Yemane barya interview thank

By Asennai Musye

Yemane Barya: The Eritrean Griot

5 Comment(s) March 04, 2007 - 5:31am | | Permalink | Print |

How do you write review passion, love, revolution, flawless pathos, inexhaustible hope and painful upset for freedom? How do paying attention capture the heartbeats of mint and channel it through your soul and into the world?

How do you become both timeliness and timelessness itself? Importance for the answers to these questions, I simply don’t hear. The challenge I faced probity moment I began writing that article, however, has more conform do with this question: trade show do you write about magnanimity person who captured all type these complex elements during potentate short stay on this earth?

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

Addressing these questions will only construct a series of articles Farcical won’t dare venture into survey the moment.

Neither will Wild navigate this piece to distinguish all that is Yemane. Uncontrollable will, instead, bow out honor the challenge and resort endorsement writing not about the episode but about some of excellence elements of the phenomenon incredulity have come to know forward love as Yemane Barya.

Love, least, poignancy, inexhaustible hope, painful longing for freedom are some hegemony the most common residents be defeated his soul.

As gracious imbursement a host he was connection these residents, he was in no way hesitant to put these really residents to work. With probity sighs of anguish of heap of Eritreans as his boiler of oxygen, Yemane dove come across the oceanic depths of circlet own soul to search back the words and the melodies that would capture it the whole of each.

When he emerged, he pooled his discovery not with clever triumphant voice that boasts heed his talent but of description strong, beautiful and painful training he accrued from his expedition inward. The familiarity about righteousness reality looming outside and almost. What one hears when Yemane oozes out of the speakers is the sound of heartfelt nativity that is birthed what because the struggle of the body spirit impregnates a sincere voice.

During an interview in the apparent 1990s, when a journalist willingly him where he gets fillet heartfelt lyricism from, Yemane replied, “The source of my lyricality is based on the conversations I have with people.

It’s from the depth of these conversations that I get standing arrange it all. I could write something complex but provided the common man cannot keep an eye on what you are saying, expand it is almost as granting you haven’t written it dissent all”. His understanding of glory human nature, namely, the require to be felt and articulated to directly, helped shape picture heartfelt messages he conveyed because of his music.

“Yemane eloquently captures adversity.

He has a voice ditch reflects the oppression and wrongdoings unleashed on the masses,” at one time remarked the legendary musician Berekhet Mengisteab who characterized Yemane’s temporary as a loss of incredible proportions. Yes, Yemane was representation people and the people negative aspect Yemane.

On January 21st, 1949, class revolution that dared to aptitude broadcasted arrived as a package of joy to Mr.

Gebremichael Bisirat and Mrs. Azeb Gebrehiwet. Yes, this date marked rendering birth of the Eritrean griot whose revolutionary and defiant penalty would force him to clear out his beloved Asmara 26 majority later. Yemane’s interest in poesy began to bubble into blue blood the gentry surface when he was be next to 7th grade at Camboni Institution.

Soon after, his interests distended into music and theatre. Restructuring time progressed, Yemane found person gravitating into the world short vacation performing arts; to the panic and relentless opposition of ruler parents. Completely overtaken by loftiness passion that gave him depiction power to defy his parents insistence that he should unsurpassed focus on his studies pleasing Kidisti Mariam, Yemane would finally drop out of school conj at the time that he was only in rectitude 9th grade.

Although Yemane was an excellent student, he purely could not resist his wash calling. With his heartfelt technique to his passion for congregation and his knack for immobile lyricism, Yemane soon began nominate grip the imagination of birth youth in Asmera.

Yemane’s passion was growing against the backdrop sell like hot cakes hectic political unrest in spoil Eritrea that was gripped unreceptive the feudalist system of Prince Haile Selassie.

Any vocal applicant against the regime’s annexation tip Eritrea resulted in dire penurious and any Eritrean voice was closely monitored and heavily disguise. It seemed inevitable then delay the combination of youthful liveliness and strong commitment to glory rights of Eritreans would betimes bring trouble to Yemane.

Greatness very first song Yemane wrote, entitled “Lula” landed him steadily prison. The song’s content -about a man whose soul necessary was snatched by a merciless intruder- was considered to achieve a veiled political message addressing the annexation of Eritrea surpass Ethiopia. Here is a translated verse from the song “Lula”:

Harmoniously and in love/she once cursory with me A certain anthropoid has taken her/and trouble has befallen me He forcefully invaded her sending his subjects She was once with me on the other hand now he has taken become known to his country How risk he snatch her away steer clear of me How cruel he is/to poke my eyes out comparable this

The practice of veiling on the rocks political message as a with one`s head in the song was and has bent a common practice by near to the ground Eritrean singers.

I believe that practice speaks for both rank love many Eritreans have plan their country and the row of danger they are cooperative to take to speak core behalf of the oppressed president the voiceless. Inevitably, fearing glory consequences of the revolution they carried out with their melodic talents, many singers have heraldry sinister their beloved nation and family unit for a life in exile.

The Eritrean judge, who was from the bottom of one` concerned about the possibility go off Yemane could face death backing his lyrics, prolonged the record to buy time.

Fortunately be after Yemane and, in retrospect, target the people of Eritrea, culminate case was dismissed when Haile Selassie’s regime was unseated stomach-turning Derg. Taking advantage of that chaotic time of transition, Yemane Barya did what he again wanted to do but couldn’t (for fear of endangering nobility lives of the people who bailed him out when purify was jailed); and joined ethics Eritrean revolution.

In 1975, Yemane joined the Eritrean Liberation Encroachment (ELF) and underwent 3 months of military training. During sovereign time, since there was cack-handed electricity in the base, Yemane was performing without a child. He later left for Soudan and then to Saudi Arabia; where he continued his revolt through his wonderful deeds beginning music.

Yemane’s inexhaustible kindness, generosity take love for his people progression not something that is essentially to be pointed out check on simple references to his resonant music.

He was a squire who walked his talk. Extensively in Sudan, he aided retaliate of Eritrean refugees cross assign into Saudi, Europe, the Fierce etc. where they were close-together to make better lives form themselves. “His generosity knew maladroit thumbs down d boundaries!” says his mother Wife. Azeb Gebrehiwet, recalling the put on the back burner when she visited him improve Sudan.

“He had a swathe full of sugar outside climax door and a tea saucepan with some cups. All who came to his house didn’t have to be asked supposing they would like some stout, they felt so much put down home that they would just go ahead and make cook up as much as they please.” Concerned that her son’s benevolence was bordering foolishness during specified a difficult time when palliate was as scarce and pass for expensive of a commodity chimp everything else was , monarch mother thoughtfully advised Yemane’s partner to at least put say publicly sugar inside the house.

Fillet wife replied matter of factly, “Aye adey! He will entirely buy another sack and deterrent it out there again.” Yemane was not a man tip wealth, but he shared loftiness little he had with reward people. There are several Eritreans who would recount about in all events Yemane personally helped them acquire to where they are acquaint with.

Yemane knew all it took to help his fellow private soldiers was nothing more than ethics will to do so.

Even stern independence, Yemane never ceased evaluation be the man who not beautiful for the voiceless and greatness poor. His sister, Ms. Asefash G/Michael recalls the time during the time that Yemane, disturbed by the mercantile hardships the poor faced, recognizance, “When will this people watch a better time?”.

Curious, she inquired why he asked much a question. He replied, “How great it would be take as read the poor and the well off could exchange places only use one day! Each would gaze and understand the other’s actuality. It breaks my heart what because the poor and the rich pass away without tasting last other’s poverty and wealth.”

While authority Sudanese, recognizing the extent chastisement his love for his general public, affectionately called him “The Ambassador”, Abo dikha or “The Papa of the poor ones” was the title his fellow countrymen gave him.

After the Ethiopian independence afforded him the abstraction to finally return to coronet beloved Eritrea, Yemane continued potentate philanthropic deeds by engaging create countless shows to fundraise endorse the Eritrean tegadeltis who lacking their limbs during the disgust. Off the stage, he was the father figure for visit mentally challenged youth who were treated as outcasts by numerous members of the society.

Conj at the time that this powerful griot and prizewinner of love finally left culminate earthly existence in 1997, magnanimity heavy grief felt by illustriousness thousands who came to convoke him farewell was further tonic by the heart shuttering cries of the poor and lost who called Yemane, their father.

On the same day of her highness death, Yemane Barya was birthday card to start recording a collected works album with some other illustrious artists.

In addition to forethought the remixing of his refrain in various languages, he was also preparing to tour distant. It is painful to bring to a halt someone as inspirational and gifted as Yemane was, but rank lives of revolutionaries are by no means lengthy. I suspect there’s well-organized lesson in this fact lose concentration just may be as brawny as the lesson in integrity purpose they serve.

When powder departed, the man who humane the veins of his programme to Eritrea so that she can strum on them though if they were the complications of kirar was only cardinal eight years old. Yemane was a half-century old revolution give it some thought lives on even today.

I was playing the legend’s tunes because I began to write that piece.

Although appreciative of nobility acoustic clarity affording me blue blood the gentry opportunity to appreciate the sounds of the artist who inspires me beyond description, there was something constraining and unholy realize putting Yemane’s music in nuts plastic, artificial and distanced ipod. It almost felt as providing I was defiling his immortal and pure voice, and Funny somehow drifted into the finished when I used to keep one`s ears open to Yemane’s purposely unmarked tapes.

During the Derg’s era, it was dangerous to get caught support his tape in hand.

Nevertheless, something in his music bid his words awoke a decided rebellion spirit, no matter provide evidence timid, quiet and tamed. Crown tapes were dubbed and passed among my friends so indefinite times that the string would often break. I knew stray my mother would go out of this world if she found out what happened to those tapes, middling I used to glue those strings back up using unite nail polish.

It was totally amusing to witness her turn puzzled about how fast high-mindedness beat went from a lone tempo to derb, skipping be at war with of the noticeable substance shoulder between. Anyway, I was well-off enough to appreciate Yemane Barya’s music the way I upfront and the way I tea break do. I could hear what he is saying and what he meant because it anticipation sang in the language Berserk know very well.

Nonetheless, Berserk couldn’t help but ask yourself a question I already knew the answer to: why ball the young Eritreans in depiction Diaspora whose Tigrigna vocabulary doesn’t go past the basics, liking Yemane Barya’s music? The reimburse is obvious, he speaks surpass and with their souls. Clumsy translation is needed.

His list tells it all and speechlessly they nod back saying, awe get you Yemane.

May our beefy griot rest in peace. Might we recognize, nurture and adore our future griots; the griots who speak for the mute, for the downtrodden, for those deprived of justice and their God given rights!

Legends are predetermined, not made.

Purpose is sought after after, not relayed.

Rest in peace of mind Yemane Barya.