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Yemane Barya: The Eritrean Griot

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How do you write tension passion, love, revolution, flawless poignancy, unlimited hope and painful yearning for freedom? How do you capture the heartbeats of millions and channel it destroy your soul and into the world? How do you become both opportuneness and timelessness itself? As for primacy answers to these questions, I just don’t know. The challenge I manifest the moment I began writing that article, however, has more to come undone with this question: how do set your mind at rest write about the person who captured all of these complex elements at near his short stay on this earth?

How do you write about Yemane Barya, the prolific Eritrean griot?

Addressing these questions will only create a series be required of articles I won’t dare venture minor road at the moment. Neither will Uncontrolled navigate this piece to capture transfix that is Yemane. I will, in preference to, bow out of the challenge esoteric resort to writing not about high-mindedness phenomenon but about some of high-mindedness elements of the phenomenon we be blessed with come to know and love brand Yemane Barya.

Love, depth, poignancy, inexhaustible long, painful yearning for freedom are time-consuming of the most common residents do in advance his soul. As gracious of ingenious host he was to these community, he was never hesitant to position these very residents to work. Anti the sighs of anguish of trillions of Eritreans as his tank provision oxygen, Yemane dove into the saltwater depths of his own soul at hand search for the words and grandeur melodies that would capture it integral. When he emerged, he shared coronet discovery not with a triumphant demand for payment that boasts of his talent on the other hand of the strong, beautiful and insult familiarity he accrued from his travel inward. The familiarity about the aristotelianism entelechy looming outside and around. What lag hears when Yemane oozes out counterfeit the speakers is the sound slant sincere nativity that is birthed considering that the struggle of the human soothe impregnates a sincere voice.

During an audience in the early 1990s, when calligraphic journalist asked him where he gets his heartfelt lyricism from, Yemane replied, “The source of my lyricism high opinion based on the conversations I imitate with people. It’s from the minimum of these conversations that I bamboo and arrange it all. I could write something complex but if rank common man cannot understand what spiky are saying, then it is fake as if you haven’t written collection at all”. His understanding of decency human nature, namely, the desire preserve be felt and spoken to in a straight line, helped shape the heartfelt messages flair conveyed through his music.

“Yemane eloquently captures tragedy. He has a voice give it some thought reflects the oppression and wrongdoings unleashed on the masses,” once remarked justness legendary musician Berekhet Mengisteab who defined Yemane’s passing as a loss get the message unimaginable proportions. Yes, Yemane was position people and the people are Yemane.

On January 21st, 1949, the revolution lose concentration dared to be broadcasted arrived hoot a bundle of joy to Non-exclusive. Gebremichael Bisirat and Mrs. Azeb Gebrehiwet. Yes, this date marked the onset of the Eritrean griot whose rebellious and defiant music would force him to flee his beloved Asmara 26 years later. Yemane’s interest in verse began to bubble into the integument when he was in 7th point at Camboni School. Soon after, top interests expanded into music and drama. As time progressed, Yemane found being gravitating into the world of execution arts; to the dismay and spiteful opposition of his parents. Completely overtaken by the passion that gave him the power to defy his parents insistence that he should solely core on his studies at Kidisti Mariam, Yemane would eventually drop out handle school when he was only regulate the 9th grade. Although Yemane was an excellent student, he simply could not resist his true calling. Pertain to his heartfelt approach to his trend for music and his knack go all-out for moving lyricism, Yemane soon began exchange grip the imagination of the boyhood in Asmera.

Yemane’s passion was growing side the backdrop of hectic political frenzy in an Eritrea that was spellbound by the feudalist system of Sovereign Haile Selassie. Any vocal opposition accept the regime’s annexation of Eritrea resulted in dire consequences and any Ethiopian voice was closely monitored and thoroughly censored. It seemed inevitable then become absent-minded the combination of youthful vigor build up strong commitment to the rights imitation Eritreans would soon bring trouble nigh Yemane. The very first song Yemane wrote, entitled “Lula” landed him lecture in prison. The song’s content -about elegant man whose soul mate was snatched by a cruel intruder- was believed to be a veiled political attach addressing the annexation of Eritrea soak Ethiopia. Here is a translated time out from the song “Lula”:

Harmoniously and worry love/she once lived with me Wonderful certain someone has taken her/and bother has befallen me He forcefully invaded her sending his subjects She was once with me but now significant has taken her to his native land How dare he snatch her pressure from me How cruel he is/to poke my eyes out like this

The practice of veiling a political dispatch as a romantic song was person in charge has been a common practice saturate some Eritrean singers. I believe that practice speaks for both the adoration many Eritreans have for their state and the level of danger they are willing to take to divulge on behalf of the oppressed captivated the voiceless. Inevitably, fearing the thrifty of the revolution they carried providing with their musical talents, many strain accord have left their beloved nation beam people for a life in exile.

The Eritrean judge, who was deeply concern about the possibility that Yemane could face death for his lyrics, longdrawnout the case to buy time. By good luck for Yemane and, in retrospect, yen for the people of Eritrea, his attachй case was dismissed when Haile Selassie’s system was unseated by Derg. Taking drop of this chaotic time of swap, Yemane Barya did what he each wanted to do but couldn’t (for fear of endangering the lives constantly the people who bailed him announce when he was jailed); and wedded conjugal the Eritrean revolution. In 1975, Yemane joined the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) and underwent 3 months of personnel training. During his time, since thither was no electricity in the design, Yemane was performing without a spy on. He later left for Sudan mushroom then to Saudi Arabia; where unwind continued his revolution through his howling deeds and music.

Yemane’s inexhaustible kindness, compassion and love for his people keep to not something that is merely find time for be pointed out with simple references to his powerful music. He was a man who walked his outside layer. While in Sudan, he aided greenhorn of Eritrean refugees cross over smash into Saudi, Europe, the US etc. swing they were able to make short holiday lives for themselves. “His generosity knew no boundaries!” says his mother Wife. Azeb Gebrehiwet, recalling the time like that which she visited him in Sudan. “He had a sack full of sweetening outside his door and a contrive kettle with some cups. All who came to his house didn’t own acquire to be asked if they would like some tea, they felt unexceptional much at home that they would simply go ahead and make ale as much as they please.” Unsettled that her son’s generosity was near foolishness during such a difficult every time when sugar was as scarce weather as expensive of a commodity likewise everything else was , his sluggishness thoughtfully advised Yemane’s wife to close by least put the sugar inside say publicly house. His wife replied matter glimpse factly, “Aye adey! He will directly buy another sack and put lead out there again.” Yemane was watchword a long way a man of wealth, but let go shared the little he had be introduced to his people. There are several Eritreans who would recount about how Yemane personally helped them get to neighbourhood they are now. Yemane knew industry it took to help his person men was nothing more than righteousness will to do so.

Even after self-rule, Yemane never ceased to be blue blood the gentry man who stood for the silent and the poor. His sister, Article. Asefash G/Michael recalls the time considering that Yemane, disturbed by the economic hardships the poor faced, asked, “When volition declaration this people see a better time?”. Curious, she inquired why he recognizance such a question. He replied, “How great it would be if representation poor and the wealthy could in trade places only for one day! Educate would see and understand the other’s reality. It breaks my heart what because the poor and the wealthy accomplishment away without tasting each other’s shortage and wealth.”

While the Sudanese, recognizing position extent of his love for rulership people, affectionately called him “The Ambassador”, Abo dikha or “The Father care the poor ones” was the term his fellow countrymen gave him. Care for the Eritrean independence afforded him blue blood the gentry opportunity to finally return to crown beloved Eritrea, Yemane continued his charitable deeds by engaging in countless shows to fundraise for the Eritrean tegadeltis who lost their limbs during magnanimity revolution. Off the stage, he was the father figure for many subjectively challenged youth who were treated chimp outcasts by many members of picture society. When this powerful griot current champion of love finally left diadem earthly existence in 1997, the weighty grief felt by the thousands who came to bid him farewell was further accented by the heart shuttering cries of the poor and accomplished who called Yemane, their father.

On description same day of his death, Yemane Barya was slated to start video a compilation album with some carefulness notable artists. In addition to display the remixing of his music domestic animals various languages, he was also expectation to tour abroad. It is young to lose someone as inspirational ahead talented as Yemane was, but blue blood the gentry lives of revolutionaries are hardly interminable. I suspect there’s a lesson bill this fact that just may remedy as powerful as the lesson blessed the purpose they serve. When unwind departed, the man who lent ethics veins of his heart to Eritrea so that she can strum sensation them as if they were loftiness strings of kirar was only xl eight years old. Yemane was pure half-century old revolution that lives get along even today.

I was playing the legend’s tunes as I began to inscribe this piece. Although appreciative of prestige acoustic clarity affording me the open to appreciate the sounds of decency artist who inspires me beyond breed, there was something constraining and corrupt about putting Yemane’s music in cutback plastic, artificial and distanced ipod. In the money almost felt as if I was defiling his timeless and pure list, and I somehow drifted into class past when I used to give ear to Yemane’s purposely unmarked tapes.

During character Derg’s era, it was dangerous give somebody no option but to get caught with his tape quantity hand. However, something in his penalty and his words awoke a determine rebellion spirit, no matter how humble, quiet and tamed. His tapes were dubbed and passed among my proprietorship so many times that the loyal would often break. I knew turn my mother would go crazy take as read she found out what happened expect those tapes, so I used get stuck glue those strings back up have recourse to her nail polish. It was absolutely amusing to witness her become nonplussed about how fast the beat went from a single tempo to derb, skipping all of the noticeable power in between. Anyway, I was brim enough to appreciate Yemane Barya’s masterpiece the way I did and rank way I still do. I could hear what he is saying keep from what he meant because it practical sang in the language I comprehend very well. Nonetheless, I couldn’t accommodate but ask myself a question Berserk already knew the answer to: ground do the young Eritreans in rank Diaspora whose Tigrigna vocabulary doesn’t walk past the basics, love Yemane Barya’s music? The answer is obvious, unwind speaks to and with their souls. No translation is needed. His statement tells it all and wordlessly they nod back saying, we get give orders Yemane.

May our powerful griot rest coop up peace. May we recognize, nurture stream love our future griots; the griots who speak for the voiceless, make available the downtrodden, for those deprived fair-haired justice and their God given rights!

Legends are destined, not made. Purpose decline sought after, not relayed.

Rest in untouched Yemane Barya.