Ethiocolor in the U.S.: "A lesson in the transformational and radical nature of joy"
Ethiocolor’s 2023 Center Stage tour (September 4 - 30, 2023) was a blast of musical love and energy from Ethiopia, reverberating from coast to coast in the U.S. We are grateful for this opportunity to show the world the richness of Ethiopian culture, and to engage in heart-felt people-to-people exchange through music and dance. We’ll never forget the great joy and sense of unity from audiences in DC, Baltimore, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Oakland, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles. Our work is the living proof that human joy is real, and that our hearts can sync up through music and dance, despite our many differences.
After each performance, we received beautiful comments from the audiences such as “This is the first time we see such a powerful performance from Africa.” “Unlike anything else we’ve heard, Ethiocolor has fed our souls.” And in multiple cities, music critics felt compelled to write about Ethiocolor’s performances.
New Haven Independent Review
https://reviews.newhavenindependent.org/reviews/ethiocolor
“The ensemble Ethiocolor brought an exuberant range of Ethiopian music and dance traditions from Addis Abba to Oakland’s Zanzi — and blew people’s mind for two straight hours.
The enchanting howl of Habtamu Yeshambel’s masterfully played Masenko, the rhythmic pulse of Meselu Abebaye’s kebero drumming, and the mesmerizing connection the entire group had with the audience forced me to stay unshakably present.
Through charismatic expressions and an inherent playfulness, Bandleader Melaku Belay brought joy and positivity to each selection with the assistance of seven other musicians and a dancer.
For over two hours, Ethiocolor put on a virtuosic evening of music and dance, but they also gave us a dose of much-needed “medicine,” a word Melaku Belay used recently on a Facebook post to describe their art. I can’t think of a better one. In the face of the painful and harrowing experience of being human, they gave us all a lesson in the transformational and radical nature of joy.”
Chicago Reader’s Guide to the World Music Festival – Main article
https://chicagoreader.com/music/the-readers-guide-to-world-music-festival-chicago-2023/
“Ecstatically funky”
Artist page in the Chicago Reader
https://chicagoreader.com/music/the-readers-guide-to-world-music-festival-chicago-2023/#ethiocolor
Throughout a performance, the artists build up a communal ecstasy that makes it clear why this tradition has endured. Onstage, Belay immerses himself completely in the action: during introspective passages, he can enter a trancelike state, and when the music swells in energy, he erupts in moves that have earned him the nickname “the Walking Earthquake.”
Broadway World
“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. Melaku Belay, acclaimed as a "walking earthquake" by The New York Times, brings to life the rhythmic marvel of eskista, a shoulder-shimmying dance, while his Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa has become a global hub of artistic exchange.”
US Embassy Announcement/Release
https://et.usembassy.gov/u-s-embassy-sends-ethiocolor-on-u-s-tour/
Melaku’s interview on Fox News
“This year’s [Millpond Live] was absolutely paradigm shattering/mind eye opening intense. … Ethiocolor was a transcendental experience leading the audience on a journey of exploration and discovery with deep joy…. Just an incredible experience.” Social media comment (@daringcoyotes, September 18)
Following them was Ethiocolor traditional band. They were too loud, too wild, and too amazing to miss. So very thankful I didn't. I can hardly wait for a return engagement.
"Music is not only for dancing, music is healing ourselves!"
-- Founder Melaku Belay
Social media comment (Susan Budig, September 27)
In addition to the concerts, we had three jam sessions, first with the rural community of New Hampshire/New England, then with international touring musicians in East Hampton Millpond Live Festival, and finally in Minneapolis/St. Paul, where musician friends brought instruments that originated from China. We had a blast improvising and exchanging both music and dance.
Engaging with school children on this tour has also brought us abundant joy as well as learning; we did so in Vermont, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In LA, a child asked us, “Do you have houses in Africa?” We explained to him that yes, we do live in houses just like he and his family. We think this child will remember our words and smiles as well as our unique music and dance.
A highlight of this tour: Ethiocolor had a State Department alumni reunion when the group watched a world premier performance by Ananya Dance Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota. I met members of ADT in 2015 when the latter traveled to Addis Ababa on State Department funding to perform for Crossing Boundaries Festival. Ananya Dance Theatre’s performance is as powerful as I remember at the Ethiopian National Theatre in 2015. Ananya Dance Theatre artists in turn attended the Ethiocolor concert at the Cedar Cultural Center, and which they told us was “a spiritual experience.” Dance connects us over and over again!
We loved spending time with friends and communities in social settings, beyond the performances and educational obligations. Some highlights including listening to a Minnesotan musician play the music of Ethiopian legend Emehoy; spending time on a lake with Minnesotan families; having lunch at the home of Professor Ron Aminzade, who has helped us build and grow the community library at Fendika since 2020.
We have made beautiful memories and helped many people in the US learn about Ethiopian music, dance, and culture, and we left them wanting more, for sure. We have also made Ethiopia and Ethiopians proud. Most importantly, we have brought Ethiopian diasporas and Americans of many backgrounds together, to listen to and dance to our music. We have accomplished our mission to spread the message of peace, and to remind audiences of our shared humanity.
We understand that such an operation is the result of many people and organization’s vision and hard work. Much gratitude to: Center Stage US, United States State Department, American Embassy in Addis Ababa, New England Foundation for the Arts, Lisa Booth Management, Inc. (especially Deirdre Valente and Danyale Taylor), Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), Le Mondo (Baltimore), West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts (NH), Lebanon Opera House (NH), Fitch Farm (NE), Millpond Live Festival (MA), Zanzi (Oakland, CA), Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship, Macalester College, Sleeping Village and Chicago World Music Festival, the Cedar Cultural Center Global Roots Festival (MN), and the Nimoy Theater, CAP UCLA.