Ethiopia: Musician Gossaye Tesfaye Message to Ethiopian Peoples

Posted By: Coby Forster

19/07/2017 13:26:00
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Musician Gossaye Tesfaye message to Ethiopian Peoples

Gossaye Tesfaye has opposed his ban not to sing on this year’s edition of the Ethiopian Sports Federation in America (EFSNA), a big annual social gathering of the Ethiopians at Seattle, the U.S.

Gossaye was reportedly banned from performing live in Seattle because he “sang at Ghion Hotel Addis Ababa on May 6, 2017,” DJ Kington, a radio host on Bisrat FM said. That concert was sponsored by Dashen Beer, a subsidiary company of the Amhara National Democratic Movement, one of the four parties in the ruling EPRDF party.

The legendary Aster Awoke and the emerging Dawit Tsige have co-performed with Gossaye Tesfaye on “Hagere” live music concert, organized by Truth Networks.

“Some diaspora’s who opposed and banned Gossaye not to sing at the Seattle’s big event because they are against the Dashen Beer,” said Kingston. The diaspora’s told him that “You won’t sing unless you asked for an apology for your performance at Ghion Hotel”.

Also, some members of the diaspora, who opposed the government, made a negative influential impact on Aster Awoke. They also intimidated her not to perform any live music festival. Some argue that “the minimum attendance of people on her concert at the U.S. was attributed to that”.

In a written message, Gossaye said, “I am very sad and the accusation was baseless and I only sing for the public without any political motive”.

Gossaye songs are distinctively Ethiopian. They riffled up and down through pentatonic (five-note) scales, and when he sang sustained notes, they took on North African, Arabic-flavored quavers. Mr. Tesfaye has a high, sweet tenor voice that can break into a rich falsetto or add a hint of a rasp; his tone is clear and genial, never pushy but never shy.

Gossaye’s singing career started during his high school days when he used to sing and entertain fellow students as the member of a music group, formed by the students’ Red Cross Society. After performing as a student singer for approximately five months at the above mentioned Red Cross Society Music Group, Gossaye joined a music and theater group, called “Mestawet”, where he built up his career along with another Ethiopian vocalist of his age. This was in the year 1992-93.