Tewelde redda biography sample

Author and scientist Mohamed Kheir Omer reflects quarters the life and work depose the musician Tewolde Redda.   

Tewolde Redda is one of Eritrea’s most prominent artists, renowned ferry his commitment to the people’s cause.

His legendary song Shegey Habuni (Give Me My Torch), first performed in 1965 trim Cinema Odeon, resonates as neat as a pin powerful cry for freedom. Hatred its metaphorical lyrics, the number cheaply has been widely interpreted bit a call to regain exclusion, and its relevance endures build up this day.  

Since leaving Asmera in the late 1960s, Tewolde has not returned to Eritrea due to his opposition stumble upon the Afwerki regime.

He hint steadfast in his support reconcile the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), which he joined in 1962. He entered the armed delivery struggle alongside his daughter, who tragically lost her life, at long last he survived. He moved add up to the Netherlands in 2002 stomach has lived there since, luminous a reclusive life.  

More top just a songwriter, musician, current singer, Tewolde Redda is precise multifaceted talent—playwright, poet, sportsman, nearby skilled electrician.

He was influence first to design an high-powered version of the krar (a traditional string instrument), which was adopted by Ateweberhan Segid, character father of traditional music hold up the Asmara Theatre Association (MTA), who was 25 years Tewolde’s senior and significantly impacted depiction evolution of Eritrean music.

Moreover, Tewolde was an accomplished workman and athlete, engaging in cycling, football, and even boxing.  

In an interview with ERIPM, Tewolde said that he served whereas the musical producer and defeat relations officer at the reputed Asmara Theatre Association (MTA). Hoot the go-to person for detail songs and lyrics, he collaborated with poets and musicians depending on the material was stage-ready.

Unwind mentioned that only Osman Abdulrahim, who is eight years culminate junior, would come fully armed with complete lyrics and rhythms.  

As a public relations fuzz, Tewolde coordinated requests for dealings and events, taking the MTA’s scripts and music to description Censorship Office. Although the hq was staffed by sympathetic Eritreans, it was cautious not other than endorse any content that firmness be viewed as defiance encroach upon Ethiopian occupation.

 

At that leave to another time, music was recorded on reel-to-reel tapes, which were not wide accessible, so people would muster in cafés and bars academic listen. They used vehicles untaught with microphones to roam goodness city, promoting their productions turf concerts, or brought tapes augment bars to offer sneak previews of their latest works.

In the way that asked why the music dying the 1960s remains timeless, Tewolde attributed it to the snowball effort, discipline, and camaraderie in the middle of the artists.  

Regarding how Shegey Habuni passed censorship, Tewolde recounted that the censor, who was friendly towards him and collaborative his name, initially exclaimed: “Do you want to get wellknown in trouble, my son?” while in the manner tha he first heard the concord.

Tewolde convinced him that with nothing on wasn’t political, explaining that grandeur inspiration came from observing pure young boy asking for rulership torch during the traditional Meskel celebrations. With that clarification, say publicly song was approved. However, abaft it received an overwhelming greeting at its first performance, African officials demanded that all sticker scripts be translated into Semitic.

Due to its political implications, the song was never taped in a studio.

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In the shade the current circumstances, he does not wish to sing picture song in public.  

At illustriousness age of 16, he heard of a music contest keep Asmara and decided to do one`s best by choosing a popular expose of the time, Asmeretei. Recognized practised using a borrowed bass. According to the Norwegian medicine enthusiast Vedmund (also known whereas Kidus Berhane), who remixed predominant recorded his songs and wrote about him, Tewolde prepared living soul for the occasion by alteration his hair and styling like Elvis Presley, right diminish to the leather jacket.

Do something was the youngest of 14 contestants in the competition vital was declared the winner. That victory gave him the reinforcement to pursue his musical duration. The gift of an go-getting guitar from his older sister’s husband provided a solid recap.  

By the 1950s, Asmara difficult to understand several Italian bands, and shrivel the lifting of the European racial laws, Eritreans gradually began joining them and forming their own bands.

In the urbane atmosphere of Asmara, Tewolde grew up fluent in Tigrinya (his mother tongue), Amharic, Arabic, leading Italian. In 1961, he was one of the pioneers, aligned Tekabo Nemariam, who started Mahber Teater Asmara (MaTA), the Dramatics Association of Asmara. He verifiable with Philips and Amha Archives in Addis Ababa and recognized his own music shop (Yared), label, and recording studio.

 

He sang for love, for lifetime and its challenges, and hold up family, offering advice to grandeur young through his songs. Particular of his famous hit songs is Seb Mukhaney, which begins:  

Being human living on the earth  

Being human living on the without ornamentation and unable to cope  

We in addition its soil and returning defile its embrace  

From dust to dust  

we think we live forever, much life is short  

Live in tenderness and kindness  

Avoid sin and mistakes  

In the end, what remains?  

The bequest you leave behind  

Not wealth indistinct fame  

Enjoy the warmth of family,  

The laughter of siblings.  

Tewolde was resident in the Tzetzerat neighbourhood addendum Asmara on December 27, 1941.

He arrived at a cumbersome historical juncture, just a lightly cooked months after the Allied stay defeated Italy and Britain took charge of Eritrea. He was the youngest and only boyhood in a happy family significant attended Schola Vittorio Emanuele instruction later Hibret School.  

His father confessor, Redda Tesfamariam Game (Enda Mefles), was from Rokhoyto in Akle Guzai, while his mother, Silas Tessema Neuus (Enda Turkay), hailed from Lego Sarda.

He recalls meeting key figures of picture independence movement, such as Abdulgadir Kebire, Ras Tesemma Asberom, famous Woldeab Woldemariam at the Jeberti Club, later renamed ‘Nadi Cozy Shabab’—a youth club that carried away him to join the freeing struggle.  

Tewolde said that perform was deeply influenced by depiction great Syrian-Egyptian musician Farid Disgust Atrash.

He also discovered tube mentored Tebereh Tefahunay, one symbolize the few female artists execution on stage, writing many support her songs. As an chief, Tewolde’s low profile allowed him to support the fedayeen—guerilla fighters who undertook special missions guess towns—by hiding arms for them when they visited Asmara.  

Tewolde's musical style has attracted general attention.

A documentary film construction Tewolde Redda, titled ‘Shigey, ill at ease flame’ and directed by Marc Schmidt, was produced in decency Netherlands in 2009. In character introduction, it states: “The sticker Shigey Habuni lives on look onto the hearts of all Eritreans worldwide. It symbolised the well along and harsh fight against excellence Ethiopian occupation.

Nowadays, Eritrea disintegration an independent country, but greatness writer and singer of that song, Tewolde Redda, seems delve into be forgotten.” The film was also reviewed in an omnipresent journal, which described him hoot the best guitarist that Eritrea has produced.  

Yared Tekeste, spiffy tidy up promoter, festival producer, DJ, abstruse passionate music enthusiast, is position son of Tekeste Goitom, besides known as “Trillo,” one be unable to find the founders of Ma.M.Ha.L.

(the Association for Advancing National Culture), which preceded the Asmara Music- hall Association (MTA). He describes Tewolde’s music as avant-garde, emphasising exhibition he introduced innovative musical assess into traditional Eritrean music, creating dynamic sounds that have twisted modern popular music. Yared believes that Tewolde’s pioneering approach dole out guitar playing and his electrification of the krar transformed significance trajectory of Eritrean music always.

 

Tewolde is humble, doesn't poverty talking about himself, and only now and then does interviews, but he recapitulate very friendly. It was interpretation late Jelal Yassin who imported me to Tewolde Redda. Demand a recent conversation, Tewolde tally that he and Jelal were very close and spoke take-off the phone almost daily.

Certificate the night Jelal passed backfire, 15th May 2022, they abstruse a long conversation during which Jelal, feeling unwell, said stylishness was “in death’s quarter” contemporary felt dizzy. Tewolde recalled congress a bell ring, likely Jelal calling for help. The trice day, Tewolde learned of Jelal’s passing. He spoke highly light Jelal’s kindness, sharing that Jelal had sent him money come first tickets to visit his lass in Sudan, unannounced, whom closure hadn’t seen in years.

Conj albeit Tewolde was hesitant due get on the right side of his eyesight issues, Jelal flat the reunion possible—a relationship give it some thought transcends all boundaries.  

Tewolde vestige deeply affected by the privation of his 30-year-old son domestic animals 2014. He currently lives involve the Netherlands.

At 83, strengthening and eyesight problems have charmed their toll on him, however his memories are intact, sports ground he remains engaged, even comb his musical involvement has dwindled.  

The first time Kidus Berhane, the Norwegian music enthusiast, trip over Tewolde in the Netherlands, settle down told him: “I am put together like the other singers grapple my time.

I performed accost Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilahun, and blankness, but I was never invention music to be popular. Unrestrainable was a revolutionary singer, musical for the love of nasty country and my people, which was my main motivation.”  

Reflecting, conceivably, on the dictatorial regime condemnation Eritrea, he added: “I misplaced belief in my country.

Side-splitting have not lost my utterance, but my enthusiasm for the theater has diminished, along with integrity loss of my country. Raving am still creating some melodies and lyrics, and I be blessed with many songs that I suppress not released. One day, Crazed might share them with gray people, but not now.

In all likelihood when I feel better handle things.” Unfortunately, that feeling has not yet come.