October 3, 2015
by T.Goshu
1. This piece of wring of mine is not to reflect the idea that the works of arts such as music or song, poetry, dramas and films, and the like are always attributed to performing for good only. Not at all! There is no evidence that could convince us that the socio-political history of a society including ours is free from exploiting the non-material values of culture in general and the works of arts in particular are for good only. I do not think it is unfair to say that there were no rulers in our socio-political history who have never used the works of arts and artists for the purpose of their own personal and authoritative aggrandizement than for the purpose of genuine dignity and pride of the people which is necessarily a very strong indicator of the preservation and advancement of national interest. In other words, the people have been indoctrinated with a highly distorted and terribly mystified believes that the interests and ambitions of the ruling elites are nothing, but national and people’s interests. And the very consequences of this kind of highly cynical and hypocritical way of thinking has been and still is painfully damaging. Whenever our rulers felt that their own voracious personal and authoritative aggrandizement is challenged or threatened, they would never hesitate to take any evil-driven action in the name of national or peoples’ interests, including art and culture.
Despite the fact that our history of arts and culture is over dominated by the political culture of palace politics, the very purpose of the works of arts has been badly distorted since the 1970s. The generation had no a widow of political opportunity that could pave the way for reform without an ideology that radically detached itself from its own valuable culture and tradition. And there is no doubt that the notoriously anti-reform monarchical system was at the forefront of responsibility. As the result, almost all spheres of works of culture and arts had to be not only revolutionized but had to serve as instruments of the brutal military dictatorship. Sadly enough, we found ourselves in a much more ugly play of arts and artists since the coming into power of the incumbent ruling party in 1991. Those artists (be singers, drama and film actors, poet writers, etc.) who do not see the very essence of art and culture beyond their wildly voracious self-interests turned their cloaks inside out and began to dance with the ruling elites whose political behavior has gone from bad to worse throughout the past quarter of a century.
It goes without saying that art in the real sense of the term is one of the most valuable assets that develops as society goes through never-ending of moving forward. In other words, the very essence of art is the way it reflects a society where it comes from, it develops in, through which it enriches itself, of which it reflects back the reality of a society, and the way it shows what a society would offer the generation to come.
Though the exploitation of arts and artists for wrong political purposes may vary from one system to another and from one period of history to the other, society has never been and will never be in a situation where the use of the works of arts could be for good or bad only. The only thing we can do about this messy but unavoidable reality is deal with it in such a way that it should be checked before it causes crisis.
I would say that the challenge we are facing in this front of the struggle for freedom and justice is beyond what is acceptable. Witnessing those “development artists” singing, dancing and performing with those ruling elites who are determined to stay in power by any ruthless means including their killing machine is extremely worrisome. Let me try to reflect my points of view about the two diametrically opposite sides of the works of arts and artists as follows:
1. Believing that they do have a very deep touch on the very essence of what freedom is about and how it should be won, I would like to take the following portions of poets of songs as examples.
A. Arresut yilugnal Yehumeran meret yawum yegnan eta,
Arresut yilugnal Yemeteman meret yawum yegnan eta,
Ennesu min yargu kegna sew sitatta;
……………………………………………………………
Artist Fasil Demewoz, as one of genuinely concerned Ethiopians in general and artists in particular challenges us with an extremely critical reality we are facing. That bitter reality is the giving away or selling off large and fertile portions of our own land (Ethiopia) by the inner circle of TPLF and its cronies as cheap as anything. Needless to say, this very message of a patriotic song is not about Humera or Metema only. It is a message about a very serious challenging reality we are encountering, the danger of ending up with the disintegration of territorial integrity and national sovereignty. And that is why Fasil is challenging us to critically ask ourselves: why we could not go beyond simply decrying the very evil-driven agenda and practice of an ethno-centric tyranny? Why the reality of which the ruling elites who have no any other interest other than employing any criminal act including against the very survival of the country should be surprising to us in a situation where we seem suffering from lack of courage and determination?
Yes, unless we want to remain victims of avoidance of the fear we fear instead of acknowledging it and dealing with it appropriately, there is no any convincing reason not to expect the worst consequence to the very territorial integrity and national sovereignty let alone bringing about a political system of freedom, justice, human dignity, equal opportunity and shared prosperity. This is what a genuine work of arts and patriotic/heroic artists are about.
B. Wegene bel (tew) simagn agere,
Andinet yibejenal (yiteqmenal) zare;
Lehodu yadere wedajun yeressa,
Netsanet minu newu bineger biwessa;
……………………………………………………….
Artist Behanu Tezera is challenging us that despite the fact that the call for unity of purpose is as old as our socio-political history, there was no any other time at which our internal politics has been tested than our times which of course keeps going dangerously worse year after year and from one cycle of so-called election to another. Sadly enough, we now ended up with a hundred percent (absolute) enslavement. This realistically inspirational song also strongly reminds us that freedom and justice are not for those who do live just to eat or satisfy their soulless fleshes, including of course those artists (singers, and…) who keep selling themselves as instruments of political mercenaries. It is rather for those who fight for getting them (freedom and justice) right because they strongly believe that humanity in the real sense of the term is nothing without them.
C. Yetim yeseberal sewunet ende’gel,
Tarik endianesah lenetsanet tagel;
Eskemeche dires feri tibalaleh ,
Meri’h chaka gebtual min titebqaleh;
…………………………………………………………
This newly released song by Artist Shambel Belaineh challenges us that if the hundred percent (absolute) enslavement in our own country should be defeated and genuine freedom should become a reality, there is no any other choice but resolutely and urgently stand with those heroic freedom fighters of ours. What makes the very message of this song powerfully challenging to every genuinely concerned Ethiopian is that we are not at the time of complaining about lack of leaders who do have the character of true heroism/patriotism, knowledge and wisdom, and the ability to lead the struggle for freedom in the right direction and to a desired destiny. In other words, this very inspiring and timely song by artist Shambel Belaineh powerfully reminds us that if we continue with our complaints we have come across for the last several years of lack of effective leadership at this time where truly heroes and heroines of Ethiopians are leading the struggle by leaving their very decent and very comfortable lives behind, we must admit that the only reason we left with is nothing else, but our terrible failure to defeat the fear we have imposed on ourselves.
Shambel challenges us with his newly released song to ask ourselves for how long we should allow the ruthless ruling elites and their cronies to treat us as cowardice. He also challenges us to ask ourselves how far and how deep we have gone to defeat the incredibly excessive fear we impose on ourselves, not only imposed by the ethno-centric tyrannical ruling circle. Needless to say, this is what we as individuals, groupings, communities, and above all as a people need to seriously and genuinely deal with at this very critical time of political struggle for freedom and justice.
Let me also reiterate that the newly released song by Shambel Belaineh does challenge us with a deeply powerful and very timely message. As what Fasil and Berhanu do critically remind us, so does Shambel. He expresses the honorability of offering an ultimate sacrifice for the sake freedom and justice. Ture, now we have leaders in deed and leaders in need. The rest is to defeat the unnecessarily excessive fear we imposed on ourselves and by doing so defeat those who are determined to rule with the political killing machine at their disposal. Shambel loudly and straight-forwardly challenges us by saying that complaint of lack of leadership of willingness, ability and devotion cannot be used as an excuse anymore because that highly aspired leadership is already on the ground and getting ready to take the struggle forward irreversibly. And that leadership has courageously manifested itself through the unification Arbegnoch and Ginbot 7 (Arbegnoch Ginbot 7 for Unity and Democracy Movement), and remarkably through the coming into being of United Movement for the Salvation of Ethiopia through Democracy (UMSED).
It has to be underscored here that the existence of this highly aspired and rationally dynamic political leadership cannot be taken for granted without relentless and proactive participation of the people who would be the beneficiaries of a democratic system to be established and to be built. And that is why artist Shambel strongly voices the need to end fearing the fear that has a lot to do with our repeated and terrible failures for the last quarter of a century. I am so optimistic that the very ugly and worrisome trend of remaining silent and waiting for something until it kills the very essence of humanity will be dealt with appropriately in such a way that it should pave the way for establishing a system in which we find a real sense of being good and respected citizens.
D. Lanchi newu Ethiopia lanchi newu,
Lanchi newu hagere lanchi newu,
Lanchi newu Ethiopia yetesebasebinew,
Lanchi newu Ethiopia egna yeminmotew,
Lanchi newu Ethiopia demen yemafesew;
Bebarnet shekim kibirish legodefew,
Bebalegie medaf jerbash legobetew,
Yesqaish siqai semai lenedelew,
Ayinsh eskitefa dem lemtanebew,
Lanchi new hagere hiwot yegebernew;
……………………………………………………..
This is a song written by one of the sons and daughters of Ethiopia who say what they mean and who mean what they say. Yes, he is a hero of freedom and justice in deed in a situation where Ethiopia is desperately in need. Yes, he is one of those heroes and heroines who are paying huge sacrifices for the sake of the salvation of Ethiopia on the very grave of the evil-driven political and socio-economic agenda and practice of the ethno-centric ruling elites. No exaggeration to say that he is one of (may be not many) who forgo the life styles they could enjoy and put themselves in the front line of the struggle not only because of their belongingness to Ethiopia either by citizenship or by birth but also because of their strong conviction in what freedom mean as human beings. Fellow Ethiopians, giving up our self –centered interests for the sake of bringing about a society in which we all live with freedom, justice, peace, equal opportunity, shared prosperity and inalienable human dignity does require an extraordinary personality. That is what Andargachew Tsegie has done; and is doing even at this time of being brutalized under the brutal machineries of the ruling circle.
What Andargachew challenges us with the song he wrote of which with no exaggeration goes deep into our minds and hearts is that we cannot afford to keep watching motherland Ethiopia whose tears are not simply rolling down but flowing upwards to the extent of penetrating the sky. This very powerful way of depiction clearly tells how tears from a motherland that has been and continue to be horrified by her own very few evil-minded sons and daughters is difficult to comprehend. This powerful and realistic expression challenges us to seriously and genuinely think about the scope and intensity of the devastation of our country and of course the untold sufferings of her people in this twenty-first century.
He also challenges us that there is a need to pay ultimate sacrifices to get the iron-fisted way of ruling of TPLF/EPRDF off the back of mother Ethiopia. And that is why the very reason why what happened and what is happening to Andargachew has become the factor of inspiration and strength of the struggle for freedom than ever.
Dear fellow Ethiopians, do listen to this song of “Lanchi newu” with a real sense of internalization, deep down to your real sense of aspire to live as dignified human beings created free and to live within a genuine balance of rights and responsibilities. Think about how it is extremely disturbing to be in a situation where people are mere subjects of few ethno-centric ruling gangsters. How an amazing self-transformation for the sake the just cause one has to stand for! Andargachew, your selfless devotion will never be in vain! Your genuine freedom and peace-loving friends and all genuinely concerned compatriots did not take time when they jumped in and took the struggle a step ahead. I am reasonably optimistic that the struggle you have powerfully sparked will make the country you love free from those who have caused incredible suffering and we all will be fortunate enough to celebrate with you and all those who are paying huge sacrifices in several notoriously terrible political prisons.
2. I do not think I need to say much about those “artists”, Serawit Fikire being the “cheer leader” who cheaply sold themselves as mercenaries of an ethnic-based political tyranny in the name of arts and artists. The way these individuals keep behaving has caused tremendous damage to the development of desirable values of arts and culture this generation desperately aspire. How? It goes without saying that those so-called artists are the most ruthless killers of those common senses of norms and traditions of not dancing with those who make millions of parents and families devastated by continuously brutalizing millions of young Ethiopians who have nothing wrong, but demand respect for their fundamental rights. Alas! We have witnessed those “artists” singing songs of mourning and shedding their flood of tears for the death of Ato Meles Zenawi while they kept dancing, singing and performing as usual when hundreds of innocent Ethiopians were gunned down at broad-day light in the streets of Addis Ababa and in different parts of the country.
Sadly enough, those “artists” look determined to keep dancing, singing and performing with the ruling circle which has declared hundred percent of “winning” of the fifth cycle of election took place last May. O Lord! How it is extremely painful to continue witnessing those “artists” glorifying the ruling elites who not only destroyed all alternative political opposition actors that had been operating peacefully and lawfully but also committed political killings on those members of opposition forces who played role model of peaceful struggle.
That is why it is quite fair to say that not challenging those so-called artists in such a way that they should not be allowed to continue causing extremely painful damages to our country and her people by serving as mercenaries to the political crime being committed by evil-minded ruling elites is allowing our values of art and culture to be taken as simple as anything for marketing. And that is a very dangerous precedence we have to deeply be concerned.
I hate to say but I have to say that unless we want to remain victims of self-deception or avoidance of reality, we are one of the most typical examples of those people of the world who are suffering from this very extremely distorted and deadly infectious mix of politics and the works of arts.
Needless to say, mercenary is not only to a foreign soldier who is paid to fight regardless of the very causes he or she is paid to fight for. I strongly argue that it includes any behavior that is destined to doing anything for being paid regardless of asking oneself what is moral or immoral, just or unjust, soulful or soulless, humane or inhumane, freedom or enslavement, peace-driven or terror-driven, etc. It is neither an exaggeration nor groundless frustration to say that the behaviors and actions of those “development artists” in our country should straight-forwardly and rationally be told that they need to refrain from dramatizing and praising the brutal political machine. If they are courageous enough to come back to the very common sense s of humanity and help this generation to live with freedom and enjoy the arts and culture it would bring about and develop through its neve-ending actions and interactions, it would be great. If they choose to continue singing, dancing, and preforming as usual because they have treated as “development artists” and tipped with material, financial or any other favorable treatment by the ethno-centric ruling elites, they have to expect the people of Ethiopia to treat them accordingly. One thing that has to be crystal clear is that the time of making the works of arts and culture instruments of political tyranny and socio-economic plunder must be end.
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