Tourism Revenue falls short of target during first quarter

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia– Revenue obtained from tourism has fallen by over 7.4 million USD during the first quarter of the current Ethiopian budget year, Ministry of Culture and Tourism said.

The ministry attributed the decline to the recent unrest in some parts of the country.

The revenue obtained in the quarter was reportedly over 872 million USD, that is below the target set for the quarter.    

Ministry Public and International Relations Director, Gezahegne Abate said the ministry is working in collaboration with Ethiopian Tourism Organization, Hotels Owners’ Association, tour operators andEthiopian embassies based in foreign countries to increase the revenue.

He stated that the ministry is also dispatching up-to-date information about the current situation of the country through various websites so as to help tourists get the right information and refrain from cancelling bookings.

Currently, tourists can travel wherever they want as the government has solved all problems that hinder their movements.

The director also urged the local media to promote tourism by informing both domestic and foreign tourist about the prevailing peace.

By taking the current performance into consideration, the ministry revealed that it has revised the initial annual target to secure 3.4 billion USD to 3 billion USD.

Ethiopia is among the best 10 countries recommended to be visited in 2017 by Lonely Planet, the world’s most successful travel publisher that prints over 120 million books in eleven different languages.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ethiopians mark festival of finding Jesus' cross

Orthodox priests lit a bonfire in the heart of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Monday evening to mark the eve of Meskel, a festival to mark the finding of the cross of Jesus.

Tens of thousands of people, many holding up candles in the failing light as the sun set, crowded on terraces around the square where the ceremony was led by the head of Ethiopia's Christian Orthodox church, Patriarch Abune Mathias.

Dressed in his golden ceremonial robes, the patriarch delivered blessings to mark what the church believes was the discovery in the fourth century of the cross of Jesus by Queen Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.

According to tradition, in 326 AD, Helena had prayed for guidance to find the cross on which Jesus was crucified and was directed by smoke from a burning fire to the location. Ethiopian Orthodox Christians believe she lit torches to celebrate.

The church tradition also records that the then Patriarch of Alexandria gave Ethiopian Emperor Dawit half of the cross in return for protecting Coptic Christians. A fragment of the cross is believed to be held in Ethiopia's Gishen Mariam monastery, about 100 km ( miles) north of the capital.

The celebration, in which hundreds or orthodox priests and deacons take part dressed in white robes, starts in the afternoon and ends after sunset, bringing the capital to a halt around its biggest square, which is called Meskel, the word for cross in the liturgical Ge'ez language.

The celebration has taken place in Addis Ababa since the city was founded more than 100 years ago.

The festival falls at the end of the rainy season and this year's celebration was preceded by a downpour, leaving priests to parade around large muddy puddles.

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Families often hold their own celebrations by lighting smaller fires on streets outside their homes, before gathering inside to enjoy wine made from honey and "kitfo", the traditional food of raw minced meat in flat, dry bread.

After a night of festivities, Tuesday is a national holiday.

(Additional reporting by Aaron Maasho,; Writing by Edmund Blair, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Read more here

Ethiopian Christians celebrating Demera colorfully

(EBC; Sept. 26, 2016) - Ethiopian Christians across the nation are celebrating Demera, the annual bonfire lighting ritual observed on the eve of Meskel (the finding of the true cross).

Here in the capital, Addis Ababa, it is being observed at Meskel Square with colorful assortments, in the presence of religious fathers, government officials, resident diplomats and tourists.

The celebration commemorates the discovery by Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, of the cross on which Jesus Christ is believed to have been crucified.

FINDING OF THE TRUE CROSS “MESKEL”

The festival of Meskel has been celebrated in the country for over 1,600 years. The word actually means "cross" and the feast commemorates the discovery of the cross upon, which Jesus was crucified, by the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. The original event took place on 19 March 326 AD, but the feast is now celebrated on 27th of September. 

Many of the rites observed throughout the festival are said to be directly connected to the legend of Empress Helena. On the eve of Maskel, tall branches are tied together and yellow daisies, popularly called Meskel flowers, are placed at the top. During the night, these branches are gathered together in front of the compound gates and ignited. This symbolizes the actions of the Empress whom, when no one would show her the Holy Sepulcher, lit incense and prayed for help. Where the smoke drifted she dug and found three crosses, to one of them, the True Cross, many miracles were attributed. 

During this time of year flowers bloom on the mountains and plains and the meadows are yellow with the brilliant Meskel daisy. Dancing, feasting, merrymaking, bonfires, and even gun salutes mark the occasion. The festival begins by planting a green tree on Meskel Eve in town squares and village marketplaces. Everyone brings a pole topped with Meskel daisies to form the towering pyramid that will soon be a beacon of flame. Torches of eucalyptus twigs called chibo are used to light the bundle of branches called Demera. 

In Addis Ababa celebrations start in the early afternoon, when a huge procession bearing flaming torches approaches Meskel Square from various directions. The marchers include priests in their brightly hued vestments, students, brass bands, contingents of the armed forces, and bedecked floats carrying huge lit crosses. They circle the Demera and fling their torches upon it, while singing a special Meskel song. Thousands gather at the square to join in and welcome the season of flowers and golden sunshine called Tseday. As evening darkens, the flames glow brighter. It is not until dawn that the burning pyramid consumes itself and the big tree at the centre finally falls. During the celebrations, each house is stocked with tella, the local beer, and strangers are made welcome.

Carnegie Hall Presents Ethiopian Singer Mahmoud Ahmed on Saturday, October 22

On Saturday, October 22 at 8:00 p.m., Carnegie Hall presents African music icon Mahmoud Ahmed in his first solo performance in SternAuditorium / Perelman Stage. Celebrated for his richly textured vocal power, Ahmed performs traditional Amharic music from his homeland in Ethiopia, masterfully blending African pop and jazz styles for an ear-opening, one-of-kind musical experience.

Ahmed was at the forefront of Ethiopian music’s golden era in the 1960s and 1970s and is still one the country’s most eminent musicians. His body of work-including landmark recordings like Almaz, Alemye, Ere Mela Mela, andTezetare-released on éthiopiques series-have become an essential benchmark of Ethiopia’s musical history and cultural heritage, earning him the prestigious BBC World Music Award in 2007.

About the Artist
For over 40 years, Mahmoud Ahmed has deftly combined the traditional music of Ethiopia (essentially a five-note scale that features jazz-style singing offset by complex circular rhythm patterns that give the music a distinct oriental feel) with pop and jazz, yielding some of the most adventurous, passionate, and often surreal sounds heard in free jazz today.

Ahmed has been a star in Ethiopia since the day he began performing. His swooping vocals with his multi-octave voice, complemented by the freewheeling jazz of the Ibex Band (with whom he recorded his masterpiece, Ere Mela Mela), are very different from what is normally lumped into the broad category of Afro-pop. The rhythms are repetitive and intense, similar toFela Kuti‘s, but a little less hard. But Ahmed’s voice-swirling high notes that sound as if they’re chasing one another, impeccable tone and phrasing-is the distinguishing element. By singing in this style, Ahmed has attempted to fuse the past and present. He’s not an elitist when it comes to singing older Ethiopian music, but he hears the similarities in Ethiopian pop that have thrived over time and is keen to bring them together. Read more here

Program Information
Saturday, October 22 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
MAHMOUD AHMED
Tickets: $25-$70

Enkutatash, a Flowery Ethiopian New Year

By Tewodros Kassa

Ethiopia celebrates its new year annually, while the butter flowers or the yellow daisies shoot forth. Ethiopian new year is manifested by numerous attractive sceneries that see off the departing old year and usher in the new one. On the foot of the country's mountainous, boasting of a vast array of endemic flora and fauna, full-year flowing huge rivers afford memorable trips to most corners of the nation. The piquant traditional, cultural and well established hospitality of the citizenry is also heartening.

Enkutatash, comes first on the calendar of cultural holidays which the present generation too celebrate. It is a manifestation of the nation's diversified seasonal shows. It as well serves as an occasion nation and nationalities showcase their costumes,they put on this land mark holiday that opens another chapter.

For tourists, parallel to observing greenery and must-see natural events, it could be worthwhile to observe traditional ceremonies that attend this holiday. During this time it is mesmerizing observing exquisite butter cups, newly growing crops on the farm land and farmers engrossed in activities unconstrained by accidental rainfalls. It is also refreshing tuning to birds singing tune as if ecstatic in welcoming the sunny season.

The ground looks a green carpet bearing motley artificial flowers. It is interesting to hear child girls accentuate the event with melodious songs while they sing the new year song Enkutatash.

In this article, this writer tries to depict issues that revolve around the cultural ceremonial proceeding, feelings of individuals as well as memories of Ethiopian new year and tries to assess what it looks like. In addition to this, it also observes how people react to the new year social occasion. Enjoy Ethiopian New year.

"In my childhood days, I used to eagerly look forward to something special when a new year draws nigh. Those days are memorable and indelible.

But a grown up the feeling is not that fervent.

I recall in the good old days the way the neighborhood convene and celebrate the holiday having a cup of Ethiopian traditional coffee,the green emerald and the socializing agent. The songs and plays of children conjures up in mind a memorable image. That time I was one of the main facilitator and coordinator of the games that we played together keeping the former game rules and principles. Following this, currently I spend most of the new year ceremony passing my time with my former child friends rewinding our memories back as we do on Sundays," so said Surafel Teka teacher here in Addis.

He told this writer that as just everybody else he becomes extravagant in spending money that day. On the other hand, he says that it is customary for family heads on the eve or during the holiday week to bend over backwards or expend much money to cater to the holiday's innumerable demands.

The other interviewee is Amanuel Eshetu leading a bachelor life here in Addis after graduating a year ago from Bahir Dar university. He said that a new year is a special occasion that brings the people together to exchange best wishes--A happy and prosperous Ethiopian Year-- enjoy the new year, renew relationships, promote togetherness as well as motivate individuals for further accomplishments in life. He awaits the new year eager to mend wrong turns and to do something better and greater than gained achievements. Year after year, everyone dreams to better accomplish in life but translating that might not prove simple.

He said in rural areas one could feast one's eye on how the old and new years exchange robs, on how mother nature puts on its green mantle adorned with flowers as well as on the zigzag flowing rivers. It is also elating to watch the happiness stamped faces of people which mirrors transition from a gloomy to a bright season.

He said he prepares ahead of time to render the day colorful,memorable and an occasion of cordiality and togetherness. Every ceremonial occasion of the day is expected to be alluring and creating enchantment. Thus not to miss another memorable time of this nature I have a plan to holiday at Bahir Dar together with family members, relatives, neighbor and church congregants. There,such togetherness help me revert back to the past. The spirit of thinking for the needy reminds me our deeply entrenched feelings of considerateness.

Everyone might have different take about the coming of a new year that brings a good hope to every citizen and the motherland. Assessing past performances, most individuals vow to themselves to accomplish set plans in the ensuing year. Marshy and dry lands dry up basking under the sunny season.

New year is considered a springboard that propels a person to success, profitability, acceptability as well as gaining more blessings. It as well is an occasion for forging good relationships with more people around.

In Ethiopia, every segments of the society is highly enthusiastic to celebrate holidays together. Nations and nationalities have their own unique form of ceremonial process which expresses their long lasted forefathers inherited celebration process.

Most of the time specially children give due attention to new year in Ethiopia. They have their own way of marking the day. They prepare beforehand white paper and paints. Drawing lessons from their elders, preparing paintings--flowers and angles--p they will give it as a gift to relatives and people in the neighborhood. Most of the time they receive money in return. On this day people make doors open, dogs chained, and shower this children with different gifts. The gifts include; money, stationery materials, clothing as well as other rewards. The society presents this gift to them with the belief that the happiness of children renders the whole environment a place of bliss and happiness.

On that day everyone is expected to stay joyful,sumptuously dress with their Sunday best or new clothes, feel new, dine together an array of mouth watering dishes and bout alcohol or beverages as well as present gifts to the helpless. But they never forget to support the needy to celebrate and enjoy the holiday with a similar feeling. Some think any mishap that day augurs unhealthiness and unsuccessful throughout the year.

The aforementioned motivating reasons are the inducements that make people readytwo or three months ahead of the actual day.

Also, most of the time,some individuals exchange memorable gift articles with each other to cement or refresh relationship. For instance friends, colleagues, neighbors and people acquainted on some occasion are seen exchanging gifts. Nowadays Public Relation officers dispatch post cards bearing their mission and visions together with best wishes.

Kalkidan Teferi, resident of Addis lead her life through buying and selling gift articles w in her small souvenir shop located at the heart of the city in Piassa. She says that most of the time the market becomes warm during holidays. "When new year ensues people think of exchanging gifts. Thus to satisfy the demand of our customers we strive in gathering most attractive cultural and ancient souvenirs and handicraft items from different parts of the nation that convey a new year message. In order to avail attractive gifts to the day We collect some of the items from the countryside. Our customers' demand is divers."

Be it small or large the gift's size doesn't matter. The main objective of new year gift is boosting and renewing relationship, expressing best wishes. It could also be sen as acknowledging that person. Especially new year gifts play a tangible and shortcut ways to express love, gratitude, hope, cooperation, readiness to work together and much more among the receiver and presenter group of the gift article. Such gestures induce and strengthen their proximity and ties.

Moreover, the flower market in the country would also shown a good progress following the transition period from the the old year to the new one. Everyone prefers to observe the old flower on the table to replaced new ones.

Eldana Sidelil is one of the flower retailer in the city. She reflects her view about the flower market saying "It is highly dependable on different ceremonial occasions such as holidays, engagement or graduation." Thus the habit of flower consumption is still at its grass root level. For instance, during this new year one might observe clients thronging flower shops but the market falls sharply then after.

Summing up, it is such a captivating holiday that individuals plan and gear up to implement their set goals in their walks of life or personal life. Not only embarking on a new year, life also needs a scheduled plan and a well managed situation to head towards fruitfulness. You readers might also have extra plans in your work, education, business and much more. The main agenda is leading life committed and purposefully to contribute due share to our planet. May your new year plan be achievable and fruitful!, May you contribute something worth while to the society.

Dreaming big, accomplishing new tasks, becoming the winners as well as being the role models in our profession are possible while being organized in a substantiated manner. Thus, in order to actualize you dream lay the cornerstone at the starting point of your new year. This starting point awakens you to go straight tackling obstacles to meet your final destination.

New year also serves for refreshing the year long fatigued mind, widen thinking as well as bring new thoughts initiating plans or new assignments for future endeavor and finally enhance perform better than the past year.

Lastly may all of you have a prosperous, successful, peaceful and fruitful new year that is filled with full of happiness. Read more here

Responsible Land Governance in Ethiopia: Rising to the Challenge

Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

On 18 July 2016, the Thomson Reuters website featured an article entitled Why is the EU funding Ethiopia’s repression of land rights defenders? by Nyikaw Ochalla.

The article suggests that the European Union (EU) and the German government are colluding in “human rights abuses and brutal repression” through the land governance project (SRAI - Support to Responsible Agricultural Investments in Ethiopia) we launched on 15 July, 2016. The exact opposite is true.

Responsible investments in agriculture have the potential to unlock rural growth to the benefit of local communities. At the same time, the Ethiopian agricultural authorities recognise the challenges they face in the administration of land used for agricultural investments. The SRAI project is helping to establish an accountable and transparent framework for socially and environmentally responsible agricultural investments in Ethiopia based on international standards, including the Food and Agricultural Organisation's Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests. These guidelines revolve around respecting and safeguarding all tenure holders and their rights. The implementation principles include human dignity, equity, justice, transparency, accountability, consultation and participation.

The SRAI project will support the establishment of a regulatory framework for equitable access to land. It will also secure land tenure rights for local communities in areas surrounding commercial farms.     

There are a number of factual errors in Ochalla’s piece, two of which we would like to set straight:

1) The EU and the German government are not providing EUR 3.8 million to the Government of Ethiopia; the project is being implemented by Germany’s GIZ and consists mainly of technical advice and capacity building.

2) The SRAI project has no links to European businesses' interests:  activities and principles will apply indistinctly to all land investors, some of which come from abroad (Asia, Middle East, Europe) but most of which are in fact Ethiopian.

The ultimate purpose of the EU and German support to the project is to assist Ethiopians to achieve food security in the future, in particular through secure land tenure and responsible agricultural investments. This project is part of the European Union’s broader cooperation portfolio aimed at creating the conditions for Ethiopians to generate new job opportunities and lift themselves out of poverty. The EU and its member states work with civil society, governments, the private sector and NGOs to achieve these goals.

Opinion pieces have an important place in on-line sites such as this, but we are of the view that they should be grounded in evidence rather than gratuitous fabrications. A simple verification with the undersigned could have better served the cause of land rights.

Read more here

Architecting Addis’ in Eyes of Panellists

ADDIS ABABA (HAN) August 25.2016. Public Diplomacy & Regional Security News. By Daniel Beyene. Very recently, Association of Ethiopian Architects has held its 18th annual convention at Sheraton Addis. During this two-day long meeting, panel discussion entitled ‘Architecting Addis’ was conducted. Therefore, at the event, Ethiopian Press Journalists approached two panellists, Zeleke Belay and Dr. Zegeye Cherenet.

Responding to the existing legal framework of planning, lecturer of Architecture at Addis Ababa University and owner of Zeleke Belay Architect P.L.C Zeleke Belay said that on several occasions, Addis Ababa City Administration and the government have been enacting a number of urban planning laws in relation to the existing master plan. But, he added that as the urban planning laws are not observed in a more serious manner, there is inconsistent law implementation in this regard.

According to Zeleke, urban planning and design are crucial for a given city expansion plan and for owning beautiful and attractive city in the future. ” If our city lacks plan, it is obvious that we will end up having the most disorganised city in the world. Therefore, our urban planning has to be implemented with a view to improving the housing plans in the future rather than completely replacing them with the new ones,” he noted.

Moreover, Zeleke underlined that architects, urban planners and the public at large must actively participate in the process of urban planning, adding that, having reached a consensus on the city planning, every body has to abide by such plan, he reiterated.

Zeleke further said that every city of the country including Addis Ababa has a city plan that has been developed for many years, but some individuals knowingly or unknowingly have been building houses and other facilities violating the plan. “That is why we have recently begun to witness a number of disorganised cities in this country,” he says.

Therefore, Zeleke added that the government and the Association of Ethiopian Architects need to play a big role in effectively applying urban planning laws of the country .

It is true that by no means a city could be attractive and beautiful without a sustainable urban planning. As citizens become proud of their beautiful and attractive cities, they as well should care much for the proper implementation of the housing plans.

According to Zeleke, apart from supervising the construction works, the architects need to be fully engaged in both housing and the city plans.

Talking about the current improper trends in urban housing development, he said that it is acceptable to make some improvements on the architectural plan in consultation with the architect; but, so often the owner and the constructor get into housing construction projects making some modification by themselves.

Addis Ababa University Assistant Professor of Architecture and Design Dr. Zegeye Cherent told EPA that architecture makes life easier and comfortable; it as well develops with our ever- changing lifestyles. “Architecture has something to do with history, culture, civilization and science. That is why whenever archaeologists want to study human history, they dig in the ground to discover architectural artifacts and the like,” he said.

According to Zegeye, architecture is a multidisciplinary subject involving mathematics ,physics, philosophy, psychology and the like. He said, “When we talk about Ethiopia, we often mention about Lalibela, Axum and so on, for they were built by our forefathers in a classic and magnificent manner and they as well have historical accounts.”

Responding to question regarding the current status of architecture in Ethiopia, Zegeye said that though almost 80 percent of our citizens are still living in rural areas, the fastest urbanization is being taken place in this country. Moreover, he said that more than half of the world population lives in urban areas.

Apparently, Africa has lagged far behind the rest of the world in urbanization; the same is true to Ethiopia, he reiterated.

According to Zegeye, economic growth and development of a given country is determined by urbanization. Since the government has been demonstrating commitment to industrialization, there will be fast urban growth in industrial areas than any where else,he said. Therefore, he believed that the ongoing industrialization of Ethiopia would speed up urbanization in the country as a whole.

Thus, he said that urbanization in Ethiopia is in its transition period and so the government and the architects need to be more serious on quality and safety of buildings than never before. Read more here

Cardinal Berhaneyesus calls Ethiopians to dialogue

Following nationwide protests, over the weekend by Ethiopia’s Oromo people, the Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia have called for peaceful dialogue as a sure means of resolving differences. AFP news agency reported that up to 50 protestors were killed at the weekend while Amnesty International put the death toll at 97. Other rights groups put the death toll at 104.

In their statement, the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops made a passionate plea for peaceful dialogue between the government and parties concerned. Reading the statement to the press, on behalf of other Bishops, Cardinal Berhaneyesus the Metropolitan Archbishop of Ethiopia said that Ethiopia is a country with a long history of peaceful and respectful co-existence. He said the country needs to maintain this positive aspect and encouraged peaceful dialogue in the search for answers. He stressed that chaos could not be the way forward. Chaos, he said, was a hindrance to growth and development.

“Ethiopia is on a well-established track towards development, we must continue to work hard, hand-in-hand to stay on this road of changing our history of poverty and maintain a steady economic growth,” said the Cardinal.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus also expressed sorrow for those who lost lives or were injured during the disturbances. 

“We pray for the souls of our children who have lost their lives so they may rest in peace, we also pray for the consolation of the bereaved families.” He added, “We ask all people to cooperate in building a society free of all hatred that we can pass on to the next generation,” said.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus said the Church was appealing to all Catholics, government officials, all Ethiopians and people of good-will to become instruments of peace. He further said the faithful, priests and the religious are asked to pray during this period as they fast in preparation for the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady. He asked them to pray for peace and love in the country. The Bishops, Cardinal Berhaneyesus said, also ask government officials to engage in discussion with the public and to listen to the requests of the people. 

Addressing young people of Ethiopia, the Cardinal appealed for a sense of patriotism. 

“Our dear young children, we wish that you take over from us a developed and peaceful Ethiopia, not a country that is full of unrest. We urge you to remember that you have the duty and the right to take over a country that is full of peace and hope for development so you must work for this,” said the Cardinal reading the Bishops’ statement.

(Source:  Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat)
Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va

Bahir Dar Africa’s Breathtaking Waterfalls

Bahir Dar, is known for its wide avenues lined with palm trees and variety of colorful flowers. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Tana the source of the Blue Nile (Abay). The city is located 578 km northwest of the capital city Addis Ababa.  Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, various Ethiopian capitals were established in the vicinity of Lake Tana. In 2002 it was awarded the UNESCO Cities Peace Prize for rapid urbanization.

Formed at more than 1,800 meters above sea level, Lake Tana is 75 kilometers long and 60 kilometers wide. Its 3,600 square kilometer surface is dotted with more than 37 islands many of which are home to ancient monasteries and churches containing religious artifacts. The city is a center to explore the area's main sites of the Blue Nile Falls and the Island monasteries of Lake Tana. Among the nearest monasteries to Bahir Dar, Kebran Gabriel, and Ura Kidanmehret, contain an impressive treasury of ancient Ge’ez script. The building is decorated with a number of ancient artistic paintings.

Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia and is the source of the Blue Nile River, which flows to Khartoum, Sudan and Egypt. There are 37 islands in the lake, upon which some 20 monasteries from the 14th and 17th century exist.  The Lake Tana Basin significantly contributes to the livelihoods of tens of millions of people in the lower Nile River basin. The fish resource potential of the Lake Tana itself is over 10,000 metric tons per year. It’s an important source of water for Ethiopia. The lake is also a natural reservoir for the eighty-megawatt runoff power station.

Lake Tana was formed by a volcanic blockage that reversed the previously north-flowing Blue Nile and created one of Africa’s greatest waterfalls. The falls have 18 species of Barbus Fish, the only species flock in Africa. The other known flock, is in Lake Lanao, in the Philippines. Lake Tana is also one of 250 lakes identified by LakeNet as having globally significant biodiversity.

The Blue Nile, the longest river in Africa falls into a canyon to form one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Africa. The 150 feet high massive waterfall gush downward creating a cloud of mist which is called Tisisat- (smoking fire). The Blue Nile contributes about 85% of the water that supplies Egypt. Read more here

Top French honour for Ethiopia's Mahmoud Ahmed

Renowned Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed has been awarded one of the highest honours of France, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (the Order of Arts and Letters), at a ceremony held at the Residence of the French Ambassador to Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on Tuesday 19 July.

 Ethiopian artist Mahmoud Ahmed. Photo: www.respectfestival.rachot.cz
Ethiopian artist Mahmoud Ahmed. Photo: www.respectfestival.rachot.cz
The musician was honored for his prominent representation of the culture of his country and for being an emblem of the strong links between Ethiopia and France in the field of arts and culture.

The 75-year-old Mahmoud Ahmed has been a central figure on the Ethiopian music scene for decades. Born in Addis Ababa's Mercato district, Mahmoud was enthralled with the music he heard on Ethiopian radio from an early age. One night in 1962, when the Imperial Body Guard band's singer didn't show up, Mahmoud asked to sing a few songs.  He soon became part of the band's regular line-up, where he remained until 1974. He subsequently performed with various bands but it was in 1986 that his music reached a wider audience when Belgian label Crammed Discs released the collection Ere Mela Mela, drawn from two Kaifa LPs that Mahmoud had recorded in Addis with the Ibex Band a decade earlier.

Mahmoud Ahmed’s body of work – including landmark recordings like Almaz, Alemye, Ere Mela Mela and Tezeta - is not only part of his personal legacy but also part of a wider heritage collection; a valuable part of Ethiopia’s musical history and cultural heritage. In 2007, Mahmoud was the recipient of the BBC World Music Award. In 2015 he embarked on a world tour with French group Badume’s Band, which has been touring with him for more than 10 years, also backing other Ethiopian veterans such as singer Alemayehu Eshete.

France's equivalent to a knighthood, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) was established in May 1957 by its Ministry of Culture. Its supplementary status to the Ordre national du Mérite was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is to recognise significant contributions to the arts, literature and film. Other musicians to have received the honour over the years include Bono, Ringo Starr, Quincy Jones, Elton John, Dexter Gordon, Van Morrison, Philip Glass and South Africa's Johnny Clegg.

The French Ambassador to Ethiopia, Brigitte Collet, bestowed the insignia of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters upon Ahmed. Lauding the artist for his dedication to music, the French ambassador remarked: "Your contribution to Ethiopia and world music is tremendous. You have laid the foundations for an original music which synthesizes the most diverse influences - soul, rock, funk, jazz and so on, with, of course, traditional Ethiopian melodies." Read more here

Debre Damo Best Tourist Destination for Hikers

OPINIONBy Fasica Berhane

Lately, I came across a you tube video that shows the difficulties of climbing Debre Damo, one of the most ancient monastery and top attractions of Ethiopia. The monastery dates back over 1, 400 years. The video features a tourist having a hard time to climb the cliff while tied to a rope. He was hanging on the middle trying so hard to get himself up with a help of a priest from above holding the rope and on ground some native kids trying to give him advice. It was a bit funny to watch his efforts to climb while losing balance again and again but eventually he manged to reach to the other end of the rope and stepped inside the little window, which is a gate to the monastery.

Ethiopia has many mountains and cliffs like Debre Damo and many others like Ras Dashen mountain (4,550 m) on Semien mountains, which also known as the roof of Africa and registered under UNESCO with amazing canyons,cliffs of highest mountains. Most tourists love to trek and visit dangerous and exciting places. Ethiopia, especially for trekking, is endowed with exciting places which makes her preferable for tourists.

Jan Amora - Simien Mountains, Amhara, Ethiopia

 

Simien Mountains National Park is one of the national parks of Ethiopia. Located Jan Amora and Debarq Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, its territory covers the Simien Mountains and includes Ras Dashan, the highest point in Ethiopia. It is home to a number of endangered species, including the Ethiopian wolf and the walia ibex, a wild goat found nowhere else in the world. The gelada baboon and the caracal, a cat, also occur within the Simien Mountains

Although the word Semien means "north" in Amharic, according to Richard Pankhurst the ancestral form of the word actually meant "south" in Ge'ez, because the mountains lay to the south of Aksum, which was at the time the center of Ethiopian civilization. But as over the following centuries the center of Ethiopian civilization itself moved to the south, these mountains came to be thought of as lying to the north, and the meaning of the word likewise changed.

The Semiens are remarkable as being one of the few spots in Africa where snow regularly falls. First mentioned in the Monumentum Adulitanum of the 4th century AD (which described them as "inaccessible mountains covered with snow" and where soldiers walked up to their knees in snow), the presence of snow was undeniably witnessed by the 17th century Jesuit priest Jerónimo Lobo. Although the later traveler James Bruce claims that he had never witnessed snow in the Semien Mountains, the 19th century explorer Henry Salt not only recorded that he saw snow there (on 9 April 1814), but explained the reason for Bruce's failure to see snow in these mountains – Bruce had ventured no further than the foothills into the Semiens.

The Walia ibex is another animal that is native to Jan Amora. The ibex is from the goat family, and currently there are 1200 in Jan Amora. This endangered species is found in only semien Mountains Debark and Jan Amora. Jan Amora also is home to two of some of the most endangered animals the Simien jackal and the Ethiopian wolf. The population of these recently aniamls is increasing to about 10% every year


Jan Amora is also the place for Ethiopian monkey gelada with large populations in theSemien Mountains. The Gelada live with other large group Monkeys. These Gelada only found in Ethiopia not other else. These Gelada mainly eat grass but the Male gelada eat other animals' meat. When both blades and seeds are available, geladas prefer the seeds. They also eat flowers, rhizomes and roots when available. At night, they sleep on the ledges of cliffs. At sunrise, they leave the cliffs and travel to the tops of the plateaus to feed and socialize. When morning ends, social activities tend to wane and the geladas primarily focus on foraging. They will travel during this time, as well. When evening arrives, geladas exhibit more social activities before descending to the cliffs to sleep.Over 474,000 tourists visited Semien Mountains during the first nine months of the current Ethiopian fiscal year, from Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy and among others country. Ethiopia generates $252 million revenue from tourism in Semien Mountains in 2006 to 2011.
Source: triposo.com

Ethiopia doesn’t have beaches but tourism is booming for its 13th century churches

For a landlocked country without any fancy ocean-view beach resorts, Ethiopia’s tourism industry is not doing badly. Named the world’s best tourist destination of the year in 2015, Ethiopia says it posted a 20.7% spike in tourism dollars last year topping $3.4 billion.

Much of the growth of Ethiopia’s tourism has been due to its nine UNESCO world heritage sites, such as the 13th century rock-hewn churches in Lalibela, which continue to be a big draw. Also important, Gezahegn Abate, tourism ministry spokesperson, says, is the Ethiopia’s growing popularity as hosts of international business events and conferences which “had also a direct and positive impact in boosting tourism.”

In total, visitor numbers has increased 12% annually over the last decade with around 2.2 million jobs created as of 2014 according to the African Development Bank. Having welcomed 910,000 visitors in 2015, the country is on track to reach 1 million visitors this year.

Saint George, one of the 11 rock-hewn churches in Lalibela, an ancient site that draws tens of thousands of foreign tourists to Ethiopia every year.(Reuters/Radu Sigheti)

Despite its recent success, Ethiopia is not letting up. It has set a target to grow visitor arrivals to 2.5 million by 2020 and earlier this year, it launched a new tourism brand marketing itself as the ‘Land of Origins’with government officials keen to sell the message of the country’s history and culture to the world.

“People don’t know a lot about Ethiopia,” Solomon Tadesse, CEO of the Ethiopian Tourism Organization says. “It is the land on which human beings walked upright for the first time. It is the land that brought a gift to the whole world, the coffee that everybody enjoys every morning. It is the land with the source of the Blue Nile, where civilization started.” Tadasse says the country is working on “simplifying the visa processing for both tourists and potential investors” as they aim to continue to grow the country’s tourist profile but admits there is “a lot of work” to be done “telling the world about the real Ethiopia.”

Regardless of the upbeat outlook on Ethiopia’s tourism potential however, it still contends with serious internal challenges. Earlier this year, while facing its worst drought in 50 years, as many as 18 million people were left in need of food aid.

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