Early in the 90s, the Ethiopian music arrangement scaled up by one step after the contemporary composing style orchestrated by Elias Melka. It was this time that Elias flourished arranging Abugida album of Tewodros Kassahun aka Teddy Afro. The companionship of these two musicians was a turning point to the then musical advancement. Their partnership brought notable artworks. Sertse compares this partnership parallel to the cooperation between Abebe Melese, Yilma Gebreab, and Ephrem Tamiru, notable musicians who made renowned music together.
The songs in the Abugida album have shown the creativity of the two artists, Tewodros and Elias. Especially, Elias made a significant move in the arrangement which reflects his future. One can easily understand that the arrangement in these songs tipped that Elias is watchful and calm to what he is doing in spite of the fact that he has composed the music at his 20s.
After this album, Elias has made several works. Accordingly, he produced Kuke Sebsibe’s chink yilegnal, Alemayehu Hirpo’s baytewar aregegn, Tigist Bekele’s agegnihalehu songs. He had been running off from the society sheltered in his music studio for 20 years in orchestrating breathtaking music. Due to this, he had no zero time to meet people or to appear in the media. His whole thought was about music and music. He meditates in composing and thinks about how to arrange the next work much better than the work in his hand.
Elias was born in Addis Ababa in 1970 EC. He joined the music industry in 1991 EC. He had followed the suit of Selam Seyoum’s guitar playing style. Elias also joined the Medina band while he was a third-year student at Yared Music School. He played guitar in the band. He also played it on the stage when he accentuates Aster Aweke during the Ethiopian millennium celebration.
In his early days, Elias was mainly focused on long and deep intros. Most of the aforementioned songs and the rhythm in Abugida album are exemplary to his deep and intensity based intros and composition. Through time, Elias developed matching lyrics with the melodious sounds of musical instruments. He gives much time to assimilate the meaning of verses and the rhythmic beats. In this regard, the songs by Zeritu Kebede, Michael Belayneh, Eyob Mekonnen, and Mekiya Behailu are notable compositions of Elias Melka.
Most of the time a vocalist and composer will not match. However, Elias is a blessed arranger in modifying the known musical figures and amateur ones. Therefore, Elias was successful to nurture new musicians and improve the singing style of notable ones. To this end, Elias was able to enable Mikiya Behailu to develop her lovable vocal style [that the listeners remember yet] than imitating Aster Aweke’s singing style, according to Sertse.
Not only Mikiya, in his late days, Elias also tried to explore new singing styles from the traditional vocal style of artist Gete Anley to modern one. Ashenefech song by Gete unveils this fact. On the other hand, Elias also has a peculiar hearing and identifying a singer’s voice type whether it is Bass, Tenor, Alto or Soprano. For example, he identified the Ali Bira voice is bass and tried to make him sing in a pitch that amplifies his bass taste.
In his last days, Elias was tended to Biblical incitation artistic works. The song entitled yenem ayn aytual by Zeritu and a choir titled nur batamnm indicate his inclination to mixing spiritual ideas. At this time, Elias composed the works of Haile Roots, Berry, Leul and Gete Anley songs.
He also tends to shorten the intro of songs and their duration. He leans to composing simple songs. By nature, Elias prefers to transmit a simple thought in music regardless of its tiresome effort. “We all know that presenting a complexity of thoughts, in a nutshell, is very difficult while the result is satisfying. But Elias is a gifted person in this regard to unveiling a philosophic, aesthetic, corporeal or any other huge idea in a concise and artistic expression” according to Sertse.
Some of the songs like Eyob Mekonnen’s nekichalehu, Haile Roots’s anchis wudnesh and Bery’s lijsalehu yaguaguagn depicted this talent. According to Sertse, these songs are light and seem very easy to be performed by anyone but they embrace huge ideas. The works witnessed the capability of Elias in providing short, easy but sweet art pieces as a composer and somehow as a songwriter.
Elias was a soft-hearted artist and tried a lot to teach, entertain or solace the society in various songs that he partook as composer or songwriter. He also tried to produce choirs aimed at alarming the society about epidemic diseases and accidents. Consequently, he involved by composing and songwriting in the choirs such as ashkerkir rega bileh and malebabes yikir, among others.
He was a passionate and disciplined artist in the music industry. He had paid sacrifice to music. He went through various thick and thin. Ethiopian singers exploited utmost by the business manipulators and get low income than their efforts. Due to this, the artists have seen deprived and even beseeched society for health payments. According to Sertse it is the Ethiopian people that listens to its music at often compared to the other world. However, the people are not yet able to give a fair share of the artists.
Understanding the unprofitable nature of the music industry in the country, Elias has exerted extra efforts to ensure the national system that enables the artist to get its share. Accordingly, Elias has played a significant role in realizing Awtar, a system that enables Ethiopian musicians to get paid for their art pieces transmit in various mediums.
Awtar Music App comprises a huge range of Ethiopian music (singles, albums) covering all genres and languages. According to artist Dawit Yifru, Ethiopian Musicians Association President, Elias was the backbone of this project. He thought that Elias has faced various problems as any Ethiopian artist in the area and that insisted on him to realize the system. He had been working for three years to realize this system side by side of his composing job.
However, he died from diabetes without the desired treatment. Elias died before tasting the fruit that he had been endeavoring for. He died at his youngest age. According to Sertse, some of the world’s classic minds have left this world at their youngest ages. He mentioned Mozart, Elias’s heart companion who has died at his 35 producing lasting arts. Elias was died at his 42 after arranging about 40 albums and several singles. Sertse amazed by his shortage and many works.
He said that it seems he has been called by God to finalize his works shortly and farewell this world. Artist Teddy Afro also shares this thought. After hearing the accidental death of Elias Melka, Teddy wrote on October 5, 2019, on his official Facebook page that Elias will be remembered forever for his timeless several art pieces that he made in his short lifespan. Elias’s discography manifests that regardless of the much quantity, Elias has produced timeless and interesting songs that go along with the heartbeat of Ethiopian melophiles.
Currently, the Addis Ababa City Administration Culture, Tourism and Art Bureau is working to construct a modern music production village after the name of Elias Melka to remember his permanent deed to the country’s music development. The production village expected to be a place where quality songs are going to be produced.
The Ethiopian Herald March 10/2020
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
