Ever since the advent of Elias Melka to the musical scene a couple of decades ago, one can say that Ethiopian music has changed completely and irreversibly. The explosion of the new style introduced by Elias Melka has induced every musician, every vocalist and every artist to queue to have an appointment or a consultation with him. This young talented artist began a new style that turned out to change completely the face and essence of Ethiopian light music.
One of the new names closely associated with Elias Melka is the iconic musical talent Teddy Afro alias Tewodros Kassahun. The real debut album called ‘Abugida’ was a true breakthrough in Ethiopian music for the way it was not only written and sung but also arranged by this duo. So much so that the album became a bestseller being reprinted multiple times which was uncharacteristic and unprecedented in Ethiopian music. It could be said that it was a watershed in the modern facet of Ethiopian light music.
The mix between the two musical geniuses Elias Melka and Teddy Afro introduced a new vibe in the Ethiopian musical world with new beats and style that created a new fan base and movement that was to last up to now. Many experts in the sector were heard asserting that the music industry awoke from its deep sleep. Indeed, people began to appreciate once again Ethiopian sounds distancing themselves from foreign beats.
Reports indicate that in almost twenty years Elias Melka worked so hard and extensively that he has arranged, produced or taken part in more than forty albums. He has created a new group of musicians who have secured the love, respect and admiration of millions of Ethiopian musical fans throughout the world. Teddy Afro, Zeritu Kebede, Eyob Mekonnen, Mikaya Behailu, Abnet Agonafir, Tibebu Workiye, Tamrat Desta, Alex and Gossaye etc. have been closely associated with the arrangement and creative skills of Elias Melka.
Once upon a time there were the various bands such as Ibex, Roha, Walya, Express, Afro Sound and others which were a must in order to produce any musical release. But with the advent of the likes of Elias Melka and others after him such as Dagmawi Ali, Girum Mezmur, and Kamuzu Kassa among others following his footsteps, it all became a matter of almost ‘one person in a studio’. Elias Melka took care of what used to be the duty of a group of musical instrument players.
It was with the explosion of this talented young man and his influence that orchestras began to dwindle or become of little relevance and the role of the arranger with the latest technologies got magnified and came to the attention of all musical professionals. Earlier, it appeared that few bothered about who the arranger of a certain musical album or production was. But Elias changed this reality securing due credit and honour to these professionals of the music industry.
This new state of affairs forced Elias Melka to a new tour de force which has had tremendous influence on his schedule and life style as well. Sources close to him have said that Elias has been subjected to an average of more than 18 hours a day in studio without ever enjoying leisure time, weeks after weeks, months after months!
Everyone who knows Elias Melka witnesses how hard working he was, how scrupulous he was for his work, and how he subscribed to a certain rigourous professionalism becoming even a perfectionist while polishing even the melodies and lyrics that musicians would bring to him for arrangement. The fact that he feels very much responsible for the musicians who are very eager to present their work to the audience, he was consistently exposed to overwork, stress and burden.
Elias Melka has such a personality that he is always anxious to treat all artists equally and whenever he finds that there are young artists with the potential to emerge with their talent (such as Zeritu Kebele and the late Eyob Mekonnen for instance) he would put more of his time and energy to make sure that they follow his footprints. And we have seen that he has made them successful artists influencing the Ethiopian musical scene. He is patient with the debutants and is anxious to impart them whatever he knows about the art without any reservation.
Many artists have witnessed that Elias was such a reasonable and fair person that he treated all equally, irrespective of their fame or name. The novel was treated just as the veteran. He never discriminated among people. He comes from a spiritual background and that must have had its influence on him.
That was why he was universally appreciated for his courteous approach and advised the beginners how to go about with their talent. He had unreserved admiration for the youth because he thought they were very creative and attentive and well-focused to reach wherever they want to. He said he was hence very careful when he had to deal with them. They are always ahead of the times, he used to say.
These people and other artists who have worked with him have expressed their heartfelt gratitude for his contribution to their current success. Elias Melka’s style has become characteristic of his personality and convinced others to seek his hands because he became a successful brand, a trade mark in his own right.
His studio was booked for months, at times for years; and there were reports of certain famous musicians who complained that it was becoming impossible to have the contribution of Elias Melka. And some artists used to declare to the public and their fans that they could not release a new album because it was because Elias Melka was too busy with lots of people for years to entertain their work. They would say everything is finished, lyrics and melodies, but arrangement, mastering and production lagged for the above stated reasons.
Some estimates put the number of songs arranged by Elias Melka to around 400. This is incredible for someone who has been engaged only for the last 19 years. And when we heard about his passing away some even went to the extent of asserting that Elias Melka has worked as much as someone who has worked for more than 40 years.
The kind of rigorous schedule he had and the number of albums he arranged made him attain such status. They add of course that he was only 42. Some people reach the age of 70 without achieving even half of what Elias Melka has done in 19 years. Hence, he had tremendous achievement and this eventually must have had some impact on his life style and finally, inevitably on his health! His was a really premature or untimely death.
It is the guess of many that Elias Melka may have probably stressed himself to exhaustion. He was always in studio working throughout day and night with little rest nor necessary break nor exposure in public like many of his colleagues do in concerts etc. where they would be exposed to the public and even recharge their batteries.
All this must have exposed him to a sharp deterioration of his health. He suffered from renal failure and was even reportedly attacked by a stroke. He had to undergo a thrice weekly dialysis which he reportedly detested and his blood had to discharge much of the undesirable elements in it but even then he worked without real rest.
In one of the last interviews he gave to the media, he has said that he was feeling better and things were improving for his health and that within a couple of years his health would be reinstated fully, God willing. Unfortunately, to the chagrin of every fan and admirer of Elias it was not to be so. His health suddenly deteriorated and the last attempts to save his life resulted to be vain.
Elias Melka will always be remembered as one of the modern giants of Ethiopian modern music along the veteran legends such as Tilahun Gessesse, even if his life time was brief. He will be remembered for having transformed Ethiopian music and giving it the current shape. Lately he was also making a new struggle for the rights of all musical artists so that they get their due in terms of copyright and related matters. He contributed to the formation of ‘Autar’ which takes care of this issue.
Many musicians will be grateful for having worked with him while the rest will not deny him the right recognition for his positive influence. He will definitely be missed. He shaped some of them with his attention and input. Teddy Afro’s ‘Abugida’ remains one of the masterpieces of the late great arranger, composer and lyrics writer, the versatile Artist Elias Melka Roba.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition 27 October 2019
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
