Category: Entertainment

Meet Yohannes Habtegerghish, aka John Meira, a comedian whose name has been shinning in the art industry over the years. Yo¬hannes went to Sawa in the third round and got the experi-ence of the place while it was in its infancy. Yohannes and his colleagues were the ones who went to the battlefields to defend their nation when the TPLF war of aggression was launched in 1998. He is an artist who wants to share stories of the brave Eritreans, his friends, who died defending their nation. Over the years, he has worked as a journalist, a comedian, a researcher in oral folk tales, and an event organizer.

• Thank you for being with us today, John. Let me take you back to the time when you went to Sawa. Tell us your memory?

I remember back in those days most of my friends had gone to Sawa before me. I always heard stories about their experiences there and read their letters from Sawa. That has always excited me somehow. I really wanted to try sleeping outside and living with many people. That was my idea of Sawa at the beginning. That is why I went to Sawa with this whole urge of becoming a real man. Well, getting there, it was amazing to see that many people from across the country that came from different backgrounds and customs just blended in. During the six month military training, we learned about everyone’s culture and got a lifetime friendship. To be honest, I still remember almost every one of my team mates’ first and last names.

• Is that where you started your career as an artist?

I clearly had a passion for art growing up. People around me acknowledged my artistic sides as I was the one telling jokes and dancing all the time. But it was when I was assigned to do my national service in the 271st division in Qarora, after the military training in Sawa, that I was finally recognized as an artist. Even there, we always had a strict schedule since we were at the border; we managed to organize entertaining programs. Later on, they wanted us to form a cultural troupe and I was one of the people where I actually wrote a play I remembered from a stage performance. People thought I wrote the piece and they applauded me. Afterward, I became a famous artist at the division and that kind of support made me believe that I could do better.

• John, you took part in the 3rd offensive. What do you remember about it?

In 1997 we had been sent home after completing our national service duties and began to live normal lives. But when TPLF regime launched a war of aggression against Eritrea in May 1998, most of us had to go back to the army and defend our nation. I participated in almost every battlefield during the war. The first battle we got in was at Quni qunito, one of the most dreadful as it was the very first battle for my generation and everything was just shocking. We lost 32 people in our unit. Another one was the seven-day battle we had in Ghirme where I was injured the first day and that, too, was a battle that took many lives. Eritreans have shared a long history of pain and amazing stories of heroic deeds of our fighters. I tried to keep a diary during the war and documented few of the things that I saw.

• Please, tell me about your artistic journey after the war was over?

When I started to read my diaries to my team mates, I got a good response. Then I started publishing articles in the 271st division’s magazine. I later on sent my articles to a Tigrigna newspaper at the time, Admas. I started accepting myself as a writer and an artist, and I was sending articles to Dmtsi Hafash radio and Hadas Eritrea, Tigrigna newspaper. My articles always focused on shedding some light to stories of heroes who were at the battlefields. I believe that I stayed behind them to tell their stories honestly. I have a complete book ready to be published.

Besides, I had an opportunity to take journalism lessons that have shaped me as a writer. And that allowed me to meet artists working diligently in the industry. Over the years, I have been fortunate to act in more than 40 short films and around 20 feature films with the most talented artists in Eritrea. I am currently acting in a sitcom, Enda Zimam. The series initially began during the partial lockdown, which was challenging to do. But we have managed to keep on producing the films by following the Ministry of Health guidelines regarding Covid-19. It is an interesting comedy that highlights different issues every weekend which the public appreciates.

• Anything you would like to say at the end, John Meira?

I am thankful for everyone who has been on my side. I love my fans and I always welcome their comments and criticism. Also, I want to remind every young Eritrean to lead a purposeful life. As Eritreans, we have a great culture and I hope that everyone acknowledges it and work for it.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

It is unlikely that any human society has ever denied itself the excitement and pleasure of dancing. Like cave painting, the first purpose of dancing is probably ritualistic – appeasing a nature spirit or accompanying a rite of passage. But losing oneself in rhythmic movement with other people is an easy form of intoxication. Pleasure can never have been far away.

Music makes everybody dance, including animals. They say the cobra dances to the snake-chamber’s flute and the elephant wobbles its head to the drum of the mahout.

How about the bees? Yes, they dance, but only by way of passing information to their species. Who knows if we are not, after all, passing information to the spirits in high places by dancing in the manner of bees?

Every dance has a meaning. It is performed for the purpose of communicating with high life and it does it by sending vibrations through the body. We know that King David danced almost naked before the Ark. Unfortunately his wife saw him in secret and despised him in her heart.

In most ancient civilizations, dancing before the god is an important element in temple ritual. In Egypt the priests and priestesses, accompanied by harps and pipes, performed stately movements which mime significant events in the story of a god, or imitate cosmic patterns such as the rhythm of night and day.

Sacred occasions in Greek shrines, such as the games at Olympia from the 8th century BC, were inaugurated with dancing by the temple virgins. The chorus was originally just such a dance performed in a circle in honor of a god. In the 6th century it became the center piece of Greek theater.

In India, the formalized hand movements of the priestesses in Hindu temples were described in documents from as early as the 1st century AD. Each precise gesture is of subtle significance. A form of classical dance based upon them – known as Bharata Nhatyam – is still performed by highly skilled practitioners today.

Again some dances are expressions of joy while others, like war dances, are preparations for bloodshed. There are anxiety dances also as when people dance for rain.

Back in the day in traditional Eritrea, adults used to scare children about certain behavior of the baboons. If they caught you walking around on their hills, they said, they just skinned you alive, filled your blood-dripping hide with pebbles and crafted it into a drum to perform their macabre dance. Such ghoulish stories caused some faint hearted children to stay home and read instead.

And then they saw the grownups singing to a snail, and he would stick his head and pretended to dance.

The children following suit would say, “Please Mister Snail, come out and dance for me,” and the snail seemed to say “Give me a break, will ya!”

The same thing happened with the dancing falcon. As the feathered predator hovered in the sky borne by warm air currents, they sang down below:

Lilo Lilo, please dance for me; I will give you a chick for your daughter’s marriage…

And the dancing falcon would sway here and there in the sky and we would become very happy indeed.

And the kids did the Dervish whirling to make it rain. And it rained just on time. Then why pray when dancing was more efficient in the happening of miracles?

They say back in the 1960’s, the flu had its first large scale attack on the people of Asmara. No amount of aspirin or antibiotic could persuade the plague to leave the town in peace. For the traditionalists, flu was not a common disease but something that bad fairies brought as a cruel gift to the people they hated. So the women organized a dance and crafted something that symbolized the disease and danced their way up to the outskirts of Asmara and waved it goodbye. Good riddance! And so much for learned treaties about flu and public health care.

The children also sang to the chrysalis and he danced. When they grew up, the learned and wise told them that all the dances that they witnessed or performed themselves were meaningless movements to which their simple minds lent anthropomorphic and divine interpretations.

Goodbye, age of innocence!

During the 30 year armed struggle for liberation, the freedom fighters danced between battles. It heightened their morale and helped them to forget for a while the battle they had just experienced. They danced also for joy as when a battle was won. They danced to entertain the masses and also for the sake of dancing.

Dancing did not only keep the fighters’ morale high and leave it on top, but it consolidated feelings of patriotism among the Diaspora. For this, special dance troupes toured Europe and other parts of the world and through their music and dances assured the people of the inevitability of Eritrea’s independence.

What cannot be expressed through words can best be articulated through vigorous dances accompanied by songs whose words touch nationalistic chords.

A few years ago, I was sent to cover a reception at Embasoira Hotel held to implement the convention for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Eritrea. The sbrit dancing troupe was there to perform the nine Eritrean ethnic dances. Some of the invited guests who came from various parts of the world were enchanted by what they saw.

The dance performance began with that of the Kunama ethnic group. The guests felt like they were watching the Watussi dance of Burundi. The Hidareb dance was superb. The soft rhythm of the music and the mournful tune accompanied by the undulating from the waist movements of the girls leaning backward with the sward brandishing boys leaping nearby looks neither African nor Asian. This particular dance has to be studied and developed.

And finally they invited everybody to come forward for the Tigrigna dance. I said why did they save the Tigrigna dance for a final mass dance? Why not the others? The answer I got was that Tigrigna is so simple that everyone, including the lame and the limping, can do it. That’s until the sibra (crouching and shaking) time.

Although this may evidently be an oversimplification, he may be right in some ways. Indeed, after watching the Kunama doing their thing, the Tigrigna dance is just a highland version of a Desert dance akin to that of the Bedouins.

The Tigre dance with the girls wagging their heads vigorously and thereby lashing their dreadlocks left and right is an interesting artistic performance.

In the end, any excuse is welcome to hold or organize a dance. Birthdays, arrival of a forgotten relative from abroad, weddings, baptisms and reaching the critical mass of tens eating and drinking Eritreans.

As for the song, anything goes: ranging from country song, patriotic song, love song, dodgy Eritrean rap, and sometimes silly song like viva signora.

With the fasting seasons approaching their end – both Lent and Ramadan – and the wedding season right around the corner, Eritreans across the country are gearing up to let loose like footloose.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

Our guest today is Salem Goitom, an aspiring young artist craving for the highest achievement in all her work. Though young, she shoulders big responsibilities as a teacher, singer and mother, which all require working hard with dedication.

• What got you into art?

I would say I got into art mainly due to my talent discovered at different occasions. I first discovered I had the talent when I was in 11th grade singing to boost the morale of my soccer team. I got invited by Hareg Cultural Group at Keih Bahri Secondary School where I sang “Ti gezana” by Teberih Tesfahuney (a legendary Eritrean singer) our country. Then I went to Sawa for my national service and won as the star at the National Youth Festival of the 26th round. Then I went to college.

• How many artistic works have you produced?

I have so far released two songs, and one is on the way. But all in all I have produced ten, including soundtracks. But it was my singing of one of Tsehaytu Beraki’s songs that got me well recognized.

• Tell us your school life.

I did my elementary schooling at Dahlak Elementary and then went to Natsenet Junior Secondary School. After attending Keyhbahri High School, I went to Sawa as a member of the 26th round. I joined the College of Arts and Social Sciences at Adikeyh and earned a diploma in Fine Art with a good grade.

• Did your upbringing influence you to be involved in art?

Surprisingly, not at all. But my neighborhood, Kagnew, did influence me a lot because most of my neighbors were somehow involved in art. I believe it was my talent that got me into art in addition to my parents’ support. My parents are very well acquainted with art, particularly my dad. He has a good taste for poems and always gives me his opinion regarding my work. And so does my mom.

• Were you able to maintain a balance between school work and art in college?

The moment I joined college I was accepted in a well talented family of youngsters who had a big interest in art and academic work. In those days most of the college activities involved art such as drama, poetry, songs and dances. I experienced art in my daily life. What helped me most with maintaining a balance between school and art was time management. Most students knew what to do and when to do it. For instance, activities related to art were usually held after dinner. College life was more like living in a helpful family in every aspect. That’s why it was not difficult for me.

• After graduating from college, you were assigned to work as a teacher. Did this create any obstacle for you to start singing as a career?

At the beginning, as with most youngsters, it was hard because teaching is a demanding job and gives you the responsibility of looking after students and their needs. But with the help of experienced teachers at Awet Elementary and Junior Secondary School, I was able to manage my time.

• How do you manage as a mom?

I have two kids — a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy. To be honest it is very difficult. I had to go to school leaving my six-month daughter home. I then would use any time I could find at work to go back home to breastfeed her and go back to work again. I was always running. The good thing, though, is my parents have always been by my side. Their presence in my life was and is crucial.

• The reaction of your students as an artist…

I can say I have two personalities, one as a teacher and another as an artist. Initially I began as a teacher but when I started appearing on the media, not only my students but also my supervisors were surprised. I handle myself very professionally at school, as a teacher. I do that because I have to. I want to be an example for my students. I want them to understand that no matter how valuable a career is it means nothing without education.

• How do your students’ parents feel about you?

No one necessarily starts as a professional in his or her career. You get to that stage by learning from and correcting your mistakes. And a teacher learns all the time while teaching, personally and professionally.

Parents entrust us with their children and their feedback is very important for teachers. Parents of my children are very appreciative of what I do, and I believe that is because I try to do my job by treating my students like my siblings.

• What do you do for your career development?

I love reading. I read different types of books, including those related to my profession. To take care of my voice I always do warm ups. I pay attention in choosing poems and rhythms by using helpful references as I desire to make our nine ethnic group melody known worldwide. I enroll in courses offered by associations such as the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students. Believing that I know nothing helps me to use every opportunity to learn.

• Your message to beginners in art.

I suggest they use every opportunity they find to learn. They should yearn for education that could help them improve.

• Your future plans …

From the many plans I have I would like to get a vocal scholarship and release four or five songs of my own instead of one in a year. I want to work for the melodies of all nine Eritrean ethnic groups to be known internationally. I am sure if we, all artists, work in unity, our country’s melodies would be known worldwide like others.

• Thank you for your time.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

When I was a child I remember that whenever we had parties, whether it was a wedding or graduation, my grandmother and her friends gather up and start singing, dancing and clapping. Above all though, the lyrics and melody they come up with at the moment always turn out to be funny and the laughter would never stop. But these days, my mom and her friends never seem to be doing these kind of songs; whenever they gather for celebrations they rather let the stereo or the DJ do the work. Aside from some remixed or blended with modern music, original traditional songs are becoming very hard to get. Most people agree that the most we hear of traditional songs is during the annually held festival and during that limited period, it’s a known fact that all the types of traditional songs could not be performed.

According to Mr. Abraham Zere, journalist and researcher of oral traditions, traditional songs particularly in the Tigrinya ethnic group are a lot in number. Abraham was generous in giving time and sharing extracts from his research with us. Some of the type of traditional songs he mentioned are:

Wefera (songs of work): These type of songs are sang on the daily activities of the society. Some of those daily activities include farm related works like plowing and harvesting. There is a tradition of helping widows and elderly people without children during the farm season, so within this time of work the workers sing songs as a motivation for the work they are doing to be accomplished smoothly. The songs they sing include Albiney Zuri and Hoho nea Hoho. Another important work done accompanied by the wefera songs is building and fixing Hdmos, local highland houses.

Wedding songs: These songs are generally happy songs, it is sang by women while preparing the feast for the wedding. Friends of the bride to be have a great role in this especially during Mekntat, a daylong singing and dancing celebrating the bride’s transition from a girl to woman. Moreover, there is mekbal and mefnaw where the friends sing to welcome the groom and his friends. Then when the ceremony ends the friends sing farewell songs which goes as Kidyom Kidyom adi guana kidyom feshke enda belki lebom teazebyom, it means go live with your in-laws just smile and see what’s in their heart. The male part in this celebration is on the wedding day. A group of men called Werado Meraa which encompasses the groom’s family members and friends heading to the bride’s house sing Shebo Lega Shebo also known as Megelele, which is a song of good wishes to the couple. And there are songs called Mehishe, which are sang on the honeymoon.

Hanse Meskele and Ashenda Songs: These songs are sang particularly around Kudus Yohannes and Meskel holidays when the farm fields are green and flowers are blooming. This is the time when the farm season is done. Teenage boys and girls are allowed to mingle with each other and play around all day. Some of these songs are called Hembtit, Ashewtana, Hembeze and Shamno. These songs are very popular because the youngsters are free to express their feelings and give them more chance to be around each other. Another popular song is Hoye Hoye, where children and teenage boys circle around their village chanting songs that depict their good harvest season and wishing for a better year. When they are done circling the village, they start a bonfire inviting everybody to join them and celebrate with dances and songs all night.

Songs of Legends: Songs of this category are sang to represent the heroic figures in regards to their courage, ability and feats. Most of the men mentioned in these type of songs were great warriors. Some of these legends frequently mentioned in songs are Negusse Elfu, Yohanes Wedi Zemo, Ras Woldemichael Solomn and Bahta Hagos. Moreover, there are songs admiring the remarkable beauty of women such as Wuba, Mamet and Gual Seleba.

Songs of War: They are songs which are sang in times of war and after war. A memorable song is Sesenu Sesenu shehen wltan kunu ata eza adna keyatwa guana, loosely translated as lets be untied, brave and protect our country.

Songs of love: As its name indicates, these songs are dedicated to love. In the Tigrigna tradition it was not common to acknowledge your love openly especially if you are not married so it was much easier to sing out your feelings. Dekiski do dekas ayhabki lebi gobez abe zban sekelki, he is explaining how much her love hurts and that he couldn’t sleep because he thinks about her a lot.

Aror and Graror: These are songs about motherhood particularly sang after three days of delivering the baby and in the first stages of the baby. Also they are lullaby. Ata e’ndu weday e’ndu weday melise do keetweka abza kebday, a mother affectionately singing to her baby.

Aidere: Are songs that belittle the people who have done things out of the society’s norm. Some of these norms are infidelity, losing virginity and being pregnant out of wedlock, stealing and lying. These songs are specifically performed by girls from the age of 12-19. This out of all the songs is very crucial in keeping the society’s norms intact.

Mhlela: These are practiced by older women and sometimes men. These chants are cry for help to God. Women gather around at one place and ask God for longer rainy season, health and peace for all. They also head to monasteries in group and stay there for a day or two singing to God the whole night.

The importance of traditional songs is very evident that the people who maintain such traditions are valued highly among the society, especially those who developed the ability to accompany the songs and chants with traditional music instruments. Some of the instruments used in the Tigrinya culture are drums, Kerar, Emblta and Wata. And some the notable people who used these instruments were Teklu Kerara, Elias Mesmer, Fekreslasie Okbaselasie and Teomzgie. Teklu was a conscripted Italian soldier and he was famous among his fellow soldiers for playing Kerar and making them feel like at home.

Wrapping up his chat on the types of Tigrinya traditional songs, Abraham said our traditional songs are barely surviving, they are being blended with modern beats that they are losing their originality even in the far remote villages. He calls out for the youngsters to go back to their roots and make the traditional songs lively again.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

Bilen is one of the nine ethnic groups of Eritrea. Mostly situated in the semi-arid areas around the western escarpments of Eritrea, Anseba region, the Bilen ethnicity is known for its distinctive drum beats and songs.

Based on a research paper conducted by Daniel Araya, a high school teacher in the Anseba regional capital Keren, songs in the Bilen culture, like other cultures in the country, are accompanied by the drum (kelembura). The kelembura is mostly played by a woman, while the rest of the women in the gathering accompany the drums by ululating and clapping their hands to keep the atmosphere alive. They also have krar, a string musical instrument, played mostly by the men.

The kelembura, almost invariably, is made from a metal cylinder with a circular opening on both ends over which the drumhead (made from welltanned animal hide, mostly of goats or cows) is stretched. While the krar is made using a hollow wooden box to amplify the sound of the music made from the strings (slk) attached. The research paper states, in the use of these instruments, that the young men and women are the main players in major occasions because the drum requires strong hands for the beats to be heard in neighboring hamlets. Based on Daniel’s research I will try to mention some of the main cultural songs as they are still very much alive.

Chefera

Chefera reveals the real social life of the Bilen society in an artistic manner. It is much cherished in the society but cannot be played by anyone within the ranks of the ethnic group because the meaning they bear inside is profound. Hence, exceptionally talented individuals who have the ability and mastery to wield the language in a very expressive and metaphoric manner can play Chefera.

Chefera is played by both the Tigre and Bilen ethnic groups. That is why many of the Bilen Chefera plays borrow words from the Tigre ethnicity and vice-versa. This is because there is a concept of borrowing and lending of words in languages as neighboring cultures. However, there is a difference between the Bilen and Tigre Chefera; that is, the Bilen usually begin with a sort of tunes and then the Chefera comes, while in Tigre Chefera, which is more like the modern rapping, directly begins.

The Bilen Chefera in its largescale talks about braveness, weakness, admiration and so many other daily life activities. The beauty of Chefera lies on the sorts of melody and authentic word composition.

The traditional way of playing in Bilen culture varies according to the age of the people. The elders including young adults can sing songs like hoy, Chefera, shelil, horya, alelewo, and so on. In the contrary, the children play various traditional activities like eshkle, yalel, tabrik, korit, shok, merkob etc. The children’s play does not demonstrate gender selection in songs, both male and female children play together.

Awlo

The word awlo is also part of the Bilen traditional songs, which are practiced during the eve of marriage ceremonies or other celebratory events, and are done by a group of people with good humored atmosphere. Basically, awlo is played among a group of people in a tent (das) mostly during the eve of a marriage ceremony. The message of awlo here is to express admiration to the host family of the marriage for their charm and hospitality. Besides, these admirations can go way beyond and uplift the ancestors of the bride or the groom’s family. Hence, after some admiration, the people can get some gifts in return. In case the people are not satisfied by the gifts, these admirations might shift into a slur; but this happens rarely.

The Bilen awlo is no different from that of Tigrigna. Thus, both these cultures use the word awlo together. The main difference according to the Daniel’s research is that the Bilen use awlo during festivities and for admiration, while the Tigrigna can use it both for admiration or menacing a subject. In addition, during awlo there is no need for drum or any other instrument for that matter. It only needs the vocal with rhyming and carefully selected use of words. Besides, the audience most of the time keep their voices down and ears open to get a full taste of the awlo.

During awlo, the most common gift one can offer is a goat, sheep, or traditional beverage. The person who is in a mood for awlo can say his awlo to any one whether they are rich or poor. Then the one who is glorified has to offer them some gifts to make them continue the admirations. This is not a rule but an obligation.

Hoy and Kés

As I mentioned before, the Bilen songs are rich with sublime eloquence, order of signification, poetic construction and responsive messages that all match with natural beauty of meaning and the usage of words. These Hoy and Kes too are part of the Bilen song genre. Both of them are played together respectively. The meaning of Hoy implies that “please stop singing (kes) once and listen to me I have something to say”. Meaning, at any time Hoy is said in between a song (kes), the person who is singing is forced to stop and listen. Furthermore, Hoy has diverse content such as one’s fault, gossip and other related ones. Besides, there are exceptional Hoys about admiration, braveness, and other virtues.

Therefore, if any person wants to say Hoy while the song is going, he can simply say Hoy and the people who are singing can stop for a while and listen curiously. This is because they want to listen to what he has to say because it is where most of the time the gossips in the village are said out loud.

Nevertheless, although it rhymes, Hoy by cannot be a song by itself; it has to be accompanied with songs. To wrap it up, even though the content of Hoy is about putting one’s faults on the table, indirectly we can say that saying what is in your heart is one of the virtues of our society, especially as it manifests the love of brotherhood. In this respect, individuals with bad habits in the Bilen society have to drop their bad habits in fear of Hoy.

Wesombia

Generally, wesombia songs are mostly practiced during the eve of marriage occasions. Basically, they start playing wesombia early in the morning. During wesombia, the women first start to sing with all sorts of their melodies and drum while siting, and the males reply with all sorts of their melodies and dances in front of them.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

Eritrean nationals in Kuwait and South Sudan commemorated the International Women’s Day, 8 March, under the theme “Principled Belief for Timely Imperative!” featuring various cultural and artistic programs.

At the commemoration event organized by the Kuwait branch of the National Union of Eritrean Women on 4 March, Ms. Miliete Tsige, head of the union branch, gave extensive briefing on the contribution the Eritrean women made in the struggle for Eritrea’s independence, in safeguarding the national sovereignty as well as in the nation building process.

Mr. Humed Yahya, Charge d’Affairs at the Eritrean Embassy, on his part indicating the contribution of Eritrean women in all staged of the history of the country called for transferring the proud history to the young generation.

At the event, the nationals contributed 9 thousand 249 Dollars in support of families of martyrs and to the National Fund to combat the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

In the same vein, nationals residing in Juba, South Sudan celebrated the International Women’s Day on 6 March with patriotic zeal.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Yohannes Teklemicael, Eritrean Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan, called on the Eritrean women in that country to strengthen organizational capacity and participation in the national affairs.

At the occasion, Ms. Rishan Berhe, head of the National Union of Eritrean Women branch, delivered the official statement of the union issued in connection with the International Women’s Day.

Mr. Amare Gebreab, chairman of the Eritrean community in Juba and its environs, and Mr. Tekleab Bereketeab, deputy head of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students, also delivered messages of solidarity.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

In addition to being a playwright and renowned director, he is also a poet, painter, very talented program leader, a soccer player and more…. He is also known for his charm and good sense of humor. Q&A introduces you with Msgun Zeray, famously known as Wedi-Feraday, director and writer of many renowned Tigrinya feature films and TV series.

Would you please tell us about your childhood and the nickname “Wedi-Feraday”?

I was born in Dekemhare in 1952. I wasn’t that much interested in education in the beginning, and as a kid I was best known for hunting birds. But after we moved to Massawa, I became an outstanding student. I think it is maybe because I couldn’t find birds to hunt in Massawa. Also my elder sister Sara was my best friend.

About my nickname Wedi- Ferady; it is because my father was an Attorney General. I told my father’s job when I was filling my recruitment form, then someone called me Wedi-Feraday, which literally means the Judge’s son, and it became my nickname.

What inspired your interest in film making?

When I was young I used to go to theatre shows frequently. The old memories never faded from my mind. At that time, I and some other kids in our neighborhood formed a team and started to show dramas to the rest of the neighborhood kids. And when I was a student, I loved writing down my favorite songs, quotes and articles which I read from books. And football game was also my favorite sport, but beyond loving it I was also a good player. And at first, in the first half of the 1970s, I started playing for Meloti Football Club and later transferred to Tele, both of which are local first division Football Clubs. But soon the repression in Eritrea was getting much worse due to the coming of the Derg regime to power. For that reason, I was compelled to stay away from my favorite sport.

I was looking at your childhood book (bella copia), would you please tell us something about it?

Well, may be that can give you a hint of what my childhood looked like. Along the academic contents, the book also carried poems, song lyrics, quotes and impressions about love and more. My colleague used to call it “general knowledge”. And I am very happy that my friend brought it back from the US after so many years.

How did you join the Eritrean Liberation Struggle?

The late 1970s was known for its instability and the Eritrean youth was petrified by increased brutal oppressions of the Derg regime. Jailing and killing of innocent Eritrean youth was a daily scenario at the time. As a result, many youths were fleeing cities and towns to villages and some were joining the armed struggle. I was in the port city of Assab at that time and I had to go to my village of origin. For some time then, I started farming and began getting involved in administrational activities of the village. Shortly after that however, I left the village and joined the liberation struggle along with many of my colleagues in 1978 with the strategic withdrawal of the EPLF.

Tell us your experience in the struggle?

Of course the struggle was hard, which is of course what we expected. After I was w o u n d e d in a battle during the 3rd offensive, I was w i t h d r a w n from the f i g h t i n g units and got assigned as a teacher at the revolutionary schools; and once I was a coordinator of our unit’s cultural troupe. In line with that, I used to contribute articles to the revolutionary magazines which were published by the EPLF. Later I became an official writer of the Halewa magazine.

Let’s proceed to your post-i n d e p e n d e n c e works, particularly film making.

I made my film directing debut with the first Eritrean series movie “kuana” which was written by Debesay Woldu. After that I directed several Tigrinya TV series including the current Eri-Tv series film Jorjo. When it comes to feature movies, I and Isaias Tsegai wrote and directed the renowned film Eta Ade, which is among the first Eritrean feature films. And I also wrote and directed the film Ablel it was the first Eritrean feature film to be translated to Japanese language, and many others.

You have worked in many of the Eritrean musical and stage dramas……?

Yes, I have participated in many Eritrean stage dramas as director and writer. The “village dream” is among them which was written in English language, and is being translated to Indian language.

What’s directing for you?

Directing is a real art. Being a director is to be able to organize the technical crew and the actors, plus to be able to interpret the written story in to dramatic action. This requires making in depth analysis of the story. In addition, the director needs to convey the writer’s message appropriately and to ask himself what the audience should gain from the dramatic experience. Overall, film director should be patient with the actors until the needed shape of the film has taken.

What do you normally expect from your actors?

First and foremost, a film actor should be disciplined with punctuality and to present himself fully and willingly. And it’s obvious that they should portray the character they are assigned with all their ability. And it wouldn’t be boring if they changed their styles every now and then.

I have heard that you are also a painter….?

Actually I don’t have that much experience. But I like to play with colors like a small kid. I love to paint landscapes, birds and other things which impresses me; but I haven’t exhibited them yet, because I thought I have to make more collection.

How do you manage all of these works of art; is that a gift or result of toil?

First, I want to thank your appreciation. And sometimes something pushes you from your inside, and you try to express it in different ways. Some of them can’t be expressed simply with bare words, but it becomes easier to express them in other ways such as painting, poetry or other means of art. May be it could be a gift but gift alone is worthless without determination.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea