Tigist Shibabaw
Encyclopedia
Tigist Shibabaw was an Ethiopian
singer and one of the original members of the Harlem
-based hip hop
fusion band Bole2Harlem. She was the sister of singer Gigi
.
. She was one of ten siblings, born into a family of coffee farmers that relied on the local river for their harvest. Her sister has described learning traditional songs from a priest in the family home, in spite of the Ethiopian Church
generally prohibiting singing or playing music in church until the Derg
era. Their household was always filled with entertainment; the children of the house where often recruited to entertain guests.
in 2000 to pursue a music career, joining her older sister Gigi
who was already a globally acclaimed musician in her own right. Their father had initially forbidden Gigi from becoming an entertainer.
where she is said to have traveled on a spiritual journey shortly after she finished recording with Bole2Harlem. Details regarding the circumstances surrounding her passing never emerged, including the exact date of her death. She was buried in Chagni
, Ethiopia
, the town where she was born, among family.
art filled home. His father was Norbert Schommer, an American professor who from 1950-58 who was one of ten professors from around the globe brought there to help build and teach at "Addis Ababa University" (Now Arrat Kilo) the first major university in Ethiopia during the reign of Halie Selassie Influenced by his father's legacy, he found himself bonding with many Ethiopians living in Harlem and would often host house parties filled with Amharic song and humor. After reaching a temporary writers block on what would become the title track, Bole2Harlem, Tigist and David called in their mutual friend, Ethiopian
born computer tech Maki Siraj, and helped inspire him to write and rap verses over the song. The 3 all felt the combo was magic and the album project was launched.
Tigist and David's concept for the record revolved around the transit culture of Addis Ababa
where cab and minivan drivers pack their vehicles to capacity with patrons, casually mentioning their destination and requesting less-than-full fare for their service. The drivers are accompanied by one doorman that secures the vehicle once all the passengers have boarded, after which he will sound the name of the destination. A common destination is Bole Road in Addis Ababa
to which the doorman would yell "Bole, Bole, Bole, Bole, Bole!" upon closing the vehicle door. Other common Bole named destinations in the city include Bole Airport and the neighborhood of Bole. The group added the destination of Harlem, as there was the vision of a doorman sounding "Harlem, Harlem, Harlem, Harlem, Harlem!". From this, the creative concept for the album cover art was inspired which includes a minivan model similar to those found in Addis Ababa
, with the word Bole2Harlem mounted on its side.
There is a lot of subtle crossings of Ethiopian and American culture within the album, The song Hoya Hoye, is a great example. The song title is said to have been inspired by something Ethiopian children chant during the Ethiopian version of Halloween
, Hoya, hoye, HO, hoya hoye, HO, as they simultaneously make rhythmic beats as they clap and pound walking sticks. After hearing this chant sung in Addis, David got the inspiration for the main beat of the song from a hip-hip track he heard while walking the streets of Harlem. During this same walk, he also heard a Gospel choir singing as he passed by a Harlem church and decided to add that flavor (Feeling all right!) to the song. The blues scale heard in the song, is more than that, it's roots are in an abbreviated version of an ancient Ethiopian musical scale.
A video for the song Enseralen Gojo was directed by Ethiopian film maker and director Aida Ashenafi and was shot in the town of Harar
, Ethiopia
. It was the only official video made for the album. Only Maki and David were featured in the video along with local traditional dancers as Tigist was unable to travel then due to US visa issues.
On Saturday, January 19, 2008 David posted the following on the band's MySpace page:
"It is with a wounded heart that I convey to you all that Tigist Shibabaw -our singer, our sister, our light, who had been on a spiritual journey in Ethiopia, Died unexpectedly in Bahar Dar Last week. She was Buried with Family in Chagni -the place of her birth."
Detailed Album info:
All Songs Written by:
Except:
a Sounds of the Mushroom record.
Released with permission:
Ethiopian people
Ethiopian people or Ethnic Ethiopians are an ethnic group found in the horn of African country of Ethiopia.-Origins:Ethnic Ethiopians are one of the nearly 80 ethnic groups of the horn of Africa country and are found in every regional state of Ethiopia...
singer and one of the original members of the Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
-based hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
fusion band Bole2Harlem. She was the sister of singer Gigi
Gigi (singer)
Ejigayehu Shibabaw, or Gigi as she is popularly known, is one of the most successful contemporary Ethiopian singers worldwide. Coming from an ancient tradition of song originating in the Ethiopian Church, she has brought the music of Ethiopia to wider appreciation and developed it in combination...
.
Early life
Tigist was born and raised in the small northwestern Ethiopia town of ChagniChagni
Chagni is a town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Agew Awi Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a longitude and latitude of and an elevation of 1583 meters above sea level...
. She was one of ten siblings, born into a family of coffee farmers that relied on the local river for their harvest. Her sister has described learning traditional songs from a priest in the family home, in spite of the Ethiopian Church
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the predominant Oriental Orthodox Christian church in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Church was administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All...
generally prohibiting singing or playing music in church until the Derg
Derg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
era. Their household was always filled with entertainment; the children of the house where often recruited to entertain guests.
Recording career
Tigist immigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2000 to pursue a music career, joining her older sister Gigi
Gigi (singer)
Ejigayehu Shibabaw, or Gigi as she is popularly known, is one of the most successful contemporary Ethiopian singers worldwide. Coming from an ancient tradition of song originating in the Ethiopian Church, she has brought the music of Ethiopia to wider appreciation and developed it in combination...
who was already a globally acclaimed musician in her own right. Their father had initially forbidden Gigi from becoming an entertainer.
Death
Tigist died at the age of twenty-eight in Bahar Dar, EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
where she is said to have traveled on a spiritual journey shortly after she finished recording with Bole2Harlem. Details regarding the circumstances surrounding her passing never emerged, including the exact date of her death. She was buried in Chagni
Chagni
Chagni is a town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Agew Awi Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a longitude and latitude of and an elevation of 1583 meters above sea level...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, the town where she was born, among family.
Discography
| Album | Label | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gigi | Palm Pictures | 2001 |
| Radioaxiom (A Dub Transmission) | Palm Pictures | 2001 |
| Zion Roots | Network Medien | 2003 |
| Mandeng Eletrik | Mulatta | 2004 |
| Gold And Wax | Palm Pictures | 2006 |
| Bole 2 Harlem, Vol#1 | Sounds of the Mushroom | 2006 |
| Un Automne 2007 | Les Inrockuptibles | 2007 |
Bole2Harlem
In 2005, Tigist started recording -for what would become- her only full length CD of original material. After meeting at the downtown Restaurant/Bar/Meeting place, "L'Orange Bleue", Tigist started collaborating with David "Duke Mushroom" Schommer, an American Producer/Writer/Musician who was raised in an EthiopianEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
art filled home. His father was Norbert Schommer, an American professor who from 1950-58 who was one of ten professors from around the globe brought there to help build and teach at "Addis Ababa University" (Now Arrat Kilo) the first major university in Ethiopia during the reign of Halie Selassie Influenced by his father's legacy, he found himself bonding with many Ethiopians living in Harlem and would often host house parties filled with Amharic song and humor. After reaching a temporary writers block on what would become the title track, Bole2Harlem, Tigist and David called in their mutual friend, Ethiopian
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
born computer tech Maki Siraj, and helped inspire him to write and rap verses over the song. The 3 all felt the combo was magic and the album project was launched.
Tigist and David's concept for the record revolved around the transit culture of Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
where cab and minivan drivers pack their vehicles to capacity with patrons, casually mentioning their destination and requesting less-than-full fare for their service. The drivers are accompanied by one doorman that secures the vehicle once all the passengers have boarded, after which he will sound the name of the destination. A common destination is Bole Road in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
to which the doorman would yell "Bole, Bole, Bole, Bole, Bole!" upon closing the vehicle door. Other common Bole named destinations in the city include Bole Airport and the neighborhood of Bole. The group added the destination of Harlem, as there was the vision of a doorman sounding "Harlem, Harlem, Harlem, Harlem, Harlem!". From this, the creative concept for the album cover art was inspired which includes a minivan model similar to those found in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, with the word Bole2Harlem mounted on its side.
There is a lot of subtle crossings of Ethiopian and American culture within the album, The song Hoya Hoye, is a great example. The song title is said to have been inspired by something Ethiopian children chant during the Ethiopian version of Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, Hoya, hoye, HO, hoya hoye, HO, as they simultaneously make rhythmic beats as they clap and pound walking sticks. After hearing this chant sung in Addis, David got the inspiration for the main beat of the song from a hip-hip track he heard while walking the streets of Harlem. During this same walk, he also heard a Gospel choir singing as he passed by a Harlem church and decided to add that flavor (Feeling all right!) to the song. The blues scale heard in the song, is more than that, it's roots are in an abbreviated version of an ancient Ethiopian musical scale.
A video for the song Enseralen Gojo was directed by Ethiopian film maker and director Aida Ashenafi and was shot in the town of Harar
Harar
Harar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. It was the only official video made for the album. Only Maki and David were featured in the video along with local traditional dancers as Tigist was unable to travel then due to US visa issues.
On Saturday, January 19, 2008 David posted the following on the band's MySpace page:
"It is with a wounded heart that I convey to you all that Tigist Shibabaw -our singer, our sister, our light, who had been on a spiritual journey in Ethiopia, Died unexpectedly in Bahar Dar Last week. She was Buried with Family in Chagni -the place of her birth."
Detailed Album info:
Track listing
- Bole 2 Harlem - 4:12
- Hoya Hoye - 4:08
- Enseralen Gojo - 5:27
- Ametballe - 4:56
- Hi Loga - 4:19
- Endegena - 4:47
- HOME - 5:55
- Ya Selam - 3:54
- Aya Bellew - 4:41
- Harlem 2 Bole - 2:28
- Quralew - 1:47
- Ensaralen Gojo (Remix) - 8:58
- Africaye! - 2:28
Personnel
- Performed by: David "Duke Mushroom" Schommer-Vocals, drums, percussion, beats, bass, keyboards
- Tigist Shibabaw - vocals
- Fray - Vocal #4
- Davi Vieira - Brazilian Vocal/Add. Perc #5
- Maki Siraj - raps
- Dave Eggar - cello #3
- Henok Temesgen - solo Basses # 4-5
- Robert Aaron - All Horns #2-4-6-7-13
- Joewarn Martin - Gospel keys on #2-7
- Balla Tounkara - Kora and Voice #10
- Sam "Carpete" Effron - Reggae Guit#1-2-3
- Gregg Fine - guitar #7
- Khalid M'Zouz - Moroccan Clapping #1-2-7-8-9-10
All Songs Written by:
- D.Schommer: Music
- M.Siraj, T.Shibabaw, D.Schommer: Lyrics
Except:
- #4, 11: D.Schommer :Music, M.Siraj :Lyric
- #3, 12:D.Schommer : Music, J.Bashir, M.Siraj : Lyric
- #6: D.Schommer : Music, M.Siraj, D.Vieira :Lyric
a Sounds of the Mushroom record.
Released with permission:
- US: Sheer Sound/Ryko
- EU: World Connection/M247
- Ethiopia: MANGO RECORDS, PLC