Ethiopia's first music disks
Nearly 100 years ago vocalist, musician, Tessema Eshete, recorded Ethiopia's first music disks in Germany. These disks are the first for Sub-Saharan Africa and among the oldest in the entire continent. When Tessema passed away in October of 1964, cartons of these historic disks which were stored in his residence disappeared under strange circumstances. Despite all his efforts; the son Yidnekatchew Tessema was unable to trace the disks in his life time. Nonetheless, a five minutes cassette he safeguarded and left behind, was in the end instrumental in initiating the search and eventual discovery of the ODEON edition of sixteen of the seventeen double sided disks by his father.
On May 10 2000, the Society of friends of Ethiopian Studies gave me the opportunity to make a presentation on the life and works of my Grand father Tessema Eshete. In addition to a brief history, and the following selected poems, I used this unique occasion to introduce Yidnekatchew's precious five minutes cassette of his father's songs.
