Culture
Preserving Soulful Grooves: Maestro Dawit Yifru on Ethiopian Music's Golden Era
The Reporter · 2 weeks ago · Read the Full Story on The Reporter
AI SUMMARY
Legendary Ethiopian keyboardist, composer, and arranger Dawit Yifru reflects on his six-decade career, the golden era of music production, and the modern challenges facing artists.
- Dawit Yifru was born in 1952 in the Dejach Wube neighborhood of Addis Ababa and began his music training in 1962 at the Haile Selassie I Theatre under Muse Nerses Nalbandian.
- He co-founded seminal ensembles including the Venus Band, Dahlak Band, and the Roha Band, providing the creative and harmonic spine for over 250 albums.
- His inaugural arrangement was Melkamu Tebeje’s timeless song 'Bemba Teleyechgn'.
- Dawit has served as President of the Ethiopian Musicians Association for over two decades, leading the advocacy for robust copyright enforcement and royalty collection.
- The Addis Ababa City Government Culture, Arts, and Tourism Bureau recently awarded him an honorary diploma for his lifetime contributions.
- He notes that golden era music succeeded through distinct collaboration among separate professionals including lyricists, composers, vocalists, instrumentalists, and arrangers.
- Institutional bands like the Armed Forces, National Theatre, Hager Fikir, and Bodyguard used to rehearse for six months to stage grand annual New Year showcases.
- Radio debuts on September 10 (Pagume 5) traditionally marked the height of public anticipation for new holiday music releases.
- He believes artificial intelligence cannot replace organic human musicality, serving only as a temporary novelty lacking genuine soul.
- He advocates for reduced import tariffs on musical instruments and proper enforcement of live performance requirements in the hospitality sector.
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