Events
LATEST ARTICLES
Speech of President Isaias Afwerki and Kenyan new President
Meron Stefanos has released a new song, “Ayferdan Ye” A brief background on Meron.
New Song: » by Meron Estifanos (Zemach) – Ayferdan Ye | New Eritrean Music 2022
Before music, he was into football; to the extent that many of the people around him believed he would become a professional player. Besides, he grew up as a sports fan and frequented basketball and swimming as well. In the artistic world, he took a one-year course in puppetry at a young age.
Greet Meron Estifanos, aka wed-zemach, one of Eritrea’s young aspiring artists. He had his breakthrough when he became a finalist at the Shingrwa Academy, an Eritrean TV show for voice talents. Following the years of his discovery, Meron has proved to be a diva in the making. His major record hits include ‘kemfqadki’ (his first official hit), ‘kelo giena’, ‘yhalfeley’do’, ‘ayzanen’ye’ … the list goes on. So far, Meron has been performing at big events, done various collaborations, covers, and not to forget his movie soundtracks.
A nice talk with him, here are the excerpts.
By Samuel Habtemichael @ Shabait
Can you please briefly tell us about your childhood and educational background?
First I would like to thank you. My name is Meron Estifanos, I was born in 1991. I attended my pre-school, elementary, junior, and High School in the port city of Massawa. Then I went to Sawa to complete my secondary education. After sitting for the matriculation exams, I joined the Eritrean Institute of Technology (EIT) and did my first degree in Educational Administration. Parallel to my music, I also teach at Barka Secondary School and I am a member of the ‘Kewakbti Rim’ musical troupe.
Who was your biggest inspiration for music?
Of course, growing up in a family of musicians has its own impact. I believe the way I was nurtured has influenced me a lot in directing me towards music. I can recall now that my mother used to study and practice some musical instruments. But then again, being one of the renowned artists in the country, my father’s influence on me to become fond of music is indisputable. Indeed, I have learned a lot from him in every aspect of my living. Besides, my father is also the main inspiration for my reading habits. To your surprise, however, my biggest inspiration for music is Temesgen Gebreslasie (Taniqo).
When did you realize that music is what you wanted to do most?
I can reminisce now that my father was very hesitant, at first, of me getting involved in music activities. I remember, at one point in time, shortly after I joined music school to play the flute, he made me quit. He was so determined at guiding me to pursue my education successfully and helped me hold on to my academy seriously. I believe his persistence worked out well. Coming to the point, it must be around the year 2013; some of my friends would often take me to their music practice at EIT. I already had an insight into music, but I was not fully participating. I would occasionally suggest adjustments during their rehearsals. One thing led to another and luckily, inter-college competitions were on the way. I took the chance and with the help of my colleagues, we produced an audio entitled ‘Collegey’. After that, I started reading music books frequently, and then came Shingrwa.
How do you describe the experience of Shingrwa, biggest takeaways?
Honestly speaking, it wasn’t as easy as it seems. The fact that my father was there all the time as one of the judges in the academy made it a bit harder. This made it obvious that I had to make extra effort to prove myself. However, the overall experience was thrilling, and I really enjoyed every bit of it. The platform granted me great publicity; I would not have been here if it was not for Shingrwa. I personally got to meet great instructors and role models such as Barnabas Mebrahtu, Mohammed Salih, and many more. To wrap it up, I would say it was a leapfrogging event.
Public reaction to your works of music?
Oh! What can I say, Fantastic! I get different opinions and compliments every now and then, and by this, I would say is the way I gauge the publicity I have been honored with. It is an indication of how much music the general public admires and how much the fans are into music. So far, the public reactions are encouraging and will always play a leading role in helping me reach the summit of my artistic capacity.
Principles you follow in your music?
Personally, I have three major principles in my list of making music. First, I consider substance, which includes depth and content, as a vanguard for my work of music. The second is the crispness of my music; I try to employ every procedure to be artistically competitive and the third is trying to make my music in a way that can be enjoyed by all age groups. I do my level best to incorporate and reflect these three principles and more in the works I pick.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Musically speaking, I have a lot in my mind. Currently, I am working on singles, but of course, an album is inevitable and it’s on its way. Five years from now, I see myself doing much more. I am trying my best to progress every single day; hopefully, I intend to present my music on continental or international stages. Yes, help me, God! I have a list of points in my resolution and I believe I am working hard towards that end.
Major difficulties you encountered in your music career?
I strongly believe that in doing music, we should serve the needs of the public. In doing so, one must make good use of every bit of a second. Time is a major factor and fruitful music needs all of it. I have told you that I am also a teacher and sometimes things may seem inflexible and can hold you back, but I am managing it all together. I know there are many talented citizens out there in quest of better attention, platform, and a chance to seek and reach more. Certainly, hard work is important in any sphere and I believe the future holds a lot better for us all.
Any message you would like to give to young and aspiring talents?
The note that I would like to leave for young talents, especially those musically passionate, is that they should first and foremost stay academically well equipped, learn more, be patient and take as much time as they could to develop their skills, tune to more and variety of music, bear in mind music is not to be taken lightly, and last but not least they ought to alter their ambition into action.
Dawit Kifleyesus need your support, Please HELP!
Please donate ⇒ https://gofund.me/137fde23
⇒ Click here to watch VIDEO
“we Urge your support to help out our brother Dawit Kifleyesus immediate surgery and Medical Expenses from Kampala Uganda. Dawit have been selfless husband, father, brother, and member of Eritrean community in Juba He is defined by his compassion, love, and embodiment of joy. He is a family man who loves his family and does everything in his power to make sure they are secured, well taken care of, and nurtured. so please let’s do our part to help this critical moment of our brother.” your Generosity can save our brother life . God Bless you.⇒ Click here to watch VIDEO
Artist Yonatan Tadesse(DULA) need your help
Artist Jonathan Tadesse (Dula) suffers from cancer.
Medical support to Artist Yonatan Tadesse( Dula)
⇒ https://www.gofund.me/51790c1c
Artist Jonathan Tadesse (Dula) is in severe pain after being diagnosed with cancer. After being treated in Eritrea for more than six months, the cost of going abroad for further treatment is beyond his means. Therefore, a campaign has been launched to encourage all benefactors to contribute as much as they can.
And all of you on social media are kindly requested to help spread this information.
Medical support to Artist Yonatan Tadesse( Dula)
⇒ https://www.gofund.me/51790c1c
Yonatan Tadesse – DULA
Yonatan Tadesse is a popular Eritrean artist/band, better known with the songs: “Dula – Rekibe” , “Yehmimki Mehweyt” , …..
Military leaders from Ethiopia and the Tigray region have agreed on a peace roadmap
The legendary singer Yemane (Barya) Ghebremichael, short life history
Silver Jubilee – Remembering a Legend that Never Dies
The legendary singer Yemane (Barya) Ghebremichael was born on 21st January 1949. He was raised in Asmara, was good at school and enjoyed a playful time like any other child. Yemane went to Kidane Mihret Elementary School and then to Comboni for his middle school. He joined St. Mary’s for his secondary education but withdrew to pursue his dream. Yemane’s love for music, in particular, and art, in general, must be innate. But it was when he was in middle school that he truly found a platform to discover his talent — his voice. When Yemane’s request to join the Scout Association was granted, many opportunities opened up for him. He then embarked on an expedition that would carry him to another level. Shortly after that, he started appearing on big stages. His early performances paid off. The public’s reception and support motivated him to do more. His parents were not happy, though. Like most parents at the time, the only thing they ever wanted their son to do was his studies, nothing more and nothing less. After he quit high school, Yemane persistently followed his heart and it did not take him long to be a star. Like most artists, he started his performances by doing covers, but he instantly decided to write and arrange his own songs. His first recorded hit is believed to be ‘Lula’ though he had one or two songs prior to that. This particular hit, Lula, got him into trouble with Ethiopia’s censorship authorities . He was put behind bars a couple of times. In addition to writing and singing songs, Yemane was fond of acting, directing, and producing. He also knew how to play a number of musical instruments. In 1968, Yemane got a request to join Mat’a (Mahber T’yatr Asmara), a local theatre association, which he eventually became a member of. Yemane and some of his colleagues were then regrouped in Kewakbti Mahberna. Yemane, along with his group, performed in many cities in Eritrea and Ethiopia, stirring the youth to join the armed struggle for independence. Yemane’s next chapter took him to the armed struggle. In 1975, he joined the ELF (Eritrean Liberation Front) and is said to have produced two cassettes while he was in the Eritrean field as a freedom fighter. Then he went into exile, first to Sudan and later to Saudi Arabia. When he was in exile in the Middle East, Yemane never stopped thinking about music. He produced revolutionary songs in favor of the armed struggle and songs of nostalgia, hope, patriotism, unity and so on. He sang many songs that reflected the aspirations of Eritreans for freedom. Here are some of Yemane’s works that remain popular long after he departed this world. They are albums and singles, including Aykonen oromay, Elamana awet wey mot, Delai selam, Bnatsnet wegiha meriet, Mosob a’de, Zemen, Lula, Wedebat adey, Chra feres, Deqi Asmara, Meriruna sdet, Yk’eloye ane, Gual hagerey, Kem kokob, Ktkel eyu embaba, Tezkoneley, Natsnet, Anbibeyo debdabieki, Tslaley, and Segenay. Yemane was generous, honest, humble and diligent. He had a lot of empathy for the poor which earned him the name ‘Abo-dika’ (father of the poor). To many he is a reference of good deeds. In exile, he helped Eritrean refugees in Sudan who were struggling to migrate to Europe. Yemane was lucky to live to see the long awaited Eritrea’s liberation in May 1991. Following Eritrea’s liberation, he came back home where he worked and lived until he passed away. When ‘Hade Bahgna,’ a cultural troupe, was formed, Yemane, along with other veteran musicians, were invited to join the group. And the troupe went on a world tour performing for Eritreans in diaspora, reminding them to continue supporting efforts to build the newly independent nation. In June 1997, Yemane sang in Keren ‘Segenay,’ a song dedicated to our fallen heroes, on the occasion of Martyrs’ Day. It was his last performance. When he sang his last song in Keren, Yemane’s health had already been declining. On November 5th, 1997 the legendary singer and song writer Yemane died. It is remembered by many as a day Eritrea lost a great idol. Yemane’s death was a shock for the Eritrean public. This year marks the silver jubilee of Yemane’s departure. I feel it is a great idea to take this occasion as an opportunity to do something to remember him by, at least grant him a posthumous award of a lifetime achievement. Words and melodies have power, and Yemane knew how to weave them together. Through his music, Yemane moved his people. He was courageous who sang songs for the public at the time singing as a career was frowned upon. It is said that legends never die. Their bodies may decay but their deeds live eternally. Their inspiration lives on forever. Yemane was and continues to be an inspiration to many artists. He has long cemented his monument in the hearts of many. He continues to live on through his recorded songs, which are still popular, and performances of his songs by young artists who were born after his death. By : Samuel HabtemichaelAsmara Bella, “dolce vita” of the 1930s
Historical architectural monument & postcolonial living environment
The team members from the Institute of Architectural Theory and Construction History were able to build their project on research already undertaken with respect to Casablanca and Kinshasa. “Colonial cities were often projection screens for modernist fantasies and were built as futuristic visions for European cities. Asmara was an early city of motorists – at the time it even had more traffic lights than Rome”, explains principal researcher Peter Volgger. In light of the political upheavals that occurred once the country ceased to be an Italian East African colony, Asmara is not only a phenomenon in terms of its architectural history, but also in terms of its present reality as a postcolonial country. “We were interested in the role this architecture plays for local people today. We wanted to develop a theory about the current impact of colonial architectural history.” The researchers based this approach on Michel Foucault”s notion of biopolitics, which centres on the state”s power over its citizens.An appropriation of colonial architecture
One of the fastest growing conurbations in East Africa, “Greater Asmara” not only consists of magnificent boulevards and exclusive residential districts. The city centre is surrounded by indigenous settlements with markets and circular stone huts (called “tukuls”) and a forest of cacti growing around its outskirts. Between February 2013 and January 2015, four researchers from Innsbruck explored the colonial and postcolonial development of the city. Using the so-called ”bean drop” method, they investigated small neighbourhoods identified at random and described them in detail. The scholars would hire a taxi to go along a road, filming and documenting the functions of the buildings as they passed by. The project centred on the issue of how the Eritrean population came to grips with the heritage of the colonial architecture. The Austrian scientists questioned inhabitants as to how the buildings are used now, but they also conducted interviews with official representatives of the government, with the Eritrean diaspora, with the city archives, etc. In a parallel strand of research, they studied the work done on the ground by international institutions such as the World Bank, UNESCO and the EU. They found that not all parts of the city are used by everyone equitably. “Although nothing has disappeared, the Eritrean capital is not a ”frozen city”. We were able to document 27 layers of urban development which can be assigned to different functions”, notes the architectural theoretician Peter Volgger. As a complement to the FWF grant, the University of Innsbruck funded the technical equipment the scholars needed to scan old city maps from the archives and to process satellite imagery.Research tracing urban development
Every urban development layer was documented by means of its own figure-ground plan showing only buildings belonging to a certain theme or type. One layer, for instance, is the “hedonistic Asmara”, the tourist destination with its bars, sports facilities, hotels and pools. Other layers relate to the medical, military, ethnic or political spheres of Asmara. It can be shown that the famous Asmara bars are not timeless icons of unchanging usage: “Owing to the restrictive definition of what is public space in present-day Eritrea, they take on new significance today. A certain bar may, for instance, be the meeting place for a particular political grouping. Or it may encourage a lifestyle which cannot be pursued in the rest of the city”, Peter Volgger elaborates. Placed on top of each other, the 27 figure-ground plans make up the entire city of today. The results of the team from the University of Innsbruck go beyond the context of architectural theory. “Bella Asmara” is slowly falling apart. After 30 years of civil war, the city simply has no budget for conservation measures. Due to be published in 2017, the book “Asmara – Colonial City and Postcolonial Experiences” contains not only the research results but also tangible recommendations to make “Greater Asmara” part of UNESCO”s World Heritage list. Source : BusinesspressClarence Holbert, designer of Eritrea’s currency, NAKFA
25th Anniversary of Nakfa currency
Clarence Holbert is best known as the chief designer of Eritrea’s currency and the second African American engraver to work at the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Born in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, Holbert was raised in Washington D.C.’s Northeast neighborhood of Ivy City. Though he spent most of his childhood doodling and drawing the scenery for school plays, Holbert further developed his artistic talent during military service and as an art student.
In 1968, Holbert attended Federal City College while working as a security guard for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. During long shifts, he left doodles around the workplace, eventually gaining a reputation among his coworkers. When an engraving apprenticeship at the Bureau became available, Holbert was offered the position. Working under the tutelage of his mentor, Ronald Sharp, Holbert became adept at designing banknotes, becoming the nation’s second African American currency designer. In his new role, Holbert gained recognition for designing stamps, Purple Hearts, White House invitations, and ID cards for the CIA and FBI.
In 1994, Eritrea requested Holbert’s expertise in designing the newly independent nation’s currency. After receiving the request, Holbert went to Howard University and made four separate trips to Eritrea to conduct research for the project. From his research, he learned his design should not include government officials or depictions of war. He decided to keep the bill sizes uniform so that Eritreans would read them, thereby improving the nation’s dwindling literacy rates. To come up with his design, Holbert studied hundreds of photographs of Eritrea, from children studying, to camels grazing in vast landscapes. He submitted his sketches in September 1996. After reviewing his work, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, and his cabinet informed Holbert that his designs unintentionally included faces from each of Eritrea’s distinct ethnic groups. The Eritrean President and cabinet accepted the design.
The nakfa, Eritrea’s currency, which debuted in 1997, is named after the site of the first major victory in Eritrea’s War of Independence. Holbert’s work was extremely personal for the citizens of Eritrea, whose memories of war were still fresh. Holbert’s design celebrates the beauty and resilience of Eritrean women who are depicted on many of the bills. Making up 30% of the resistance fighters, Eritrean women played a major role in the movement for independence. Holbert’s money imbued the nation with a sense of national pride and formalized their hard-earned separation from Ethiopia.
After designing the nakfa, Holbert retired. He refused an academic position offered by the Eritrean government geared toward training other artists. Instead, he became deeply involved in his church, was ordained, and served as a minister the remainder of his life. In 2018, at age 73, Holbert died of pancreatic cancer. At his memorial service, his family placed a nakfa in his pocket, stating he believed it to be one of his proudest achievements.