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Tessema Eshete Gube |
 27 July 1876- 13October 1964 Tessema Eshete was born in Minjar town Ethiopia, on July 27 1876; from his mother Woleteyes Habtu and his father Eshete Gube. He attended the then customary church education in the court of Ras Mekonnen in Harrar, where his father was a performing AZMARI (singer/instrumentalist). Following the death of his father in Harrar on a date not registered, Tessema was transferred to the orphanage in the Palace of Emperor Menelik in Addis Ababa. The deceased father’s job was among the professions treated with contempt in the Ethiopia of those days. This attitude went to the extent that the very name “AZMARI”, of the skilled musician/singer was considered and practically used as a degrading insult. Thus, unlike the respectable social status and the financial benefits of our current day musical celebrities; the "AZMARIS" in the days of Tessema's father, were unduly subjected to humiliation and life in poverty. Apart from these, not much is known about Tessema Esthete's youth years. In fact, all the reference documents and photo collections Tessema left behind begin from after his voyage to Germany in 1900 Ethiopian Calendar, or 1908 Gregorian Calendar. It was Emperor Menelik who selected and sent Tessema to Germany with his German advisor Mr. Arnold Holtz; to be trained as the country’s first Automobile driver and mechanic. As can be seen in the links at the bottom of this page; the then rare exposure to European civilization had brought about a versatile Ethiopian and a proficient jack of all trades, who registered significant achievements in extremely diverse activities. He was a singer/instrumentalist and the first Ethiopian and may be even African to have his music and songs recorded on Disks. These historic disks were recorded during his stay in Germany from 1908- 1910. On his return to Ethiopia, the money he earned from this first album of seventeen double sided 78 RPM disks earned him wealth and fame unseen before by an "AZMARI". For nearly three decades thereafter, his were the only disks available in an Ethiopian language. The second set of Ethiopian disks by Ferede Gola and Negatwa Kelkay were recorded by Milan based "COLUMBIA"; during the short-lived Italian occupation of the country from 1936 to 1941. The historic significance of Tessema's disks as a turning point in correcting the widespread long-held prejudice and contempt for the profession of musicians and singers in Ethiopia cannot be understated. Even more significant in this context was the unprecedented bold and courageous decision of the then forward-looking Ruler "Lij Iyassu", the heir to Emperor Menelik; which elevated Tessema to the rank of Minister of Posts and Telegraph only seven years after he recorded his songs in Germany and while he was still selling his disks!! The appointment of "AZMARI Tessema Eshete" in charge of Ethiopia's Posts and Telegraph, first with the Rank of "Enderassie" or on the Ruler's behalf, and then with the Rank of Minister, were landmark departures from tradition and understandably offensive to the then powerful Aristocracy. As can be seen in the list below; up until this point in time, all the other members of the Council of Ministers were from the privileged group of the nobility which believed that it was birth to aristocracy and not merit that was the most essential criteria that qualifies a person to hold such prominent positions!! Therefore, while appreciating the Ethiopian Ruler who through this appointment transmitted a clear message against the long held backward and unreasonable contempt for Musicians/Singers and other professionals treated in the same manner; it is also important to acknowledge the subsequent political price the young Ruler had paid for change. Iyassu's Council of Ministers in 1916
Not surprisingly, when Iyassu was deposed on 27 September 1916; it was only the Prime Minister Bitwoded Haile Ghiorgis and the Minister of Posts and Telegraph Tessema Eshete who were removed from the Council and put under house arrest, all the other eight Ministers who rightfully belonged to the nobility were allowed to maintain their Ministerial positions in the new Government!! To this day; Tessema Eshete remains the only Ethiopian Musician/Singer whose merit elevated him to the prominent Rank and power of a Minister. Tessema Eshete's other noteworthy diverse activities include:
Selected Poems · Selected poems one (Audio)
· Selected poems two (Audio)
The history of the disks
Two years later, the disks were discovered by Dr. Wolfgang Bender, at the same institute where I made the presentation.
· Preface by Dr. Wolfgang Bender
· How much does the family know about these historic disks?
· Link to the audios and photos of the historic disks.
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