Atse tewodros project

Acknowledgementsthis project was realized in part through a crowdfounding drive on the “Produzione dal basso” platform (http://www.produzionidalbasso.com/pdb_1436.html), so we would like to thank the individual contributors who made it possible by purchasing shares.moreover, we would like to thank cinemovel Foundation, In cammino per le Famiglie onlUs, Pensamentu, metisseafrica Verona, and Anna-lisa Cipriani for their precious financial support, Alessandro Ruggera and Istituto Italiano di cultura of Addis Abeba for the logistics and for hosting our first concert.We would also thank Fabio Orsini, Rossella Giovannelli, Arcangela Ci-colecchia, Melaku Belay, Angelo Pantaleo, Mesa Ameme, Roberto La-ghi, salvatore morelli, diego malara, Fabio Artoni, Andrea semplici, wu ming 2, Adriano marzi, marco Boccitto, guido Barbieri, sara milanese. special thanks to Alberto and mahlet maurizi.

Atse teWOdROs PROjeCt is an initiative, coordinated by writer and performer gabriella ghermandi, that forges musical collaborations between ethiopian and Italian musicians. this project takes as its symbol emperor tewodros, a man who did not gain the imperial throne by birth, but due to his willpower and charisma. As ethiopia’s first emperor, he gave his country the chance to modernize while respecting its traditions. In a similar way, the Atse tewodros Project intends to respect traditional ethiopian music while opening it up to dialogue and exchange.

1 Dink Hona...we are born into a world that inspires wonderfertile in its diversity and richness, people of so many colors, like the spectrum of the rainbow,why then do we make it so bitter? so harsh for human beings?

Anchihoye pentatonic scale lyrics and music by gabriella ghermandi and Aklilu Zewdiegabriella ghermandi vocals

2 atse tewoDros - 6 atse tewoDros part 2… I will risk having my bones be shattered… I will risk having my blood flow from my body like a sea… I am willing to lose my life rather than yield an inch of my country’s independence… I will fight those who have come cloaking their intentions in the Gospel, to subjugate our landtere

Bati pentatonic scale – begins with a traditional melody known as Fanno Fannolyrics by gabriella ghermandi and dr. Berhanu gizawmusic by gabriella ghermandi and Aklilu ZewdieAtse tewodros part 2 arranged by michele giulianigabriella ghermandi vocals - Yohanes Afework washint - endris Hasan masenqo - michele giuliani piano - marcello Piarulli bass - Fasika Hailù kirar - cesare Pastanella drums, talking drum, shaker, metals, rattles

3 Be kiBir ... to walk with head held high, in

total freedom, ... how dos one gain and how does

one lose that right… what is its cost, what else can

replace i[...]

… why do we so love this migration that strips of us of respect?

Ambassel pentatonic scalelyrics by gabriella ghermandi

and Inish Hailu, music by gabriella ghermandi

and Aklilu Zewdiegabriella ghermandi vocals

Yohanes Afework washint endres Hasan masenqo

michele giuliani piano marcello Piarulli drums, bass

Fasika Hailù kirar cesare Pastanella drums and Ethiopian church ritual drums

4 CHe Belew war song (shellela)In ethiopian tradition, warriors en-tered the fray of battle shouting the name of their commander’s horse. this name was always made up of the noun “Abba”, or “Father”, follo-wed by a word connected to some quality of the leader; for instance, Atse tewodros’ horse name was Abba coster (serious), while mene-lik’s was Abba dagnew (judge). this song echoes the ancient tradition: it recounts the deeds of heroes, evo-king them with their horse name.

lyrics and music by gabriella ghermandigabriella ghermandi vocals Yohanes Afework washint endris Hasan masenqo michele giuliani piano marcello Piarulli bass - Fasika Hailù kirar - mesale legese keberò (Ethiopian traditional drum set) cesare Pastanella congas, shakers gabriella ghermandi, michele giu-liani, Yohanes Afework, Fasika Hailu, marcello Piarulli, cesare Pastanella, Rossella Giovannelli, Mesa Ameme choir

5 MiMiye dedicated to my daughter mahlet

intro: traditional lullabies in the oromo, wolaytta, tigrinya, silt’e, and Amarinya languages.

traditional lullaby in Amharic:sleep my little one, sleep my babeas I cook I carry you on my backas I grind I carry you on my backbut by now my back is scraped to bitscome on, time to get down, my little one!

lyrics… my beloved world, … my little nook of joy, ... sweet snare of love, … that is you, my rosebud

lyrics by gabriella ghermandi and Inish Hailu, music by gabriella ghermandi and Aklilu Zewdiegabriella ghermandi and Aklilu Zewdie vocals - Yohanes Afework washint - michele giuliani piano cesare Pastanella drums and talking drum - marcello Piarulli bass Fasika Hailù kirar

7 Hagere Bete… I call you mama like a mother who gave birth to me… mama ethiopia, you are my land, my home

traditional wollo rhythm seqota

lyrics and music by gabriella ghermandiarranged by Aklilu Zewdie and mesale legesegabriella ghermandi vocals - Yohanes Afework washintendrIs Hasan masenqo - marcello Piarulli bass Fasika Hailù kirar mesale legese keberò (Ethiopian traditional drum set) cesare Pastanella congas, rattles and metals

8 tew Belew war song (shellela) – lyrics taken from an old war song that the Arbe-gnoch sang against the Italian army during the invasion in 1935.

music by gabriella ghermandi and Aklilu Zewdie gabriella ghermandi vocals - Yohanes Afework washint endris Hasan masenqo - michele giuliani piano - marcello Piarulli bassFasika Hailù kirar - mesale legese keberò (Ethiopian traditional drum set)cesare Pastanella congas, talking drum, cymbals, shakers

... show them the boundary line drawn by our warriors… how it is guarded by our bones… and if they do not heed the war-ning … belew belew belew …

music by gabriella ghermandi and Aklilu Zewdie arranged by cesare Pastanella and produced by Alberto maurizigabriella ghermandi vocals - Yohanes Afework washint - endris Hasan ma-senqo - Fasika Hailu kirar Ethiopian church ritual drum, shaker mesale leges keberò (Ethiopian traditional drum set) - cesare Pastanella traditional small drums, metals

9 Be kiBir part 2

sand drawing by licio esposito graphic design grazietta demaria

photo mario di Bari historical photos from Ies,

Addis Abeba

Atse tewodros: an emperor, a legend. As a little girl, I loved to hear the stories of his exploits, of how he forced a small group of englishmen who had entered ethiopian territory with the pretext of natural research, to wash themselves and their clothes before setting sail for home. this was Atse tewodros’ intimation to Queen Victoria: “I know that these men are your scouts, so I am sending you my message through them. I forced them to wash themselves to make it clear that you will not carry even a speck of dust out of ethiopia”

Recorded at Langano studio, Addis Abeba (ethiopia), February 2013

except Atse tewodros part 2 where piano was recorded at studio mediterraneo, santeramo

(Italy), december 2011 by massimo stanoand voice at dulcamara at studio, Bologna

(Italy), july 2013 by Mattia Zani.

traditional lullabays on mimiye recorded by gabriella ghermandi in Addis Abeba.

mixed and mastered at langano studio, Addis Abeba, August 2013

sound engineer Abegasu shiota