Anthony Brown and
Girma Yifrashewa perform classical pieces
By Alemayehu Seife-Selassie
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - The internationally renowned US artist
and peace promoter Anthony Brown and Ethiopian respected pianist
Girma Yifrashewa performed twenty musical pieces at the Yared
Music School this past Tuesday. The artists presented their charity
show aiming to benefit women and children living with HIV/AIDS.
Performing with Anthony Brown was also the British pianist Brian
Wilson, giving their brief speeches before every song, both Anthony
and Girma managed to get the audience at the Yared music school
a taste of how their songs were conceived.
The piece, which captivated the audience even more was the song
that the two did together Zimitegna Liboch [Silent Hearts]. Antony
was singing in Amharic and the audience was marveled by the quick
adaptation skills of the artist.
Girma played his three pieces Sememen [elusion] which he wrote
using the classical fusion and Ethiopian traditional modal systems
Anchihoye, Chewata, Bati, and Elilta. “Sememen is the feeling
we have early in the morning laying somewhere between waking up
and sleep, Chewata represents the fun we make even when we are
in a sad situations. Elilta is a situational really emotional
expression of happiness it is an oral musical chant we create
using our mouth”, explains Girma.
Anthony on his part explained the significance of his visit saying,
“It is a particular thrill to share this stage with other
competent and able artist. The collaboration we are all witnessing
together is like how we would want it to be around the world against
the difference with age, race and culture to come together and
raise our voices together as one.”
The songs that Anthony sung were hymns of old American tunes created
in 1850s, American spirituals which were sung during the time
of African Americans 300 years of enslavement, and songs from
his recent CD ‘Each other’s light’. Having an
interactive element where the audience could also take part in
singing, Anthony took the crowd as a choir.
Anthony has sung in Bosnia, Ireland, China, Japan and lots of
other countries. Ethiopia is one of the few African countries,
which got the chance to host the celebrated artist.
May 19, 2007
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