Abebe Bikila celebrating after his historic victory at the Summer Olympics in Rome on September 10th, 1960. (Photo: Wikimedia)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: September 10th, 2020
Los Angeles (TADIAS) — This week marks the 60th anniversary of Abebe Bikila’s legendary victory at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome where the Ethiopian athletics icon became the first African Olympic gold medalist.
“The day was Saturday, September 10th, the eve of Enqutatash (Ethiopian New Year),” recalls veteran journalist Fekrou Kidane — the first Ethiopian sports reporter who started his career in 1957 and who now lives in Paris. “The Ethiopian marathon team included Abebe Bikila and Abebe Wakgira who finished seventh.”
Fekrou vividly remembers the sentiment from spectators and the international media who, as far as they were concerned, had perceived the African athletes as an afterthought. “Nobody noticed their presence until about 20 kilometers into the competition when Abebe Bikila and the Moroccan long-distance runner Rhadi Ben Abdesselam, who finished second, emerged as frontrunners.”
“To make things even more interesting Abebe was running barefoot, further astounding the audience,” Fekrou shares in a recent letter he wrote to Tadias, reflecting on the 60th anniversary of Abebe Bikila’s Rome victory.
“When the runners reached Piazza di Porta Capena and Abebe noticed the Axum Obelisk, that was looted from Ethiopia by Mussolini’s troops less than two decades earlier during world War II, something hit him and he just bolted leaving everyone behind.” The rest is history.
According to the World Athletics Federation Abebe’s milestone victory “remains, arguably, one of the most significant landmark moments in [sports]. When Abebe Bikila – running barefoot – became the first black African to win an Olympic marathon gold medal on the streets of Rome it was without doubt one of the most iconic moments of the 1960 Games.”
Ethiopian journalist Fekrou Kidane, who is affectionately known as Gashe Fekrou, is pictured at his home in Paris, France. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ethiopian Sports Journalists Association (ESJA) in 2018. (Photo by Arefe via AIPS media)
As Fekrou recalls, the following day was Enqutatash and Abebe’s historic victory gave Ethiopia a double celebration — a new year and a hero’s welcome home that culminated with a parade and the Order of the Star of Ethiopia awarded to Abebe by Emperor Haile Selassie among other gifts.
Abebe Bikila passed away on October 25th, 1973 at the young age of 41 following deteriorating health from a car accident a few years prior, but his place in history as the first African Olympian gold medalist continues to inspire generations of runners from his native country and beyond.
Watch: Abebe Bikila’s victory at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome on September 10th, 1960 (IOC)
The University of Gondar 60th year Diamond Jubilee Celebrations was held from July 4- July 7th, 2014. During the event about 500 alumni from around the world were formally re-graduated. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014
New York (TADIAS) – This past July the University of Gondar, which is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding this year, “re-graduated” about 500 alumni along with over 4000 students. The alumni had gathered for the three-day occasion (July 5-7th, 2014) from across Ethiopia as well as from other African nations, the United States, and Europe. The University’s Alumni Steering Committee in the U.S. estimates that there were about 100 former graduates in attendance from the Diaspora. The University of Gondar is the first public health institution in Ethiopia, and was established in 1954 as a Public Health College in response to a malaria epidemic to help train nurses, health officers, sanitarians, laboratory technicians and other professionals that would eventually form the backbone of the country’s modern public health structure. It was transformed into a medical college in 1978 and a full university in 2004.
Among the alumni residing in the U.S. who took part in the program include Dr. Elias Said Siraj, Professor of Medicine and Director of Endocrinology Fellowship Program and Clinical Endocrinology at Temple University in Philadelphia. “This was the first time in Ethiopia that alumni from a major university were organized in such a fashion and took an undertaking that others could emulate,” said Dr. Elias in an interview with Tadias Magazine. Dr. Elias graduated from Gondar College of Medical Sciences in 1988 and is one the founding members of the Alumni Steering Committee in the United States. “We also used the occasion to launch a publication, The Alumni Voice magazine, in conjunction with an ‘Alumni Clinical Symposium’ covering a range of subjects in medicine and highlighting expert presentations — including topics in surgery, women & children’s health, diabetes, kidney and heart diseases — that was attended by students, medical doctors, public health officials, and policymakers from Gondar and beyond.” Dr. Elias stated: “The feedback from students, teachers and others was very positive and encouraging. They were touched and delighted by the physical presence of the alumni, as well as by the contents of the magazine and the symposium.”
The Alumni Steering Committee in the U.S. includes six graduates of the historic Ethiopian institution: In addition to Dr. Elias, they are Dr. Anteneh Habte (1984), Founding Member, Clinical Assistant Professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine; Dr. Mulugeta Zerabruk Fissha (1998), Founding Member, Director of Cardiovascular Services at Newman Regional Health, Emporia, Kansas; Dr. Nuru Abseno Robi (1988), Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C.; Dr Yared Aytaged Gebreyesus (1988), Consultant in Internal Medicine at the Blue Nile Clinic in Alexandria, Viginia; and Dr Yared Wondimkun Endailalu (1986), Consultant in Internal Medicine at the Mary Washington Health Group in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Professor Yared Wondimkun, also former Dean of Gondar College of Medical Sciences and former President of the University of Gondar, notes in an interview with Tadias that the alumni-led symposium was designed not only as “an educational platform,” but also as a “networking opportunity for alumni, faculty, students and researchers to exchange ideas and learn about each other’s expertise as well as discuses way of strengthening the relationship between alumni members and the University of Gondar.”
Dr. Yared, who now lives in Northern Virginia, also received his MD degree from the Gondar College of Medical Sciences in 1986 before serving as the institution’s last Dean (2002-2004) and first President (2004-2007). He pointed out that the limited-edition of The Alumni Voice journal contains 26 important articles authored by alumni from the school’s various stages including graduates of the public health college, first graduates of the medical school, four previous Deans, and several alumni reflecting on the past and offering their perspectives for the future.” Dr. Yared adds that further contributions to the publication came from “key historical figures who played leading roles in the era of the Public Health College as well as the Gondar College of Medical Sciences.”
Dr. Elias shared his opinion that in general alumni and their potential resources are not effectively utilized in Ethiopia, and it was with this in mind that the University of Gondar Alumni Steering Committee in the US was established. “In close collaboration with the University of Gondar senior leadership, and with its president Professor Mengesha Admassu in particular, the Gondar Alumni Steering Committee worked hard in various areas to set an example so that other Ethiopian Universities will give the necessary attention to alumni activities and strengthen their alumni offices with appropriate manpower and resources” he said. Dr. Yared likewise added that based on the feedback received so far, the effort of the steering committee has paid off and the University of Gondar is being seen in Ethiopia as a “pioneer” in effectively collaborating with its alumni. Both Dr. Elias and Dr. Yared also thanked the leadership of the University of Gondar for believing in the power of alumni and for supporting all the activities of the steering committee.
The University of Gondar’s 60th year Diamond Jubilee was marked by year-long activities that culminated in early July not only with the “re-graduation’ of its alumni, but also the inauguration of a Comprehensive Outpatient Center at the University of Gondar Hospital “designed to provide an integrated program that will enhance patient-centered experience and increase the hospital’s capacity to accommodate an ever increasing number of patients.” The facility was built in partnership with the U.S. government that provided USD $9.1 million through the U.S. President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with technical assistance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Patricia M. Haslach, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, said, “This newly constructed facility is part of the U.S. Government’s commitment to strengthening the national capacity of health facilities to provide comprehensive and integrated HIV/AIDS health care services throughout Ethiopia.”
Below are photos from the event courtesy of the University of Gondar Alumni Steering Committee in the USA:
The following article is written by Shaun Evans who is the son of Conrad and Joy Evans, Point Four staff members who worked in Ethiopia between 1956-1968. He was born in Jimma in 1964. (Photo: OSU)
Tadias Magazine
By Shaun Evans | OP-ED
Published: Thursday, June 26th, 2014
Stillwater, Oklahoma (TADIAS) – On Wednesday, June 18th, 2014, Oklahoma State University commemorated the 60th anniversary of a visit to their campus by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. His Imperial Majesty was the first reigning foreign head of state to visit the state of Oklahoma. The Emperor brought a contingent of 19 persons with him to personally thank Oklahoma State University for their work in assisting Ethiopia in modernizing agriculture and education under the Point Four Program begun during U.S. President Harry S. Truman’s administration.
The event was hosted by the School of International Studies at Oklahoma State University, headed by Vice President of OSU, Dr. David Henneberry. A wide and varied group of people, including historians, film makers, former Point Four in Ethiopia participants, university staffers, and Ethiopian, American and International students alike, came to the grand auditorium within the Wes Watkins Center for International Trade and Development to hear speakers talk about the significance of Emperor Haile Selassie and Ethiopia to Oklahoma and the U.S.
Presenters for the commemoration included Worede Gebremariam (President of the Ethiopian Student Association), Dr. Jack Herron Jr. (one of the first children of Oklahoma State University staff participants who built Jimma Agricultural and Technical School, now Jimma University), Dr. Ted Vestal (professor Emeritus of Political Science at OSU and a preeminent Ethiopia historian, author of “The Lion of Judah in the New World”), Dr. Barbara Stoecker (Regents Professor and Marilynn Thoma Chair of Nutritional Studies who has conducted research in Ethiopia for over 20 years), and Mel Tewahade (Director of the four part documentary series Point Four – Ethiopia, and another documentary Peace Corp – Ethiopia).
Worede Gebremariam gave a fine presentation on facts and figures that provided a wonderful base of understanding about the country of Ethiopia. His charming personality and professional nature elicited laughter and brought forth well thought out questions about Ethiopia from the participating crowd.
Dr. Jack Herron Jr. shared memories of what it was like to be a young teenager moving to Ethiopia with his parents who were undertaking a historically significant project to help Emperor Haile Selassie modernize his country through providing agricultural and technical assistance and learning directly to the people of Ethiopia. Dr. Herron’s father was one of the individuals responsible for establishing the agricultural extension programs that provide local farmers with an educated source of agricultural information for improving their farming techniques. Dr. Herron’s father was also responsible for starting the first 4-T Agricultural Youth Clubs modeled after the 4-H programs in the U.S. Dr. Herron described his time in Ethiopia as being magical, surrounded by beautiful and caring people and stunning natural beauty. He also remarked that the experience prepared him, and the other children of OSU staff, to have better understanding of people in general leading to above average success in their adult lives.
Dr. Theodore Vestal, shared his immense knowledge of the life of Emperor Haile Selassie and gave the audience members detailed glimpses into the time period in which the Emperor visited the U.S. as a Foreign Head of State (a record 6 times only matched by the Queen of England later in the 2000’s). The visit of the Emperor to Stillwater, Oklahoma was the biggest event on record for the U.S. state, featuring a dinner and reception at the newly constructed OSU Student Union (at that time the largest Student Union in the United States if not the world). During the evening’s program the university’s president, Oliver Willham presented Haile Selassie with a scroll expressing respect and sincere admiration for the emperor and a bronze plaque given “on behalf of the citizens of Oklahoma,” commemorating Oklahoma State University’s successful program of technical assistance and economic cooperation. Today, that plaque is prominently displayed on the campus of Ethiopia’s Haramaya University. It is estimated that the Emperor graciously shook the hand of over 1,400 attendees at the event by the end of the evening.
Dr. Barbara Stoecker informed the audience about her research which is conducted mainly in the Lake Hawassa region. Over the years, Stoecker has researched the role of micronutrients in child health in Thailand, China, Jordan, Iraq and Ethiopia. Most of her international work is in Ethiopia where she has taught, developed curriculum and helped numerous Ethiopian graduate students secure funding to attend OSU. In 2007, the Hawassa University launched Ethiopia’s first graduate program in applied human nutrition thanks to Stoecker’s instrumental work. Dr. Stoecker revealed that infant mortality rates have improved dramatically over her 2 decades of research even though more work needs to be done. Dr. Stoecker also remarked on how nice and gracious the people of Ethiopia are and what a delight it is to work with them.
Mel Tewahade, Director of the Point Four – Ethiopia documentary series, gave a history of the Emperor’s life from the time of a youngster to his ouster and assassination by communist thugs. Mr. Tewahade shared his opinions of current world events and warned participants to not be lax in dealing with extremists who bare no good will to the world and will only provide chaos and suffering. Mr. Tewahade later generously donated a copy of one segment of the documentary to all who were in attendance at the luncheon given after the presentations.
Dr. David Henneberry both began the day’s events and provided closing commentary. He highlighted that the financial commitment made by the Emperor in the 1950’s and 1960’s would have been the equivalent of a 270 million dollar educational program today in inflation adjusted U.S. dollars. There are few, if any, educational programs begun today, with this large of financial commitment, not to mention the man hours and love and caring that were given by the OSU-Point Four staff and Ethiopian officials. Dr. Henneberry was proud to point out that OSU has 4 students currently planning to begin study abroad programs in Ethiopia in the near future. He also noted the year after year dedication of Ethiopian students to attend Oklahoma State University and OSU’s dedication to providing them a world class education. In 2013, President Burns Hargis of Oklahoma State University met with University Presidents from Addis Ababa University, University of Mekelle, University of Bahir Dar, University of Axum, University of Gonder, University of Hawassa, University of Jimma, University of Haramaya and University of Adigrat. In conclusion, Dr. Henneberry stated that although the economic and political landscape has changed dramatically over the years, OSU and its Ethiopian partner universities continue to find new ways of working together to have a positive impact on their countries and the world.
Of special significance at the commemoration, it was learned that the great-granddaughter of Dr. William G. Bennett, former Oklahoma A&M University (now OSU) President and first Director of the Point Four Program, was in attendance. She shared with the audience stories told her about the time when Dr. Bennett and Emperor Haile Selassie first met at an International Food Exhibition in 1945 and the deep regard Dr. Bennett had for the leader of a free country that withstood external turmoil while reminded the world of what types of actions were noble and right to pursue in the name of Freedom and Justice.
In Pictures: Emperor Haile Selassie’s Visit to Oklahoma in 1954
(Image courtesy Oklahoma State University Division of International Studies and Outreach, IS&O)
Tadias Magazine
Tadias Staff
Published: Saturday, June 14, 2014
New York (TADIAS) — It has been four decades since Emperor Haile Selassie mysteriously died in the hands of an Ethiopian military junta that had deposed him. And two years since the current generation of African Union (AU) leaders notoriously ignored his legacy in helping to establish the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor to the AU, that is headquartered in Ethiopia. But today if you go to Philadelphia’s historic district, just a few blocks from Independence Hall - where the forefathers of this country famously declared their independence from British colonial rule on July 4th, 1776 — the National Liberty Museum has a portrait of Haile Selassie along with other world leaders such as the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela under the banner ‘Heroes Who Stood Up to Tyrants,” recognizing the Emperor for his global efforts to shame the fascist dicator Benito Musolini who orchestrated a brutal five-year occupation of Ethiopia. The Philly History blog also recounts Haile Selassie’s stop in Philadelphia in October 1963 where he visited Independence Hall and touched the Liberty Bell.
Haile Selassie, who remains the only Ethiopian leader to have received a State reception in America, was greeted at Union Station in Washington D.C. by President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. In his speech (see video below) President Kennedy stated: “I know I speak on behalf of all my fellow Americans in welcoming his Imperial Majesty back to the United States. Since His Majesty visited the United States nearly a decade ago we have seen one of the most extraordinary revolutions in history. And that has been the appearance on the world scene of 29 independent countries in the short space of less than ten years, including over 150 million people. The conference recently held in His Majesty’s capital served, I think, to bring together in a great cooperative movement the people of most of these countries. And the success of that conference was due to in no small part to the leadership of our distinguished guest. His efforts to move his country forward to provide a better life for its people and his efforts throughout the world, which dates back over 30 or 40 years. For all of this your Majesty we take the greatest pride in welcoming you here. You do us honor and I can assure you that there is no guest that we will receive in this country that will give a greater sense of pride and satisfaction to the American people than your presence here today. Your Majesty, you are most welcome.”
This week Oklahoma State University will mark the 60th anniversary of Haile Selassie’s visit there on June 18, 1954 to thank the college for its contribution in modernizing agriculture and education in Ethiopia under the Point Four Program.
— If You Go:
The 60th Anniversary Celebration: Emperor Haile Selassie’s Visit to OSU
Wednesday, June 18th, 2014, 9:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m.
Wes Watkins Auditorium, 207 Wes Watkins Center, Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone:(405) 744-5356
Tickets are necessary only for the luncheon. The presentations are open to the public.
More info at: www.iso.okstate.edu
Click here to listen to the complete audio of President John F. Kennedy’s welcoming remarks to Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, at Union Station in Washington, D.C., on October 1st, 1963.
Diego Maradona, who was considered one of the greatest soccer players in history, alongside Pelé, has died. He was 60. “There is much more to say, but for now may God give his family strength,” Pelé said. “One day, I hope, we will play soccer together in the sky.” (Photo: Diego Maradona holds up his team's trophy after Argentina's victory over West Germany at the 1986 World Cup final soccer match in Mexico City/AP)
The Associated Press
“You took us to the top of the world,” Argentine President Alfredo Fernández said on social media. “You made us incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all.”
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Diego Maradona, the Argentine soccer great who scored the “Hand of God” goal in 1986 and led his country to that year’s World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, has died. He was 60.
Maradona’s spokesman, Sebastián Sanchi, said he died Wednesday of a heart attack, two weeks after being released from a hospital in Buenos Aires following brain surgery.
The office of Argentina’s president said it will decree three days of national mourning, and the Argentine soccer association expressed its sorrow on Twitter.
One of the most famous moments in the history of the sport, the “Hand of God” goal, came when the diminutive Maradona punched the ball into England’s net during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. England said the ball went in off of Maradona’s hand, not his head. Maradona himself gave conflicting accounts of what had happened over the years, at one point attributing the goal to divine intervention, to “the hand of God.”
Ahead of his 60th birthday in October, Maradona told France Football magazine that it was his dream to “score another goal against the English, this time with the right hand.”
Maradona also captivated fans around the world over a two-decade career with a bewitching style of play that was all his own.
Although his reputation was tarnished by his addictions and an ill-fated spell in charge of the national team, he remained idolized in soccer-mad Argentina as the “Pibe de Oro” or “Golden Boy.”
“You took us to the top of the world,” Argentine President Alfredo Fernández said on social media. “You made us incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all.”
The No. 10 he wore on his jersey became synonymous with him, as it also had with Pelé, the Brazilian great with whom Maradona was regularly paired as the best of all time.
The Brazilian said in a statement he had lost “a dear friend.”
“There is much more to say, but for now may God give his family strength,” Pelé said. “One day, I hope, we will play soccer together in the sky.”
Bold, fast and utterly unpredictable, Maradona was a master of attack, juggling the ball easily from one foot to the other as he raced upfield. Dodging and weaving with his low center of gravity, he shrugged off countless rivals and often scored with a devastating left foot, his most powerful weapon.
“Everything he was thinking in his head, he made it happen with his feet,” said Salvatore Bagni, who played with Maradona at Italian club Napoli.
A ballooning waistline slowed Maradona’s explosive speed later in his career and by 1991 he was snared in his first doping scandal when he admitted to a cocaine habit that haunted him until he retired in 1997, at 37.
Hospitalized near death in 2000 and again in ’04 for heart problems blamed on cocaine, he later said he overcame the drug problem. Cocaine, he once said famously, had proven to be his “toughest rival.”
But more health problems followed, despite a 2005 gastric bypass that greatly trimmed his weight. Maradona was hospitalized in early 2007 for acute hepatitis that his doctor blamed on excessive drinking and eating.
He made an unlikely return to the national team in 2008 when he was appointed Argentina coach, but after a quarterfinal exit at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he was ousted — ultimately picking up another coaching job with the United Arab Emirates club Al Wasl.
Maradona was the fifth of eight children who grew up in a poor, gritty barrio on the Buenos Aires outskirts where he played a kind of dirt-patch soccer that launched many Argentines to international stardom.
None of them approached Maradona’s fame. In 2001, FIFA named Maradona one of the two greatest in the sport’s history, alongside Pelé.
AP photo
“Maradona inspires us,” said then-Argentina striker Carlos Tevez, explaining his country’s everyman fascination with Maradona at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. “He’s our idol, and an idol for the people.”
Maradona reaped titles at home and abroad, playing in the early 1980s for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors before moving on to Spanish and Italian clubs. His crowning achievement came at the 1986 World Cup, captaining Argentina in its 3-2 win over West Germany in the final and decisive in a 2-1 victory against England in a feisty quarterfinal match.
Over the protests of England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the referee let stand a goal by Maradona in which, as he admitted years later, he intentionally hit the ball with his hand in “a bit of mischief.”
But Maradona’s impact wouldn’t be confined to cheating. Four minutes later, he spectacularly weaved past four opponents from midfield to beat Shilton for what FIFA later declared the greatest goal in World Cup history.
Many Argentines saw the match as revenge for their country’s loss to Britain in the 1982 war over the Falkland Islands, which Argentines still claim as “Las Malvinas.”
“It was our way of recovering ‘Las Malvinas,’” Maradona wrote in his 2000 autobiography “I am Diego.”
“It was more than trying to win a game. We said the game had nothing to do with the war. But we knew that Argentines had died there, that they had killed them like birds. And this was our revenge. It was something bigger than us: We were defending our flag.”
It also was vindication for Maradona, who in what he later called “the greatest tragedy” of his career was cut from the squad of the 1978 World Cup — which Argentina won at home — because he was only 17.
Maradona said he was given a soccer ball soon after he could run.
“I was 3 years old and I slept hugging that ball all night,” he said.
At 10, Maradona gained fame by performing at halftime of professional matches, wowing crowds by keeping the ball airborne for minutes with his feet, chest and head. He also made his playing debut with the Argentinos Juniors youth team, leading a squad of mostly 14-year-olds through 136 unbeaten matches.
“To see him play was pure bliss, true stardom,” teammate Carlos Beltran said.
Argentine soccer superstar Diego Armando Maradona cheers after the Napoli team clinched its first Italian major league title in Naples, Italy, on May 10, 1987. Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine soccer great was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. He was 60. (AP Photo)
Maradona played from 1976-81 for first division club Argentinos Juniors, then went to Boca Juniors for a year before heading to Barcelona for a world-record $8 million.
In 1984, Barcelona sold him to Napoli, in Italy. He remade its fortunes almost single-handedly, taking it to the 1987 Italian league championship for its first title in 60 years.
A year after losing the 1990 World Cup final to West Germany, Maradona moved to Spanish club Sevilla, but his career was on the decline. He played five matches at Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys in 1994 before returning to Boca from 1995-97 — his final club and closest to his heart.
Drug problems overshadowed his final playing years.
Maradona failed a doping test in 1991 and was banned for 15 months, acknowledging his longtime cocaine addiction. He failed another doping test for stimulants and was thrown out of the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
In retirement, Maradona frequented Boca matches as a raucous one-man cheering section and took part in worldwide charity, sporting and exhibition events. But the already stocky forward quickly gained weight and was clearly short of breath as he huffed through friendly matches.
In 2000, in what doctors said was a brush with death, he was hospitalized in the Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este with a heart that doctors said was pumping at less than half its capacity. Blood and urine samples turned up traces of cocaine.
After another emergency hospitalization in 2004, Maradona was counseled for drug abuse and in September of that year traveled to Cuba for treatment at Havana’s Center for Mental Health. There he was visited by his friend, Cuban President Fidel Castro.
In Cuba, Maradona took to playing golf and smoking cigars. He frequently praised Castro and Argentine-born revolutionary “Che” Guevara, who fought with Castro in the Cuban revolution — even sporting a tattoo of Guevara on his right arm.
Maradona said he got clean from drugs there and started a new chapter.
In 2005, he underwent gastric bypass in Colombia, shedding nearly 50 kilograms (more than 100 pounds) before appearing as host of a wildly popular Argentine television talk show. On “10’s Night,” Maradona headed around a ball with Pelé, interviewed boxer Mike Tyson and Hollywood celebrities, and taped a lengthy conversation with Castro in Cuba.
In retirement, Maradona also became more outspoken. He sniped frequently at former coaches, players — including Pelé — and the pope. He joined a left-wing protest train outside the Summit of the Americas in 2005, standing alongside Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to denounce the presence of then-President George W. Bush.
His outsider status made it all the more surprising when he was chosen as Argentina coach following Alfio Basile’s resignation.
He won his first three matches but his tactics, selection and attention to detail were all questioned after a 6-1 loss to Bolivia in World Cup qualifying equaled Argentina’s worst-ever margin of defeat.
Victor Hugo Morales, Argentina’s most popular soccer broadcaster, said Maradona will ultimately be remembered for a thrilling style of play that has never been duplicated.
“He has been one of the great artists of my time. Like great masters of music and painting, he has defied our intellect and enriched the human spirit,” Morales said. “Nobody has thrilled me more and left me in such awe as Diego.”
—
Diego Maradona: Argentina legend’s career in pictures (BBC)
Diego Maradona – displaying the World Cup in 1986, during a training session, and with his ex-wife Claudia and their daughters Dalma and Gianina. (BBC)
Colourful doesn’t really do him justice. Diego Maradona was a genius on the football pitch and a controversial figure off it.
From his homeland of Argentina to success in Italy, World Cup glory and his drugs downfall, here’s a look at his life in photos.
Starting out: Maradona made his World Cup finals debut for Argentina at the 1982 tournament in Spain, but really made his mark four years later… (Getty Images)
Calm before the storm: Handshake with England goalkeeper Peter Shilton before the World Cup quarter-final in Mexico in 1986. (Getty Images)
Ridiculous to the sublime: The ‘Hand of God’ goal against England, followed by the ‘Goal of the Century’ (Getty Images)
World class: Maradona was named player of the tournament after inspiring Argentina to victory in 1986, and helped the side reach the final four years later. (BBC)
Dr Catherine Hamlin passed away at her home in Addis Ababa on Wednesday March 18th, 2020. (Photo: The Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: March 19th, 2020
In Loving Memory: Dr Catherine Hamlin 1924 – 2020
New York (TADIAS) – Dr. Catherine Hamlin — who along with her late husband Dr. Reginald Hamlin had founded Ethiopia’s first fistula hospital — passed away on Wednesday at the age of 96.
When the Hamlins had moved to Addis Ababa in 1959 they had never seen a fistula patient before. In a 2003 interview Dr. Catherine had told Tadias that fistula “is the oldest medical cause in the world. There is currency dug out of pyramids containing images of fistula, yet in the 21st century it is the most neglected cause.”
Since it was launched in 1974 the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital has treated over 60,000 women, the majority of whom have been cured and have returned to their homes to live healthy, normal lives. While the Australian-born Dr. Hamlin had received honorary Ethiopian citizenship in April 2012, she was presented by PM Abiy Ahmed with the prestigious Eminent Citizen Award in May 2019 along with the unveiling of a statue of her and Dr. Reginald Hamlin in recognition of their more than six decades of service in Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Health Minister Lia Tadesse noted on Twitter: “Very sad to hear the loss of Dr. Catherine Hamlin, a symbol of empathy & compassion with extraordinary contributions that changed the lives of thousands of women with obstetric fistula. She will always remain in our hearts.”
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also took to social media to express his condolences. “Ethiopia lost a true gem who dedicated more than sixty years to restoring the dignity of thousands of women,” he tweeted. “I wish her loved ones, friends and colleagues comfort. May she Rest In Peace.”
Below is the official obituary of Dr Catherine Hamlin courtesy of the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation:
Dr Catherine Hamlin 1924 – 2020
(Photo: The Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation)
“When I die, this place will go on for many, many years until we have eradicated fistula altogether – until every woman in Ethiopia is assured of a safe delivery and a live baby.” – Dr Catherine Hamlin
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40
The world is mourning the death of Australia’s most renowned obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr Catherine Hamlin AC, who died, age 96 at her home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Wednesday March 18th, 2020.
Catherine, together with her late husband Dr Reginald Hamlin OBE, co-founded Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, a healthcare network treating women who suffer from the debilitating effects of an obstetric fistula – a horrific childbirth injury.
To say Catherine was a remarkable woman is an understatement. In our eyes, she is a saint. She was much-admired for her work in Australia and globally. She was twice nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and has been recognized by the United Nations as a pioneer in fistula surgery. In 1995 Catherine was awarded Australia’s highest honor – the Companion of the Order of Australia, and in 2018 she was named NSW Senior Australian of the Year. In 2012, the Ethiopian Government awarded Catherine Honorary Ethiopian Citizenship and in 2019 the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed presented her with Eminent Citizen Award in recognition of her lifetime of service to the women of Ethiopia.
In 2020 Catherine celebrated her 61st year in Ethiopia. She lived most of her life there, in her original house on the grounds of her Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, adored by her patients, staff and the Ethiopian people. She was often referred to as “Emaye” meaning Mother. Catherine was not just committed to spending her life treating thousands of women, she spent her whole adult life changing lives – for the better.
Women and girls who suffer from obstetric fistula have been described as our modern-day lepers. Obstetric fistula is a horrific childbirth injury, that leaves women incontinent. It is caused by long, unrelieved obstructed labour. Tragically, 93% of obstetric fistula survivors give birth to a stillborn baby. Women with obstetric fistulas live with a constant stream of leaking urine and, in some cases, feces. These women and girls are often ostracized from their communities and rejected by their husbands.
Catherine Hamlin lived to give these women their life back.
Elinor Catherine Nicholson was born on January 24th, 1924 in Sydney. One of six children to Elinor and Theodore Nicholson, the family lived in the Sydney suburb of Ryde, and Catherine completed her schooling at Frensham School, Mittagong, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Following an innate desire to help women and children, she enrolled in medicine, graduating from the University of Sydney’s Medical School in 1946. After completing internships at two Sydney hospitals; St Joseph’s Hospital, Auburn and St George Hospital, Kogarah, Catherine accepted a residency in obstetrics at Sydney’s highly regarded Crown Street Women’s Hospital. It was at Crown Street that she met and fell in love with Dr. Reginald (Reg) Hamlin. They married in 1950 and had a son, Richard, in 1952.
In 1958, the Hamlins answered an advertisement in The Lancet Medical Journal for gynecologists to set up a school of midwifery in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Together with their six-year-old son, Richard, they travelled to Ethiopia to take up the contract. What had been intended as a three-year stay in Addis Ababa turned into a lifetime of service to the Ethiopian people.
Once Catherine and Reg started work at the Princess Tsehai Memorial Hospital, they found themselves treating women suffering obstetric complications on a scale unimaginable in a Western hospital. Before the Hamlins arrived in Ethiopia, patients with obstetric fistulas who sought medical help at the Princess Tsehai Memorial Hospital were turned away as they had no cure for their humiliating condition. The Hamlins had limited knowledge about obstetric fistulas as they had never had to deal with one before. Confronted by the tragic plight of women with obstetric fistula, and never having seen this condition in Australia, Catherine and Reg had to draw on medical literature from the 1850s to develop their own surgical technique. The technique they perfected is still used today.
As news of the Hamlins’ work spread, more and more women came to them for help. At first, they built a 10-bed fistula clinic in the grounds of the Princess Tsehai Memorial Hospital. Then, amidst the communist revolution, they built their Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital which opened on May 24th, 1975. There are now six Hamlin Fistula Hospitals across Ethiopia. Over the past 61 years, more than 60,000 Ethiopian women suffering with an obstetric fistula have received life-changing reconstructive surgery and care, thanks to the Hamlins’ vision.
Catherine’s strength and passion to offer free fistula surgery wavered only once in her lifetime, following the death of her beloved Reg in 1993. Days after his funeral, Catherine felt overwhelming fear at the prospect of running the hospital by herself. In this moment of grief, her long-time gardener Birru knelt by her chair, “He took my hand in his, kissed the back of it and said, ‘Don’t leave us; we’ll all help you.’” A deeply religious woman, Catherine felt these words were an enormous blessing and from that moment Catherine knew that she would be “quite alright.”
Her initial goal of training midwives became a reality in 2007 when she founded the Hamlin College of Midwives. High school graduates are trained in a four-year degree, then deployed to rural midwifery clinics, where they are most needed, breaking the cycle of unrelieved obstructed labour and thereby preventing obstetric fistula from occurring in the first place.
In 1983, Catherine was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and in 1995 appointed to the higher rank in the Order, a Companion (AC) for ‘service to gynecology in developing countries particularly in the field of fistula surgery and for humanitarian service to improving the health dignity and self-esteem of women in Ethiopia’. In 2001, the Australian Government recognized Catherine’s ‘long and outstanding service to international development in Africa’ by awarding her the Australian Centenary Medal. In recognition of her humanitarian work in Ethiopia she was included on the Australian Living Legends list in 2004. In 2009, Catherine was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes referred to as the Alternate Nobel Prize. In 2011 she was among 50 prominent Australians invited by Her Excellency the Governor-General Quentin Bryce to lunch with the Queen. In 2015, Catherine received the Australian Medical Association’s President’s Award. In 2017, a Sydney Ferries Emerald-class ferry was named the ‘Catherine Hamlin’ after thousands of Australian supporters voted for her.
Despite all these tributes, Catherine was always humbled in the extreme by all the media attention and awards. Drawing on the courage of Ethiopian women is what inspired her to accept such accolades, and awards were always an opportunity to promote the heartbreaking plight of the fistula patients and the needs of the hospitals treating them.
Catherine was most proud of her Hamlin Model of Care – holistic healing that is part of every patient’s treatment. “We don’t just treat the hole in the bladder, we treat the whole patient with love and tender care, literacy and numeracy classes, a brand-new dress and money to travel home.”
Today, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is a healthcare network of over 550 Ethiopian staff – many trained by Catherine – servicing six hospitals, Desta Mender rehabilitation centre, the Hamlin College of Midwives and 80 Hamlin supported Midwifery Clinics. Hamlin is the reference organization and leader in the fight to eradicate obstetric fistula around the world, blazing a trail for holistic treatment and care that empowers women to reassert their humanity, secure their health and well-being, and regain their roles in their families and communities.
Catherine published her autobiography, co-written with Australian journalist and author John Little, The Hospital by the River: A Story of Hope in 2001. In the book, Catherine makes clear that she and Reg saw their work as one of Christian compassion for the suffering. Then in 2004, she was profiled internationally on the Oprah Winfrey Show giving the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital the kind of worldwide publicity that Reg could never have imagined.
During the last years of her life, Catherine was confident that her legacy would live on, “When I die, this place will go on for many, many years until we have eradicated fistula altogether – until every woman in Ethiopia is assured of a safe delivery and a live baby.”
Catherine will be buried alongside Reg in the British War Graves Cemetery in Addis Ababa, her home for 61 years. At the 60th anniversary celebrations in 2019, Catherine said “I love Ethiopia and I have loved every day here. Ethiopia is my home.”
Catherine is survived by her only son Richard and his four adult children: Sarah, Paul, Catherine and Stephanie, her sister Ailsa Pottie and brothers Donald and Jock Nicholson.
“Catherine lived an incredible life having made an enormous difference to the lives and health of thousands upon thousands of women in Ethiopia. Her passionate commitment to women and maternal health through her trust and belief in fulfilling God’s work with love and devotion to others is something that we are all in awe of,” said Julie White, Chair of Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation.
“Most of her 96 years were generously given to help the poor women of our country with traumatic birth injuries. We are all thankful for Catherine’s lifelong dedication. We promise to continue her legacy and realize her dream to eradicate fistula from Ethiopia. Forever,” said Tesfaye Mamo, Chief Executive Officer of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia.
We are all committed to ensuring Catherine’s dream to eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia becomes a reality.
Former president Barack Obama unveils his portrait by Kehinde Wiley at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in February 2018. (The Washington Post)
The Washington Post
The wildly popular Obama portraits are going on a year-long tour to museums across the country
The incredibly popular Obamas will be leaving Washington next year for a five-city tour.
Their portraits, that is. The paintings of former president Barack Obama — by Kehinde Wiley — and first lady Michelle Obama — by Amy Sherald — have attracted record crowds to the National Portrait Gallery. Starting in June 2021, the portraits will travel to five cities, giving new audiences a chance to experience them.
“We’re a history museum and an art museum, and they are really great representations of both. This tour is an opportunity for audiences in different parts of the country to witness how portraiture can engage people,” said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, the museum that commissioned the works. “You can use these portraits as a portal to all sorts of conversations.”
The tour will begin at the Art Institute of Chicago (June 18-Aug. 15, 2021) before moving to the Brooklyn Museum (Aug. 27-Oct. 24, 2021), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Nov. 5-Jan. 2, 2022), the High Museum of Art in Atlanta (Jan. 14-March 13, 2022) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (March 25-May 30, 2022).
The cities were selected by the gallery for personal and geographical reasons. The Obamas have deep connections to Chicago, for example, and the works will be there when the former president celebrates his 60th birthday. Sherald grew up in Georgia, and Wiley was born in Los Angeles, so those stops made sense, Sajet said. Wiley’s studio is based in Brooklyn, and its museum has several of his works in its collection.
Thursday’s tour announcement coincides with the publication of “The Obama Portraits,” an illustrated book from the Smithsonian Institution and the Princeton University Press that celebrates the portraits and their influence. Wiley and Sherald are the first African American artists to be selected for the gallery’s portraits of a president or first lady, and their paintings have drawn millions to the gallery since their splashy unveiling in February 2018.
Maaza Mengiste’s new novel The Shadow King was released this year to enthusiastic and well-deserved reviews by several national media organizations including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and NPR. As our readers know, Maaza is one of our favorite Ethiopian-American writers and her latest work brings to light the seldom-told role of heroic Ethiopian women during World War II and Ethiopia’s legendary victory against fascist occupation forces. We can’t agree more with NPR that “the star of the novel, however, is Maaza’s writing, which makes The Shadow King nearly impossible to put down.” As Time Magazine noted, naming The Shadow King on their list of 100 must read books of 2019: “Maaza Mengiste tells an unforgettable story steeped in the history of her home country. Hirut, an orphan, works as a maid subjected to the oppressive impulses of men — until she steps up to become a war hero, helping to defend Ethiopia against Mussolini’s invasion in 1935, a precursor to World War II. The Shadow King is a propulsive read that captures a historical moment from a fresh perspective, speaking to timeless themes about women’s power and oppression and the cost of war.”
Julie Mehretu’s Mid-Career Survey at LA County Museum of Art
It’s exciting to share the opening of Julie Mehretu’s Mid-Career Survey showcasing her work dating back to 1996. The traveling exhibition was launched at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in California this past October. “The first-ever comprehensive retrospective of Mehretu’s career, it covers over two decades of her examination of history, colonialism, capitalism, geopolitics, war, global uprising, diaspora, and displacement through the artistic strategies of abstraction, architecture, landscape, movement, and, most recently, figuration,” the Museum said in a statement. “Mehretu’s play with scale, as evident in her intimate drawings and large canvases and complex techniques in printmaking, [is] explored in depth.” The show features about “40 works on paper with 35 paintings along with a print by Rembrandt and a film on Mehretu by the artist Tacita Dean.” The traveling exhibition – co-organized by LACMA and The Whitney Museum of American Art – is set for its next major opening in New York City, Julie’s hometown, in September 2020. Then the show is scheduled to travel to Atlanta to be displayed at the High Museum of Art from October 24th 2020 to January 31, 2021, before moving on to Minnesota for an exhibition at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis from March 13–July 11, 2021. This exhibition is a must-see.
Nesanet Teshager Abegaze’s Film “Bereka” Goes to Sundance 2020 Festival
Nesanet Teshager Abegaze at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia, August 2019. (Courtesy of the artist)
This past summer Nesanet Teshager Abegaze’s debut film Bereka won the Best Experimental Film award at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia. In January 2020 the short film is set to be screened at Sundance , the biggest independent film festival in the United States, which takes place every year in Salt Lake City, Utah. The film’s title is a reference to the third round of the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, but the heart of the story is personal as Nesanet chronicles a family’s unexpected flight out of Gondar and decades later the jubilant homecoming of the grandchildren back to Ethiopia. Nesanet recently told Tadias that “the whole film came together in a very organic way,” noting that she had been recording audio as part of a family archive project for several years. We congratulate Nesanet and wish her all the best at Sundance and beyond.
Marcus Samuelsson’s PBS Show ‘No Passport Required’ Returns for Second Season
Marcus Samuelsson’s popular PBS TV show ‘No Passport Required’ is set to return for a new season in January 2020. (Photo courtesy: Eater.com)
Marcus Samuelsson’s popular TV show, No Passport Required, is scheduled to return for a second season in January 2020 highlighting diverse immigrant food traditions in American cities such as Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Boston, Las Vegas and Philadelphia. “An immigrant himself — born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, now a celebrated chef, restaurateur, author and resident of Harlem — Marcus Samuelsson is passionate about sharing and celebrating the food of America’s vibrant communities,” PBS stated. “Each episode shows how important food can be in bringing Americans — old and new — together around the table…In each city, he’ll visit local restaurants, markets and family homes, learning about each community’s cuisine and heritage.” The first season included highlight of Ethiopian food and culture in Washington D.C. via PBS, one of the largest television program distributors in the United States. No Passport Required is produced in collaboration with Vox Media. “We are thrilled to be working with PBS and Marcus to continue capturing these authentic stories focusing on the communities that make this nation so rich and dynamic,” said Marty Moe, President of Vox Media. Likewise, we are proud of Marcus and look forward to the next season in 2020!
Ethiopian Cultural Festival at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York
Ethiopian Festival at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in NYC on Sunday, June 2nd, 2019. (Photo: CMA)
On June 2nd, 2019 an interactive arts workshop inspired by artists from Ethiopia including Ezra Wube, Addis Gezehagn, Elias Sime, Afewerk Tekle as well as singer and songwriter Gigi was held at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York City. The well-attended family-friendly event was organized by the CMA in collaboration with the Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association (ECMAA) and the Ethiopian Social Assistance Committee (ESAC) and included Ethiopian music, Eskista dance, and a coffee ceremony in addition to children’s game and art stations.
Tightrope, The First Major Traveling Museum Exhibition of Elias Sime
Artist Elias Sime’s first major traveling museum survey exhibition entitled “Tightrope”, comprising of work from the last decade, was presented by the Wellin Museum of Art through December 8, 2O19. (Photo credit: Brett Moen. Courtesy of the artist and James Cohan, New York)
Ethiopia-based Artist Elias Sime’s first major traveling U.S. museum survey exhibition entitled “Tightrope”, and comprising of work from the last decade, was presented by the Wellin Museum of Art from September 7 to December 8, 2019. As Hasabie Kidanu reported for Tadias: “The prolific and multi-disciplinary artist works primarily within the language of architecture, sculpture, and collage. Sime’s works are created from repurposing objects often carefully sourced from Merkato — Addis’ sprawling open air market. Sime often collects discarded electrical components that have traveled from around the globe to his hometown. Through a meticulous hand, the salvaged materials are cut, layered, collaged, and woven. The end result renews refuse into a new form – large colorful and lyrical compositions, pointing to the universal human struggle as a ‘balancing act’ of our relationship to technological progress, waste, resourcefulness, and environmental sustainability.” Speaking about his work Elias shares: “My art is a reflection of who I am as a human being without borders, labels, and imposed identity. There is a sense of unity and cooperation that I reflect through my art. At the root of all of it is love and passion. With this exhibition, including many years of my work, I hope the students and other visitors will share my feelings expressed on the arts.” The traveling exhibition is also scheduled to go to the Akron Art Museum in Akron, Ohio (February 29 through May 24, 2020), the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri (June 11 through September 13, 2020), and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada (December 12, 2020 through April 18, 2021).
Addis Ababa Among Six Dynamic Emerging Art Capitals in Africa
Tadesse Mesfin, Pillars of Life: Market Day (2018). Courtesy Addis Fine Art.
In 2019 Addis Ababa was named among six dynamic emerging art capitals on the African continent by Artnet News website. Among the institutions featured in the article include “Alle School of Fine Art & Design (Ethiopia’s most important art school founded in 1958, during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie); Addis Fine Art (The most notable commercial gallery in the capital will also be opening a new location in London’s Cromwell Place gallery hub in 2020); Guramane Art Center (A gallery dedicated to emerging Ethiopian artists); and Zoma (a museum founded by artist Elias Sime and curator Meskerem Assegued, which opened in April 2019 and shows contemporary art from East Africa and abroad).”
Ethiopia Habtemariam and Hitsville: The Making of Motown Documentary Celebrating its 60th Anniversary
Ethiopia Habtemariam is one of the producers behind the new documentary Hitsville: The Making of Motown.
Ethiopia Habtemariam is a first-generation Ethiopian-American who is currently the President of Motown Records and President of Urban Music at Universal Publishing Music Group. Earlier this year speaking about Motown’s 60th anniversary and a documentary film she was working on to celebrate the special occasion Ethiopia promised in an interview with InStyle magazine that she was “bringing back f—ing Motown.” And based on media reviews and audience reactions to Hitsville: The Making of Motown, it is clear that Ethiopia has delivered on her words. “Some of the archive clips trigger goosebumps, while Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson radiate charm in this affectionate anniversary tribute to Detroit’s influential record label,” enthused The Guardian. “Young, gifted and black – and so many of them. Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson: all under one roof in a suburban house in Detroit, a sign hanging above the porch: “Hitsville, USA”.
Watch: Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019) Official Trailer | SHOWTIME Documentary Film
Hitsville: The Making of Motown was produced for SHOWTIME by executive producers Berry Gordy, Steve Barnett, Marty Bandier, David Blackman, Ethiopia Habtemariam and Michelle Jubelirer.
Tommy T’s newest Single ‘Anchin’ Featuring Mahmoud Ahmed
Cover of Tommy T’s recent single ‘Anchin’ featuring Mahmoud Ahmed. (Courtesy photo)
Tommy T (Thomas Gobena) released a new song in 2019 featuring his musical hero the legendary Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed and it continues to receive rave reviews. Four years go Tommy T — the Ethiopian-born bass player for the American punk band, Gogol Bordello — met up with Mahmoud at a Stephen Marley concert in Washington D.C. where Mahmoud was performing a song for the opening. That same evening Tommy pitched a song idea to Mahmoud, which turned into the new single Anchin released online on July 2nd, 2019. “I had a chance to share with him a concept of a song that I had worked on a while back, and he eventually agreed to collaborate,” Tommy told Tadias. “Out of the collaboration on this song I also got a chance to direct my first music video for this single.”
Watch: Tommy T featuring Mahmoud Ahmed – ANCHIN አንቺን
Anchin (Amharic for ‘you’ in feminine pronoun), is a follow up to Tommy T’s first solo album entitled The Prestor John Sessions issued in 2009. As Tommy shared in a press release the self-released single launched on Tommy’s new platform, Afroxoid, “is a continuation of his work in exploring the vast world of afro-rhythms combined with an Ethiopian melody, and will guide the listener on a cross-cultural musical journey.”
Hub of Africa Addis Fashion Week
The 2019 Hub of Africa Addis Fashion Week was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Addis Ababa from October 9-12th. (Image: Fetel Design. Photo by Lenny White)
The annual Hub of Africa Addis Fashion Week celebrated its ninth anniversary in 2019. This year’s runway show held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Addis Ababa from October 9-12th featured both local and international designers from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa. Past participants of Hub of Africa Fashion Week have gone on to participate in New York African Fashion Week as well as Berlin Fashion Week and received international media coverage including on CNN, Vogue Italia, Fashion TV, and BBC. According to Mahlet Teklemariam, Founder of the Hub of Africa Addis Fashion Week, the British Council served as the facilitator of a “Made in Ethiopia” event this year, which featured producers of textile, leather, manufacturing and other sectors of the industry.” Organizers point out that “fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry of which Africa only has a minute share… and the annual fashion week in Ethiopia’s capital “seeks to remedy this and has worked diligently towards this growth.”
— Liben Eabisa is Co-Founder & Publisher of Tadias.
Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis meets with Haramaya University officials in Ethiopia during its commencement ceremony on Saturday. (Courtesy photo)
Across the globe, standing before a room of foreign graduates, Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis could see the fruits of a program his college helped plant.
Hargis delivered the commencement address Saturday to Haramaya University in Ethiopia, addressing the more than 4,000 graduates earning degrees in agriculture, animal science and plant science.
“OSU has a lot of history in Ethiopia,” Hargis said. “Very excited to be a part of continuing that.”
Hargis is the first Oklahoma State president to visit the Ethiopian school in more than 60 years, renewing a bond between the two institutions that started in the years after World War II.
Established in 1952, Alemaya College of Agriculture (now called Haramaya University), was part of the vision of President Harry S. Truman as part of the Point Four Program, designed to build relationships with countries in Africa, Asia, Latin American and the Middle East, while assisting them in agriculture and technological innovations.
Truman believed it was America’s duty to build up allies in the wake of World War II.
“What we envisage is a program of development based on the concepts of democratic fair-dealing,” Truman said about the Point 4 program. “All countries, including our own, will greatly benefit from a constructive program for the better use of the world’s human and natural resources.”
Truman tasked Henry G. Bennett, OSU’s president, to help bring modern farming and ranching techniques to Ethiopia.
With the help of the agricultural experts at Oklahoma State, Bennett established schools in Ethiopia to teach the basics of crop management and rotation.
Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie then returned the favor with a visit to Stillwater and Oklahoma State in 1954, marking the first time a foreign head of state had visited Oklahoma.
Clyde Kindell, who served as both an instructor and then as president of the college in Ethiopia, said his eight years in the country were life changing.
“If you establish friendship among the Ethiopians, they will never forget it,” Kindell said. “We have evidence to this day that there’s many Ethiopians in Ethiopia now that you mention Oklahoma State University and they remember it with fond memories.”
At an event last year, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie of Ethiopia, the great-grandson of Emperor Selassie, visited as OSU honored Kindell and four other professors for their work in the African nation.
“OSU’s involvement in the Point Four program in Ethiopia remains an important milestone in the university’s emergence as a truly global institution,” said Randy Kluver, the dean of OSU’s School of Global Studies and Partnerships.
Hargis’ trip to the Horn of Africa is part of a renewed effort on behalf of Oklahoma State and Haramaya to re-establish a strong connection between the two institutions.
Officially, Oklahoma State’s aid for the college ended in the late ‘60s, but earlier this year both schools pledged to reforge the relationship.
— Related:
Photos: Emperor Haile Selassie visiting Oklahoma in 1954:
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Dr. Catherine Hamlin at the 60th anniversary celebration of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital on May 29th, 2019. (Photo: Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation via Twitter)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: June 1st, 2019
New York (TADIAS) – Dr. Catherine Hamlin, founder of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, has been honored with Ethiopia’s prestigious citizenship award.
PM Abiy Ahmed presented the award to Dr. Hamlin during the hospital’s 60th anniversary celebration on Wednesday, May 29th.
— Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation (@fistulaethiopia) May 30, 2019
Since it was launched in 1974 the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, which was co-founded by Dr. Catherine and her late husband Dr. Reginald Hamlin, has treated over 60,000 women, the majority of whom have been cured and have returned to their homes to live healthy, normal lives.
Catherine and Reginald Hamlin, both gynecologists and natives of Australia and New Zealand respectively, moved to Ethiopia in 1959 to start a midwifery school at the Princess Tsehay Hospital in Addis Ababa before opening the dedicated hospital for fistula patients fifteen years later.
According to the World Health Organization, up to 100,000 women are affected worldwide by obstetric fistula — an injury during the birthing process that women with obstructive labor suffer from when they have inadequate access to medical support.
“Prime Minister Abiy commended Dr Catherine Hamlin for her tremendous work of restoring the dignity of Ethiopian women affected by obstetric fistula,” the announcement said. “He expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the care-taking role she took of the most marginalized in their time of grave need.” The PM also “bestowed an award upon Dr Catherine Hamlin on behalf of the Government of Ethiopia for her tireless contribution and together with First Lady Zinash Tayachew planted seedlings in the compound of the hospital.”
PM Abiy Ahmed and First Lady Zinash Tayachew visited @fistulaethiopia in celebration of the hospital’s 60th anniversary of service and to honor Dr Catherine Hamlin for her tremendous work supporting marginalized Ethiopian women.
Ethiopia Habtemariam, a first-generation Ethiopian-American, is the executive vice president of Capitol Music Group and the president of Motown Records. This year in celebration of Motown’s 60th anniversary Ethiopia is releasing a documentary on the legendary American record label. (InStyle)
InStyle
Ethiopia Habtemariam: Meet the Music Mogul Bringing Motown Back – InStyle
Ethiopia Habtemariam has been working in the music industry since she was a 14-year-old intern at LaFace Records in Atlanta. After turning that job into a full-time position right out of high school, the wunderkind shot straight to the top. Now, at 39, as the executive vice president of Capitol Music Group and the president of Motown Records, she is one of the most powerful women in music. Habtemariam is respected for her ear (with an impressive roster of signed artists like Justin Bieber, Ciara, and J. Cole) and her resolve. “Anyone I’ve ever signed, I really believe in,” she says. “And either you get it or you catch on eventually.”
Most recently, she was responsible for bringing rap trio Migos to Motown, which helped lead to the label’s new awakening. For Motown’s 60th anniversary this year, she’s releasing a documentary on its soulful roots and building on innovative successes like Netflix’s animated series Motown Magic. “I’m bringing back f—ing Motown,” she says, smiling. “That’s badass. This is the most legendary label in music. When you think about what started in a small neighborhood in Detroit and all its superstars [e.g., the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes] who went on to touch the world with their music — I want to remind people of that.”
Leading lady: “The reality is there aren’t many women or women of color who have ever been presidents of a company,” she says. “Having my family’s support from the beginning was dope because that’s not common for immigrant parents, especially in the music space.” Today, the first-generation Ethiopian-American is determined to link arms with like-minded ladies. “If you’re the only woman in the room, that’s a problem,” she says. “Once you have power and people are listening to your voice, you have to include other women.”
Music to her ears: Corporate meetings play a large part in Habtemariam’s day-to-day schedule, but she still carves out time for what she loves most: finding and developing young artists. “I have to stay close to the music and do the things that feed me,” she says.
In this photo taken in the 1960s, Dr. Clyde Kindell, President of Alemaya College [now Haramaya University], hosts Emperor Haile Selassie at the agricultural school in Harar. (Courtesy photograph)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
April 12th, 2018
New York (TADIAS) – One of the oldest higher education institutions in Ethiopia, Haramaya University, which used to be called Alemaya College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, was established in collaboration with Oklahoma State University (OSU) in 1954. And this month Dr. Clyde R. Kindell, the last American President of the university, will be honored for his service to Ethiopia.
In 1954, during his much publicized first state visit to the United States, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia “made a singular stop in his 7,000 mile tour of the country to thank the people of Oklahoma for assisting in modernizing agriculture and education in his nation,” wrote Theodore M. Vestal, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at OSU in an OPED article published in Tadias four years ago. “The Emperor was honored with a reception and dinner in Stillwater that was described as ‘the social event of the century’ in Oklahoma.”
Now, the late emperor’s grandson Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie will return the favor by presenting the award to Dr. Kindell at a recognition ceremony on April 17th in Wes Watkins Center at OSU campus. The event, which will be attended by former Congressman Wes Watkins, is being organized in cooperation with the School of Global Studies and Partnerships at Oklahoma State University.
Arriving in Ethiopia as a 31-year-old Dr. Kindell first served as the Director of Instruction and Research at the Jimma Agriculture Technical School for two years before taking the helm at Alemaya in Harar.
“I have fond memories of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people,” Dr. Kindell told Tadias in an interview published in 2013. “My daughter was born in Jimma.”
Dr. Kindell traveled to Ethiopia under Oklahoma State University’s Point Four agricultural program in the late 1950s.
“OSU’s involvement in the Point Four program in Ethiopia remains an important milestone in the university’s emergence as a truly global institution,” said Dr. Randy Kluver, Dean of the School of Global Studies and Partnerships. “The entire OSU Family greatly appreciates Dr. Kindell for his leadership.”
The press release added: “The event will also mark the 64th anniversary of Emperor Haile Selassie’s first visit to Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1954. To date, the former emperor’s visit was the only one of a serving head of state to the OSU campus.”
Photos: Emperor Haile Selassie visiting Oklahoma in 1954:
Professor Ted Vestal notes: “Only one month before the U.S. Supreme Court had handed down its landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education, ending racial segregation in public schools. The Emperor and his entourage were honored at a racially integrated event in an officially segregated state. (Photos courtesy OSU)
Following next week’s ceremony there will be a public showing of the fourth documentary in the Point Four series, directed by Filmmaker and Producer Mel Tewahade.
— Related: Photos: Dr. Clyde Kindell Gives Emperor Haile Selassie Tour of Alemaya College
The Weeknd has won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. His 2016 record Starboy took home the award over Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!”, SZA’s Ctrl, Khalid’s American Teen, and 6LACK’s FREE 6LACK. Best Urban Contemporary Album was the Weeknd’s sole nomination at the 2018 Grammys. Recently, Abel Tesfaye announced that he and Marvel are developing a “Starboy” comic book series that’s planned for release this year.
(Photograph from past conference courtesy of People to People, Inc.)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Sunday, September 6th, 2015
New York (TADIAS) — During a 2012 gathering of experts convened by Harvard School of Public Health’s (HSPH) Department of Global Health & Population and Yale Global Health Leadership Institute (GHLI), Ethiopia’s Health Minister, Dr. Keseteberhan Admassu, had described the challenges of brain drain that his nation faces and how that impacts access to health care stating: “There are currently more Ethiopian doctors working in Chicago than in Ethiopia.”
In recent years, however, the growing collaboration in knowledge sharing initiatives between Ethiopian-born health professionals residing in North America and their colleagues working in Ethiopia has increasingly changed the medical services and health care delivery landscape.
Some of the best ideas come from the Ethiopian Diaspora Conference on Health Care and Medical Education that’s held annually in the Washington, D.C. area, which this year is scheduled to take place in Arlington, Virginia on Saturday September 26th.
Key topics that will be highlighted at the upcoming conference include “disaster management and response with a special focus on the Ebola epidemic, injury and trauma in the Ethiopian setting, new licensure exam and requirements for medical school graduates and physicians in Ethiopia, Diaspora partnership projects as well as abstract and poster presentations on health-related topics relevant to Ethiopia,” People to People Inc. (P2P), the U.S.-based Ethiopian American non-profit organization that puts together the yearly professional gathering, said in a statement. Additional subjects that will be discussed include “overcoming cultural barriers to better advocate for autistic kids in the Ethiopian community in the D.C. metropolitan area” as well as “setting up Cardiology training programs in Ethiopia.”
P2P announced that the association has partnered with the Network of Ethiopian Diaspora Healthcare Professionals (NEDHP), to host the “7th Global Ethiopian Diaspora Conference on Health Care & Medical Education.”
“We are hoping that this conference will follow and build on the success of the previous ones,” the press release stated. “We would like to invite all Ethiopian health care professionals and educators in the Diaspora as well as others who work in related fields to attend the conference.” P2P added: “In order to widen the scope and reach of this conference, we have invited several partner organizations working with Ethiopian healthcare professionals in the Diaspora as well as Alumni Associations of the older medical schools in Ethiopia to participate and invite their membership to attend our conference.”
The conference will also feature presentations entitled “Bahir Dar University Medical School and its International Collaborations” by Getachew Muluken, MD; “Collaborative Agreement for Research and Training: An institutional collaboration between Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Belgium and University of Gondar” by Dr. Ermias Diro; and “My Experience at an Ethiopian Emergency Department” by Dr. Tsion Firew.
A Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed upon Professor Demisse Habte, President of Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, Pediatrician and former Dean of AAU Faculty of Medicine,” the press release said. The “Young Rising Star Award” will be given to Pediatrician and Associate Professor Dr. Sisay Yifru, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at University of Gondar (Ethiopia’s first public health institution) and a “Community Service Award” will be presented to Woizero Marta Wolde-Tsadik and Ato Demeke Tekle-Wold of Project Mercy.
P2P said this year it will also give out two special awards to Professor Dennis Carlson, Former Dean of Gondar Public Health College (1964-67) and to Tadias Magazine.
We are honored and grateful to receive the award!
Below are photos from past conferences as well as registration information for the upcoming conference.
(Photograph from past conference courtesy of People to People, Inc.)
(Photograph from past conference courtesy of People to People, Inc.)
(Photograph from past conference courtesy of People to People, Inc.)
— If You Go:
Date: Saturday September 26th, 2015
Time: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sheraton Pentagon City
900 S. Orme Street, Arlington, VA 22204
Telephone: (703) 521-1900
On Site Registration Fee:
Physicians and all other Professionals: $75.00
Residents, Fellows and Students: $25.00
(Fee will cover cost of food and refreshments)
More info and update at www.p2pbridge.org
President Obama addressing Mandela Washington Fellows in 2014. (Photograph Courtesy: blackpressUSA)
Tadias Magazine
Editorial
Published: Thursday, July 23rd, 2015
New York (TADIAS) — Seven years ago in October of 2008, a few weeks before Barack Obama was elected President, the late Professor and Ethiopianist Donald N. Levine who was a colleague of Obama during their teaching days at The University of Chicago, wrote an article highlighting “Five Reasons for Ethiopian-Americans to Support Obama.” Levine asked: “Even if this is the most important American presidential election in the last half-century, why should Ethiopians burn with special interest in it?” He added: “Considering what’s at stake for Ethiopian immigrants and their home country, the question warrants a fresh look.”
On the eve of Obama’s highly publicized inaugural visit to Ethiopia this week — the first by a sitting U.S. President — the question remains more relevant today than ever.
President Obama’s visit to Ethiopia is a significant milestone for the U.S. government to strengthen one of the first and oldest diplomatic relations with an African nation. Yet we would be remiss not to mention that this U.S. presidential excursion awkwardly comes on the heels of the unrealistic 100% election victory announced last month by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia.
Recalling Obama’s commitment during the 2008 campaign, while still soliciting our vote, he addressed the Chicago Council on Global Affairs stating that it “requires a society that is supported by the pillars of a sustainable democracy – a strong legislature, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, a vibrant civil society, a free press, and an honest police force. It requires building the capacity of the world’s weakest states.”
In the days ahead it is our sincere hope that these pillars of democracy – respect for human rights and encouraging the growth of the press sector — are boldly communicated and emphasized by President Obama.
We hope that the Obama administration has learned from the Wendy Sherman debacle and understands how the President’s tour can be taken as ignoring Ethiopia’s lack of free press and the country’s outdated political culture of muzzling journalists and crushing dissent — a concern that has been duly noted by the Editorial Board of the Washington Post as well as several international human rights organizations. These are serious, legitimate criticisms that President Obama should take to mind and heart as he visits our ancestral home. We urge him to boldly amplify our human rights concerns as much as he is ready to speak about Ethiopia’s economic successes.
Historically, Ethiopia and its people as a nation, has greatly contributed to the Pan-African movement for independence, paving the way for establishing the African Union as well as forging the first bilateral trade agreement between an African country and the United States. It is fitting that President Obama, the son of an African man and the leader of the United States, makes the first visit to Ethiopia. Moreover, President Obama’s journey to the new African Union headquarters is unprecedented and can serve as a belated opportunity not only to pay tribute to founding fathers such as Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana who stood together to plant the seeds of a lasting Pan-African movement, but likewise acknowledge how the OAU listened to a young African American civil rights leader named Malcolm X and passed a resolution in support of his fight against racial discrimination in the United States. Author George Breitman captures Malcolm X’s enthusiasm following the passing of his resolution at the 1964 OAU Summit in Cairo quoting him in his book, Malcolm X Speaks, as stating “from all standpoints it has been an unqualified success, and one which should change the whole direction of our struggle in America for human dignity as well as human rights.”
So what better stage is there than the AU headquarters to stand firmly behind the ideal that freedom of expression is a global human right?
It is also equally important that this historic occasion be viewed through a larger lens, acknowledging the long-term relations between the people of America and Ethiopia.
President Obama can also use this historic moment to recognize another seed of friendship — the first batch of 51 Peace Corps Volunteers who arrived in the new African nation of Ghana in August 1961 and the following year to Ethiopia — shortly after President Kennedy signed an executive order in March of that year. Approximately 11,000 Americans had signed up eager to serve, and since the Peace Corps’ first launch on the African continent the organization has flourished and expanded its network to over 140 nations worldwide. Addressing heads of state at the African Union President Obama will become the first American President to honor the Peace Corps’ first launch in Africa as well as the legacy of a generation that helped create independent African states.
Last, but not least, the presidential trip is also an opportunity to recognize that Ethiopia and the African Union have been two of America’s oldest friends. It is stunning to think that despite the signing of the first U.S.-Ethiopia bilateral trade agreement in 1903 no sitting American president has ever visited Ethiopia in over a century. Ironically, it is an Ethiopian Head of State (former Emperor Haile Selassie) who held the record as the most frequent traveler to the United States as a foreign leader, only matched by the Queen of England in the last decade. While African leaders continue to travel to headquarters of the European Union and the White House, no American president has addressed African leaders from the African Union headquarters.
We look forward to witnessing history as President Barack Obama takes the AU stage in Ethiopia this week and stands by the words he spoke in Ghana in 2009, asserting that “mutual responsibility must be the foundation” of a partnership between America and African countries, and emphasizing that “in the 21st century, capable, reliable and transparent institutions are the key to success – strong parliaments and honest police forces; independent judges and journalists; a vibrant private sector and civil society. Those are the things that give life to democracy.”
New York City's Ethiopian soccer team, Abay, pictured 3 years ago. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, June 24th, 2015
New York (TADIAS) — One of the main goals for New York’s Ethiopian soccer team, Abay, is to bring the annual Ethiopian North America soccer tournament to New York for the first time since the league was founded more than 30 years ago.
“Our immediate priority is actually to win the tournament,” Assistant Coach Teddy Gezaw tells Tadias Magazine. “But in the long-term we’re talking about bidding to bring the tournament to New York and New Jersey where most of our team members are from.”
Teddy points out that Abay players will be heading to Washington, D.C. on Saturday for the 2015 ESFNA sports and cultural festival taking place from June 28th to July 4th at the University of Maryland’s Byrd Stadium in College Park.
The Ethiopian soccer tournament rotates each year from state to state in North America and so far, according to ESFNA, it has been held in 15 major U.S. cities with a sizable Ethiopian population. “The top host areas are California (7), DC Metro (6), Texas (5) and Georgia (4).” On its website the organization states: “In order to be selected to host the tournament, teams must submit their bid to the Executive Committee ahead of time. A host team must fulfill the requirements that are stated in our Tournament Guidelines and the team must show that it has the support of the Ethiopian community in their city.”
To date the top teams that are cup winners include: “D.C. Ethio-Stars (7), LA Ethio Stars (5), Ethio-Atlanta (4) and Ethio-Maryland (3).”
For its opening game the New York team faces San Jose on Monday, June 29th at 4:00 p.m.
Photo of the NY Abay team in 1990. (Courtesy photograph)
New York City’s Ethiopian soccer team, Abay, pictured 6 years ago. (Courtesy photo)
The current Abay Team celebrating in the stands at the 30th ESFNA anniversary tournament on July 6th, 2013 at Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland. (Photo: Courtesy NYC Abay)
The entertainment portion of this year’s festival takes place at Echostage in D.C, and ESFNA announced the week-long program that includes a celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the National Theatre of Ethiopia, Community Day, Ethiopian Day, as well as live concerts featuring Teddy Afro, Gossaye, Jacky Gosse, Aster Aweke and Bezuayehu Demissie. In addition, the final day championship event includes ESFNA’s closing night gala. “ESFNA will start its event in remembrance and by paying respects to 29 Ethiopians killed in Libya; followed by a triumphant week showcasing Soccer – Culture – Entertainment,” ESFNA said.
(Photograph from past conference courtesy of People to People, Inc.)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, June 24th, 2015
New York (TADIAS) — People to People Inc. (P2P) and the Network of Ethiopian Diaspora Healthcare Professionals has announced that the 7th annual Global Ethiopian Diaspora Conference on Health Care and Medical Education will be held on September 26th, 2015 in Washington, DC Metro Area.
Key topics that will be highlighted at the upcoming conference include “disaster management and response with special focus on the Ebola epidemic, injury and trauma in the Ethiopian setting, new licensure exam and requirements for medical school graduates and physicians in Ethiopia, diaspora partnership projects as well as abstract and poster presentations on health related topics relevant to Ethiopia,” P2P said in a statement.
— If You Go:
DATE & TIME:
Saturday September 26
7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Washington, DC Metro Area
(Exact location to be announced later)
More info and update at www.p2pbridge.org
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is looking for an alleged deserter whose last known location is in Ethiopia.
Staff Sgt. Tefera Melaku Workneh is wanted for questioning, according to an April post on OSI’s Facebook page. He is assigned to the 60th Comptroller Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California.
Workneh is described as standing 70 inches tall and weighing 149 pounds. He is originally from Ethiopia, where he was believed to be as of March 31.
According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a member of the armed forces is guilty of desertion if he:
“Without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away therefrom permanently.
“Quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or
“Without being regularly separated from one of the armed forces enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another on of the armed forces without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated, or enters any foreign armed service except when authorized by the United States.”
Investigators have no information about Workneh’s current whereabouts, OSI spokeswoman Linda Card said.
“My understanding is that Airman Workneh is from Ethiopia and that is his last known location,” Card said in an email to Air Force Times. “Where in Ethiopia, we don’t know. And what he’s doing there other than it’s his home, we don’t know.”
Card also said she has not heard any information indicating that Workneh has gone missing or been kidnapped.
“Nobody knows where he is or what he’s doing until we get some leads and find him,” she said.
OSI asks that anyone with information about Workneh’s current whereabouts call 707-424-6904.
—
Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
Report and Photos: ‘Lion of Judah Dinner’ Held in Tulsa, Oklahoma
The writer of the following article, Professor Ted Vestal, is pictured at the dinner in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 18th, 2014. He is the author of the book: "The Lion of Judah in the New World." (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Ted Vestal, PhD | OP-ED
Published: Sunday, July 6th, 2014
Tulsa, Oklahoma (TADIAS) – On June 18th, Oklahoma University (OU), Tulsa’s Center for Democracy and culture and the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Office of International Studies and Outreach sponsored a very special “Lion of Judah Dinner” celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first visit to Oklahoma by a reigning foreign head of state, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. A sold-out audience of 54 enthusiastic attendees, a cross-section of the local populace, gathered at Harwelden Mansion overlooking the Arkansas River in Tulsa to view artifacts from the land of Prester John, eat traditional Ethiopian food, and learn about the close and historic ties of Ethiopia with Oklahoma. Dr. David Henneberry, OSU’s Associate Vice President, Division of International Studies and Outreach, joined Prof. Rodger Randle, Director of OU’s Center for Democracy and Culture and former Mayor of Tulsa and former Peace Corps Volunteer, in welcoming the guests and providing background about the Emperor’s visit and its significance to the state. The dinner was the city’s first public ceremony honoring an African country and its people.
During the Emperor’s first state visit to the United States in 1954, he made a singular stop in his 7,000 mile tour of the country to thank the people of Oklahoma for assisting in modernizing agriculture and education in his nation. Haile Selassie was an iconic figure of the 20th Century, a defender of the principle of collective security before the League of Nations, military commander of the first Allied victory in World War II, champion of the United Nations whose troops fought for the UN in Korea and the Congo, Cold-war ally of the United States, staunch anti-colonialist, and a noted Pan-Africanist and founding father of the Organization of African Unity. The Emperor was honored with a reception and dinner in Stillwater that was described as “the social event of the century” in Oklahoma. The timing of the visit and its venue were auspicious. Only one month before the U.S. Supreme Court had handed down its landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education, ending racial segregation in public schools. The Emperor and his entourage were honored at a racially integrated event in an officially segregated state.
Haile Selassie held a special audience for the family of the late Dr. Harry Bennett, the president of Oklahoma A&M who established Oklahoma’s connections with Ethiopia through President Truman’s Point Four program. At the Tulsa celebration, Thomas E. Bennett, Jr., grandson of President Bennett spoke about his family’s memories of meetings with the Emperor. Tulsans Judy Burton, whose father was chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines (EA) from 1955-1960, and David Duke, who instructed EA mechanics the finer points of airplane engine maintenance in 1964 talked about their time in Addis Ababa. Patricia Vestal, who taught art at the Creative Arts Center of Haile Selassie I University from 1965-1966, reminisced about attending a reception at Jubilee Palace and having Halie Selassie attend her students’ art show. Ethiopianist Ted Vestal spoke about the Emperor’s state visit and gave details about the Oklahoma segment of the journey.
Before the program, photographer Hoyt Smith, a Peace Corps Volunteer teacher at Tafari Makonnen School in Addis Ababa from 1962-1965, showed slides from his collection while guests dined with a traditional Ethiopian meal of injera and wat. For a departing gift, filmmaker Mel Tawahade presented all attendees with a copy of his video “Point Four Ethiopia.”
People everywhere are living longer, the United Nations health agency today reported, mostly because fewer children are dying, certain diseases are in check, and tobacco use is down, but conditions in low-income countries continue to plague life quality there.
According to the UN World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Health Statistics 2014, a girl born in 2012 can expect to live around 73 years and a boy to the age of 68. That is six years longer than the average life span for a child in 1990.
With one year to go until the 2015 target date for achieving the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), substantial progress has been made on many health-related goals, the report authors wrote.
“The global target of halving the proportion of people without access to improved sources of drinking water was met in 2010, with remarkable progress also having been made in reducing child mortality, improving nutrition, and combating HIV, tuberculosis and malaria,” the report states.
WHO’s statistics show that low-income countries have made the greatest progress, with an average increase in life expectancy by 9 years from 1990 to 2012. The top six countries where life expectancy increased the most were Liberia which saw a 20-year increase (from 42 years in 1990 to 62 years in 2012) followed by Ethiopia (from 45 to 64 years), Maldives (58 to 77 years), Cambodia (54 to 72 years), Timor-Leste (50 to 66 years) and Rwanda (48 to 65 years).
Nevertheless, nearly 18,000 children worldwide died every day in 2012, according to the findings, with large inequities remaining in child mortality between high-income and low-income countries.
“There is still a major rich-poor divide: people in high-income countries continue to have a much better chance of living longer than people in low-income countries,” said Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) Margaret Chan.
Women live longer than men in general, but in high-income countries the difference is around six years, while in low-income countries, the average falls to three years.
The findings among children are even more glaring. A girl born in 2012 in a high-income country can expect to live to the age of around 82, which is 19 years longer than a girl born in a low-income country. The difference for boys is 16 years.
Geographically, women in Japan live the longest, with an average life expectancy of 87 years, followed by Spain, Switzerland and Singapore at 85 years. The average lifespan of men is highest in Iceland at 81 years.
“In high-income countries, much of the gain in life expectancy is due to success in tackling noncommunicable diseases,” said Ties Boerma, Director of the Department of Health Statistics and Information Systems at WHO.
“Fewer men and women are dying before they get to their 60th birthday from heart disease and stroke. Richer countries have become better at monitoring and managing high blood pressure for example,” he added.
Declining tobacco use is also a key factor in helping people live longer in several countries.
At the other end of the scale, life expectancy for both men and women is still less than 55 years in nine sub-Saharan African countries, including Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Thomas E. Simmons' book 'The Man Called Brown Condor' tells the story of Colonel John C. Robinson, commander of the Imperial Ethiopian Air Corps during the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935. (The Sun Herald)
Gulfport resident Thomas E. Simmons has devoted many years to uncovering the true story of Gulfport native and pioneering war aviator Col. John C. Robinson.
Robinson, who was nicknamed the Brown Condor, played a pivotal role in defending Ethiopia during the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935.
In late March, at the request of former Ethiopian president Girma Wolde Giorgis and Frederick Yaw Davis, director of the Pan African Technical Association, Simmons traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to speak at the American Embassy at the 60th memorial celebration for Robinson.
He also spoke at a luncheon at Giorgis’ home and at St. Joseph’s Academy for Boys.
Simmons flew on Ethiopian Air Lines, which was founded in 1945 by Robinson. During the Italian invasion, Robinson was commander of the Imperial Ethiopian Air Corps.
At his speaking engagements, Simmons met former pilots, many of whom were in their 90s, who served under Robinson.
The defending champions and hosts of the tournament scored early through Brian Umony in the ninth minute.
A heavy afternoon downpour made for a wet surface and difficult conditions but Uganda played with a lot of purpose to pin the Ethiopians back for long spells of the match.
Fikru Teferra Lemessa, the only player who featured prominently for the senior team that qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, gave a captain’s performance for Ethiopia but was kept in check well by the Cranes.
Ethiopia won its opening game at the East and Central African championship, the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Kampala on Saturday. (BBC)
By Andrew Jackson Oryada
Saturday, November 24th, 2012
In the first Group A game of the day Ethiopia, who are heading to the Africa Cup of Nations finals in South Africa in January, edged out newcomers South Sudan 1-0.
Striker Yonathan Kebede scored in the 60th minute with a clever tap-in after the South Sudan defence was caught off guard.
Captain Leon Khamis had the two best chances for South Sudan, who were playing just their second ever international match after their 1-1 draw in a friendly against Uganda in July.
Assistant coach Seyoum Kebede, who is in charge of Ethiopia at the tournament rather than Sewnet Bishaw, admitted his side would have to improve.
“It is good to win the opening match in such a tournament, but we need to improve,” he said.
As the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Brazil draws closer, memories are not the only thing that remain of the first-ever World Cup on African soil two years ago in South Africa. For thousands of children in different African countries, the 2010 World Cup has had a real and positive impact on their lives through the Football for Hope Centres. (FIFA)
FIFA.com
Friday 23 November 2012
As the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Brazil draws closer, memories are not the only thing that remain of the first-ever World Cup on African soil two years ago in South Africa. For thousands of children in different African countries, the 2010 World Cup has had a real and positive impact on their lives through the Football for Hope Centres.
In November, delegates from all 20 Football for Hope Centres met in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Abeba for the fifth Football for Hope Centre Host Workshop. “This is the first time that all the 20 Host Centre representatives have met for a roundtable workshop to share their experiences in establishing the centres,” said Cornelia Genoni, FIFA’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme Manager.
Ian Mills, who is the Programme Manager of the Football for Hope Centres team, explained the project’s place as the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. “FIFA wanted to leave a lasting legacy, not only in South Africa, but throughout the continent and 20 Centres for 2010 does just that.”
Leila Lopes of Angola was crowned Miss Universe 2011 at the Pageant's 60th anniversary ceremony in Sao Paolo, Brazil, on Monday, September 12th. (fashiontrendsstore.com)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, September 20, 2011
New York (TADIAS) – In a recent interview with Tadias Magazine Lady Kate Njeuma, CEO and Founder of Miss Africa USA, said her organization is making progress in its search for Miss Ethiopia to particpate in the upcoming annual competition.
The Miss Africa USA Pageant had reached out to Tadias last month saying that Ethiopian-Americans remained unrepresented as the group prepares to crown the 2011 Queen in November.
Ms. Njeuma said that has now changed: “We have been overwhelmed with responses from the community,” she said. “We are now at the point of finalizing our search to endorse one candidate to represent Ethiopia this year. We hope that after the interviews and selection process, our choice will be a good representative for Ethiopia.”
Regarding her reflections on the 25-year-old Leila Lopes of Angola, winner of the coveted Miss Universe prize, Ms. Njeuma said: It is very encouraging indeed for an African woman to win the Miss Universe Pageant. The first African woman to win was Miss Botswana in 1999, so Leila is the second in the pageant’s 60 year history. I think Africa has got to the point where people are not only seeing the negative things but they are realizing that Africa is very gifted.”
Leila Lopes, was among contestants hailing from 89 nations at the 60th anniversary of the beauty contest held in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011. Lopes dazzled the judges with her sharp replies to their questions. Asked what she would change to improve her appearance, Leila replied, “Nothing, I’m satisfied with what God has given me,” adding that “I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family, and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life.”
“Leila is such a beauty and she has the heart of an angel,” Ms. Njeuma said. “she has been involved in humanitarian work even before she won Miss Universe and has promised that with her crown she will do even more. She has made Africa proud and we are very proud of her too.”
Below is Lady Kate Njeuma’s recent interview with Voice of America on the same subject:
Watch: Voice of America’s Ndimyake Mwakalyelye spoke with Lady Kate Njeuma
Watch: Leila Lopes is crowned Miss Universe 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil – September 12th
“There are singers and musicians that include Wegegta, with their fusion of Ethiopian pop and jazz”
By Justin Schell , TC Daily Planet
August 05, 2008
The Twin Cities’ inaugural Pan-African Festival, which runs from August 6-11, will highlight the Twin Cities’ prominent place as home to thousands of immigrants from all parts of Africa. Bringing together artists from Minneapolis to Mogadishu, Nairobi to Kingston, Monrovia to Madison, and many other places throughout the African diaspora, the Festival will celebrate not only the artistic expression of the African diaspora, but also the possibilities for collaboration and alliance in the land of 10,000 lakes.
Organized by the Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO), a Twin Cities non-profit organization dedicated to fostering new musical talent, as well as the Twin Cities music community as a whole, this year’s Festival builds on last year’s AfriFest, held in August 2007 at Currie Park. Organized by a number of the same people organizing the Pan African Festival, AfriFest brought together not only a number of Twin Cities-based musicians from throughout the African diaspora, but also the late reggae superstar Lucky Dube.
“We really wanted to build on AfriFest, but it was important for us that we keep it community-based and non-profit,” says Rachel Joyce, one of the main organizers of the Festival. Unlike AfriFest, which was a for-profit venture, Joyce believes that “we have the freedom to deal with our aesthetic and philosophical goals when you take money out of it.”
In addition to Joyce, the core organizational group of the Festival—all volunteer—consists of long-time First Avenue manager Steve McClellan (who in the past booked both Fela Kuti and Sunny Ade to the Mainroom), George Ndege, originally from Kenya and owner of Kilimanjaro Entertainment, and Neo Rowan, who’s originally from Lesotho.
The Festival is not just about bringing peoples of the African diaspora together, though. As the organizers began planning the festival last year, numerous Twin Cities arts organizations, venues, and institutions, including the Parkway Theater, Sound Unseen, the Cedar Cultural Center (where DEMO held its Pan African Showcase last year) and many others, were eager to join in the Festival’s organization.
“It just all came together,” Joyce says with a smile.
The festival opens at the Cedar Cultural Center, at the heart of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, home to many of the immigrants from all over Africa who have made the Twin Cities their home. Renowned Malian singer and guitarist Habib Koité, with his band, Bamada, will take the Cedar’s stage for a night of musical fusion of Malian folk and popular musics. On Thursday night, The Rake is organizing an exhibition at the Altered Esthetics Gallery in conjunction with the opening of “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” exhibit, featuring music by the Wallace Hill Art & Drum Ensemble, as well as featuring art by Rabi Sanfo, who hails from Burkina Faso.
On Friday night, Mezesha Entertainment, which recently brought Kenyan singer and rapper Nonini to the Twin Cities, will be organizing “Safari: An Afro-Caribbean Experience,” as well as a reggae dance night on Sunday night. The riddims of Sunday night will follow the screening of three documentaries at the Parkway Theater: Hip-Hop Colony, which chronicles the rise of hip-hop in Kenya; Africa Unite, which follows the musical and familial progeny of Bob Marley in a celebration of what would have been his 60th birthday; and Music is A Weapon, the outstanding portrait of Fela Kuti, with rare interviews with the Afro-Beat pioneer and musical legend, as well as concert footage from inside his political and musical headquarters the Shrine and the Kalakuta Republic.
The majority of the music, however, will take place on Saturday. A slew of artists from across the artistic and geographic map will perform both inside and outside the Nomad World Pub. In addition to two dance groups, Diaspora and KUT Dance, there are singers and musicians that include Wegegta, with their fusion of Ethiopian pop and jazz, the Liberian singers F.A. and Munnah Myers, guitarist and singer Wain McFarlane, and the Liberian MC Z-Plus and headliner MC M.anifest, the dazzling wordsmith who calls both Accra, Ghana and Minneapolis home.
Just as Saturday closes with hip-hop, the festival itself will close with K’naan at First Avenue. The Somali-by-way-of-Toronto MC, who doesn’t shy away from the topics of violence and death in his native Somalia, is possessed with inventive wordplay that could stand its ground against any MC, is quickly becoming an icon of rap’s circuitous global proliferation. Black Blondie and The Usual Suspects will open. The latter group features their own Somali MC, Free One, who grew up a mere five blocks from K’naan while living in Toronto’s Dixon housing projects.
In the end, the organizers of the Festival, as well as many of the artists performing, see the as making a social statement for long after the festival’s over. Joyce says that the Festival is an attempt to use music as an agent for social change and social dialogue. “The Twin Cities are in a really interesting position globally to show how you do this right,” she said, “how you accept new neighbors and make them a meaningful part of your community.”
Similarly, McClellan, one of the founders of DEMO, sees the Festival as part of a larger motivation by the group to engaging with social issues. In his words, instead of just booking shows, he wants to DEMO “to make music a conduit to the bigger issues involved in both our local community and overall social change.
“I want people to come together and realize that other people they live next door to are NOT as scary or abnormal as they thought. I want people to come away with the realization that this community has changed and putting up fences and barriers only stalls the inevitable.”
— Pan African Festival and AfriFest Pan African Festival includes music, movies, dance, spoken word and hip hop and more, August 6-11. AfriFest, August 14-17, includes business expo, soccer tournament and performances
612.281.6318. Read more at: TC Daily Planet
Above: Outside the world-famous Apollo theater in Harlem.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008. Photo by Tadias.
By Tadias Staff
Published: Friday, May 30, 2008
New York (Tadias) – Tuesday was an evening of harmony at the world-famous Apollo theater in Harlem, where the African American and Jewish communities of New York paid homage to Israel’s 60 years of independence.
The event, which was attended by more than 1200 people, featured a performance by the
Israeli-born Grammy Award winner Miri Ben-Ari. The hip-hop violinist, an Apollo legend
herself, launched her musical career on the same stage at Apollo where she delivered a
moving musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Tuesday evening. “To be celebrating
Israel’s 60th anniversary is special,” she said, “but to be celebrating it here at the Apollo
is really very exciting for me!” Ben-Ari mentioned that if you survive the Apollo audience on
Amateur Night, then you can survive and do well on any stage.
Since her Apollo debut Ben-Ari has gone on to collaborate with today’s big name artists, including Grammy award winner Kanye West, Jay Z, Patti Labelle, and John Legend.
The evening also included stellar performances from three African American gospel choirs: Allen
Cathedral, Bethel Gospel Assembly Church, and the Christian Cultural Center. The audience rose
to their feet on several occassions and joined in the celebrations of Harlem’s vibrant choirs.
Above:Photo from IsRealli. From left – Consul General Asaf Shariv; Miri Ben Ari, Founder
of Gedenk and hip hop violinist; Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of the Foundation
for Ethnic Understanding. Photo Credit: Shahar Azran.
David Ushery of News 4 New York played host for the evening. Prominent speakers included the
First Lady of New York, Michelle Paige Patterson, Congressman Charles Rangel, Israeli Consul
General Asaf Shariv, Israeli Consul for Media & Public Affairs David Saranga, and Rabbi Marc
Schneier from the Foundation of Ethnic Understanding. A Video Greeting from Russell Simmons, as Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, was also shared.
Consul General Asaf Shariv shared with the Apollo audience that Israel is the only country,
besides the U.S. that officially commemorates Dr. King’s birthday.
According to Israel Today: “Consul for Media and Public Affairs David Saranga said that Tuesday’s performance was part of a series of events and projects in New York with a goal of commemorating Israel’s 60 years including the screening of top celebrities congratulating Israel in Times Square.” Banners showing the diverse faces of Israel are also on display on Fifth Avenue.
New York (Tadias) – An Ethiopian-Israeli play, based on a true story told from a perspective of a ten-year-old boy named Andargay, is making the rounds in the United States in conjunction with Israel’s 60th anniversary. I managed to catch One of a Kind at the New Victory Theater in New York (42nd street, just west of Broadway).
The show, which made its US premiere in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 24th, is written by Yossi Vassa (the adult Andargay) and director Shai Ben Attar. One of a Kind, which chronicles Vassa’s exhausting childhood expedition from Ethiopia to Israel, from a humorous vantage point, was first produced in Hebrew in 2005 and was named Israel’s best play of the year in 2006.
Tadias Magazine featured Vassa five-years-ago this month (during our first year of publication) following his appearance at Stanford University during the U.S. tour of his one-man show, It sounds Better in Amharic, a lively comic relief about the socio-cultural differences between growing up in Ethiopia and Israel.
Just like his previous stage stint, One of a Kind is based upon Yossi’s own real-life experience. His family is one of the 20,000 Ethiopian Jews who left their homes between 1977 and 1985 to partake in a clandestine mass departure to Israel. Told through the brilliant and hopeful eyes of the 10-year-old Andargay, the play focuses not as much on the travails of the long trek by foot from Ethiopia to Sudan, but on the candid curiosity and bliss discovery of youth. Yet, the play does not hide the journey’s difficult moments: Andarge’s grandmother (played by Tihitina Assefa) dies under miserable conditions in a refugee camp in Sudan, while the rest wait for their turn to be flown to Israel, along with the added burden of having no money to bribe the Sudanese authorities. Life in Sudan’s harsh desert stood in stark contrast to the spectacular Gonder highlands they left back in Ethiopia, where Andargay’s father, Asmamo (played by Shai Fredo), was set to start a dairy farm business with his future son-in-law, Isaac (played by Roy Zaddok).
Above:From left – Yossi Vassa, Mahereta Baruch, Sky Gete, Benny Gatahon,
Tihitina Assefa, and Roy Zaddok. New Victory Theater. New York.
Friday, May 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa.
The part that made me cringe is the rather cartoonish depiction of Andargay’s Amharic teacher (played by Benny Gatahon), the show’s only non-Jewish Ethiopian character. The geez alphabet instructor is portrayed as both goofy and a bigot. The racist and foolish gentile administers corporal punishments on Andargay for no more a crime than the young boy’s Ethiopian Jewish identity. He refers to him as “smart alec Jew” and screams “Jesus Christ” every time he swings his dula (stick) at the poor kid, whom as a result banishes himself from school at age ten, never to return again. Although, it’s done with humor in mind (the teacher is actually very funny, when he is not spewing antisemitic remarks), the play unnecessarily risks negatively stereotyping Ethiopians as anti-semetic to western audiences, which in turn gives the false impression of the actual diversity and relatively peaceful co-existence of the three Abrahamic faiths in Ethiopia. Certainly, not all Ethiopian teachers subscribe to identical religious principals – Ethiopia, often referred to as the cradle of humanity, has been home to Christianity, Judaism and Islam for far longer than most of us are willing to acknowledge.
So, I asked Vassa, who studied theater at University of Haifa and served in the theater section of the Israeli army, what he thought of my feelings. “I recently returned to Ethiopia and saw this harmony and coexistence personally,” he replied, “but our story takes place between the regimes of Sellassie and Mengistu. This Marxist/Communist regime had a lot of anti-semitism that was expressed on every level up to the point that we were called “Falashas”- strangers without a land only because people clung to their Jewish religion.”
Back at the theater performance, I had overheard one woman ask her friends, “What did you think of the play?” as we prepared to exit the theater. Her friend, who spoke with a hint of Slavic accent, hesitated for a moment, her facial expression suggesting that she was still searching for the right words. “Too heavy? The first woman assisted, rephrasing her question in a suggestive manner. “Different”, came the answer. “It’s different, it’s very different.”
Although mixed with humor, uplifting music and dance, the harsh reality of refugee camps may be a bit depressing and the cultural settings might indeed be “very different”. However, the ‘edutainment’ value of One of a Kind is not lost on Beejhy Barhany, whom as a seven-year old girl, had made the same risky journey from Ethiopia to Israel, via Sudan. The story might as well have been hers, except that she was three years younger than Andargay and she did not live in a refugee camp in Sudan. She now lives in New York City, where she serves as Director of the Beta Israel of North America (BINA) Cultural Foundation, Inc., an organization dedicated to preserving and advancing the culture and history of Ethiopian Jews.
“It is educational and entertaining as well. For those who don’t know much about the Ethiopian Jewish experience, it is a brief introduction into the journey of Ethiopian Jews immigrating to Israel”, Barhany said. “Plus, it’s delivered in an entertaining and humoristic way. I definitely recommend it for people with families to go and see it.”
Monica Haynes-Kassa of Brooklyn, who was present with her daughter Farah Wiggan, was also impressed: “My daughter and I throughly enjoyed One of a Kind, so many funny scenes woven into a very serious topic of faith, hope and redemption”, she said. ” I loved the role of the grandmother who had so much love and hope for her family in seeing that they kept her life-long dream to migrate back to Israel, even though she sacrificed her own life in helping them to achieve that dream along the way. The animiation was a special touch and very creative. I was also surprised at how well the actors performed in English. Congrats (mazel tov) to Yossi Vassa on an excellent job.”
More than the play itself, what caught our attention mainly was the young and remarkable stars of the Nephesh Theatre, the most celebrated Ethiopian acting group in Israel, according to the program’s literature.
“All of the cast except Roy Zaddok are from Ethiopia (Roy is from Yemen)”, Howard Rypp, the show’s Producer and Artistic Director, told Tadias via an email interview. “It has been a gratifying experience seeing how the production has been so well received in the U.S.”
Above:Actor Shai Fredo and Beejhy Barhany. New Victory Theater. New York.
Friday, May 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa.
Above:Roy Zaddok and Mahereta Baruch. New Victory Theater. New York.
Friday, May 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa.
Above:Monica Haynes-Kassa of Brooklyn (far right), who was present with
her daughter Farah Wiggan (left), is pictured here with Beejhy Barhany.
New Victory Theater. New York. Friday, May 2, 2008. Photo by Liben Eabisa.
Yossi Vassa is popular, having had regular appearances in the Israeli prime time television program, Israel Live as well as being featured in Dan Wollman’s film, Foreign Sister. Vassa has starred in three movies in Amharic, and has appeared with the Nephesh theatre in Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is Dead. Speaking about his performance in One of a Kind, Vassa notes, “I feel we as an ensemble that presents their story..we are writing our history..there is special significance that we have lived this experience and sharing it through the writing and the entire body.”
Vassa also appreciates the support of the Ethiopian American community: “Their responses are good and positive – I see how they look at the Ethiopian side of me with pride and I am happy when we have this meeting in a neutral place where we can hug each other. My connection to Ethiopia is important to me.” Vassa points to the growing success of Ethiopian youth. “There is a huge motivation among the Ethiopian Jews in Israel and we will see many more successes in many fields in Israel. I see my success as a mirror to the younger generations to look at their past and at themselves as an inspiration” he tells us.
Shai Ben Attar is the co-writer with Vassa of One of a Kind. After studying at the Telma Yellin Arts School Attar directed both the one-man show It Sounds Better in Amharic and One of a Kind. His play More Hana than Laslow has won the Best Entertainment Show award in 2004 and recently toured North America. Attar has also worked as head writer for Israeli Television’s National Channel as well as for the Educational TV Channel.
The other casts of One of a Kind include, Tehitina Assefa, a dedicated nurse as well as member of the acclaimed Itim Ensemble; the elegant Mahereta Baruch, a graduate of the University of Haifa’s Psychology program who finished second place in the Israeli reality program based on The Apprentice; Sky Gete, a graduate of Beit Tzvi’s School for Stage Art and whose acting experience includes performances of Macbeth, Hair, and Peter Pan; Shai Fredo, a graduate of Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and producer of the one-man play Judean Lion; Benny Gatahon, a graduate of the University of Haifa’s Theatre Department, and featured in the television series The Champion; and Roy Zaddok, a graduate of the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and Tel Aviv’s University’s Faculty of Law, whose screen appearances include Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Vonnegut’s Catch 22, as well as various guest spots and commercials on Israeli television.
The Nephesh Theatre will be playing on Broadway until May 12th, in Seattle from May 14th through the 18th, and in Toronto on May 20th. Additional information about the Nephesh Theatre shows can be found on their website: www.nepheshtheatre.co.il
Profiling Addis Gessesse: The Man Behind Bob Marley’s Birthday Celebration in Addis Ababa
Above:Addis Gessesse, the person behind the 2005 concert in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo by Ayda Grima for Tadias Magazine.
Tadias Magazine Outside With the Insider
By Mik Aweke
Posted: Apr 6, 2007
New York (Tadias) – Hanna Gessesse points to a photograph in one of her father’s albums. The photograph was taken two years ago in Addis Ababa and shows the main stage of the Africa Unite concert, which was the brainchild of her father, Addis. On the giant backdrop behind the stage hangs a larger-than life mural of a legendary reggae singer.
“That’s Bob Marley,” says Hanna. At three years old, Hanna is like most children her age. She complains when a certain reporter steals her father for an interview in their backyard. “I want to go with you, Daddy,” she cries. “Daddy, pleeeeease!”
But in being able to recognize Bob Marley’s likeness, even when drawn rather crudely as it was on the backdrop, she is definitely unlike most other toddlers her age. But perhaps it’s not so surprising to those who know her father, Addis Gessesse – music manager of Rita Marley and most of the Marley family and man behind the landmark Africa Unite concert. The concert, and the other month-long series of events, saw half-a-million people crowd the streets of Addis Ababa to watch the Marley Family, the I-Threes, Baaba Maal, and Angelique Kidjo perform in celebration of Bob Marley’s 60th Birthday.
One of the biggest and most star-studded African concerts the continent has ever seen started out, six years ago, as little more than a vague dream in the mind of Addis Gessesse.
Addis Gessesse took a long and winding road through the music business, a road that included as much struggle as good fortune. A road that begins with his life as a struggling immigrant student from Ethiopia and shepherd of his younger brothers in Chicago, then to life as an established entity in Jamaica and New York, working with acts like Ziggy Marley and Earth, Wind, and Fire, and then full-circle back to the extravagant concert in Addis Ababa two years ago.
That same long and winding road eventually leads down a quiet, tree-lined street in the residential neighborhoods of Jersey City, New Jersey – to a big, musty, old-fashioned Victorian house. There is ivy growing up the windows in the front and a small, weedy yard in the back. Addis is short, stocky and has a moustache. He wears clothes typical of an unassuming father from the suburbs, though with a somewhat boyish flair: crisp Nike running shoes, khaki shorts, and an open flannel shirt exposing a thin gold chain underneath.
Over three decades ago, Addis left behind his family and his three brothers to attend college in the United States. Not long after he graduated with a degree in management, his brothers, who happened to be musicians, followed him and began life anew in Chicago.
“Their arrival here totally changed my whole life,” says Addis. His voice is soft, calm. “Because I loved my brothers and I was doing everything to make them successful in this country. While doing that, I got immersed in their music.”
With a degree in management still fresh in his pocket, Addis made the decision that changed the course of his professional and personal life: to devote himself to his brothers and their music. “My brothers really have a lot to do with it,” he says.
The group that his brothers formed was called Dallol. Addis managed the group, which along with his brothers included a few of their friends from Addis Ababa University, and though they started out playing traditional Ethiopian music, soon after moving to Chicago and coming into contact with different styles, they made the transition towards reggae. With the support of a professor at Northwestern University, a fellow Ethiopian named Abraham Demoz, who acted as a surrogate father to the young men, Addis and his brothers were able to secure a rehearsal space on the campus and cultivate their sound.
In 1982, while steadily carving out a name for themselves in Chicago, Dallol got the break that they had been waiting for, an invitation from Rita Marley to play in Jamaica. Acting as their manager, Addis brought the group to Kingston where they played at the first Bob Marley birthday celebration after the reggae superstar’s death in 1981. It was in Jamaica that his working relationship with Rita and the Marley family began.
“At the time Rita gave us everything that we needed, including financial support and she was very excited for us as Ethiopians to come and perform in Jamaica. At the time she was still grieving the death of her husband and she felt we became a sort of support for her.”
Still, as significant as his contribution was to Rita’s life at the time, Addis cannot compare it with the influence Rita has had on his. “I owe a lot to that woman. She was very instrumental in helping me make music as a career. Very few people do that for you.”
Addis spent a year in Jamaica in the early eighties, which he remembers with much fondness. He lived down the street from what many consider the Mecca of reggae music, Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong headquarters at 56 Hope Road. This was back in the days when the Wailers were still making music and Ziggy had yet to finish high school. Addis would go on, in the following years, to organize with Rita the world tour for Bob Marley’s posthumous Legend album. The tour included the Wailers and the I-Three’s and helped spur sales of the album, which to this day remains one of the bestselling albums of all time.
From 1988 to 1991, Dallol was the official band for Ziggy Marley. The group, Addis makes it a point to remind me, has the distinction of being the first band of Ethiopian musicians to reach platinum record sales with Conscious Party (1988), as well as a gold record with Ziggy’s follow- up album, One Bright Day (1989).
After the world tours and a brief stint in Los Angeles, where he worked with Earth, Wind, and Fire, Addis returned with his brothers to Chicago, but his professional drive and his desire to travel had not died with the tours. “As we went along, Dallol wanted to do their own thing and I didn’t want to stay in Chicago,” he says. “So I moved to New York.”
“You know we all go in our own little phases of doing things,” he continued. “And my project became more or less, like, anything higher level, anything big.” What followed was a project called Race Against Racism, a series of largescale concerts, along the lines of Africa Unite, which took place in Europe and drew half a million people to concerts in Paris, Rome and Milan.
For Addis, who remains humble about his success, finding someone influential to believe in you is the key ingredient (along with discipline, he adds) to a successful career in music – though the insight might very well apply to any number of industries. Just as Rita Marley gave him his start in the business all those years ago, Addis is intent on discovering new, young talent. In particular, he wants to bring undiscovered Ethiopian musicians out of the tight orbit of the Ethiopian community into the larger universe of world music.
Besides being a lifelong friend of the Marley family and manager of Ziggy, Rita, and Stephen, Addis is the man behind the careers of some of the biggest names in contemporary Ethiopian music. He discovered Teddy Afro, who is still one of Addis’s clients. “Teddy is my major project right now,” he says, as a U.S. tour and record release are underway.
His New York-based artist management firm, Addis Management, has helped launch the careers of some of the biggest names in Ethiopian pop. His interest in bringing Ethiopian music to a larger arena started with a chance encounter that took place in the backyard of his quiet New Jersey home. Midway through reciting his impressive list of clients, Addis stops: “And then this young lady came into the picture.” The “young lady” he is talking about is Palm recording artist, Gigi.
“Gigi came to me, to this house. Some guys brought her in. I didn’t know who the hell she was and I wasn’t too crazy about anything at the time, because I was doing a lot of things. She sat down out here and she started singing. And I saw talent.”
It would be only a matter of time before he took hold the reins of her career, first advising her to move to New York (she was living in San Francisco at the time) and then introducing her to his network of music industry contacts.
“I said to Gigi, ‘I don’t want to brag about who I know or what I can do for you, but I can put you on the map.’” He eventually introduced the young singer to Chris Blackwell, and Blackwell, the innovator who founded Island Records and guided the careers of artists like Bob Marley & The Wailers, U2, and Melissa Etheridge, signed Gigi to a multi-album deal with his Palm record label. (Through Addis, Blackwell also signed Teddy Afro to a similar deal, which is currently in the works.)
While we talked, he kept his cell phone at arms length. At any moment, he could get the call that would send him to Ethiopia to attend to one of his numerous business ventures. In recent years, Addis has not limited himself to managing artists and arranging concerts overseas. His portfolio is quite diverse, with a list of obligations that range from a reggae club in Chicago, which he opened with his brothers several years ago, to a farm in the Ethiopian countryside, to an ambitious school building project in the villages of Ethiopia through the One Love Africa Foundation.
Part of the appeal of throwing a concert like Africa Unite in his homeland was the positive exposure it would give to Ethiopia. Says Addis, “Nothing positive comes out of that country, and we wanted to change that. And I think with our own little contribution we achieved that. To where people started saying, things can be worked out in Ethiopia, things can work in Ethiopia.
“When you have half a million people in one location for a concert no matter which country you’re in, from the most advanced nation to the worst voodoo society on earth, there’s always going to be an incident. But everybody came, enjoyed the music, and went back home without a slight incident. This to me shows the pride that I have in my culture. You cannot find that anywhere.”
—————– About the Author: Mik Awake is a writer based in New York.
Abebe Bikila celebrating after his historic victory at the Summer Olympics in Rome on September 10th, 1960. (Photo: Wikimedia)
