Detailed Info Website:http://www.teddyafroonline.comBiography:Teddy Afro or Tewodros Kassahun was born on 14 July 1976 to parents of artistic talents and fame. While his mother, Tilaye Arage, was well known in Ethiopia for her professional dancing in her younger days, his late father, Kassahun Germamo, was a renowned and highly-regarded Ethiopian songwriter.
Since musical talent runs in the family, it is easy to conclude that Teddy Afro was predisposed to have admirable musical talents too.
As evidently stated by Teddy Afro himself in his tribute song to his late father called Music - My Life, Teddy’s father always resisted the idea of his son becoming a musician. \
Regardless of his father’s wishes, however, Teddy trusted his own instincts and saw himself doing anything but singing as a career to arguably become the single most popular pop-star Ethiopia has produced in many years.
Not only is he a vocalist that countless Ethiopians have come to adore, he also writes his own lyrics, which many say are filled with meanings, enabling him to sing songs that mean something.
His father did not live long enough see the effects of his son’s music on the lives of countless Ethiopians all over the world. But Teddy tells his deceased father in Music - My Life, that he will continue to exist through the artistic works of his son.
In Music - My Life, Teddy also confesses that his life is intrinsically intertwined with music that he cannot live outside of it, and that he was destined to be what he has become.
Teddy and his band, Abogida, toured the world bringing many of his sensational songs that have made him famous live to his fans.
From South Africa to North America, the Middle East and Australia, he criss-crossed the world to entertain and convey messages of peace, love, hope and unity in a language almost anyone can understand.
Ten years ago, the name Teddy Afro was non-existent as a celebrity and it wasn’t until 2001 that he really stepped into the limelight. What Teddy has become since is something beyond what he would have ever contemplated for himself. (read less)
Teddy Afro or Tewodros Kassahun was born on 14 July 1976 to parents of artistic talents and fame. While his mother, Tilaye Arage, was well known in Ethiopia for her professional dancing in her younger days, his late father, Kassahun Germamo, was a renowned and highly-regarded Ethiopian songwriter.
Since musical talent runs in the family, it is easy to conclude that Teddy Afro was predisposed to have admirable musical talents too.
As evidently stated by Teddy Afro himself in his tribute song... (read more)
Teddy Afro
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Teddy Afro
Birth name Tewodros Kassahun
Born Addis Ababa
Genre(s) Amharic
Years active 2001 - Present
Label(s) Nahom Records
Website http://www.teddyafroonline.com
Teddy Afro (in Amharic: ?? ???; real name: Tewodros Kassahun, in Amharic: ????? ????) is a popular Ethiopian singer and critic of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front(EPRDF).
Contents [hide]
1 Rise To Fame
2 Prison
3 Prison Sentence
4 Released Works
4.1 Albums
4.2 DVDs
5 References
6 External links
[edit] Rise To Fame
In 2001, Teddy released his second album, Abugida, named after the Abugida syllabary of the Ge'ez language. Several tracks quickly caught the ears of millions of people in Ethiopia. Halieselassie, a tribute to the late Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I; Haile, Haile, a single in honor of the Olympic long distance champion Haile Gebrselassie; and Mona Lisa, a song about the measure of human beauty were given rave reviews.
His third album, Yasteseryal, was released in 2005. The release of this album coincided with elevated political tension in Ethiopia surrounding the Ethiopian general election, 2005. His songs which advocated political change in Ethiopia catapulted him to a heroic status in areas which have traditionally been the strong hold of the Amhara elite. But quite a few critics called his music "divisive" even though they outwardly advovated compromise and reconcillation. Some of his songs were banned from being played on public TV and Radio.[1]
[edit] Prison
Teddy Afro was accused by the public prosecutor of causing death to a human being while driving under the influence of substance. He was put in jail in April 2008. The charge of manslaughter was instituted against him.[1]. Teddy pleaded not guilty to these allegations, and his court case and imprisonment were national talking points in Ethiopia[2]. Many members of the opposition see his imprisonment as part of a EPRDF-led government attack on symbols of Ethiopian unity ([3]) although an independent court found him guilty of the charges. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment.
[edit] Prison Sentence
The final verdict was rendered on December 5, 2008 and the judge ordered him to serve a six-year prison term and pay a fine of 18,000 Birr (apr. 1800 USD). [4] On February 18, 2009, Teddy's prison sentence was reduced from six years to 2 years by an appealate court.[5] Afro is expected be released on parole without serving his complete sentence.
[edit] Released Works
[edit] Albums
Album Information
Abugida
Released: 2001
Record Label: Nahom Records
Singles: "Lidjennet Alat", "Leman Lemash", "Mona Lisa"
Tarik Tesera
Released: 2004
Record Label: evangadi prodaction
Singles: "Tarik Teserra" (Anbessa)
Yasteseryal
Released: 2005
Record Label: Nahom Records
Executive Producer: Elias Fikru
Singles: "Yasteseryal", "Bel Stegne", "Lambadina", "Promise","alamin"
Yasteseryal Edition 2
Released: 2005
Record Label: Nahom Records
Executive Producer: Elias Fikru
Singles: "Yasteseryal", "Bel Stegne", "Lambadina", "Promise"
Best Collection-Nahom Volume 14
Released: 2006
Record Label: Nahom Records
Singles: "Menta Wedije", "Yregal", "Lamie Bora", "Sdet"
[edit] DVDs
DVD Information
Tarik Tesera By Tewodros Kassahun
Released: 2004
Record Label: Nahom Records
Executive Producer: Elias Fikru
Singles: "Tarik Tesera" (Anbessa)
Yasteseryal - DVD
Released: 2005
Record Label: Nahom Records
Executive Producer: Elias Fikru
Singles: "Yasteseryal", "Promise", "Anbessa", "Seleme"
[edit] References
^ http://africa.reuters.com/country/ET/news/usnL5391364.html
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7362885.stm|BBC News
^ http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/11/world/fg-ethiopia11
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7759343.stm
^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090218/en_nm/us_ethiopia_afro;_ylt=Akxd42zF4f9lzp9e3kJUl5Jb.nQA
This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references (ideally, using inline citations). Unsourced or poorly sourced contentious material must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2008) (Find sources: Teddy Afro – news, books, scholar)
[edit] External links
Lambadina - Teddy Afro EthioTube Video
Teddy Afro Music video Collection
Official Home Page
Teddy Afro court Case
[2] Teddy afro works and court proceedings
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