Dear reader,

I was away from city for a while and I had no internet connection. I think I am going to compensate.

Teddy Afro was in court room on June 6, 2008. Teddy’s lawyer rejected all testimonials against his client including the autopsy. He said that the autopsy is not signed by any authorized physician from the referred hospital. It is just a paper. The case was adjourned dating to July 4, INDIPENDENCE DAY. Almost 170 fans attended the trial.

His Excellency PM Meles Zenawi won “African Leadership Award 2008″. Console General of Ethiopia to Los Angeles, USA, Ambassador Taye received the prize on behalf of the premier. Read more on http://www.ethpress.gov.et June 3, 2008 edition.

A Rough Overview on FM Stations in Addis

I would love to make a pre-notification on what you are going to read. We all know we, Ethiopians, don’t really want to hear “bad bamboo-jumbo” of whatever we do. Who does actually?

Is not over a decade (8 years only) since the first station on FM band ( FM Addis on 97.1MHZ) was found by the government. Obviously FM stations are headaches for AM ones. (The national radio station even started to transmit on FM band.) Thanks to the almighty we now have a finger count of those.

FM Addis 97.1, Fana FM 98.1, Sheger FM 102.1, Zami FM 90.7, FM 96.9 are some among the whole and the usually tuned ones.

Basically, FM stations are known for local & critical information and all rounded entertainment some to mention YEBEKAL (focusing on HIV/AIDS), IRIE (music), ADDIS ZEMA (Music), SAMINTU BETARIK WUST ( The week within history), soccer chat (on all stations), CHEWATA (guest interview, music & narration) some like SHEGER 102.1 got their own style of presentation like writing. They prefer to talk of things in the old fashioned way like they say WORE instead of ZENA. They may even use obsolete words.

There are some program presenters who are up to the work like Dagmawi Tariku & Fiseha Tegen (both now in abroad), Meaza Birru, Teferi Alemu, Getachew Manguday, Abiy Teklemariam(all ‘football first’ members though I don’t like soccer) . There are some to the contrary, not knowing of what they are doing. There are some programs ‘best conceived ideas’ and ‘not yet shall be born’ types. Ethiopiacal links is one of those. The program is like a nasty detective acting like in a weird way. The most boring thing about them is that they try to take you in labyrinth suspense almost to tell nothing. There are some having large magnificent boat in the middle of a sea but run out of fuel. Addis Zema Saturday night live party used to be one among the weekly expected @ 9:00PM through 12: 00AM. Seifu Fantahun is a funny idol to this program. Unfortunately he started talent search & ceased it after a while. Later he made the public hallucinate saying this song is a copy of this one. The public tolerated him till he touched Teddy Afro who is considered as first born child to the art world in Ethiopia.

Generally speaking, it’s a good start but needs baby sitting since media is a wind sailing boat, can take anywhere since all are destinations. “Press Law” is the wheel but without trend captain who can foresee before the compass…is what all seem wander to have.

Halloween is one of the popular parties on those countries from whom we quote everything considering the righteous. Everyone coming to the Halloween should wear a mask. Any kind but he/she is expected to cover his/her face with a mask better if with something scary. This thing came to my mind when an old friend of mine sent me an SMS saying the following

Enjoy and celebrate Ginbot 20

With 1000 birr teff, 110 birr kibe,

18 birr a kilo of misir, no light,

No port, no freedom and democracy.

I am sure everyone will appear on 20th Ginbot smiling and singing and a mass, the mask. It’s up to you to come to the party since you all are invited. Make sure you wear the mask before you do so. Happy Halloween Party!!

A north light fading away

He had been a hot issue both on the celebrity and on the controversy sides, Teddy Afro. Everyone might but why Teddy’s affairs got such a mob interest and be a public heart beat? There should be explanation, right?

When Teddy first came to the industry with his first album, he was adored and everyone considered him a higher rescue officer for the Ethiopian music missing originality and tasting “the same old story”. Every station played his song, every audience requested his song. He was the sun he was the shade.

A little while there arose a claim by Teddy when a music company released his Song (which he had made before his first album but not released). Teddy claimed that the release of the new album (by he company) being immoral for he had sung a so much better now and the company is using my name and being advantageous over me. This appeased a while later.

He had clash with his former band members saying “They played my song not finely”. Wow! The band members say that he is ruining our reputation because he found his new band, AFRO SOUND BAND.

On his latter second ranked claim he appeared on court for he had used Addis Gebru’s paints (a famous painter) without the will of the artist. Before this case got adjourned, he got a clash with Seifu Fantahun, a music entertainer on FM Addis 97.1, for Seifu said that Teddy’s song (Bob Marley) is a copy from a Sudanese song titled MOBILE. Teddy was uncomfortable with Seifu’s stingy gut.

Then comes the number one case, Tedy is “WANTED!” in charge of a-hit-and-run car accident. This seems the strongest charge on Teddy ever. So far is the case about Teddy. But why is the issue such a headache to all?

[Are Ethiopians afraid of loosing hero in creating new art styles which they were thirsty? Or are they sure that he is innocent? Or do they think that he is entrapped? ]

Lots of mob activity has been seen during his case in trial and many police officers were busy in dispersing the crowd. T-shirts having his picture over them were sold up to 100 ETB. Many SMS messages have been sent saying a lot good about Teddy?

We will see what happens!

THE ETHIOPIAN CINEMA INDUSTRY

In no time ever before, these days the number of motion picture release is escalating. Let you go any cinema hall in Addis, you will see a Habesha Movie Poster on large billboard. Some years back people line up at cinema entrances for theatres but not these days. Now seems it is time for movie.

Every time a movie is released, you will hear the phrase “A movie that takes the cinema industry one step up” yet you may see some people leaving the hall five minutes after the movie is started. There are many incidents where in a single movie directing, screen play, acting, casting… might be done by a single person. This is, as I believe, a disaster to the industry’s growth. It is obvious that a person might be a multi professional but may not be a master mind in all the same time.

There are some movies that I consider as better work like SERIYET, YEWONDOCH GUDAY, ASHENGE, as having originality (These are not the only best if I should count).

It is really hard to find a real data concerning which movie is the leading income wise. I don’t know why any of them are afraid to tell the actual income they made from the movie, (the Inland Revenue or thieves, heaven knows why).

These days, if you want to go to any of the cinemas in Addis, you don’t have to bother any one, you just Google on the site: http://www.ethiojoy.com/ and make the choice.

Dr. Birhanu from former coalition for Unity and Democracy, seemed to appear with new id and ideology. He was known for his “peacefull violence”. He looks as if he has changed his mind from that way. “There is time for peacefullness..” he made a speech while he was in USA said ADDIS NEGER, one of a weekly journal in Addis. 

UNIDENTIFIED DISEASE IN ADDIS

UNIDENTIFIED DISEASE HIT ABOUT 13 PEOPLE ALL OF WHOM BEING FEMALE  AND ONE DIED. THE DISEAS SHOWS SWELL OF LEGS, BLOOD CONTAINING SPIT AND HARD HEADACHE AS PRIMARY SYPTOMS.

THE ETHIOPIAN CINEMA INDUSTRY

In no time ever before, these days the number of motion picture release is escalating. Let you go any cinema hall in Addis, you will see a Habesha Movie Poster on large billboard. Some years back people line up at cinema entrances for theatres but not these days. Now seems it is time for movie.

Every time a movie is released, you will hear the phrase “A movie that takes the cinema industry one step up” yet you may see some people leaving the hall five minutes after the movie is started. There are many incidents where in a single movie directing, screen play, acting, casting… might be done by a single person. This is, as I believe, a disaster to the industry’s growth. It is obvious that a person might be a multi professional but may not be a master mind in all the same time.

There are some movies that I consider as better work like SERIYET, YEWONDOCH GUDAY, ASHENGE, as having originality (These are not the only best if I should count).

It is really hard to find a real data concerning which movie is the leading income wise. I don’t know why any of them are afraid to tell the actual income they made from the movie, (the Inland Revenue or thieves, heaven knows why).

These days, if you want to go to any of the cinemas in Addis, you don’t have to bother any one, you just Google on the site: www.ethiojoy.com and enjoy.

JOKES

1.      OF THE INTELLECTUAL

Once, those famous scientists were playing hide and seek in heaven. (Einstein, Pavlov, Pascal, Newton…). Einstein was supposed to count while all others hide. He count to zillions. Finally went looking. A little while he found Newton on bare space.

Einstein said “I found you”

Newton: “No, you didn’t”

Einstein: “Prove it”

Newton started explaining while all others emerge from where they hid. “While you were counting I scratched 1m² area and I stood in. As we all know I am Newton and Newton over area is Pascal. So, you didn’t found me but Pascal.

2.      OF THE LAYMEN

Once a religious man wanted to have a child badly and tried every way and position. All failed. He went to Aboye church and made a word that if he could have one he will name his son or daughter after the saint.

After a year he had one. He named him “SETUGN ABOYE”

The next year one. He named her “DEGEMUGN ABOYE”

Third year one. He named her “SELESUGN ABOYE”

Fourth year one. HE named him “ABEZUT ABOYE”

3.      OF THE MEDIUMS

A young Zen monk was allowed to say two words a decade and the superiors within three decades. A young monk moved to this monastery. The first decade went by and it was time for him to say his first two words. He appeared in front of the superiors and said “Food Bad”. The next decade “Bed Bad” On the third “I quit”. Since this was the third decade the superior said “I Knew”