Jah Lude Awol, 36, is an Ethiopian singer-songwriter and musician. The reggae singer was born and raised in Addis Ababa. Jah Lude’s music is heavily influenced by the cultural and old plays which are almost forgotten by the new generation. The artist also celebrates his belongingness to his homeland in his music.

At the time of the Italian occupation (1936-1941) many Ethiopians had sacrificed their life for freedom. Nevertheless, the freedom fighters, the then azmaris (minstrels), were also haunted by the fascist force. According to some records these people inspired and motivated the people to fight for their nation. And thousands of azmaris lost their life in the process. Whenever azmaris are mentioned, they are also known for their explosive humor, sarcasm and their metaphorical lyrics. It is common to hear how the contemporary Azmaris cannot measure up to previous ones. Add a comment

For long, poetry has been an important part to the Ethiopian literature. Ancient Ethiopian poets, with their intricate way of imparting their message known as qene, held a highly regarded place in the society. The rich tradition, notwithstanding argument to the contrary, has been passed on to young poets and writers. The contemporary writers, on their part, seem to be contributing to poetry by introducing novel ideas like releasing poetry recitals on CDs. Ephrem Seyoum is one such poet in the league of contemporary artistes. Many recognize Ephrem by his work ‘Solyana’ which was released on CD.

Tarantella has its origins in ancient Greece where they praised their gods by using ritualistic dance.  In Italy, they used this rhythmic and fast tempo music for exorcism and therapy. This concept was adopted by a Gypsy punk band named Gogol Bordello and named one of their albums ‘Super Taranta’. This band was able to tour all over the world giving a unique musical experience.

As the name itself implies, Dub Colossus, a collaboration between Ethiopian and British musicians, is an epic musical project. The group, which is composed of a pianist Samuel Yirga, Sax player Feleke Woldemariam and three vocalists, Sintayehu Zenebe, Tsedenia Gebremarkos and Termage Woretaw together with talented British musicians, appears to be growing on the world music scene.

The framing, color composition, camera movements could definitely alter the way a picture is received by the audience. An Ethiopian cinematographer, Abirham Haile Biru, says that an understanding of the concept of film details could have a big implication in the final output. His heart is captivated with the simple beautiful stories.

Lately, individuals and organizations are becoming more interested in working on motivational, attitude changing and inspiration related issues in Ethiopia. Among those the energetic and vibrant Ebba Tesfaye is one. However, Ebba is only a 22-year-old youngster who is already advising and counseling his peers on issues ranging from relationship to motivation.

It is been a while since Taekwondo, the South Korean marshal art, became a phenomenon in Addis. Even in small obscure corners, there are posters that advertise classes of Taekwondo. For Addisu Hurgessa, a young Master Instructor in his thirties, nothing gives more pleasure than seeing the local community embrace the sport.