Tizita(var. Tezeta; "memory", "nostalga" or "longing") is a type of song in Ethiopian and Eritrean music. The term itself may serve as the name of a ballad performed in this style, or it can refer to the musical mode used in such songs. Western sources often compare tizita to the blues.
Azmaris first introduced tizita. Modern Ethiopian artists who have performed tizita songs include Aster Aweke, Bezawork Asfaw, Teddy Afro and Mahmoud Ahmed.
Neway Debebehas been described as possessing a "voice of silk". A protégé of poet Tilahoun Gessesse, Debebe first attracted attention as the lead vocalist of The Roha Band, a tradition-rooted Ethiopian pop band that has supplied accompaniment on more than two hundred and fifty recordings by such top-ranked Ethiopian vocalists as Aster Aweke, Tilahoun Gessesse and Mahmoud Ahmed.
Debebe has also performed with Three Flowers, a group he shares with Tsegaye Eshetu and Areghagn Wersash.
Mohammed Wardi received several nicknames throughout his career. “Africa’s Pharaoh” was at the same time the “Leftist Artist.” The man who throughout his entire life regarded himself as a crowned king of Sudanese song often focused on those less fortunate than himself in his work.
“The Voice of Joy” passed away Saturday in Khartoum at the age of 79.
The exceptionally talented Wardi turned singing into a medium for seeking justice and beauty. He did not view the “leftist artist” nickname as a demagogic slogan but thought of it as a responsibility. The choices he made in his life and career seemed to revolve around living up to that title. One of these choices was his decision to become a Communist Party member alongside Sudanese Communist heavyweight Muhammad Ibrahim Naqd.
Wardi began his life as a music teacher at Sudanese schools in the 50s. He was then involved in a union struggle to defend teachers’ rights before joining the radio as a first class singer and composer.
Wardi began his life as a music teacher at Sudanese schools in the 50s.
He was then involved in a union struggle to defend teachers’ rights before
joining the radio as a first class singer and composer.
It is hard to separate between his political beliefs and artistic
choices. He built the latter on fine lyrics that succeeded in offering an
“alternative song” to counter Sudanese pop songs of the era.
Wardi’s rise to success was in a big part owed to the work he did with
two distinguished poets and songwriters, Ismail Hassan and Mahjoub Sharif. It
was then that he went beyond the pentatonic musical scale that was prevalent in
Sudan’s
music to open up new horizons for Sudanese music.
There was also Wardi’s love for Egyptian music, which he used to add an
oriental flavor to his works. Soon thereafter, he introduced Nubian tunes and
instruments, such as mandolins, into Sudanese music.
Wardi’s political and artistic commitment was tested in a country that
suffered several political coups. He supported General Ibrahim Abboud’s coup in
1958. However, he then celebrated its downfall in the 1964 “October
revolution.”
Following Jaafar al-Numairi’s coup in 1969, Wardi sang odes in support
of the new regime, when it still had socialist orientations, only to perform
other songs calling for the fall of al-Numairi’s regime in April 1985
revolution.
Wardi left Sudan
in 1989 following the rise of Sudanese President Omar Bashir to power. He spent
13 years in voluntary exile mostly in Cairo,
where he was famous before his arrival.
Wardi left behind a reservoir of
songs that have become part of the Sudanese daily life. Wardi died, but his
fans all along the Nile will continue to sing
his songs for years to come.
1. Mohammed Wardi - Armusal (11:33)
2. Mohammed Wardi - Alnas Algyafa
(8:54)
3. Mohammed Wardi - Amir Alhusen
(6:14)
4. Mohammed Wardi - Ana Arfek Ya
Fouady (3:15)
5. Mohammed Wardi - Ashof Fi Shakhsak
Ahlami (10:10)
6. Mohammed Wardi - Been Wa BainakWa
Alayam (6:47)
Woretaw Wubet, phenomenal Ethiopian singer and fabulous traditional instrument player, Woretaw Wubet, has been performing music since he was fourteen years old. While in Ethiopia he played with many traditional Ethiopian ensembles such as The Hager Fikir Theater.
Woretaw has traveled extensively outside Ethiopia including Kenya, Libya, Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and North America.
In this recording Woretaw blends the Masinko, a traditional instrument, with keyboards to give it a contemporary flavor.
Mohammed Osman Hassan Salih Wardi(Arabic: محمد عثمان حسن وردي) (born 19 July 1932 – 18 February 2012) was a Nubian Sudanese singer and songwriter.
Wardi was born on 19 July 1932, in a small village called Swarda close to Wadi Halfa Northern Sudan.His mother, Batool Badri, died when he was an infant.His father, Osman Hassan Wardi, died when he was nine years old.He was brought up in a diverse and culturally rich background and developed an interest in poetry, literature, music and singing.Wardi traveled to Shendi to complete his education, and returned to Wadi Halfa as a secondary school teacher.
In 1953, Wardi went to Khartoum for the first time to attend a convention as a teaching representative for his area. He moved to Khartoum and started his career as a musical performer.
In 1957, Omdurman Radio chose him to record and sing on national broadcast in an arena with legendary singers such as Abdelaziz Mohamed Dauod, Hassan Atia, Ahmed Almustafa, Osman Hussaein and Ibrahim Awad. Wardi recorded 17 songs in his first year. A committee formed by Omdurman Radio's president that included top singers and songwriters such as AlKashif, Osman Hussaein and Ahmed Almustafa promoted Wardi to highest level as a professional singer. He had a bilateral with a famous poet, Ismail Hassan, resulting in more than 23 song. Wardi performs using a variety of instruments including the Nubian Tanbur and sings in both Arabic and Nubian languages. He has been described as "Africa's top singer", with fans mainly in the Horn of Africa. His songs address topics such as romance, passion, Nubian folklore and heritage, revolution and patriotism with some of his political songs resulting in him being jailed. After the introduction of Sharia in 1989, he left Sudan to voluntary exile in Cairo. He returned in 2003.
And the granting of artist Mohamed Osman Wardi honorary doctorate from the University of Khartoum in 2005 in recognition of his career for more than 60 years and his performance more than 300 song and legend as a Sudanese art immortal and encyclopedia of music.
Faytinga comes from the Kunama people, one of Eritrea''s many tribes, where women enjoy equal rights with the men. Her father was war hero Faïïd Tinga, and at the age of fourteen she had already joined her country''s armed struggle for independence from neighbouring Ethiopian rule.
Faytinga grew up surrounded by her uncles and aunts singing and playing instruments, in accordance with the Kunama tradition. Her dream was to be a singer, and it came true when she was sent to entertain the troops at the front, using her songs as a message of hope and determination. Faytinga composes her own material as well as performing work from well-known Eritrean poets and composers, playing the krar, a small lyre, in accompaniment to her songs.
An accomplished and elegant dancer as well as talented singer, Faytinga is a leading figure and source of inspiration for the men and women of her country. In 1990 she undertook a tour of the United States and Europe as a member of an Eritrean group, touring for the first time as a solo artist in 1995 when she released her first album on cassette. It took until 1999, and an appearance at the Africolor festival, before she recorded her first CD.
Originaly posted on Awesome Tapes from Africa >here
This 1992 recording (1986 in Ethiopian calendar) is an awesome tape. I've had a YouTube crush on the music of Eritrean legend Yemane G/Michael (aka Yemane Baria, Yemane Barya, etc) for a while and this mostly-acoustic recording is completely bringing me back to a recent trip to Tigray, Ethiopia. The region neighbors Eritrea, and shares a language and musical vibe. I dug this tape up from deep in the stash months ago but didn't really get into it until now. Pentatonic strings and keyboard join the vocal melodies, dancing up and down in a lovely lilt. Amidst the quintessential [ka-dunk] rhythm that is characteristic of a lot of Tigrinya folk music I heard around the Eritrean border, this tape stands out: minimally arranged, urgent, beautiful.
This, Hana’s debut album, displays this exciting young artist at her best. Backed by the Admas band, it is easy to see why many people believe she is destined for stardom in Ethiopian music. Hana performs regularly in nightclubs and venues across the country.
01. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 01 - Demam Ayehu Wello (5:38)
02. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 02 - Endashah (6:42)
03. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 03 - Tefagne Bilihatu (6:36)
04. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 04 - Minew Minew (5:19)
05. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 05 - Hode Ba-Le-Abisho (5:51)
06. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 06 - Ye-Za Ba-Le-Mwal (6:19)
07. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 07 - Sintun Ayechebeh (6:07)
08. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 08 - Addis Fikir (5:48)
09. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 09 - Wede Ruke Ager (5:47)
10. Hana Shenkute - Hana - 10 - Be-Ayonoche Shegnehut (4:12)
Hirut Bekele (or Hirut Beqele) is one of the most popular, beloved and famous Ethiopian singers back in seventies.Her music is still very popular and is often an inspiration for young artists.
Her personality as well as her unique music make her a real diva in the history of Ethiopian music. We have never heard of Hirut Bekele's new music since 80s due to spiritual reason (rumour). We missed her and hope she would come back some day as Aster Kebede did.
Here is unknown Hirut Bekele audio cassette. If anybody know something about this songs, or can translate to english, welcome to the blog !!!
Listening the tape you'll find magnificent vocalist Hirut Bekele flexing supernatural powers among a haunted organ. But this goes much deeper than cute accompaniment. There's a stunning selection of compositions here. Spare but virtuosic orchestrations via krar and aforementioned organ create psychotropic room-filling sonics captured by the rough recording.
Zeritu was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where she currently resides. At a very early age her parents LP records were her musical inspirations which opened a new world of music. Eventually, the school she went to became her first platform to perform and exhibit her talent. Her first public performances at her mid teens gave sign that Zeritu had a special talent which many admired. With the great passion for music she has, Zeritu always showed and proved her dedication in her musical career.
In the Ethiopian contemporary context Zeritu is what ETHIO-HIP in Ethiopia. Her self titled debut album, ‘ZERITU’ has won the hearts of many putting her among the very favorite artists in the country. Her lyrics that reflect the reality of many lives have givenher acceptance of artistic maturity at a young age.
In 2006 Zeritu went on a nation wide tour to prove what no artist has ever done before. Namely, performing in 10 cities around Ethiopia. This first of its kind domestic tour has acquired great admiration by both the overall public and particularly by artists. With her special musical characteristic, today Zeritu ranks among the top artist in Ethiopia. Working on her second album Zeritu is surely the future of Ethiopia music.
Helen Meles' biography is the story one of the biggest African stars of the early 21st century. She established herself as a talented singer, song writer and bona fide diva during her two decade long musical career. She has become one of the biggest selling Eritrean artists of all time, and has captured the hearts and minds of Eritreans and neighboring African countries alike.
In her early years, Helen Meles joined the EPLF (Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front) at the age of 13. Like many Eritreans, both her parents were also fighters of the Eritrean liberation struggle. Helen was brought up in ‘Biet tmhrti sewra’ (EPLF’s revolutionary school). Her friends describe her as a free-spirited and rebellious individual who was not afraid to show her ‘other’ sides of her personalities. During those revolutionary years, a fighter who showed other inclinations, including his/her artistic sides, could easily be misunderstood.
Helen has two sisters named Aster and Senait, and an older brother named Mikael (better known as "wedi Meles"). Like Helen, her older brother Mikael was also a fighter and a singer, who was one of the first students of biet tmhrti (shool of) sewra of the EPLF. He would end up being heavily wounded in the pitched battles of the 6th Offensive in 1982, he was almost given up for dead and his comrades were ready to bury him when another comrade insisted that they first take him to the frontline’s hospital, where he was saved and through the excellent medical care fully recovered his wounds and returned to frontline duty after four months. Many of Mikael Meles’s comrades recall his exceptional intelligence and amazing heroic feats and describe him in glowing terms not only as a brave warrior, but also as a gifted and sensitive artist who composed many songs and acted in several skits on stage. One of his memorable songs, “abiet SnAt abiet qoraSnet,” whose lyrics have hidden meanings of the heroism and martyrdom of his comrades on the HalHal Front, was later redone by his younger sister Helen Meles in her first CD release. A few days after meeting his sister Helen in 1990, Mikael, who by this time had risen to be the leader of a bren (heavy) machinegun platoon, was wounded in the battle to liberate Massawa, and martyred from enemy’s aerial bombardment while on his way to the hospital.
In 1998 BBC interview, Helen recalled the reaction of many Eritrean women from traditional communities when they first joined the battlefields. Helen Stated: "It was very difficult for them; even wearing trousers was strange and they were shocked when they had to share a blanket or bed with the men". However, By the end of the war in 1991 the lives of Eritrean women had changed so much they were determined not to go back to their traditional old roles.
In 2007, Helen married an Eritrean saxophonist named Issac Asefaw. Their wedding was held in Asmara, Eritrea and many Eritrean musicians such as Bereket Mengisteab and others performed at her highly anticipated wedding. In early 2008, Helen gave birth to her first child, a boy. The following year, she gave birth to her second child, whom also is a boy. It is generally believed Helen is now in her late thirties or exactly 40 years of age.
Helen is a highly passionate artist who reads and is responsive to her own feelings, a trait which is not clearly exhibited in many artists, especially those from the fighter community. One can feel the throbbing of her soulful voice which sends strong vibes all over. Her beauty is mesmerising and it can be described by her proud and majestic posture and her profile can be sketched by her captivating facial expressions while doing her dance routines. Strangely, if one is not familiar with her history, she does not exhibit any indication of the harsh life she led in the battlefields of Eritrea in her looks. Indeed, she was a combatant with a strong touch of music in her. Although somewhat camouflaged, perhaps carefully depicted, she seems to elegantly include her past experiences in her some of her songs. One can’t help but wonder how she really dealt with the bloody past that miraculously generated a strong sense of love amongst the fighters. That interesting but contradictory personal struggle that took place in the battlefields of Eritrea is demonstrated in the voice and bursting and sensuous movements, not necessarily in her lyrics.
Helen's expertise lies in popular music which encompasses a wide range of styles of both local and international origins. She takes Tigrinya music to a different level by mixing traditional and modern music which is influenced by European, Arabic and African music. For instance, (only junior to the Creator) can be described as one of the most interesting songs from the ‘ResAni’ CD because of its new style which Ms Helen introduces in the song – a mixture of South African beat accompanied by a gospel-like sound.
Helen can easily be compared to the diva of the Eritrean music scene of the sixties and seventies, Mrs Tberh Tesfahunegn, who instilled a strong patriotic feeling in many young Eritreans of the time. Both Mrs Tberh and Mrs Helen sing from the heart and their musical styles, although separated by decades of events and technological developments, are interestingly similar. It is vague how deep Mrs Helen’s knowledge of Mrs Tberh is, as there exists a generational divide between them. But they both share a precious experience in the liberation struggle within the EPLF camp.
One can feel that there is a controversy in her style, as opposed to her lyricists’ and composer/producers’ input in her songs. It is bit confusing to tell whether they compliment each other or simply tear each other apart beautifully. Whether they are at odds or compliment each other, the end product is highly interesting. On the other hand, Mr MuKtar Saleh’s smooth composition and Mr Solomon Drar, Mr Solomon Berhane, and Mr Samuel Almede’s lyrics find an excellent niche in Helen’s remarkable talents. This applies to Mrs Tberh’s songs as well, as many would question whether she was representing the feelings of the great musical master, Mr Asres Tessema, or she was equally powerful in her presentation.
