Comments on: Eritrea Week: Tsehaytu Beraki

By: Yonatan

Yonatan — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:45:08 +0000

good job bro kepp it up.

yonatan

By: Awet

Awet — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:33:06 +0000

One thing I’m confused about are the similarities/differences between those from the GERMAN SPEAKING region in SWITZERLAND and the GERMAN people in GERMANY. I understand that the dialects they use are quite different, but do both people have a common heritage or should the distinction be made, historically and ethnically speaking, between the two? In other words, if today’s political borders didn’t exist would GERMAN SPEAKING SWISS and GERMANS in GERMANY be the same people living in a shared region?

-How about uniting all German speakers in one nation, under one leader? Ooops, someone tried that one…

Eritreans are Eritreans, Tigrayans are Tigrayans. Leave it at that.
If you want information on the political situation between Eritrea and Tigray you should read this: http://home.planet.nl/~hans.mebrat/eritrea-ethiopia.htm

Back to the music:

Wedi Tukul, one alltime favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJP2bFfZu1A
and Wedi Tukul back in the 80s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYDSqETvRCs&feature=related

Wedi, meaning “boy/son of” is roughly similar to the Algerian “Cheb” in usage. In case you wondered about all the Wedis in Eritrea.
Wedi Tukul (real name Tekle Kiflemariam) means The Son of Tukul, his village.
Wedi Tuquabo (Yohannes Tuquabo) is the son of his father Tuquabo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=autKFskZVnw

And if there’s a “wedi” there’s has to be a “gual” (girl/daughter of). Here’s Gual Ankere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMyNY3N4ZNs&feature=related

By: Gerben

Gerben — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:40:30 +0000

Sorry for going a bit off-topic but some words on The Ex: they are indeed quite active in engaging in all kinds of musical collaborations (one of the most interesting and musically succesful was their project with avantgarde cellist Tom Cora who unfortunately died some years ago).

They are absolutely an acquired taste but I think the CD they made with Getatchew Mekuria is actually pretty nice, the combi works pretty well on several tracks so worth a listen. And thanks to them a lot of people in the underground/anarcho/punk/etcetera get in contact with music they otherwise would probably never start listening to!

Oops, I guess I gave away my dutchness here..

Great theme week Matt, thanks!

By: Awet

Awet — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:07:14 +0000

Atzemtom Keskisom -They offered their bones

They paid their sacrifice with their bones
the Eritrean people are victorious and brave

The Eritrean people are powerful and brave
they struggled hard to save their country

Our people are the sea, our revolution is fish
they struggled long, that is it, that is it
thanks to them the nation is restored

Charge to the sea, who did it help?
as long as the Eritrean people exist
they will not give away their country

Mothers wailed, the men danced a war dance
the shanks of our children smashed the enemy
Here he is, the one who is humble
Here he is, the one who is proud of you

The people of Eritrea, they are the one
they will not surrender its inheritance
they will not surrender their bones and land

The brave and powerful people of Eritrea
never complained they were tired or bored
for 30 years they shed their blood

By: niki81

niki81 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:00:13 +0000

the ex again! She rediscovered by th member of “the ex” dutch rock group! i heard about this guys played with getatchew mekuria & this was not great! I find & listen the ex as is – full crap, like i may decide!
in this case seems like danger passed )) tsehaytu trax is not spoiled (mayb a little with electric gitar accompanying on ur trak (or i hear wrong this is not only krar)) in any case i wish dutch good guys & ethio lovers don’take instruments in hands if they r not self-confident in jazz music.
http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/04/14/when-world-music-goes-wrong/