Ethiopia's Oromo people celebrate once-banned festival

DEBRE ZEIT, Ethiopia (AFP) – Cheered by the throng, Oromo dignitaries in traditional headdresses, lion skins and brightly-coloured velvet made their way to the edge of Lake Hora for an annual thanksgiving.

This was the yearly Irrecha festival when Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, the Oromo people, celebrate the bond between man and nature.

"Irrecha is the culture of the Oromo people. Long before the Christians or the Muslims, the Oromo had their own practices and religion," explained Nourie Ula, a young Oromo attending the celebration earlier this month some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa.

The chiefs dip their horsehair fly swatters into the murky water and splash the crowd thronged on the bank, aiming in particular for small children, before circling round an ancient fig tree a group of women have covered in butter.

Other women, sitting on the ground on top of fragrant, freshly-cut herbs, offer up prayers to the trees's twisted branches.

"They are thanking God for the beauty of the place. The water is considered holy and brings prosperity. Nowadays everybody still comes here, Christians or Muslims and of course those who are still animist," Nourie said.

More than 100,000 people had gathered, dressed in their traditional costume of white cotton bordered with bright colours. Some were mounted on small ponies, flanked by a huge crowd raising a thick cloud of dust.

Those closest to the shores of this crater lake under a blistering sun splashed themselves with the water, using small bunches of flowers they brought along. Then came the dancing and the all-important consultations, for in Oromo culture Irrecha is a great time of reconciliation.

"This day and the ceremonies here around the lake, are very important for us Oromo people. They come from all over Oromiya region, from places far away to celebrate here," said Nourie, sitting under a tree where young people are dancing.

Traditionally Irrecha is also the day when Oromo chiefs transfer power to their successors.

"The Abagaada are the leaders of the Oromo people, like kings, but they can only stay in power for eight ears. They then hand over power peacefully to others chosen by the communities," Nourie explained.

The ceremony, which was frowned upon or actively outlawed in the days of Ethiopia's former dictator Mengistu Haile Maryam who was ousted in 1991, is now encouraged.

The Irrecha festivities also mark the end of the rainy season in Ethiopia and with that the hope of an abundant harvest, hence the offerings made by the crowd to the lake and the tree, both symbols of the one god traditionally worshipped by the Oromo.

 

Ethiopian True Cross (Meskel Celebration) First time experience,
By Melanie Preijer

Two weeks ago, on Sunday, September 26, the eve of Meskel, the Demera (of which the actual celebration day is on the 27th), it was an important celebration time for Ethiopian Orthodox-Christians throughout the country.

Every year on this bank holiday the light of the cross is commemorated and me, a Dutch girl coming from a different background where this celebration day is not as important, wanted to find out about the story of the True Cross, the way people celebrate and the happiness it brings to those who believe.

Around three o’clock me and my other fellow Western European visitors arrives at sunny Meskel Square and sat down against the hills which are enclosing the square from where the priests are holding the speeches and chanting their prayers.

Luck seems to be on my side when I met Daniel, a young Ethiopian man and student who is definitely prepared share with me his in-depth knowledge about the finding of the True Cross and how it all once started.

‘It was queen Eleni who started  it,’ he pensively begins. ‘After Jesus was crucified and after he rose up to heaven, the cross was buried. Those people who were frightened and who didn’t believe, like the Pagans, wanted to hide the Cross somewhere. For about 320-400 years time the Cross was buried under all sorts of rubbish When Queen Eleni one day prayed to God. She had known the stories about Jesus Christ and the Cross that was carrying out miracles and now she was eager to find it, wondering where it had gone.’

After discussing the name of the old man in the story with two fellow companions and in between standing up and saying prayers, Daniel continued his story about Queen Eleni, aka Saint Helena, who took up her journey to the promised land and ended up in Jerusalem. Kirkos, the old man, whom the queen was advised to speak to, by an angel of God, told her to bring incense and to lit it. He instructed her to follow the stream of smoke, informing her that the cross was hidden at the certain point the smoke would descend to the earth. Here is where she started the digging for some time.

‘After the Cross was found, it continued doing the same miracle, healing people. Then the Christians decided to share and the right part of the cross was given to Egypt,’ Daniel ventures, ‘and because of its close relationship with Ethiopia at the time, the part of the cross eventually found its way to my country. It was Atse Zera Yacob who brought it here, after his father, Emperor Dawit (1382-1411), died on his way. And every place the piece of wood was put, it started to shake. Atse Zera Yacob next held a silent prayer for two weeks and started fastening.

Then after 7 days God appeared in a dream and eventually told him in Ge’ez where to put the cross: ‘Anbrwe meskelye bedibe meskel’. In other words Atse Zera Yacob had to find a place which was naturally shaped like a cross. He searched and found the place. And the place is called ‘Gishen Debre Kerbie!’.

Ever since that Sunday of the Demera, I have started reading articles on the web, and I found that most of them do exactly cover the things I was told by Daniel. But the following extract from an article is worth the article mentioning in this regard. It says, 'The old monastery of Gishen Debre Kerbi is probably one of the most holy sites of the entire orthodox churches in the country. Popularly known as the ‘second Jerusalem,' this church claims to possess a piece of the 'True Cross’. 'In the reign of Dawit (David III) (1382-1411)", wrote Sylvia Pankhurst, who was a renowned British scholar in Ethiopian studies, "a piece of the 'True Cross' was brought from Jerusalem to Ethiopia. This occasioned much pious rejoicing.’

Apocryphal sources, oral as well as written, still however seem to give different versions of the story. However, all agree on the central theme about the coming of the holy object to the sacred sanctuary. Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians pay their annual pilgrimage to Gishen on the 1st of October.

Source: ANRS Culture, Tourism & Parks Development Bureau
Apart from the fact that the tales around Queen Helena are reality mixed with fiction, and it is therefore hard to extract the true history from this legend, St Helena is venerated not only in Orthodox churches but also within the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion. A number of Protestant denominations as well celebrate the Feast of Exaltation of the Cross on September 14th, the anniversary of the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The actual finding of True Cross was commemorated on the 3rd of May in the past, but after 1970 it was dropped by the Vatican from the Roman Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar.

Within Western Europe, the feast of the Finding of the True Cross nowadays is less of importance and seems to be fading away. Nonetheless, the cross itself is respected very much by the Roman Catholic Church and it remains to be a central theme on Good Friday, a day still considered  important and acknowledged throughout Europe.

I’m not proud of anything else apart Christ his Cross, it says on the cover of a brochure in which the whole history about the cross, the reasons why and how to celebrate is explained in Amharic.

‘Every time you see the cross you are reminded of all the suffering Jesus has gone through, how difficult it was to be on the cross, and the Via Dolorosa which he had to go. And this was all because he loved us. For Ethiopian people the cross is a symbol for freedom and salvation. And it’s understood to mean ‘I belong to Jesus’,’ Daniel explains.

I interviewed three different Ethiopian people on this day. The first person was a middle-aged man, and I asked him what he thought of the celebration.  He said: ‘Our country’s celebration is different from that of other countries. But it all started off with the Emperor of Sava. What distinguishes Ethiopian Christianity is the way the priests are singing, focusing on the history of the cross, in this case. But the dressing style is different as well.’

I asked him what this celebration meant for him and he told me that he was very happy because of the spiritual experience, adding after the bonfire he used continue the ceremony in his own way back home, sharing meat and fruits together with neighbours.

An elderly woman said she felt very joyous on this holiday and that this celebration day was a  very nice occasion to remember the symbol of the cross.  What makes her happy in particular is the style of raising the priest, and also the fact that it’s all about history and law, religion and churches.

She wears a nice dress and prepares special food for this holiday. ‘This is just different from other days,’ she adds.

‘Are you attending this service ceremony every year?' I just ask.
‘Yes, I get here every year to receive spiritual things from God.’
Next I asked the opinion of a young man, who thinks that this is a very good celebration for Ethiopia and part of Ethiopian culture. He always looks forward to this time of year and he likes to see people all around him wearing new, beautiful clothes, including himself. ‘Look at the guys in white and the people who wear new clothes,’ he points out. ‘This is all for the celebration!’

When he arrives back home tonight after the bonfire, he will enjoy the Kitfo, served with cabbage, and enjoy some Tej. Also there will be spiritual singing at his house.

The fact that everybody celebrates this together, sharing the good times with family and neighbours is what makes him feel happy.

I also spoke to some of my fellow European companions, individuals from Western Europe and asked about their point of view.

An elder French lady, named Francien, told me she was stupefied to see so many people from all over Ethiopia celebrating the day. She thinks that it’s interesting for herself. to see the celebration She herself is originally Catholic but doesn’t go to church anymore. ‘I believe in God but not in religion,' she says, adding in a fascinating way, ‘but it’s a real pleasure to be here, a celebration with many different colours, many different faces, and ethnic groups that all come together to celebrate!’ She feels happy to be there.

I’m informed that in France there seems to be a return to old traditions, which means that this group of people, known as ultra-traditional Catholics, want for example to bring back the mass in Latin, virginity before marriage, no anti-conception, against abortion and so on. Those people are intolerant and Francien thinks the group is slightly growing.

Gritt, a German girl, said that she doesn’t have a religion and that she actually doesn’t believe in God. However, she regretted the fact that she did  not understand much of what  was  said and announced through the speakers at the square as it was all in Amharic. Therefore, she felt a bit bored.

According to her, in Germany only Christmas and Easter are still celebrated in religious terms.  She said it is during these days only that a large group of people still attend or consider going to church. She feels sad to notice how lazy Germans have become, not going and visiting a church on other days anymore.

Gritt emphasizes that it is important to keep traditions alive “They keep you down to earth, you remain standing with two feet on the ground. You will concentrate more on that what actually matters, focusing on some sort of destiny.”

 

 

Duking It out with Dancing, Doggerels at Duka Azmari Bet
By  MIREILLE DE VILLIERS

The singing of traditional songs, making jocular rhymes, and, especially, dancing epitomises a good night out, and they are all to be found at Duka, an azmari bet in Kasanchis,



Tiruedel Zenebe is the star of Duka, an azmari bet in Kasanchis. At around 12:00am, once the crowd and drum player have warmed and loosened up, she takes her place in front of three singers, and in high heels with swaying hips, she begins to dance.

Her three-quarter length white dress with pink trimming shakes to the overpowering rhythm of the drum. Tossing her straight blonde dyed hair, she starts singing in a high but husky voice. The people remember to clap their hands to the drums, while failing to take their eyes off the performer.

Duka is packed with people this Thursday evening. As they keep increasing in number, the crowd becomes more animated, energising the performers who, in turn, make the crowd’s shoulders itch to move.

Tiruedel, 23, has been performing as an azmari for seven years. Her sister, Sintayu “Mimi” Zenebe (28), is the owner of Duka. She opened it three years ago after having had another traditional club before.

Like her sister, Mimi is also an azmari, a traditional singer and dancer. She started singing at home with her brother when she was 10 years old.

“Being an azmari means to appreciate something and to describe it through singing,” Mimi explained. “Azmaris never stop performing, unless they develop a problem with their voice. You can perform until you die.”

Mimi then struts her stuff, which means singing a traditional song, her preferred activity, and goes around the club, shaking it, encouraging patrons to dance, too. She used to be the singer of a band called Dub Colossus, with whom she toured internationally and which comprised a masinko, guitars, saxophone, trumpet, and piano. They recorded an album called, “In a Town Called Addis.” Now, the club features only a traditional band.

The performers, totalling 15, include two drummers, four masinkos, five female singers, and four dancers (two male and two female) who take turns performing, mostly solo, but sometimes together. The drummer always plays alone, and even uses the decorations on the wall behind his seat for percussion.

It is a fulltime job, with performers working seven days a week. They start at around 10:00pm and carry on until late, sometimes even four or five o’clock in the morning, if it is full of people, like on Fridays and Saturdays, usually their busiest days, according to Mimi. Usually, it also starts to fill up after 10:00pm, and, the busier it gets, the more fun one is likely to have. Not only are there more people to dance with, there are also more people to make fun of, mostly amid the loud but good-natured laughter of other clients, who are bound to get their turn to be teased.  In the beginning of the evening there is only one other couple sitting in the corner looking a little bored.  “Why do you look bored? / If you do not like the song, we can change it. / Why are you sleeping? / Play, have fun,” the masinko player teases.

“We make the jokes up on the spot,” said Mimi. “Sometimes we tease the crowd. Other times two performers will joke with each other.”



Much of the joking has double meanings with sexual undertones. The performers also sing about animals and cities like Bahir Dar, Gojam, and Bati, a place in Wollo, Amhara Regional State. Amhara iskista is faster than the Tigrayan version and is illustrated when a man, dressed in shorts and a shirt with many buttons and a green sash tied around his waist, starts dancing with a lady in a white dress. His shoulders move superfast.

The dancers move around the restaurant, inviting people to dance with them, making “sssss” and “ghughu” noises as they go. At one point, the lady dancer goes down on one knee, only to be teased to “grow,” seeing that she is so short, by the masinko player. There are no female masinko players at the club.

Eritbu “Solomon” Agegnehu, 25, has been playing since he was 12 years old. His father taught him the finger positions, which are key to playing the instrument, he said. “I like singing slow love music. Most of the customers like it when I do that and request songs from me.”  Customers often show their appreciation for the performers by sticking money to their foreheads, and popular azmaris can earn a decent amount on a busy night. The house usually does not charge an entrance fee, but one bottle of beer will set a guest back 20 Br.

Eventually, coffee ceremony is performed in the corner by the performers who are dressed in traditional clothes, mostly white dresses, but since it is cold they wear modern jackets or jerseys over them.  They sit in the corner and take turns making the coffee and serving people St George beer in bottles. The girls also form a choir as background music to the individual singing and alternate singing or dancing solo.

“I love traditional clothes,” Mimi said. “I have about 16 different dresses.”

The decor of Duka, which is named after the wooden stool, is also traditional. The ceiling is decorated with squares of tiles and animal skins, and woven injera baskets serve as tables, while the stools are made from wood. Traditional woven mats line the walls, and the cushions on the seats are made from traditional fabric. On the walls hang goatskin-covered traditional lunchboxes from Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara. By 10:30pm there are around 20 people and the “choir” gets up and moves to make room for the increasing customers to sit. Three old ladies arrive, fitted out in their traditional best, one with a short, blood red hairstyle. She treats the crowd to a dance with a machine gun prop.

The place continues to fill with people. By 11:30pm there are around 30, who are all up and dancing, until Tiruedel takes to the floor, leaving the patrons in wonder.