Eyasu Berhe Asemahegne (; 11 June 1956 – 18 January 2010) was an Ethiopian singer, writer, producer and poet who was one of the most popular and influential

Tigrigna (; 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 ...

musical artists of the 20th century.

Early life

Eyasu was born in

Mekelle Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a List of zones of Ethiopia, special zone and capital city, capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta province, Enderta Awrajj ...

, where he attended primary and secondary school. Eyasu obtained his MA degree from

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...

of the United Kingdom in Business Administration. He was studying for his PhD."Renowned artist Eyasu Berhe passed away at the age of 53"

Walta Information Center Walta Media and Communication Corporate S.C. or Walta, previously called Walta Information and Public Relations Center S.C., or Walta Information Center, is an Ethiopian commercial media conglomerate owned and operated by the Ethiopian government ...

(WIC), published 20 January 2010 (accessed 8 June 2010)

Music career

Through music, Eyasu inspired many young men and women to join the TPLF during the

Ethiopian Civil War The Ethiopian Civil War was a civil war in Ethiopia and present-day Eritrea, fought between the Ethiopian military junta known as the Derg and Ethiopian-Eritrean anti-government rebels from 12 September 1974 to 28 May 1991. The Derg overthre ...

. Eyasu has played significant role in mobilizing the public for the bitter struggle and later joined the cultural group established by the TPLF. Over 70 to 80 percent of the group's songs, which conveyed political and social messages, were produced by Eyasu.

Death and legacy

Eyasu died suddenly while performing onstage in

Alamata Alamata (Tigrinya: ኣላማጣ ) is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Debubawi (Southern) zone of Tigray it has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of above sea level and is located along Ethiopian Highway 2. ...

. In April 2010, the Tigray Development Association announced plans to construct a library in his honor in Mekelle at a cost of 11 million Birr."Activities underway to construct memorial library for Eyasu Berhe: TDA"
WIC, published 18 April 2010 (accessed 8 June 2010)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berhe, Eyasu 1956 births 2010 deaths 20th-century Ethiopian male singers Alumni of the Open University People from Tigray Region 21st-century Ethiopian male singers