COMPILED BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Emahoy Tsegemariam Gebru, in her worldly name Yewubdar Gebru, was born on December 12, 1923 in Addis Ababa.
At the age of six, she and her sister, Senedu Gebru were sent to boarding school in Switzerland, where Emahoy Tsegemariam Gebru studied violin. Four years later, in 1933, she returned to Ethiopia.
Luckily, her musical talent did not escape the attention of her family or those people around her, including the late Emperor Haile Selassie I who ruled Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974.
However, in 1936 following the invasion of the Fascist Italian forces, and in times many Ethiopians were imprisoned or killed, three of her brothers were executed. Emahoy Tsegemariam and her family also became prisoners of war; and were sent to a prison camp on the Italian island of Asinara and then later to Mercogliano, near Naples
After the war, Emahoy Tsege was taught music under the Polish violinist Alexander Kontorowicz in Cairo, Egypt. In the middle of time, Kontorowicz and his wife brought Emahoy back to Ethiopia because her health was affected by the heat in Cairo. Kontorowicz was appointed the musical director of the band of the Imperial Body Guard under Emperor Haile Selassie and later, Emahoy was employed as an administrative assistant.
Upon her return, however, her musical career began to lose momentum for the reason there were no classical musicians at that time and; certainly no female viola player in the country. As a result, Emahoy felt greatly isolated, but that was soon alleviated by an unexpected and extremely welcome piece of news: she had received a grant to study at a prestigious music academy in London.
The trip being dependent on getting permission from the local Ethiopian authorities – but this was unexpectedly denied. The refusal had a dramatic impact on her life; she sank into a deep depression and refused to eat for twelve days, only drinking coffee.
At the age of 19, she fled to the Gishen Mariam Monastery in Wollo Province, at Amhara State; and at the age of 21, she became a nun. She was given a religious name, Tsegemariam, and ordained as a nun, with the title of Emahoy, to mean ‘nun.’
She could not continue with her music at the monastery as it was in the remote rural hinterlands of Ethiopia, without running water or electricity. Also, she no longer had access to a piano. Her living conditions at the Gishen Mariam Monastery were so harsh that she fell severely ill and had to return to her parents’ home in Addis Ababa.
Once settled in Addis Ababa, she resumed playing the piano and began to compose pieces for piano, violin and organ.
In the 1960s, moving to Gondar, she studied the religious rhythms, melodies and notations of the 6th century Saint Yared, the greatest Ethiopian composer of all times, who is credited for inventing the sacred music tradition of Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church.
There, she was moved by the plight of other students who were also studying this type of music – she often saw them in the street, begging for food and lodging. “Although I did not have money to give them, I was determined to use my music to help these and other young people get an education.”
As historical accounts revealed, after realizing her debut in 1967, Emahoy Tsigemariam dedicated the proceeds to charitable caused benefitting children, with the assistance of her family members residing in the United States. She eventually established the “Emahoy Tsiege Mariam Music Foundation”, which aimed to provide children with opportunities to study music.
Emahoy gained international recognition through her solo compositions, which were published in the “Ethiopiques 21” CD series by the French label Buda Musique in 2007. She is known for her classical and jazz music compositions, which are reflective and pensive, with “Homeless Wanderer” being one of her most notable works.
In her interview once she conducted with the Voice of America, an Amharic radio program, Emahoy said, “Although I did not have money to give them, I was determined to use my music to help these and other young people to get an education.”
Emahoy’s first record was released in 1967. The proceeds from this and subsequent releases from the 1970s went to help an orphanage. In 1974, the Ethiopian Revolution began; Emahoy and her family were persecuted, as much for their religion as for their social standing, during which time she was working as an administrator at the Synod. She continued to compose music, mostly for piano, but also for organ.
Emahoy, in addition to being an accomplished pianist, is also fluent in seven languages: Amharic, Ge’ez, French, German, Italian, English and Hebrew. That’s not all. She played the Organ and the Violin, and it was violin that she first studied during her childhood in Switzerland.
Emahoy Tsegemariam Gebru composed more than 150 original works of music for piano, organ, opera, and chamber ensembles. She gave all of her copyrights to The Foundation in order to generate revenue and provide children with financial need access to music education. As a nun, Emahoy found spiritual clarity and satisfaction through music, composing for violin, piano, and organ.
Although she released many albums since her first debut in 1967, it was her solo compositions in Ethiopiques Vol 21 that made her world famous. Emahoy Tsgemariam also draws and writes poetry, too.
In 1984, after her mother’s death, Emahoy fled the communist Derg regime and went to the Ethiopian Monastery in Jerusalem where she resided till her last breath, at the age of 100.
The music and life of Emahoy Tsigemariam Gebru continue to inspire young people, artists, and students around the world. Her unwavering commitment to using her talents for the betterment of others is a legacy that will endure.
Source: https://www.emahoymusicpublisher.com/about-emahoy
The Ethiopian Herald march 30/2023
