A friend who decided to cook for a group of people did not have NiTr Kibe, so she decided to cook with regular butter. I must say it lacked depth compared to what I am used to. Ethiopian food is complicated to start from scratch.
In a sense, all ethnic food is complicated. For Indian food, you can find curry packaged in a shaker at the local grocery store; for Chinese, you can readily find soy sauce, and other spices in the spice section.
From what I know curry is home made in the Indian household. They do not buy it, in most cases they make it from scratch. The packaged stuff is only available in the west.
One day we will have Berbe’rE and NiT’r Kibe at Safeway Ethiopian section, but till then we can make NiT’r Kibe on a need basis. We do not have to have it delivered from Ethiopia.
Here are instructions from a Daniel Mesfin on his book Exotic Ethiopian Cooking on ‘how to purify butter to herbed butter.’ I assume his version is for white people as it is a little tamer than my grandmother’s version. Even so, it is better than regular butter in your Tibs or Wot. My recommendation is that you hold of on the Red Onion and double the azmud and besobila. I make my own version all the time.
For those who are going to disagree on ingredients and process of the above; please mention what, as I plan to write ‘the ultimate NiT’r Qibe Recipe for Ethiopians living abroad. Coincidentally I found a place where you can buy Ethiopia spices online.
Published by Nolawi March 30th, 2006 in Food.
Especially for our Ethiopia artists! Sources told me that Zeritu was paid a flat rate of 13,000$ for distribution rights in North America and Europe of her new album. That was big for someone new but small in comparison to what possible profits it would have made if all copies of her CD’s were to be sold individually.
The company that paid for the distribution rights claims that the sales Zeritu’s new album was significantly less than what they expected. Most of us have heard album but a lot of us have not paid to get the album. Right after the release in the United States, her music was everywhere. Some people even brought copies from Ethiopia and distibuted to family and friends.
Since CD sales have decreased significantly in the last two years most of the distributors are turning to DVD video to make their money. DVD video are encrypted thus cannot be copied. Even that in some cases infringed upon to make copies illegally and sold. As we have seen in the case of Mogzitwa the film.
Sources also tell me that the payment for new artists next albums distribution rights will be a lot less than what Zeritu was paid, since there is no way to enforce the sharing of music online. Thus, I’m against music sharing especially for Ethiopian music. We are not stealing from Virgin and Arista records.
We are only hurting our artists and our music. Stop Sharing.
Published by Nolawi March 28th, 2006 in Music.
Today I heard Tewodros Tadesse sing live. The song I’ve heard before, its one of my favorite songs. There are a few songs that I classify as memory songs. One is ‘Abeba yehoye?Lem Lem,’ the Meskerem song. This past Ethiopian New Years I saw Neway Debeb doing his version with Chachi Taddesse at the New Years Event in DC. I remember thinking about Meskerem Ande in Ethiopia.
The drawings that kids bring to your house and say Enkuan ADeresachihu in the hopes of getting some frank. I’ve talked about this drawing with quite a few people that have come from Agerbet after me, some don?t remember. I suspect that the tradition has slowed down in the recent years. ‘Abeba yehoye’ also reminds me of Adey Abebas. I guess the ear has a strong memory. I’ve heard that of the five senses that the nose (the sense of smell) has the strongest memory, then the ear.
Back to the subject, Teddy sang a song originally by Mulatu Astatqe, called Assiyo Ballema. I know it; actually have the original album. The second half of the song goes to transfers the rhythm and he goes ‘Hoya Hoye? Hoya hoye? eza mado?’ Ok so right then I started to think about Chibos. I miss Chibo Mabrate.
We have brought many aspects of our culture with us. We have our Kedase at the local church, our traditional cloths, our Buna bejebena Na Sini and etc among others. Some people even go to the farm so they could Beg Marede for fasika. I think we forgot the Chibo and Hoya Hoye. I am not suggesting of burning some wood in the apartment parking lot. I’m suggesting having a bonfire with a bunch of people and singing Hoya hoye.
Promoters take notes this is a great idea, you can even cover a cover charge and fliers. LeMeskel Tezgaju.
Ok after writing this post i found out that; indeed they have meskel celebrations in local churchs….
Published by Nolawi March 26th, 2006 in Music and Podcast.
Donkey is English is also known as Ass. When people say "...being and an ass," they are referring to a Donkey. In Ethiopia they have the same saying; "Ante Aheya." Ok, I checked this really; the word "Donkey" came to existence because they didn't want people to confuse Ass with Arse; Arse is butt for those who didnt know. Ass has nothing to do with what you sit on. If you don't believe me check the dictionary. They wanted to give Ass another name so they named it with something that rhymes with monkey.
How did I get here? Somebody asked me what a Zebra is in Amharic. Its, "Ye'Meda Aheya." They didn't bother to give it its own original name. Is the Zebra related to the Donkey? I didn't think so; they seem completely different to me. One is B &W, one brown, one is wild and one is domestic. One is fast and the other is slow.In actuality Zebra is more Horse than Donkey, so it deserves its own name. To complicate things a bit more, they have made "Ye'Meda Aheya and Aheya hybrid.
They call it Zeedonk or Zonkey or Zebronkey. What are we going to call it in Amharic?
Published by Nolawi March 23rd, 2006 in Social.
Or My great grandmother's older brother, he was a talented 19th /20th century painter sculpture and illustrator. I’m pretty sure most of you haven’t heard of him but I’m sure some of you have seen his work. He specialized in the church paintings and sculptures. Among the ones he worked on, is Kidist Mariam Bete Christian in Sidist Kilo, Enda Selassie Bete Christian in Asmara, Yohannes Bete Christian, Kechene Mediyanlem Bete Christian, Gishen Mariam Bete Christian in Shoa, Holy Trinity in Addis Ababa and etc; too many to list. And internationally he did the Ethiopian Orthodox church in Jerusalem, Israel. He did mostly murals in the churches and some are 3 dimensional sculpture murals.
He also produced portraits of Emperor Menelik, Empress Taytu and Empress Zawditu for the Menelik Mausoleum in Addis Ababa, and a painting of the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen in 1930 for the Ethiopian Parliament building.”
When my grandfather doing his Kedase, he used to point out the illustrations in the book to me by saynng, "Aleqa Mezmur did this too.” Besides the churches and illustrations and sculptures; he also did designs for Medals and Bank Notes and Stamps. 
His son Tesfaye Mezmur is also a painter alive and doing well in Ethiopia, he has done several international exhibitions. He is also one of the first Ethiopian to be sent to Europe (Germany) to study art. I believe in the late fifties or early sixties with GKristos Desta. I couldnt find any images online. Which is a shamefull that our Ethiopians Artists work from that era and earlier is not documented. Pankrust wrote some. If you have been to any churches remember that probably have seen Aleqa Mezmur Dawit’s Art-work. Painting in the church of Arba’ite Insesa
Published by Nolawi March 21st, 2006 in History.
