"The migration of the well-versed and faithful followers of Christ from countries of the Middle East into Ethiopia occured at that critical period when doctrinal schism was prevalent within the Ecumenical Church. Because these pious men were divinely called to make their refugee in Ethiopia with their theological knowledge of the primative and pure apostlic teachings, their advent into Ethiopia was a blessing for Ethiopians and a milestone in the Consolidation of Ethiopianism." -- Ermias Kebede Wolde-Yesus, Nibure Id, "Ethiopia: The Classic Case: A Biblical Nation under God"
Ethiopian & Rastafari by Aster Sellassie, Millennium Ed.
Addis Live Internet Radio plays contemporary, popular, and traditional Ethiopian music through its multichannel programming *
... Originally this site was only a mirror of Sellassie Family Web @ www.angelfire.com/ak/sellassie, but with time each webpage gets it own life and forms. There are many new pages here and the entire direction is different -- it's not just our family place anymore. One year of cyber existance proved that Sellassie Family is big and indeed is world wide.
If you want to stay in touch and know about the changes and news, please subscribe to SELLASSIE LIST, FORUM or/and BOOK CLUB.
(c)2004 HIM contents (summary of the HS web-biography) *
Summary
2004: Dear readers and members of sellassie forums,
There are no academic studies about relations between Ethiopian and Rastafari and the "Rastafari: Ethiopian Perspective" research is filling this gap, done at the Anthropology Dept. Ethiopian attitutes (in Ethiopia and abroad) toward Rasta are not discussed yet -- this is the aim of Esther's work.
... Tizeta, Tizeta, Eshurur, Hageri Ethiopia, Tizeta Garedew, Yene_lebelew, Endet_beyee, Arada, Be_Hasab, Ye Ethiopia Amelak, Abonesh, Gossay, Theodrose Tadesse ...
Ethiopiques Series at Allegro * link?
Notes
"Today man sees all his hopes and aspirations crumble before him. He is perplexed and knows not whither he is drifting. But he must realize that the solution of his present difficulties and guidance for his future action is the Bible. Unless he accepts with clear conscience the Bible and its great message, he cannot hope for salvation. For myself, I glory in the Bible." Sellassie I
2004: Origins
* "Ethiopia" -- new music from Addis (Teowdros Abera, Tikher Teferra)! (winamp 4.46 min) download free * info
Ethiopia is still not well known and its musical patrimony is properly unbelievable. The ethnic diversity and the profusion of the instruments give a particularly original character to the Ethiopian music. According to legend, this music dates from Kings David and Solomon. In this record, there are four distinct forms to be noted: the popular music, the liturgical music, the polyphonies of the Dorze and those of the tribes of the South-West of Ethiopia. Simple songs have been invented from centuries, principally by women, yet today these songs express eternal sentiments of joy and love.
The Azmaris, who are trobadours or traveling minstrels, have been incontestable carries of the popular music and still are. These minstrels take up prominent part in the everyday life. In the train between Addis-Ababa and Djibouti, on occasion of wedding or public meetings, also tedj-bet (local bar), here they most of the time, carrying their massenqo to bring a colorful note. Although they call themselves laudators, they enjoy from ages free-speech and use it wittily.
In the Christian Orthodox the liturgical music takes an important place. Ethiopia of today is rich of more than 75,000 priests,
12,000 churches and about 8,000 monasteries in full swing, so, it is one of the countries where the faith is the most fervent. The
liturgical music is very complex in its composition and therefore only attainable by the veritable initiates. Large parts of
Ethiopian's traditional music are based on a number of scale systems or modes. Church music has three of these, and legend
has it that they were revealed to St. Yared during a vision in the 6th century.
These three modes, however, differ in more respects than the pitches. Each of them is associated with various "skeleton
melodies", and they are performed using different vocal techniques. Furthermore, they are associated with different
festivals and different seasons of the year.
Although a system of notation does exist, also attributed to St. Yared, music at several different schools is passed on mainly by
aural tradition. The notation system, which is presumably of much later date, possibly from 16th century, provides only very
sketchy information on how the music is to be performed.
Consequently, a variety of traditions and interpretations have evolved at different schools, with rather complicated results today from viewpoint of music theory. (see notes on Yared Music School during our visit to Addis Aba in 1995).
The origin of urban popular music in Ethiopia can be traced back to the 1920's when Emperor Haile Selassie brought over a
group of Armenian orphans from Jerusalem and so formed The Bodyguard Orchestra. They brought new instruments with
them, like trumpet and saxophone, and from this and other military bands a night-club scene began to emerge. In 1935,
Ethiopia was invaded and though this lasted only a few years some Italians stayed and formed dance bands.
Regardless of the effect outside influences, such as American rock, have had on musicians, Ethiopian popular music is still very
strongly based on both scared and secular traditions from different parts of the country. Perhaps more relevant than the
question of how western music affected Ethiopia, is how Ethiopian music might one day influence western popular music...
[ Text from several sources including Ethio Stars & Tukul Band CD by piranha musik, Ethiopie CD by Playa Sound, and
Anu Laakkonen & Sten Sandahl form Caprice Record ]
...
[ * This is the original 1998 front page (tempalte) for Sellassie WWW. If you want to stay updated, get on Sellassie List ]
+ Ethiopian music is strongly influenced by Muslim forms as well as folk musics. Traditional music is largely played by itinerent musicians called azmari, who are regarded with both suspicion and respect by Ethiopian society. Ethiopian popular musicians included Bezunesh Bekele, Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, Hirut Bekele, Ali Birra, Ayalew Mesfin, Muluken Mellesse and Tlahoun Gessesse, while popular folk musicians included Alemu Aga, Kassa Tessema, Ketema Makonnen, Asnaketch Worku and Mary Armede. Perhaps the most influential musician of the period, however, was Ethio-jazz innovator Mulatu Astatke. [ References
Falceto, Francis. "Land of Wax and Gold". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 480-487. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0 ]
(c)2004 HIM contents (summary of the HS web-biography) *
Liberty is always unfinished business. --anonymous
