Posts Page | Capital Newspaper | The Paper That Promotes Free Enterprise

The annual Hullageb arts festival, hosted by Jerusalem’s Confederation House, includes vocalists from the ‘Ethiopian Banai’ family and a play that echoes the community’s protests

Vocalist Tamar Rada feels more Israeli than Ethiopian, but the language, beats, and rhythms of her native land are what move the singer-songwriter.
It all comes to life in her second album, “Adisge,” which will be celebrated December 28, at this year’s Hullageb Israeli-Ethiopian Arts Festival, December 24-30, though the coronavirus pandemic has forced the festival online, and with no visiting artists this year. The performances will be available on the Confederation House Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Hullageb, which means “multifaceted,” is a creation and production of Jerusalem’s Confederation House, whose mission is to create artistic harmony among the more than 100 ethnic groups in Jerusalem. The festival is dedicated to musical, theatrical, and dance creations by artists of Ethiopian origin, with an emphasis on the artists’ dialogue with surrounding Israeli culture and the influences from Western and African art.
Decades have passed since the large influx of Ethiopian immigrants to Israel, and many of the younger artists performing this year do not have the same memories as their elders. making the show into more of an Ethiopian-Israeli meld.
“I almost don’t remember Ethiopia,” said Rada, who came to Israel with her family on Operation Solomon, when she was not quite 4 years old. “I’m much more Israeli, but the culture in our house was Ethiopian.”
“Adisge” is that Ethiopian-Israeli mix come to life, with songs that Rada composed to words by Israeli poets David Avidan, Yehuda Amichai, and Eli Eliyahu. Her own original works feature as well, playing with Hebrew, slipping in some Amharic and embellished with her love of African and electronic music.
“I don’t have control over it, it takes over me, it just goes there,” she said of her sound.
Rada and the Tamarada Band are slated to perform on Monday, December 28 at 9:00 p.m.
Music has always been part of Rada’s life, brought to her from her father, who always sang at home, and played his cassettes and video tapes of Ethiopian jazz and fusion as the background to impromptu Rada family dance parties on Friday afternoons.
“We only spoke Amharic in the house, Dad didn’t let us speak Hebrew at home,” said Rada. “He wanted us to speak Hebrew perfectly outside, but to never forget our Ethiopian language and culture.”
During a post-army trip to Mexico, Rada was unexpectedly pulled onstage for a spontaneous performance. The audience’s response awoke a desire in her to sing professionally.
She studied at Israel’s Rimon School of Music, having never learned music notes or studied voice, and was sure that each year would be her last.
She struggled to find her sound, wondering whether she should lean toward artistic independence or try to find fame via the type of music popular on televised singing contests.
“How do you start,” she asked. “Do you go indie or reality?”
It was her instructor Ariel Horowitz, son of legendary singer-songwriter Naomi Shemer, who helped guide Rada, now 33, on her singing and songwriting path. He was the one who encouraged Rada to use some Israeli texts and add her own vibe, “something tribal from her past.”
Rada has several singers in her family including her brother, who sings professionally, and her cousin Ester Rada, who will kick off the festival on December 24.
“I call us the ‘Ethiopian Banai family,’” she said. “Music and singing are part of us.”
Other Hullageb performances at the festival, marking its 11th year, include bass player Yossi Fein with Aveva Dese, Oshi Masala and Adoniya, Abatte Barihun and the Tesfa Ensemble, actor-dancer Tzvika Iskias and choreographer-dancer Ofra Idel; dance-hall artist Ayalew with his first album; Dege Feder and the Beita Dance Ensemble; former members of the Idan Raichel project; vocalist Avi Wogderess-Vasa; and bass player-producer Yankele Segal.
The festival also includes two original productions by the Hullageb Theater Ensemble, including “Sand Stories,” a play without words that uses animation, clowning, music, and movement, set for Friday, December 25 at 12 p.m.
The play tells the story of a girl drawing in the sand, whose drawings become animated characters — shown on a screen that serves as the play’s backdrop — acting out their own story, and are then erased.
The other performance is “The Mark of Cain,” a minimalist play that echoes the anger and protest of the members of the Ethiopian community who have experienced racism in Israeli society.
The play tells of a family with a social stain, whose father decides to return to Ethiopia, as the mother and three children find themselves descending into crisis. It will be performed Wednesday, December 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Both plays are directed by Moshe Malka, who is not Ethiopian, but has been directing actors of Ethiopian descent for the last 20 years.
“I don’t like to tell the stories of Ethiopians,” said Malka. “I prefer telling the story of a person. We live enough with separations in our society; you have to present the conflict, but it’s not the most important thing.”
“After 20 years of working with Ethiopians, I’m happy that the best thing I can do on stage is to not think about who they are — they could be Chinese or Indian as far as I know, they’re people and where they’re from doesn’t really matter,” said Malka.
It is an idea that jibes with Tamar Rada’s upbringing, she said.
“Dad emphasized that we were Ethiopian, but he wanted me to be Israeli outside the house,” said Rada. “‘You’re Tamar Rada, a Jew, and Israeli from Ethiopia. You are who are. You’re who’s interesting, not where you came from.’ That’s my hope, and my energy.”

(The Times of Israel)

The Barbaric End: A Sequel to the “Last Supper”

Society

admin

January 11, 2021

By The Queen of Sheba

In an article “The Last Supper: The Slaughter Camp,” I narrated how the TPLF cabal has treasonously trapped the Ethiopian National Defence Forces of the Northern Command and savagely slaughtered them in their asleep on the fateful night of November 3, 2020.
On this night, the cabal forces viciously attacked the Command in a highly coordinated and cowardly manner both from inside and outside their camps. The harrowing stories of captured, escaped and released soldiers and also civilians have inconsolably exhibited the true color of the repugnant cabal whose criminality have been known for decades-but have been largely ignored by the international community. Following the attack, the cabal committed unimaginable atrocities which makes it difficult to narrate without being too explicit.
The inhumane attack on the Northern Command included ethnic-based execution of officers and soldiers; slitting of throats and bodies; slashing of breasts of women soldiers; shoving metals in men’s sexual organs; crashing prisoners with heavy trucks and spraying them with bullets as they were fleeing. And more.
In the My-Kadra atrocities where they committed genocide against the Amharas, they wasted no bullets; they instead deployed knives, bayonettes and axes, maiming and killing seasonal laborers, peasants, villagers, and merchants-both men and women. After these heinous and gruesome acts, they went about rubbishing bodies, dancing over them and then burning some, leaving the rest to scavengers-and hyenas to feast on.
At the conclusion of the tragic act of the “last supper,” the cabal officials victoriously, but prematurely, bragged about the annihilation of the Northern Command and the changing reality of force on the ground-in televised interviews. The good majority of the international media, in a manner that appeared to be cherishing the defeat of the National Force and victory of the cabal, carried misguided, distorted, and outright wrong news, information and analysis-relentlessly.
Conducting the War: The Situation Room
Stunned by the “thunderous” attack, but driven by intense resolve and anger, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed declared an immediate ‘law-and-order’ operation to repulse the TPLF attack. We learned later that the cabal planned the attack on the army to capture its massive arms; then crush the Amhara militias and special forces while at the same time triggering violence across the country with the pipe dream to triumphantly drive into Addis Ababa, overthrow the government and establish a transitional one-like the sham one three decades ago.
By rallying the stunned public, the wounded, but highly-spirited, army, and recalling the unjustly retired high-ranking army officers, Abiy, the former Army Colonel himself, executed the operation from what he called a “situation room” likening it to the famous one in the United States.
The operation was unlike any other the country has ever seen in its history in terms of efficiency, precision-and brevity.
The TPLF cabal were outwitted and outgunned by Abiy who covertly undertook to upgrade its firepower capabilities following the audacious refusal of the TPLF cabal for moving forces out of Tigray, at the cessation of hostilities between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The TPLF cabal fatally misjudged Abiy’s military capability, when they treasonously prepared the “last supper”.
The Phony Heroes: Monstrous Criminals
The Ethiopian army spokesperson just released a long list of captured and dead cabal political and military leaders. The official promised more names in the next few days as the hunt and investigation to identify bodies more accurately continues.
This list, that comprises some 30 high-ranking army and civilian cabal leaders, includes some of the most heinous criminals that led the perpetration of the My-Kadra genocide.
It was reported that the cabal forces were relentlessly attacked by the Ethiopian Defence forces as they were routed from their enclaves and caves-in a blitzkrieg. With their fleet-of clandestinely acquired and forcibly seized arms and vehicles-annihilated and largely abandoned, the cabal forces got trashed in a humiliating-and devastating-defeat.
In a scramble to save their lives, some of the high-ranking cabal forces went about disgracefully disguising themselves as peasants, women, priests, and nuns, hiding in villages, churches and monasteries. In a doomed twist of fate, these coward criminals notorious for attacking, torturing and slaughtering such venerable and vulnerable members of society sought to assume their characters.
So much for the TPLF cabal who masqueraded as heroes for decades.
So much for the invincibility hype bankrolled by the cabal and its propaganda machines recently enhanced by the international media-oh, yes, which still wishfully dream the triumphant return of the cabal to Addis Ababa.
The gruesome act of the cabal was further demonstrated in the dumping 400 own wounded militia and special forces in deep caves-without any medical help-to quietly perish there. The monstrosity was further revealed in the beheading of their dead high-profile comrades, in their futile exercise to conceal their identities. The barbaric act of the cabal is simply bottomless.
So much for the systematically and relentlessly distorted, and coerced, narrative that this inhumane cabal was the exclusive representative of the God-fearing, cultured, and proud people of Tigray.
In Conclusion
The tragic act of the “last supper” spectacularly culminates with the chopping of the serpent’s head in a surgical-and lightning-strike. TPLF is no more.

The Queen of Sheba may be reached at QueenOfSheba2020@outlook.com

Constitutional violence is unacceptable

Opinion

admin

January 11, 2021

BY ABRAHAM NEGA, ILI, IIRAD,
Email: abrahamnegah@gmail.com

The National Defence Force that has been in the bunkers for the past 20 years defending its people and the country by paying heavy sacrifices with its blood and bone has been attacked, in Tigray region of Mekelle and many other places, by group of TPLF who betrayed their country Ethiopia.
TPLF’S Advocates of aggression towards Northern Command Force is a terrorist attack. The army has been attacked from behind by its own colleagues & brothers and many have been martyred, wounded and properties destroyed as well as looted assets.
The Ethiopian Defense Force Northern Command were active in participating of social affairs with Tigrian brothers in burning the grass to create smoke, to signal aircraft, to spray chemicals and to drive away grasshoppers from fields of farmers., soldiers of the command were also engaged in the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields of Tigray
As Ethiopian Defense Force Northern Command finds itself under attack by TPLF as a result of protecting Northern part of Ethiopian border and Tigrian people from any possible foreign aggression, then the last red line has been crossed.
The government tried to avoid war, but war cannot be avoided by one side,” PM Abiy said. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the National Defence Forces (ENDF) was given an order to start a military offensive against the Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Defense Force responded properly.
Ambassador Dina Mufti Spokesperson of MOFA claimed that the offensive comes after the TPLF “took measures” and tried to “rob the Northern Command of artillery and military equipment.”
Mai Kadra, one of the towns in Tigray killing by TPLF a group of Youth calling themselves SAMRI slaughtered more than 700 innocents Amharic descent was ethically motivated, grave human rights violations which may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. The victims were constricted throat, stabbed and beaten to death. The roads were strewn with a number of dead bodies.
TPLF is dressing its solders in uniforms resembling those of the Army of neighboring Eritrean to implicate the Eritrean government in false claims of aggression against the people of Tigray.
There is no doubt that aggressive nationalism (a strong love of Ethiopia) has dramatically increased to a level that many have never seen before due to the 100% of Tigray region became under the Federal Defense Force, said, Amb. Dina Mufti.
In one video, widely circulated on Ethiopian social media a young men said they were “Extremely happy” to see the main cities like Adwa, Shire, Axum, Adigrat and Mekele the capital of Tigray and more than 90% of the regional state are liberated from TPLF by Defense force, smiling as they pointed at the Northern part of the country where the military base direction of the Tigray region is.
Many waved the Ethiopian flag and holding up posters while others belting out Ethiopian National Anthem, the crowd sings cheerfully “Respect for Citizenship” is strong in our Ethiopia, National Pride is seen, shining from one side to other side. For peace, for justice, for the freedom of peoples, in equality and in love we stand united.
In another video, on the victory of the Federal Defense Force, a group belting out a patriotic Ethiopian song. The crowd sings cheerfully “praising our beloved motherland as it goes towards prosperity and power.” A crowd was also praising VIVA PM Abiy Ahmed the Commander – in – Chief the Federal Defense Force, Field Commanders and the entire Federal Defense Force on your wonderful performance; we are at your side.
In Joyful demonstrations and support towards the Defense ForceTens of thousands of residents flooded the streets across the Country including Addis Ababa and in other cities of Ethiopia, people in cars honked their horns, many of them whistled and played loud music and dancing in public spaces to marc the occasion.
After the attack on Northern Command Force by TPLF the reaction of the people shows that Ethiopians united together for their integrity, can never be defeated by any means and logic, we have seen how good we can be when we come together, said, Ambassador Fesseha Shawol, DG, IGAD and Neighboring countries in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Orchestrated and Ethnically motivated killings are certainly nothing new for Africa, but this particular murder of Mai-Kadra on ethnical line by TPLF has touched one of the biggest nerves in decades, and the incident has been conducted when the Ethiopian people and government attention was fully focused on peace and development.
It does not make all of us to feel good and save. It is not just only about Mai-Kadra killings on their ethnical line but you look back Shashemene, Benshangul, Guraferda, Wollega, 86 innocents in Addis Ababa and many others, let their house count them, how many times are we seen the same situation, just the names change but the colour does not and that is the painful reality of the situation. It is not in the past but it is in this TPLF generation history of discrimination and hate rate on ethnic line, sponsored by foreign entity and implemented by forces that are against the reform.
That is the honest truth behind this attack and frustration, somebody with the right mind can share the outrage at this fundamental injustice.
We have Covid-crisis, we have locust crisis, we have issue with our own resource of ABAY River (Blue Nile) and we have the situation of incident by foreign entities and in close collaboration with people who lost their advantages of corrupt practices due to reform, they incited violence and Riots in Addis Ababa and in Oromia, that is the honest truth and that is what is behind this anger and frustration and somebody with the right mind share the outrage at this fundamental crisis, they do.
BUT CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER, LAUNCHING MILITARY ATTACK ON NATIONAL DEFENSE FORCE IT NEVER IS THE ANSWER. Constitutional Violence obscures the righteousness of the message and the mission. We lose the point by attacking military base and looting assets the violence in response and allows people who chose to scapegoat the point of violence rather than the action that created the reaction.
The constitutional violence allows people to talk about the violence as a pose to honestly to address the situation that incited the violence.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE DOES NOT WORK AND THE MILITARY ATTACK ON YOUR OWN BROTHERS & COLLEAGUES ALSO DOES NOT SOUND GOOD. CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE AND POLITICAL SABOTAGE IS NOT THE ANSWER FOR ANY QUESTION ON THIS ERA OF CIVILIZED SOCIETY.
Dr. Luther King has taught us this, he knows better than anyone who is speaking to us today on this issue, RETURNING HATE FOR HATE MULTIPLIES HATE. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that, yes outrage, yes frustration, yes anger but not VIOLENCE AND RIOT. As well as attack on your own citizens.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has ordered the military to review the actions and the procedure on enforcement of Rule of law because the Ethiopian people do deserve answer and accountability.
Those who are working for their own interests not for the Country to betray their country by committing treason, turning against their government and people, perhaps by selling secret information and destabilizing of their own country with the sponsors of foreign entity became the temporary challenge of Ethiopia which will be solved soon or later by strong sense of solidarity of the Ethiopian Nation and Nationalities, said, Ambassador Dina Mufti, Spokes Person of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia’s first automatic bowling alley makes a comeback

Sports

admin

January 11, 2021

Ethiopia’s first automatic bowling alley makes a comeback

Ethiopia’s first automatic bowling alley, Guenet that was opened in the 1930s, is set to make a splash after going through a major renovation.
Dubbed ‘Guenet Vintage Bowling’, located in Genet Hotel, Mexico, Mozambique street, the bowling place holds six bowling lanes resting on a close to 500 square meter of underground space.
Guenet was first opened during the Italian Invasion of Ethiopia. The invaders frequented the place during their stay in Ethiopia, while after their eviction; Guenet became a popular hot spot in the city.
The popularity of the hotel had been continuously decreasing for the past two decades, and the place failed to keep up with the time.
Guenet Hotel is currently under the mandate of the Catering and Tourism Training Institute (CTTI). The institute is responsible for producing skilled workforce and conducting research and consultancy-related works in the tourism and hospitality industry.
“The Institute decided to outsource the American-style bowling alley to private businesses as it lacked the technical and financial capacity to keep it running,” said Tariku Tesfaye, the new owner of Guenet Vintage Bowling.
With the new facelift, the new owners hope to introduce the fun activity to new sets of generations.
Besides the bowling alley, the lush tropical garden and the tennis courts still remain open at Guenet, with the only missing exception of the African lion that roamed the compound during imperial times.
Guenet officially inaugurated its service on Sunday, January 3, 2020, with a special program. Besides bowling, the event will witness different vintage games, a photo gallery, and a photo booth.