Thursday, September 4, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Ethiopians in London held Vigil to demand the release of Teddy Afro
Posted 7th May 2008
Abbay Media Correspondent,
Ethiopians in London held Vigil to demand the release of Teddy Afro
6th May 2008London, United Kingdom - Today, Teddy Afro supporters and concerned Ethiopians held a vigil outside London’s Ethiopian Embassy, to demand the immediate release of Teddy Afro from the dreaded prison of the regime in Ethiopia. They also demanded the regime to retract its vindictive and fabricated incrimination of Teddy Afro.
During the rally, they held placards with messages such as;
FREE Teddy Afro
FREE all Political Prisoners in Ethiopia
Artist Teddy Afro is a victim of Meles’s Dictatorship in Ethiopia.
FREE all Journalists in Ethiopia …etc.
After shouting out slogans with similar messages as the placards, the organizers then started playing the entire Teddy Afro’s ‘Yasterserial’ Album, with full volume.
The spokes person of the organizers gave a live interview with VOA Radio, which, was broadcast direct to Ethiopia.
DW Radio representative was also present to report on the rally.
At the end of the 3 hours rally, the demonstrators vowed to continue holding vigils until Teddy Afro is released from Kaliti.
Teddy Afro abandoned by Ethiopians!!
By Tedla Asfaw
“I did not kill any one and I have been jailed in lice infested jail for the last three months”, that was Teddy Afro today (11th July 2008) in front of TPLF’s court drama after his attorney call for the dismissal of the case due to forged document provided by the prosecutor. The request was rejected by cadre/judge Lieul preparing the ground to send Teddy for long-term jail at the end of this month.
Supporters of Teddy were crying and that is the least they can do. TPLF knows very well Ethiopians are not Somalis who can hit back. What a shame!! When are we going to say enough is enough and fight back? No food OK! Give our land OK! NO protest OK! Beloved singers jailed, crying!
We have let down Teddy Afro because of fear. Let alone those in Ethiopia even the thousands who partied in D.C last week, there was no anger and call for the immediate release of Teddy Afro. This is a coward generation, which has no love for truth and justice.
It is sad we the Diaspora abandoned Teddy Afro and allows TPLF to get a free ride to finish its drama unchallenged. It is shame to call oneself an Ethiopian today, by abandoning Teddy who sang for Ethiopia more than any singer in TPLF’s Ethiopia.
We are all useless, “Hulacnhenem Zero” quoting singer Shambel. I pray for God to give fellow Ethiopians courage to stand for truth and face evil head on, like the brave Somalis who are battling the TPLF mercenaries and which will soon get their well deserved freedom.
……………………………………..Return Back to: ABBAY MEDIA FRONT PAGE
This entry was posted on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at and is filed under Teddy Afro. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
25 Responses to “Teddy Afro abandoned by Ethiopians!!”
MAMO Says: July 12th, 2008 at
የኢትዪጵያ ህዝብ ልቡም አሞትም ያጣው ዛሬ ብቻ አይደለም ቆይቷል ብል ማጋነን አይሆንብኝም በእርግጥም ከላይ እንደጠተቀሰው ና ታሰር እሽ ና ተገደል እሽ ተኛ እሸ ተቀመጥ እሽ ብቻ በአጠቃላይ ሁሉን እሽ ማለት ከጀመረ ውሎ አድሯል የሚገርመው ይህ ትውልድ ከኔ ከራሴ ጀምሮ ማፈሪያ ትውልድ ነው ማለት ያሰደፍራል ሌባውና ባንዳው ወያኔም ይህንን ሁሉ ነገር ሲያደርግ ሲገል መሬቱን ንብርቱን ሲዘርፈው ህዝቡ አሜን ብሎ ሰለተቀበለው እያደር የልብ ልብ ተሰማው በመቀጠል ጀግኖች አባቶቻችን በደማቸው አሰከብረው ያቆይዋትን አገር በማናለብኝነት ሲያሰፈልገው ለወዳጆቹ የጅ መንሻ እንደዳቦ እየቆረሰ ቢሰጥ በባንዳውና በዘራፎው ሌባ ወያኔ ምኑ ይፈረዳል ብላችሁ ነው ከዚህስ ወዲያ ምን እስከሚሆን የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ እንደሚጠብቅ ከቶም ሊገባኝ አልቻለም ታዲያ ይህ ኣሞቱ የፈስስ እና በመጠጥ ኣና በጫት (የጫት ትውልድ በጣም ይቅርታ ይህንን ቃላት በመጠቀሜ እንኳን ቴዲን ቀርቶ አገሩንም ለባንዳው ወያኔ ኣሳልፎ ከሰጠ ቖይቷል ነገ ደግሞ በሳንባው እንዳይተነፍስ ውያኔ ሲከለክለው ዝም ብሎ እንደሚቀበል አልጠራጠርም ለማየት ያብቃን ፡፡
Destachew Says: July 12th, 2008 at
I do not blame Ethiopians for disproving and abandoning irresponsible drunkard behaviour, after all who in the right sane mind support Teddy Afro when he acts immorally and irresponsible and kills an innocent by stander while intoxicated ?
pitter Says: July 12th, 2008 at
This is to Destachew someone who is immorale and shamless to give comments. i mean even the TPLF court didnt say he is guilty yet and you concluded that he is guilty??????shame on you he is just a suspect no one know if he did it or not only God know that but u shouldnt give comments like that regarding your nonsense thoughts and hates to this patriotic singer. I feel sorry for this kind of zero minded ethiopians. And i feel sorry for that Beutifull country called Ethiopia. i love Ethiopia but there r some people who r making me to hate but i will never do time will pass and there will be a greater Ethiopia soon.GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA
“I did not kill any one and I have been jailed in lice infested jail for the last three months”, that was Teddy Afro today (11th July 2008) in front of TPLF’s court drama after his attorney call for the dismissal of the case due to forged document provided by the prosecutor. The request was rejected by cadre/judge Lieul preparing the ground to send Teddy for long-term jail at the end of this month.
Supporters of Teddy were crying and that is the least they can do. TPLF knows very well Ethiopians are not Somalis who can hit back. What a shame!! When are we going to say enough is enough and fight back? No food OK! Give our land OK! NO protest OK! Beloved singers jailed, crying!
We have let down Teddy Afro because of fear. Let alone those in Ethiopia even the thousands who partied in D.C last week, there was no anger and call for the immediate release of Teddy Afro. This is a coward generation, which has no love for truth and justice.
It is sad we the Diaspora abandoned Teddy Afro and allows TPLF to get a free ride to finish its drama unchallenged. It is shame to call oneself an Ethiopian today, by abandoning Teddy who sang for Ethiopia more than any singer in TPLF’s Ethiopia.
We are all useless, “Hulacnhenem Zero” quoting singer Shambel. I pray for God to give fellow Ethiopians courage to stand for truth and face evil head on, like the brave Somalis who are battling the TPLF mercenaries and which will soon get their well deserved freedom.
……………………………………..Return Back to: ABBAY MEDIA FRONT PAGE
This entry was posted on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at and is filed under Teddy Afro. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
25 Responses to “Teddy Afro abandoned by Ethiopians!!”
MAMO Says: July 12th, 2008 at
የኢትዪጵያ ህዝብ ልቡም አሞትም ያጣው ዛሬ ብቻ አይደለም ቆይቷል ብል ማጋነን አይሆንብኝም በእርግጥም ከላይ እንደጠተቀሰው ና ታሰር እሽ ና ተገደል እሽ ተኛ እሸ ተቀመጥ እሽ ብቻ በአጠቃላይ ሁሉን እሽ ማለት ከጀመረ ውሎ አድሯል የሚገርመው ይህ ትውልድ ከኔ ከራሴ ጀምሮ ማፈሪያ ትውልድ ነው ማለት ያሰደፍራል ሌባውና ባንዳው ወያኔም ይህንን ሁሉ ነገር ሲያደርግ ሲገል መሬቱን ንብርቱን ሲዘርፈው ህዝቡ አሜን ብሎ ሰለተቀበለው እያደር የልብ ልብ ተሰማው በመቀጠል ጀግኖች አባቶቻችን በደማቸው አሰከብረው ያቆይዋትን አገር በማናለብኝነት ሲያሰፈልገው ለወዳጆቹ የጅ መንሻ እንደዳቦ እየቆረሰ ቢሰጥ በባንዳውና በዘራፎው ሌባ ወያኔ ምኑ ይፈረዳል ብላችሁ ነው ከዚህስ ወዲያ ምን እስከሚሆን የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ እንደሚጠብቅ ከቶም ሊገባኝ አልቻለም ታዲያ ይህ ኣሞቱ የፈስስ እና በመጠጥ ኣና በጫት (የጫት ትውልድ በጣም ይቅርታ ይህንን ቃላት በመጠቀሜ እንኳን ቴዲን ቀርቶ አገሩንም ለባንዳው ወያኔ ኣሳልፎ ከሰጠ ቖይቷል ነገ ደግሞ በሳንባው እንዳይተነፍስ ውያኔ ሲከለክለው ዝም ብሎ እንደሚቀበል አልጠራጠርም ለማየት ያብቃን ፡፡
Destachew Says: July 12th, 2008 at
I do not blame Ethiopians for disproving and abandoning irresponsible drunkard behaviour, after all who in the right sane mind support Teddy Afro when he acts immorally and irresponsible and kills an innocent by stander while intoxicated ?
pitter Says: July 12th, 2008 at
This is to Destachew someone who is immorale and shamless to give comments. i mean even the TPLF court didnt say he is guilty yet and you concluded that he is guilty??????shame on you he is just a suspect no one know if he did it or not only God know that but u shouldnt give comments like that regarding your nonsense thoughts and hates to this patriotic singer. I feel sorry for this kind of zero minded ethiopians. And i feel sorry for that Beutifull country called Ethiopia. i love Ethiopia but there r some people who r making me to hate but i will never do time will pass and there will be a greater Ethiopia soon.GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA
The Teddy Afro Injustice
The Teddy Afro Injustice The regime in Ethiopia has imprisoned the renowned artist Tewodros Kasahun (aka Teddy Afro) on the pretext of a traffic accident that is supposed to have happened some 2 years ago. The vindictive regime had filed a pile of charges against the artist over a year ago that include causing a fatal accident on a pedestrian, driving without a license and for not assisting the victim at the seen of the accident.When journalists asked Teddy Afro about the case he had confirmed that he was not at the place at the time when the accident was supposed to have been committed. He had also emphatically stated that he would have not abandoned such a victim if he were involved in such an accident. He had protested that such unsubstantiated charges and labeling of crime against his person and is a travesty against his person and integrity.
The innocent Teddy Afro have even traveled outside Ethiopia to perform in various cities around the world while he was on bail, but always returned back to his homeland, knowing in his heart that he was innocent of these allegations.We are lead to believe that the regime has used this fabrication to silence the singer from promoting human rights, Ethiopian nationalism, campaigning for peace and taking a strong stand on poverty and castigating inaction on the successive disasters caused by famine in Ethiopia. This was more apparent when, in the week leading up to Fassika, Teddy was put in isolation, with only five persons are allowed to ask him.The regime has an established track record in persecuting the youth and hitting out against Ethiopian nationalism. The measures taken by the regime are continuations of its policy of persecution of the youth for resisting its undemocratic policies and its persistence in weakening the Ethiopian state to sustain and perpetuate its grip on power.The problems that the regime has against the artist are his boundless capacity to create popular lyrics for his songs that are pro-democracy and peace, also advocate against oppression and persecution. His songs have never been broadcasted over state-owned media despite the popularity of his works. In other words they are implicitly banned. He has produced albums like YASTESERYAL, on the political tension in Ethiopia witch were used as an anthem by the opposition around the general election of 2005 that ended in the killing hundreds of citizens; also album like ABOGIDA, witch contained music such as, HAILE SELASSIE ‘tribute to the late Emperor’, HAILE GEBRESELASSIE ‘in honor of the Olympic long distance runner’, MONA LISA ‘about human beauty’, etc. This and many other songs have made the artist known in the national and international Ethiopian music seen. His boundless success in attracting an enormous following has scared the regime in Ethiopia, which has now decided to silence him on vindictively fabricated cases. Teddy is an ally for the poor and not a killer of the poor.We demand the immediate release of Teddy Afro from the dreaded prison of the regime in Ethiopia. We demand the regime to retract its vindictive and fabricated incrimination of Teddy Afro.
FREE Teddy Afro and All Political Prisoners in Ethiopia !!!
The innocent Teddy Afro have even traveled outside Ethiopia to perform in various cities around the world while he was on bail, but always returned back to his homeland, knowing in his heart that he was innocent of these allegations.We are lead to believe that the regime has used this fabrication to silence the singer from promoting human rights, Ethiopian nationalism, campaigning for peace and taking a strong stand on poverty and castigating inaction on the successive disasters caused by famine in Ethiopia. This was more apparent when, in the week leading up to Fassika, Teddy was put in isolation, with only five persons are allowed to ask him.The regime has an established track record in persecuting the youth and hitting out against Ethiopian nationalism. The measures taken by the regime are continuations of its policy of persecution of the youth for resisting its undemocratic policies and its persistence in weakening the Ethiopian state to sustain and perpetuate its grip on power.The problems that the regime has against the artist are his boundless capacity to create popular lyrics for his songs that are pro-democracy and peace, also advocate against oppression and persecution. His songs have never been broadcasted over state-owned media despite the popularity of his works. In other words they are implicitly banned. He has produced albums like YASTESERYAL, on the political tension in Ethiopia witch were used as an anthem by the opposition around the general election of 2005 that ended in the killing hundreds of citizens; also album like ABOGIDA, witch contained music such as, HAILE SELASSIE ‘tribute to the late Emperor’, HAILE GEBRESELASSIE ‘in honor of the Olympic long distance runner’, MONA LISA ‘about human beauty’, etc. This and many other songs have made the artist known in the national and international Ethiopian music seen. His boundless success in attracting an enormous following has scared the regime in Ethiopia, which has now decided to silence him on vindictively fabricated cases. Teddy is an ally for the poor and not a killer of the poor.We demand the immediate release of Teddy Afro from the dreaded prison of the regime in Ethiopia. We demand the regime to retract its vindictive and fabricated incrimination of Teddy Afro.
FREE Teddy Afro and All Political Prisoners in Ethiopia !!!
We love Teddy! Free Teddy!
Editorial
We love Teddy! Free Teddy!
Ethiomedia May 12, 2008
We love Teddy not just because he is an outstanding singer, entertainer and artist. We love him, above all, because he is a great Ethiopian patriot; a young man who not only loves his country with every fiber in his body, but is also unafraid to sing TRUTH to dictators who nakedly cling to power.
We also
love Teddy because he never sold us out, even when they offered him all of the riches in the world. He chose to stay with us: to sing for us songs of joy and happiness, songs of pride in our Ethiopia, songs of unity and reconciliation of all Ethiopians, songs of liberation and freedom, and songs of love and heartache.But why do we really, really love Teddy? Well, let us count the ways….
We love Teddy because he loves our Ethiopia above all else. In his sweet melodies, Teddy worships his motherland and the Almighty that created her. On every stage and in every continent his song is “Agere Ethiopia!” His flag, the green, yellow and red. That’s Patriot Teddy for you!
We love Teddy because at the dawn of the New Millennium he chose to thank God and pray for Ethiopian unity and harmony than join hands with the merchants of misery who were drowning themselves in imported champagne and cognac. He gave us a prayer in a song that reflected our innermost hopes and desires, “Abebaye hoy… We thank God for bringing us to the New Millennium. We pray that he keeps us, and the green, yellow and red flag together, forever.”
We love Teddy because he told the absolute truth. He sang it to us: “Those phony revolutionaries who sneaked their way to the throne did not bring change to Ethiopia, but a new king.”
We love Teddy because he helped us gain our sight when evildoers poked our eyes out to keep us in the darkness of dictatorship. He called upon us to become a lambadina (flashlight) for justice, for freedom and for human rights.
We love Teddy because he warned us not to fall for the devilish practitioners of divide and conquer, those who tell us that there is no such thing as Ethiopia or Ethiopian people, only a bunch of people who happen to occupy a corner of the earth without a common history or culture. But Teddy sang it: “Chemin de Fir. Let us not forget that the country where Christians and Muslims and people of all backgrounds have always lived in harmony, peace and love is none other than Ethiopia.”
We love Teddy because his songs fill our hearts with joy, uplift our spirits and face up to the ruthless mercenaries who scheme day and night to drive us into hopelessness and despair. Teddy prophesied, “Hold on, hold tight! Ethiopia’s resurrection (Ye Itopia tinsae) is near, if only we forgive each other in love."
We love Teddy because he is a true artist unbounded by political correctness. He couldn’t care less whether the corrupt and depraved criminals approved his songs. He sang his praises for the “African fathers, Haile Selaasie and Jomo Kenyatta for toiling to bring about African unity and promote pan-Africanism.”
We love Teddy for telling our young people particularly that “there is no advantage in gossiping and complaining (alamash lesew) behind the back of the one you love. Talk directly to the one you love in the language of love.” That is Teddy’s simple message for all who live and love.
We love Teddy because he knows the one solution to all of our problems: “JAH! YATESERYAL.” He sang to us that the biggest problems we have do not arise from differences in ethnicity, geographic region, language, religion or political ideology. The biggest problems we have are problems of the heart. Teddy sang it: Let’s do our part and come together! Forgive each other! Love each other! Hold hands together and put our collective shoulders to the grindstone for our Ethiopia, and keep on pushing! Let JAH do the rest. “JAH! YASTESERYAL.”
Shortly before Teddy was carried to the Kality see'ol (hell), in a deeply stirring hymn (mezmur), he made a profound profession of faith, and an affirmation of his unshakeable belief that his own fate and the destiny of Ethiopia remains in the palms of His hand: “Hale, hale luya to the Lord who died for me on the cross, how will I ever be able to repay Him for all he has done for me?” We join you Teddy, today and every day, “Hale, hale luya…”
So, here is our dedication to you Teddy, as you sit in the dark belly of Kality prison, Babylon System1, written and sung by the man you called Ye Ityopia Anbessa, Bob Marley:
Babylon system is the vampire, yea! (vampire) Suckin' the children day by day, yeah!Me say: de Babylon system is the vampire, falling empire,Suckin' the blood of the sufferers, yea-ea-ea-ea-e-ah!Building church and university, wo-o-ooh, yeah! -Deceiving the people continually, yea-ea!Me say them graduatin' thieves and murderers;Look out now: they suckin' the blood of the sufferers (sufferers).Yea-ea-ea! (sufferers)
Tell the children the truth;Tell the children the truth;Tell the children the truth right now!
Free Teddy right now! Free Teddy from Babylon, right now! Let our Teddy go, right now! JAH YASTESERYAL! TEDDY, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
---1Bob Marley’s song audio and lyrics available at: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/bob_marley/babylon_system.html
Published in Ethiomedia at http://www.ethiomedia.com/abai/we_love_teddy_afro.html
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Free 4 Teddy Afro
Teddy Afro (in Amharic: ቴዲ አፍሮ ; real name: Tewodros Kassahun, in Amharic: ቴዎድሮስ ካሳሁን) is a popular Ethiopian singer.In 2001, Teddy released his debut album, Abugida, named after the Abugida syllabary of the Ge'ez language. Several tracks quickly caught the ear of many listeners in Ethiopia - Halieselassie, a tribute to the late Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I; Haile, Haile, a single in honor of the Olympic long distance champion Haile Gebrselassie; and Mona Lisa, a song about the measure of human beauty.His second album, Yasteseryal, was released in 2005. The release of this album coincided with elevated political tension in Ethiopia surrounding the Ethiopian general election, 2005. His politically and socially inspired songs vibrated a call for unity and peace. However, some of his songs were not welcomed by the supporters of the government.In his latest song dedicated to the Ethiopian Millennium and entitled Musika Heiwete(Music is My Life), the renowned Ethiopian popular singer, Teddy Afro (Theodros Kassahun) traces the geneaology of his music to classical Zema or chant compositions of St. Yared, the great Ethiopian composer, choreographer and poet, who lived in Aksum almost 1500 years ago.Teddy, who is widely known for his songs mixed with reggae rhythms and local sounds, heart warming and enlightening lyrics, shoulder shaking and foot stomping beats, blends his latest offering with sacred musical terms, such as Ge'ez, Izil, and Ararary, terms coined by St. Yared to represent the three mainZema compositions.In so doing, he is echoing the time tested and universalized tradition of modernity that has been pioneered and institutionalized by Yared. Teddy seems to realize the importance of seeking a new direction in Ethiopian popular music by consciously establishing links to the classical and indigenous tradition of modernity of St. Yared. In other words, Teddy Afro is setting an extraordinary example of reconfiguring and contributing to contemporary musical tradition based on Yared's Zema
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
