Ethiopia Today: Amleset Muchie And Tewodros Kassahun (Teddy Afro)

Amleset Muchie is an Ethiopian model, actress, and filmmaker.

Amleset Muchie

Amleset was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She studied filmmaking at the New York Film Academy and journalism at Unity University in Addis Ababa.

Amleset was the winner of the 2004 Miss University beauty pageant, representing Ethiopia. She was also the winner of the Miss World Ethiopia pageant in 2006.

Additionally, Amleset is a filmmaker. She wrote and produced the movies Sile Fikir, Adoption, and the documentary Green Ethiopia.

Amleset serves as the spokeswoman for the Etete Dairy products in Ethiopia. She has also been outspoken about environmental issues facing Ethiopia.

Amleset participated in the UN 2018 Women First 5 kilometres run that took place on 11 March 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She won Icon Women's race in a time of 25.25

In 2012, Amleset married Ethiopian singer Teddy Afro at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa. They have three children together.

Tewodros Kassahun Germamo

Tewodros Kassahun Germamo (born 14 July 1976), known professionally as Teddy Afro, is an Ethiopian singer-songwriter. Known by his revolutionary songs and political dissent sentiment, Teddy is considered one of the most significant Ethiopian artists of all time. Teddy has had a huge cultural impact on the Ethiopian music industry and has been a big influence on many young artists.

1976–2001: Early years

Tewodros Kassahun Germamo was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 14 July 1976 to a singer and songwriter Kassahun Germamo and dancer Tilaye Arage. Tewodros is of ethnic Amhara descent. Despite involving with the entertainment industry, his parents discouraged him to pursue his music career.

2001–2007: Abugida, Teddy and Yasteseryal

Teddy Afro made his debut in 2001 with the album Abugida, quickly establishing himself as a prominent voice in his native country. Mixing reggae, traditional Ethiopian styles, and pop music, his sophomore LP, 2005's Yastesereyal yielded a major hit in its controversial title track, which criticized corruption in the country's government. The song "Hab Dahlak" talks about the division of Ethiopia and Eritrea in terms of couples separating. Four of the album's songs were subsequently banned from media outlets, though "Yastesereyal" sales and influence remained controversial.

His second album Teddy was done in 2000 but released in 2002.

His third album, Yasteseryal was released in 2005. This album was one of the most influential and controversial. Teddy's lyrical sentiments and the release of this album coincided with the elevated political tension in Ethiopia surrounding the 2005 Ethiopian general election. The government banned four of his songs including "Yasteseryal" from playing on Ethiopian media outlets. This restriction was put to rest after the governing party was thrown out of power in 2017. He has since performed these songs in Addis Ababa Meskal Square concerts. Nonetheless, the album sold more than a million copies within a few months after its release.

2012–2017: Tikur Sew and Ethiopia

After his breakthrough, Teddy released his fourth album, Tikur Sew on 14 April 2012. The album Tikur Sew (black person) is dedicated to Emperor Menelik II and the Battle of Adwa, the war of colonial resistance between the Ethiopian forces and the Italian Empire in 1896. The album was the most expensive and most widely sold album in Ethiopia after his fifth album Ethiopia. The album saw huge sales via music markets. According to AdikaRecords' producer Ashenafi Zeleke, the music markets required 500,000 CDs and 200,000 cassettes and the album was in process for sale.

On 22 August 2014, Teddy released "Be 70 Dereja", with 9.1 million views on YouTube within two years. The music video set in 1970s-themed black-and-white scenarios in Ethiopia, including several monuments and places.

Teddy's fifth album, Ethiopia was officially released on 2 May 2017, reached the top of the Billboard World Albums chart in that month, at which time more than 600,000 units had been sold.

2020–present: "Demo Be Abay" and upcoming projects

Kassahun held the Adwa! Wede Fikir Guzo concert on 22 February 2020 to a record-breaking crowd in Addis Ababa Meskel Square.

On 3 August 2020, Teddy released "Demo Be Abay", a song dedicated to the Abbay river, known in English as the Blue Nile River. The song is a critique of Egyptian attitudes, or "Egypt's shamelessness", in regard to its claims over the waters of the river Nile; Egypt had claimed that the filling of the reservoir for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would endanger its water supply.

Teddy lives in Addis Ababa. He has been married to Ethiopian actress, model, and producer Amleset Muchie since 2012. They have three children.

On 6 December 2006 Teddy was jailed for four years in connection with an alleged hit-and-run incident during the 2005 Ethiopian general election. He was accused with driving under the influence when he rammed a 40 years old homeless man. The government sentenced him to six years in prison, and fined with 18000 birr ($1,755). With good behavior, Teddy was released in August 2009.