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| Tadias!
As a popular casual greeting the word invokes
a sense of close relationship. With this in mind,
we greet you to the first issue of our magazine. Tadias
was envisioned in a spirit of collaboration and with
the hope of creating a truly close relationship with
our readers. Our purpose is to offer an outlet for
our growing Ethiopian community to exchange ideas
and learn from each other. It is our vision to recognize
and showcase the talents of our people and our strong
connection to a country vastly rich in culture.
Tadias
is about the important events and issues that affect
the lives of Ethiopians in America. It is about our
work, businesses, careers, and children's future.
The magazine will also reflect our history and tradition
that has shaped our lives as Ethiopians and continues
to influence new generations of Ethiopian-Americans.
It will feature commentaries from academics, professionals,
artists, students, scholars, leaders, and more. We will honor
people that are making a difference in our community.
The talented, the successful, innovative, and
yes, even the ordinary will be showcased. We are intensely
proud of our heritage, and are aware that Ethiopian-Americans
are not merely a distinct immigrant group, but also
vibrant members of modern-day America. This should,
and will, be reflected in the magazine.
We warmly welcome submissions
of articles, creative writings and artworks, from all
readers of our magazine. We especially, encourage
contributions by female writers and younger members
of the Ethiopian-American community. Articles need
not solely be concerned with the history and heritage
of Ethiopia – We are sure that there is a wide
range of untapped aspects of Ethiopian life just waiting
to be explored in future issues of Tadias.
We will gladly receive and research your recommendations
of individuals to profile. Your suggestions and criticisms
are always appreciated. Yes, criticize us if you must, and
criticize us you should. This is the only way to assure
our dream of building a high-quality publication, dedicated
to the facets and various interest of the Ethiopian-American
Community.
We hope that you find
the inaugural issue of our magazine to your liking. It features
a variety of articles, including Tasnim Fidali’s in-depth
cover story interview with Amsale Aberra, Hollywood’s
most sought after fashion designer. We hope the remarkable
success story of this Ethiopian-born role model inspires
others to follow in her footstep. The opinion piece by Steven
Ivory, the Los Angeles-based African-American journalist,
is intended to spark a healthy debate on the issue. We look
forward to your participation on topics raised in our discussion
forum.
The Editors
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| Cover
story: Hollywood's most sought after fashion designer |
 Once
a wedding gown is completed to perfection, Amsale
Aberra experiences the thrill as well as jitters
of getting married all over again. She tries on
every gown and says, “If I were getting married
next week, this would be the one.” Amsale
is well known for her simple, elegant, and timeless
creations.
Every bride
on her wedding day, dreams to be flawless, beaming,
and graceful in her dress. Amsale aspires her bride
to be the star and not the gown. She emphasizes
that, “It is such an important day, you want the
dress to fit perfectly and be comfortable enough
so you feel like you’re floating.” Amsale wedding
gowns are exceptional for their rich fabrics, intricate
handcrafted beading with crystal and lace accents,
without being flashy. continued...
Also:
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Liya
Kebede: Rise of an Ethiopian Supermodel
 23-year-old
Liya Kebede, was not discovered by a modeling agency
purely by chance. In her own words, she actively pursued
her dream to make it a reality. Her willpower paid
off as she was recently among the three nominees for
model of the year award at the 2002 "VH1/Vogue
Fashion Awards" and her face has graced the July
cover of Vogue magazine. This talented young woman
was born in Addis Ababa and briefly moved to France
after completing her studies in the United States.
She currently resides in New York City and has been
featured in Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Allure, as well
as participated in shows for designers Ralph Lauren,
BCBG, Yves Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga. ta |
Cats to Correlli: A San Francisco
Christmas
 This
newly released CD by Composer JJ Hollingsworth reflects
the cosmopolitan diversity of San Francisco and
its music. Cats to Correlli brings together work
by several composers ranging from Correlli's baroque
style and jazzy arrangements of Christmas traditionals
to freshly composed social commentary of "Christmas
Cookies According to Martha Stewart's Cat."
continued...
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Book
Review: The Ethiopians
 Richard
Pankhurst, Ethiopianist and Professor at the Institute
of Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa, has published
yet another descriptive historical work spanning Ethiopia's
history from the Aksumite Kingdom to World War II
invasion by Italy. He expertly maps out the introduction
of Christianity, the Zagwe Dynasty, Solomonic descent
of leaders, Islamic influence, the middle ages, and
modernization under Emperor Menelik. Although much
has been written about ancient Ethiopia, this book
stands out as one that tries to cover a continuous
historical account of ancient and modern history of
Ethiopia. A must read for any Ethiopianist. ta |
New
Children's Book: When the World Began
 Contrary
to popular belief there is no shortage of children's
storybooks on Ethiopian folktales. The recently published
children's book, When the World Began, by Elizabeth
Laird gathers stories told orally from one generation
of Ethiopians to another. The folktales show the lives
of Ethiopians from every walk of life - merchants,
warriors, farmers along with stories of animals similar
to those in Aesop's fables. Elizabeth Laird is a winner
of the Reader's Choice award as well as the Children's
book award, and has traveled extensively in Ethiopia.
ta |
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Negotiating My Ethiopian Identity
When
When I was younger, my feelings about being Ethiopian were unambiguous. If I had to introduce myself back then, it would have been very simple and very straightforward: I was an “Abesha”. I felt that way because we ate “injera” every day, observed all the traditional and national holidays, upheld the same moral values as many Ethiopians, and acted according to the social decorum that our parents instilled in us. I was born to Ethiopian parents, and except for infancy spent in Belgrade, I lived in Addis Ababa until just before I turned 18...
continued...
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My Own Kind
But when that day finally came,
it reminded me of the scene in the movie "48 Hours,"
where Eddie Murphy ventures into a bar that happens
to be a white country & western joint. My arrival was
not nearly as spectacular, but I did elicit my share
of curious glances. A bartender can set the mood for
a patron, and the man pouring my drink was pleasant.
However, our good-natured chat about the weather and
the day's headlines wasn't enough to take the chill
off this room. I casually looked around the place and
couldn't find one face that appeared to hold much love
for a newcomer. continued... |
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Ethiopic, An African Writing System
The
purpose of the book is to discuss the origin, history,
philosophy, and principles of the Ethiopic writing
system. The work closely examines the role of the
system in the literary and cultural traditions of
Ethiopia.
The Ethiopic writing system is a system created
and progressively upgraded in a highly diversified
ecological and human environment. The exact date
of its first creation is not yet known. The fabrication
of the South Arabian or external paradigm in the
19th century further undermined the effort to accurately
determine the historical origin of the system. continued...
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Deir Sultan, Ethiopia and the Black World
Unknown by much of the world, monks and nuns of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, have for centuries quietly maintained the only presence by black people in one of Christianity's holiest sites-the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. Through the vagaries and vicissitudes of millennial history and landlord changes in Jerusalem and the Middle East region, Ethiopian monks have retained their monastic convent in what has come to be known as Deir Sultan or the Monastery of the Sultan for more than a thousand years. continued...
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Raising a Bilingual Child
Most Ethiopian parents struggle
with the question of how to teach their toddlers
their native language and English at the same time.
While some parents choose to immerse their children
only in their native tongue at home hoping that
they will learn English at school, others opt for
English only fearing that the children will be confused
when they start school. continued...
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