“With deep roots in Ethiopia's rich Azmari culture, this nine-member ensemble transcends time, fusing ancient traditions with modern sensibilities. Through a spellbinding synergy of dance and music, Ethiocolor takes audiences on a journey that defies boundaries and unites hearts across cultures.” Broadway World
Read MoreFendika Cultural Center promotes youth entrepreneurship in multiple ways; it is a loving space where aspiring young artists and entrepreneurs can find mentors, opportunities for employment, performance, and exhibition, access to free space and equipment, and an ideal place for networking. As a result, they gain marketable skills that enable them to succeed as entrepreneurs in both local and global creative sectors, and become role models for other young people in Ethiopia.
Read More“Being at TED affirmed my belief that our culture and our creativity are our wealth, our future. Economic development does not have to happen at the expense of displacing arts and artists, who are the keepers of our soul and our identity as Ethiopians. I hope everyone wake up before it’s too late to support arts and culture in Ethiopia. I will continue to fight the good fight, along with artists and others who see the importance of heritage and heritage places.”
Read MoreI am very honored to be among this amazing class of TED Fellows. TED is a prestigious global forum; it means a lot that they recognize my work and understand my dream to show the richness of Ethiopian culture to the world. Through TED, I will learn from change-makers from around the world, build more bridges between peoples and cultures, and promote societal healing through arts and creativity.
Read MoreOne night, two friends from Sudan and I spent an hour with Melaku in his office. We listened to music from Sudan and watched videos of folk dances and rhythms from many ethnic groups in Sudan. At one point, Melaku told us that the rhythm and sounds of a Sudanese ethnic group are the same as those of an Ethiopian ethnic group. Better yet, he started dancing joyfully to the music, not missing a beat! We then discussed the deep connections between our two nations’ cultures and histories. I remember thinking: Who on earth created these borders between us? It was one of the most unforgettable days in my life. It inspires me to create visual art that reminds us of the same ancient roots we all share.
Read MoreOn this eve of our travel to Switzerland to collaborate with Jeroen Visser and his band, we reminisce about our travel to Moers Festival in Germany and Music Meeting in the Netherlands earlier this year (May 19 - 25). …Despite the social distancing dictated by COVID-19, we met and worked with beautiful people who love music and work hard to make live music happen. We cherish those encounters even more because they took place after so many obstacles had to be overcome. For a moment or two, we struggled to navigate a foreign city when language was a barrier. But these challenges only confirmed our belief that mistakes are beautiful, because we can always learn and grow from them.
Read MoreThis place is a piece of heaven…
Read MoreSometimes I feel lucky that life’s circumstances had put me in the street - that’s where I found my path and freedom through dance. If I were brought up in a middle-class family, the path of dance would most likely have been blocked off for me – like for many children in Ethiopia. Maybe my story shows how important it is for each child to discover their own unique gifts and to follow their own passion. The narrow path of being “normal” squashes creativity out of our children, our future.
Read MoreDance is my gift from God, and a language in which I speak with God. When I dance, I am fully present, and full of thanks, for having this life, and for being able to contribute as I can. Through dance, I pray for peace, justice, and the wellbeing of our planet, I connect with other human beings, and I feel free and equal to all. It all goes back to Timket, where I discovered my dance, my path, my prayer.
Read MoreFor me Fendika is a time and space where my soul gets motivated and meditated.
Read MoreFendika was closed for 7 months due to COVID-19. We do not suffer alone; we feel all of your pains and losses, anywhere in the world, for any reason. But 2020 was also a testament to the importance of art, to Fendika’s resilience, and to the strength of our global support. We share some of our accomplishments here with you, because you’re the reason we do our work of building community, unity, and peace through music, dance and art.
Read MoreNow there is rapid construction in Addis.
They want to demolish traditional houses (like Fendika).
We can encourage people to keep our houses like this
by making them into art.
If there is art in the house, it becomes art.
Then demolishing the house
will be at the level of demolishing art.
Maybe we can have a chance to leave it as it is.
Read MoreWe are the proud representative of Ethiopia among this year’s laureates, selected by the Award Committee for our “positive impact as a catalyst inspiring and supporting cultural expressions in Ethiopia.” Prince Claus Fund recognizes Fendika Cultural Center as “a cultural hub and vibrant creative hotspot in the heart of Addis Ababa.”
Read MoreI wouldn’t be where I am right now as a person, if it was not for Fendika. Fendika is a school for me. I have learned so many things here. I have found myself by spending a lot of time with the people at Fendika. I learned more things at Fendika than I learned from 3 years of college.
Read MoreIn early September 2020, Fendika received a generous donation of 1000+ books on arts and culture from Books for Africa. In the middle of the pandemic that closed the Center for half a year, Fendika took a financial risk to build a small library room on its premise, to give a beautiful home to the books, and to provide an inviting environment for readers. Melaku is thrilled about this new addition to Fendika. Our small library is the first and only library in the Kazanchis neighborhood, and the only library focused on arts and culture in the city of Addis Ababa.
Read MoreShoes or no shoes, a good dance is a good dance. And I knew what true joy was when I danced. I didn’t want to stop moving, because, as much as my bare feet were connected to the earth, my spirit would fly into the endless sky above the mountains. The good earth of Ethiopia gave me boundless energy, to walk, to sing, to dance, and to soar.
Read MoreMany a time, I ponder over the beauty of my journey and talk to myself. It was during one of my meditative sessions that Tamrat, the visual artist who comes to FENDIKA on Mondays and Fridays, listened to me attentively. It was after this momentum that Tamrat became the author of my new existence. He first pulled off my four legs and I ceased to be a table any longer. I was wondering what his intention was. But to my surprise, he put me, along with the three firewoods, the centerpiece of his new installation art work on the wall of FENDIKA.
Read MoreIf you have been with us in Fendika, you’ll know that a quiet Fendika is eerie. We have had our share of sadness, fear, and worries. But we wished to keep supporting Fendika’s staff and artists: about 80 people’s livelihood and careers are tied to Fendika. … To date, we have aired 15 episodes of Fendika Live concerts on YouTube featuring nearly 40 Ethiopian musicians and dance artists, and 3 virtual art openings featuring 6 Ethiopian artists.
Read MoreThe children are the future. I don’t want my children, the future generation to fight each other, to think in small-minded ways. Our grandfathers and grandmothers prayed for the entire humanity, for the peace of our planet, not just for themselves or for their own groups. They were not yet poisoned by the individualist way of thinking. We need to listen to our ancestors while imagining our futures.
Read More“Ethiopian culture is truly amazing: full of colors, full of rhythms. Our hope is for the rest of the world to see and feel all of those, through our dance. Sometimes it feels like we’re dancing in the dark, but we see a small beam of light.”
Read More
