coffee farm and I remember him speaking of my much loved late grandmother, and of his childhood and the family still in Bulga, and his laughing politely, not understanding, as I chattered to him in English with children’s jokes I had learned in New York.

Thus I grew, within and outside Ethiopia, celebrating all the different identities and cultures that are woven beautifully into the tapestry of my identity as an Ethiopian. To my parents, always , we were Ethiopian and that was something to be deeply proud of, recognizing and cherishing all of our different ethnic strands. I never knew until much later, nor did it matter, which particular ethnic group I should claim. In my extended family, my aunt married a man from Wollega and my uncle married a woman from Asmara, my great aunt married into the Abba Jifar clan in Jimma, and the list goes on. So the Ethiopia I knew growing up with my cousins was a kaleidoscope of identities bound together in one Ethiopia.

This is my Ethiopian story, and it is unique to me, as each Ethiopian would similarly have. It is the story of my Ethiopia, the Ethiopia for which I have enduring love and to which I have returned after thirty years to contribute in the best way I know how. This is my Ethiopia to which I bring all the global experiences which have shaped me, as I have lived my adult years in Mali, Switzerland, and the United States, trained and worked in some of the best institutions, and traveled and explored dozens of countries around the world. This is my Ethiopia that represents all of my heritage, the strong and courageous women and men in my family through the ages whose blood flows in me. This is my Ethiopia for which I am willing to work, fight, and believe all things are possible. This is my Ethiopia to which I have brought my US-born sons, to instill in them the pride and love of all that we are as Ethiopians. I would like to teach them that in our increasingly inter-connected world, they are Ethiopians but also global citizens.

Ethiopia is ours, to claim, to build and to restore. Rather than engage in destructive ethnic bigotry, far better to embrace all of what we are and to build together a better future for our children. My personal identity is irrelevant to my choice or ability to lead an initiative to bring a better marketing system for all Ethiopians, regardless of their ethnic roots or which corner of the country they claim. A market is above all a connection between humans, an exchange of goods and money that links two sides. The market is neutral as to who is on either side, it is the connection that counts. I have always
found traders to be the most pragmatic people in the world. Let us too live by this market principle: we are far richer and far stronger if we build on our connectivity to each other in meaningful ways, and that much weaker if we seek isolation and succumb to narrow divisiveness. Let us be like the market. I believe it is our only hope.

Miss Ethiopia gets a kiss

Melat Yante, Miss Ethiopia 2009, gets a kiss from Cassie the Sea Lion while in Dolphin Cay at ATLANTIS, Paradise Island, Bahamas, August 6, 2009.
Melat is representing Ethiopia at the 58th annual Miss Universe competition being held in the Bahamas.Can she be the successor to the Venezuelan Dayana Mendoza?
The 2009 Miss Universe competition which will be presented on August 23, 2009.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo

Melat poses with other beauty contestants.

Guzo: The Award-Winning Ethiopian Film to Screen in New York

New York (Tadias) - Guzo, an award-winning Ethiopian film, is scheduled to screen at Helen Mills Theatre in New York City on Saturday, August 8, 2009.

Guzo, which won best picture at the 2009 Addis International Film Festival, disperses humor among more sober points of the film to delicately highlight the social, cultural and economical differences between Ethiopian urban elite and the larger rural-based majority who struggle for their daily survival. Staged as part documentary and part reality show with no real actors or script, Guzo chronicles the interaction between two young residents of Addis Ababa and their peers in the Ethiopian countryside over the course of 20 days as the characters confront stereotypes about each other and grapple with matters of gender and privilege, among other issues.

“Basically, we transplanted two urban Addis young adults and gave them a taste of rural Ethiopia,” says Aida Ashenafi, the film’s director.

“I have always loved the art of storytelling and engaging behind the lens of the camera. Guzo was a project that both inspired and intrigued me from the beginning. As my filmmaking background is mostly fiction films, not documentary, I feel that Guzo is more entertaining. One can relate tremendously whether you come from the city, the countryside, Ethiopia, America, Europe etc. It crosses many boundaries while touching on human issues that bond us all.”

The film has also earned the distinction of becoming the very first Ethiopian film selected to be shown on all current Ethiopian Airlines international flights.

If you Go:
Guzo is scheduled to screen at Helen Mills Theatre (39 west 26th street between 6th & 7th ave) in New York City on Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 1:30 and 3:30 PM. Click here to purchase your ticket. For more information, please call: 917.512.5416.

The 9 Hottest Ethiopian Women

After a year’s worth of Worldwide Wednesday, we’ve finally done it, folks. The big one. The country with the longest history of human development in all of Africa. The place that spawned a dozen ’80s charity pop songs and twice as many tasteless jokes that used “a grain of rice” as a punchline. Yes, welcome our newest guest, Ethiopia!
The 9 Hottest Ethiopian Women