Introducing the talented Ethiopian artist - Ermias Kebede. Ermias Kebede has been playing music for 20 years and has produced a couple of instrumentals. Ermias is currently touring with Teddy Afro as a member of Abogida Band.

Ermias' maintains a web-site where you can buy his CDs.

Tamrat Tadesse (Anleyayem) and Manalimosh Dibo release some of the well-received CDs of the year in Ethiopia.  Born in Tiqur Wuha and childhood spent in Awassa and Diredawa, Tamrat brings a fresh voice to the Ethiopian pop music scene. The title song 'anleyayim' is perhaps his best piece so far. Manalimosh who hails from the Denbiya region of Gondar brings a mix of Wello, Minjar, Gondar, and contemporary Ethiopian pop music that rivals and at times complements the same winning formula of Abonesh Adinew - the 'Balageru' phenomenon of 2001/2002.  

MediaETHIOPIA's pick of hottest Ethiopian CDs:  Nebiyu Kebede's "Mood Swings Ye Simet Qana" for its freshness and "Massinko" by Dinqiyewochu for innovativeness in mixing reggae, hip-hop, rave and traditional ET music. Nebiyu's "Endegena Degmo" and Dinkiyewochu's "Arada" are perhaps among the most unforgettable pieces of music of the current year.

More on a poem by Ato Getachew Admassu in memory of the legendary actor Wegayehu Negatu.

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland that now houses the largest and most significant Ethiopian art outside Addis Ababa recently published a book that presented its collections. The museum now owns illuminated manuscripts, pained icons, and metalwork crosses of Ethiopian art between the 13th through the 18th centuries. Among its most original and invaluable collection are the Gunda Gunde Gospel book dating to the mid-16th century, and more than 90 coins, some dating as old as the 3rd century. The book is also available at Amazon.

Alexander Pushkin - Ethiopia's Greatest Gift to Russia.

Pushkin has been called "Ethiop's son: Africa's contribution to Europe's freedom struggles and world literature". He is also Russia's most beloved and greatest poet credited for establishing Russia's modern literature. Pushkin's mother descended from Abraham Petrovich Hannibal, widely believed to be an Ethiopian who served Peter the Great as an army general. Ethiopia has now named a major street in honor of Pushkin and his 200 year anniversary was marked in Addis Ababa in 1999. Henry Louis Gates and Kwame Appiah, eminent scholars at Harvard write that Pushkin honored his African heritage. 

Visit Site on Ethiopia's Poet Laureate Tsegaye G/Medhin. 

Tsegaye on Tsegaye..."A simple human being, conscious of African civilization, African culture. Conscious of world civilization, world culture, of equality.....". 

Tsegaye on Tsegaye..."A simple human being, conscious of African civilization, African culture. Conscious of world civilization, world culture, of equality....."

Poem 1 on Nile [1997].  

Poem 2 on Nile River [1990].

Bealu Girma in "Derasi"

Ethiopia on the Web talks to Wosene Kosrof, an Ethiopian artist who has gained immense international recognition with his works now in permanent display at the Smithsonian Museum. 

Wosene says the following about his unique style: I have been working with Amharic calligraphy for more than twenty-five years...the language taught me, however, of its volume, its beauty, its texture, and of the vastness of its expression...by breaking symbols into pieces, distorting and exaggerating them, then reshaping them into new forms, I discovered they have life...They are celebrations, rituals, birth, life, and death."

Read the complete Interview here....

Inat" -"Mother Ethiopia" (1963) is perhaps Maitre Artist Afework Tekle's most beloved work. Any idea how much it is valued and who owns it? 

Answer: Estimated at $10 Million by the artist himself who still owns it. Displayed at Villa Alpha, Afework's residence in Addis.

Can you guess who the author of this book that came out in 1964 (1956 EC) is? How much did his beaten-up VW go for?

Theatres playing in Addis. - Summer 2001

Ever wondered which plays are a hit in Addis Ababa? Here is a list Playing at National, City Hall, Pushkin, Mega and Ras.

Aster Aweke releases her latest album "Sukar". 

The Diva's recent hot release "Sukar" reminds her fans why she is still Number 1. From the slow "sew-hulu be-hageru", "lela alayim", "sew-mehone" to her Iskista and Guragigna beats of "Merkato" and "Ititi", Aster brings some of her best music. With that vintage Aster voice that sounds like thousands of Abay rivers in Kremt, her fans can't help but remember Aster's first ever album that propelled her to stardom way back in the 80s.  With "Sukar", Aster brings to her fans not only a great music but also memorable lyrics that have become trademarks of the two women from North of the Abay Valley, Aster herself and Gigi.  These women from North of the Abay Valley have now made Ethiopian popular music a distinguished member of world music much in the same league as the music of Mali and Senegal. "Sukar" is a reminder why Aster gets the credit for opening this avenue.

[October 2001] Gigi - Evolution of a Star. With her recently released album titled just "GIGI",  Ethiopia's newest musical talent, Ejigayehu - "Gigi", makes a strong case for her place among the greatest Ethiopian artists.  MediaEthiopia's art commentator characterizes her album-"GIGI" - "a great work that almost rivals Aster - the Diva's music except for the lack of Iskista songs and beats. But the lyrics? Have we seen anyone better at it than Gigi?". 

Gigi [Egigayehu] - the unforgettable voice in "Endurance". Two years after its release, Gigi's "One Ethiopia" album is still enjoyed by thousands of fans. With her deep voice, Gigi brings not only music but messages of faith, hope and heritage. Foreign listeners who were introduced to Ethiopian music by the ET diva herself, Aster, will find Gigi's music irresistible. 

Sinke Assefa makes a successful debut with her recently released album - "Abaate".

Nega Mezlekia's "Notes from the Hyena's Belly" a personal account of the Red Terror Years wins a prestigious award.