Belatengeta —Poet Laureate—Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin,
is Ethiopia’s premier versatile and prolific man of letters. For half a century now he has been continuously productive as poet, playwright, essayist, social critic, philologist, historiographer, dramatist, synthesist, peace activist, artistic director…on matters national, continental and global. Even if he has yet to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, he has often been more appreciated and duly honored abroad than in his own land. Perhaps this is in keeping with that old Ethiopian saying to the effect that ‘a prophet is often not esteemed in his own country.’ Read more »

A CONVERSATION WITH MULATU ASTATKE: ON HELIOCENTRICS, ETHIO-JAZZ AND ELLINGTON
Wednesday, Apr. 8 2009 @ 12:12PM
By Jeff Weiss in weiss

Rivaling Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Franco, Tabu Ley Rochereau, and a handful of others, Mulatu Astatke ranks among the most influential African musicians of all-time. Read more »

Dr. Ashenafi Kebede, one of Ethiopia’s greatest cultural treasures–composer, conductor, ethnomusicologist, historical musicologist, music educator, novelest, and poet. Dr. Kebede received degrees from the University of Rochester (B.A. from Eastman School of Music in 1962) and Wesleyan University (M.A. in 1969 and Ph.D. in 1971, both degrees in ethnomusicology). Read more »