Bereket Mengisteab (

ትግርኛ (; also spelled Tigrigna) is an Ethio-Semitic language commonly spoken Eritrea and in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Region by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples. It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions. History and literature ...

: በረኸት መንግስተአብ, 1938) is a well-known Eritrean songwriter, composer and singer and is known as the "Godfather of Eritrean music".

Life and work

Early life

Mengisteab was born in 1938 in Hazega, a village in Eritrea, approximately north-west Asmara, the capital. He spent his early life in the village farming, taught himself to play the Krar and took part in the musical events that were part of the local rural culture. He moved to Asmara for a few years where his musical performances were limited to his friends.

Addis Ababa

In 1961 he moved to

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

and joined the Haile Selassie Theater Orchestra. He remained with the orchestra for over a decade and performed with them all over Ethiopia as well as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, at the 1966 Festival mondial des Arts Nègres in Senegal, and at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico. He recorded his first singles during this period, nine singles for the Philips label. He left the orchestra 1973, a year before

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...

was deposed by the " Derg" led by

Mengistu Haile Mariam Mengistu Haile Mariam ( am, መንግሥቱ ኀይለ ማሪያም, pronunciation: ; born 21 May 1937) is an Ethiopian politician and former army officer who was the head of state of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991 and General Secretary of the Wor ...

. During mid-1970s Mengisteab was the only Eritrean artist broadcast on the radio, his

krar Krar (Amharic: ክራር) is a five-or-six stringed bowl-shaped lyre from Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is tuned to a pentatonic scale. A modern ''Krar'' may be amplified, much in the same way as an electric guitar or violin. The ''Krar'', along wit ...

music and usage of the

Tigrinya (; also spelled Tigrigna) is an Ethio-Semitic language commonly spoken Eritrea and in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Region by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples. It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions. History and literatur ...

language assured his popularity. While living in Addis Ababa, Mengisteab and his wife ran a music shop. He formed his own group in Addis Ababa, Megaleh Guayla (echo of the dance)

Eritrean Liberation Front

In 1974, Mengisteab joined the

Eritrean Liberation Front ar, جبهة التحرير الإريترية it, Fronte di Liberazione Eritreo , war = the Ethiopian Civil War, Eritrean War of Independence and the Eritrean Civil Wars , image = , caption = Flag of the ELF ...

(ELF) to fight for Eritrean independence. He received military training like all members of the ELF and fought in mountains of Eritrea. Mengisteab was also part of the official ELF band. The ELF (and the EPLF, the

Eritrean People's Liberation Front The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), colloquially known as Shabia, was an armed Marxist–Leninist organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. It emerged in 1970 as a far-left to left-wing nationalist group ...

) formed cultural troupes as part of their attempts to establish an Eritrean "folk culture". Mengisteab was one of several experienced artists who contributed to the ELF's sociocultural and political transformation and nationalist propaganda efforts. The cultural troupes toured "liberated areas" under the liberation front's control putting on shows for fighters and civilians. Mengisteab performed revolutionary songs, nationalist anthems and ballads in the military camps and villages.

Exile

Like many other ELF fighters, he went into exile in Saudi Arabia, moved to Jeddah in 1979, where he remained for ten years. During that decade he often performed in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Djibouti and made his North American debut in 1980. He recorded ten cassettes during his time in Jeddah.

Return

In 1993, when Eritrea declared its independence and gained international recognition, Mengisteab was invited to tour the country and performed in Massawa, Keren, and Asmara. He left Jeddah and moved back to Addis Ababa to re-open his music shop with his wife. He left Ethiopia in 1998 when the

Eritrean–Ethiopian War The Eritrean–Ethiopian War, also known as the Badme War, was a major armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea that took place from May 1998 to June 2000. The war has its origins in a territorial dispute between the two states. After Erit ...

broke out and moved to Asmara in Eritrea. Since moving to Asmara, Mengisteab has continued to compose and perform music. He has toured and released about one new cassette each year. He also runs a music shop, "B. M. Music House", in Babylon square, Asmara.

Music

In a 2009 interview, Mengisteab said he has recorded about 200 songs out of a total of 250 songs he has composed over the past fifty years.

Discography

Albums

*''Hagerey Afqire'' (c. 1978) *''Bitihti Gezana (Guitar Version)''(c. 1979) *''Baburey'' (c. 1980) *''Libey-Vol. 5'' (1984) *''Hagerey-Vol. 7'' (1987) *''Tarik-Vol.8'' (1990) *''Natsnet-Vol. 9'' (1991) *''Bshimkum-Vol. 10'' (1992) *''Nehna Hager-Vol. 11'' (1993) *''Alimna-Vol. 12'' (1995) *''Hizbi Ertra-Vol. 13'' (1999) *''Tsnat-Vol. 14'' (2001) *''Hizbi Alem-Vol. 15'' (2007) *''Balena-Vol. 21'' (2011)

Compilation albums

*''Bereket Mengisteab (1961-1974) Vol. 1-Embaba Adey'' (2003) *''Bereket Mengisteab (1961-1974) Vol. 2-Milena'' (2004) *''Bereket Mengisteab (1961-1974) Vol. 3-Meley'' (2005) *''Bereket Mengisteab (1961-1974) Vol. 4-Ufey Breri'' (2005)