Ethiopia’s musical influence is not well known to most people.  The recent Ethiopiques CD series has helped unearth a veritable treasure trove of music that the Western world has never known – although most people from Ethiopia grew up on these songs.

But I dare say that most

Who: Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin

What: PBS Documentary: "The Market Maker"

When: 7/22/09 in NY - Check Your Local Listing (See Link Below)

Where: PBS

There is excitement in the air!  A current has electrified the Ethiopian community, as everyone awaits the airing of PBS's "The Market Maker" -

The French poet, playwright, and novelist Victor Hugo once wrote, “As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled.”  He was reminding us about the real reward in giving and charity towards others.  I was reminded of this quote when I was introduced to an exciting social

Throughout the course of modern African history, music has often been a powerful weapon of resistance and revolution.  Nowhere was this truer than in Angola during the period of Portuguese colonization.  One of our favorite CDs, “From Angola to Brasil,” takes some of the

The eternally enigmatic Mr. EthioJazz – the Lone Ranger of Ethiopian Music – has ridden in on his trusty stallion to protect us once again from bad music.  In his unyielding commitment to quality Ethiopian music…EthioJazz has penned a review of “The Prester

Moges Habte’s talent is well known to many avid listeners of Ethio Jazz.  For those who may not know, however, Moges is an amazing saxophone player whose musical roots date back to the fourth grade at Kokebe Tsibah Haile Selassie Day School and the Yared School of Music.  After

We believe in pushing the envelope and challenging status quo - which is why we are constantly looking to showcase images of Africa that you may not see anywhere.  Learn more about our African photo series here.

One of our favorite photographers - Emily Taylor - has worked her magic once

Emily Taylor is a photographic phenom living in Addis Ababa where she gives a voice to the voiceless and brings cultural awareness to a global audience.  Her work includes international assignments and contracts with local media organizations, NGOs, and businesses in Addis Ababa. 

As

As part of our African Photography series, here is a priceless image from one of our favorite people on Twitter.  As always, we encourage you to send photos of the "Real Africa" for the world to see.  For more details, click here.

"This is a pic of my precious little cousin

One of my favorite reggae singers – Luciano – has a song, “Save the World,” where he reminds us, “If you want to save the world, you gotta’ save the children.”  This message is especially poignant today.  With wars raging in Iraq and

I can’t wait for SEPTEMBER 25, 2009!  It's not often when a truly groundbreaking artist comes unto the scene.  In the case of the Kafa Beanz, however, a whole collective of groundbreaking artists – including Wayna, Burntface, Gabriel Teodros, B Sheba, AP,

There is never a shortage of information floating around the rumor mill.  However, the latest rumor that Teddy Afro will be released from jail soon has a lot of Ethiopian music lovers excited.  For many, Teddy represents more than just another musician – he is the voice of

I love photos.  I'm not a photographer.  But I can stare at photos of distant places and people for hours on end.  Whenever I read about events on the other side of the planet, I try to find photos of the places, the people, the terrain, etc.  But in all

Student activism throughout the Diaspora today is a continuation of the revolutionary fervor that inspired the student movements of the 1960s.  In almost every country - from the U.S. to Ethiopia - students have helped lead the fight against exploitation and discrimination. 

I've been impressed with the quantity and quality of documentaries on Ethiopia lately.  The Market Maker was a compelling story, as it showed some of the best that Ethiopia has to offer, and captured the hope that we all have for Ethiopia's bright tomorrows. 

This latest documentary -

One of the things I love about music is the honesty involved in it.  When an artist has poured their soul into a song or performance – whether it’s the musical virtuosity of legends such as Elias Negash and Moges Habte or diamonds "In the Ruff” like Oddisee –

Imagine Outkast traveling to West Africa and finding inspiration from Afro Beat and Highlife musical legends Fela Kuti, Nana Ampadu, Tony Allen, etc.  Then on their way home, they stopped in Jamaica to hang out on Brentford Road at Studio One; then made a final stop in the Queens, NY to pick

Many people know the Somali-born rapper K'naan for his hard-hitting and conscious lyrics.  But what many people fail to realize is that K'naan is a modern-day incarnation of a strong tradition of poetry in Somalia. - which is as old as time, itself.  We wanted to explore this poetic

I've been buying, selling, and trading rare records for a number of years now.  One of the things I love about digging for records is the number of kindred spirits you encounter along the way.  Music is food for the soul; and the excitement of meeting someone who shares a similar

We are excited to announce that Elias Negash's 5 albums plus a FREE bonus song are now available for download @ www.AddisTunes. com:

Peace 
Fikir 
Feel Like Dancin 
Harrambe 
Poetry and Music 

Elias has also graciously made available FREE for download his