Machaho Tellem Chaho

This song was composed by Tado Dilli and sung on October 31, 1972 by Ganne-Rasha Terefe in central Sheka. It is a lamentation of a Sheka family. This song is part of 63 others, recorded from the bards performing in the Kafa highlands, and published in 'Domination and Resistance: Narrative Songs of the Kafa Highlands' by Werner Lange, 1979. But much more than that, this song is part of the rich and formidable heritage of the oral traditions of the people of Kafa and Sheka. ELEPHANTS: (Male) O, mother elephant, let us go to Vingite! Let us run to Yeha! (Female) The sons of hunters with their spears, Will not let us pass. (Male) Let us go through Uchchi; Let us run through Ulla; Let us go through Gashi Then let us run to Galla! (Female) The Galla of Dido with their spears, Will not let us pass. The prople of Ebachchi with their spears, Will not let us pass. (Male) We are trapped We are in great trouble! Let us save ourselves by giving up one of our children. You are the female; ...

BEST READ OF MY WEEK : A DIALOGUE The Case of the Valiant Torturer by Hama Tuma An ex-torturer of the Red Terror is presenting his 'achievements' to the Derg's court. The court is going to punish him for complaining he was not getting enough 'anarchists' to torture and meet his quota: "Well, you remember how the country suffered from lack of rain? We suspected foul play. A few priests who were preaching that God has cursed us, in other words saying that God was against the State, were arrested and brought to us. Within two hours, all the priests confessed that they were part of an anarchist plot. Using these confessions we grilled again around thirty anarchists we already had in custody and who had all confessed to being central committee members of their party. All of them now revealed that their party had sabotaged the rain. It was a stupendous success and the newspapers highlighted it, revealing that the anarchists were responsible for the drought and...

"Dedicated to those who were either killed or who suffered years of imprisonment without trial" - Kevin O'Mahoney " - You of the 2nd Division," he said "are the pride of Ethiopia; you are in the forefront of the motherland's defence against the forces of disintegration. (...) - Defending the motherland? Who defended my mother? Last year she died of starvation in Kobo. Who defended her?" Meaza of Ethiopia (meaza means fragrance) is the historical novel of writer Kevin O'Mahoney who published it in 1991; he seems to have written it in Adigrat (at least the publication is from Adigrat and so is his dedication mark). One of the main characters of this novel is Lemlem the bar owner, a tender, wise and generous woman originally from Enticho, who fled to Massawa where she was forced into prostitution and who managed to escape it to settle in Adigrat. One of the priest in the novel who comes to Kobo to try and help fight the famine says "These p...