Ethiopian artists are generally in a consensus. They would argue about the level of support the Ethiopian community provides the arts. Be it visual or music; most Ethiopian artists are apt to complain about it.
In the same manner, plenty Ethiopian professional service providers protest, that the fellow Ethiopian consumer neglect Ethiopian owned businesses. At times the complaints are even greater that they claim the consumer(s) choose to pay more to a non-comrade.
About a year ago, I would have been in agreement with these artists and even wrote how collaborative efforts are un-Ethiopian.
Most expatriates are not living life, they are surviving. We are striving to change the status from surving to living. And art in our daily lives is an extracurricular activity, it is something we enjoy and or buy when we have extra time and money. We are willing to go out to the club and spend 50 dollars one night as opposed to buying an CD album.
Should the person going to the club be blamed for the quality of the art or the level of support?
I happened to be driving on a long drive with a somewhat well known Ethiopian singer whose name I do not care to mention at this time, and on our drive I stated that I happened to own an album of the singer. The person mentioned that they didn’t care to listen to it at this time.
And why should the person want to listen to it? The album is atrocious with synthesized vocals with drum machine beats. Current Ethiopian music is horrible, even the major hits I could not listen to more than a handful of times. I would rather listen to the singer’s vocals archipello.
On another occasion, I was driving into the parking lot of the club in LA during ESFNA week and a car pulls up on my left blasting the base of his own music. This person happened to be Maki of Bole2Harlem, whom I wasn’t introduced to or knew about at the time. He was driving by himself but was blasting to his own music. That same week, we were driving around LA and none other than Elias AKA Profit of Burntface happened to be in the same car with us. He pushed his newest album in the CD player and said to blast it. We jammed!
I bring the two incidents to reinforce the point that the artist should be able to believe cow-heartedly that they are producing good art. If you can’t sell a painting for 500 dollars for yourself, why should a perfect stranger spend that money to buy your art? Why should I buy your album when you the singer of the album doesn’t believe in the product?
Compromising the quality of the art or service for the sake of the market is a short term solution. The lifespan of the product at the top of the market is exponentially reduced when eminence is conceded.
In that past I have been involved in different projects, for which I was marketing the product but was not interested in myself. Seeking money on behalf of a charitable organization I haven’t donated to; soliciting for subscriptions for publications that I wasn’t interested in reading; and supporting a product because I was interested in supporting the person behind the product.
I believe the consumer has a small responsibility to support fellow countrymen while the producer has a large responsibility to offer a quality product/service.
When we first started Bernos, we were wondering what it would take to make the blog successful, how are we going to push it so that we create a large enough of a platform to be able to market about our products from? And the answer was simple, to write something that we would be interested in reading. To use the blog ourselves, to participate in the discussions ourselves to reply to each and every comment that is directed to us.
Better Yet
If I am not willing to wear the Bernos T-shirts we produce, I shouldn’t expect anyone else to do so or better yet buy it. Each an every Bernos owns all six T-shirts and each is known to wear it around town. We love them so much that we wear them ourselves that is how we draw up our concepts? If all of us are not willing to wear it, we shouldn’t sell it or better yet we shouldn’t expect other to buy it.
Support is truly Ethiopian; it’s just that we the artists should produce art that is worth supporting or better yet art we truly love ourselves.
Bernos Contributors
There is support and then there is support. We are talking about the second level of support. There are those who have gone out of their way, way out, to cheer on Bernos. I have always said that the Bernos contributors are the best people in the world next to the Bernos customers.
These are not people who bought from Bernos nor are they that contributed for Bernos, they did both. So what do you say about those— great people squared? The Bernos contributors were neither friends nor acquaintances prior to Bernos. They just found us online one day and decided that they wanted to join and help.
They are the committed pillars of the Bernos. As they say in our country mesgana aymenezerem. We could not think of anything better to show our appreciation than getting something we use, we buy, we read; well, at least myself, Dawit and Meron read Helm Magazine.
In the words of John Fairchild:
'Style' is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma. Fashion is something that comes after style"
Well, Helm Magazine not only is fashion but also is it style. We use it, we buy it and we read it. There is nothing more credible than a product one uses. There is no larger compliment giving a gift we would like for ourselves. We bought five annual Helm Magazine subscriptions, which by the way is sold online for $19.99, we buy everything online; on behalf of the contributors.
Five people that have done what was not asked, nor expected of them. These are in no particular order, Adey Abeba , Chelema , Wudenesh, CelebrateLife , and Rahwina.
Published by January 24th, 2007 in Noteworthy.Send this post to a friend
Nolawi…I think Chelema is rubbing on you…it is so long!
sorry.. I needed to say all that to make my point…
chelema has pulled to much attention lately he should be
number one and all the others number 2…
Nolawi - thanks for the gift. I really appreciate it.
Thanks Noles…now that, I didn’t expect… contributed to my greatest smile this evening ;)While we’re at it, do you guys still have the “Bikila” T-shirt in Large or XL?
Nolawi, I am speechless. Thank you.
“A gift is only as good as its intentions” I am touched. So thank you.
Thank you Nolawi, That is very kind of you. I love Bernos and what you do and hope to see you succeed for many more years to come.
hey nolawi
I know you have a day job. This is not your bill payer. Don’t get me wrong. I am very happy for you and this website, but we all like to say we don’t sell out, but we do. As artists we try as hard as we can. But it all depends on how much we want to starve. I my self don’t like to starve in order to satisfy my artistic hunger. I do try to balance the two. Paying rent and choosing the good meet from the lard means a lot to me. Only very few of us are Van Go. So give as a break.
hi
Teinayistilign,
Do have plan to bring those shirts to your brothers and sisters here in Addisaba?
I think BERNOS must be promoted here in Addis too.
tnx.
You’re absolutley right Nolawi, many Ethiopan artists don’t like to hear thier own music. I was in Ethiopian Restaurant in DC and Teddy Taddesse was sitting at the bar and getting drunk as usual, and the owner started playing Teddy’s record and Teddy got up and decided to walkout pretending he has to smoke… I happen to grab his hand said hey that’s your joint thyere playing stay until it’s finshed, he said he dosen’t like to listen to his own music.. LOL
At the same token you I’m proud to hear the new cats like Maki (Bole2Harlem) and Elias AKA Profit of Burntface jamming with thier own joint while driving…
By the way I too own Bernos T-Shorts and proud to wear them.
Mitmita
[quote comment="14242"]hey nolawi
As artists we try as hard as we can. But it all depends on how much we want to starve. I my self don’t like to starve in order to satisfy my artistic hunger. I do try to balance the two. Paying rent and choosing the good meet from the lard means a lot to me. Only very few of us are Van Go. So give as a break.[/quote]
hello moki, I understand what you are saying.. I do not know what type of art it is you do… but i think you are missing the point of what I was trying to say…
my point is we, artists protest the level of support from the ethiopian consumer but we do not question the quality of the art… from the artists perspective… therein lies dubious affair…
is all blame on quality on consumer… no… is some blame on consumer .. yes, for not demanding quality…
but that is questionable, the consumer is not buying … maybe that is a way of saying we need something else..
thank you all, and mitmita
In fairness to those artisits who did not want to listen to their songs, sometimes singers/producers listen to their songs too much to the point that they need a break from it. So, sometimes it is not because they are not proud of what they did but they might have listened to it too much and they need a break. It does not matter how a good a song is, if you listen to it too much, you definitely need to get away from it at least for some period of time.
Just another possible reason why they don’t listen to their songs.
And right you are Dinich. the other reason could be sheer modesty, an admirable virtue. It is not an Ethiopian thing either. A lot of accomplished artists do not listen to their music, or watch their movies, or frequent the gallery where their work is being exhibited. Once it reaches the public there is nothing they can do about it until they rectify whatever mistakes or imperfections they find in it by a later take. Sometimes moulding art does not produce the desired effect either, the first take is still better. After writng one of his profound verses, the great Gebrekristos Desta says “Is this poem incomplete? I did not find it expressed my sentiments (of the time) adequately. I later made several attempts to expand and improve it, but realized I could not, and left it as it is.” Menged seTuN sefi kemilew metsehaf yetewesede. There is more about critical sensitivity in this book.
As far as promotion is concerned, musicians have way too many opportunities to promote their art; concerts, gigs, interviews and the like can be used efficiently for this purpose. I don´t think the reason they don’t sway to their music while sitting on a bar stool or a friends car is entirely loathing their own fruit of labour. Seldom one sees an artist performing with indifference. However, at times a not refined piece of work produced during their maturing period, or when dealing with over zealous or shady producer could produce a sense of embarrasment. Few produce aces all the time. Every piece doesn’t come out a hit.
Nolawi, with all due respect there is a bit of a difference in wearing ones’ design T-shirt and flaunting and bragging about ones’ craft be it music, acting, painting or whatever. I don’t and will not dare belittle the design art, I firmly believe that it is equally estimable like any form of art. I don’t think artists would shun away from acknowledging their art, no matter how mediocre or at worst embarassing their own work apeears to their shall I say after taste.
Zgent, i should have included that in the post. ofcource, as you & dinich have said that artists do not like to view or use their art. because its never perfect among other reasons.
What i meant is somewhat not clear and I will clarify on it at a later time.
Nolawi,
If that first famous person you were talking about was teddy afro, let me know i will give you my email. I have lots of question for that guy!
Nolawi,
I don’t have your email so, i have to post this comment here sorry. Are you thinking about coming up with a T-shirt that has a picture of kenenisa and Haile. If not can you think about it, i think it will be cool. Think about it, and let me know.
Thanks
Keep up the hard work Nolawi /&team. I thought being the unpopulargraveyardshift member would get me a yr&1/2 subscription..some bernosawi doesn’t have no payroll exp.
Nolawi & the gang,
Keep up the good work guys!
Just wanted to make a note about artists not wanting to endure their own work of art in public or otherwise.
Eventhough what you said is one possible explanation, as ppl above commented,that by itself can not be taken to mean that they think less of their work. As we would say in any field of science, “the observation is astute, but the conclusion is one sided”.
In fact, if you have noticed this, some times artists reveal so much about themselves through their art work that it kinda becomes their secret affair, something they’d rather not endure in public, or if you take the incidence mitmita was talking about, that particular music may have brought back harsh(pictursque) memories from his heyday, which may not exist no more? it might have made him feel nostalgic? ….thus, less enjoyable.
To the contrary what would be rather detestable is what ” ‘maki’,did”. I know I don’t have any say as to how artists or the general public for that matter, should behave, but the last thing an artist should do, as to me, is, aggrandize his/her own work! Let it speak for itself! Any art has its own medium of communication, and if it is any good, it will be heard!
Now I am not saying marketing belittles art but such an act of self promo I think takes away from the art instead!
If you ask me it indeed shows a lower self esteem, because the arrogant, egotist artist would actually prefer it when others applaud his/her work.
cheers,
soj,
I TOTALLY agree! I think in-your-face self promotion shows insecurity about the work. Total turn off.
Agree. Mediocre quality products transcend the arts in our culture. Your article reminded me of some producers convention of sorts they had in Ethiopia few years back. Ethiopian shoe producers had a question to our gudegna PM. They pointed out that they’re unable to compete with shoes produced outside the country - perhaps the gov’t can help the industry by raising tax on imports, or something? The PM looked at them and asked, ‘How many of you here are wearing non-imported shoes right now?’ Of course, nobody was. He concluded, ‘ina inante irasach’hu yalaregach’hutn hizbu lemin yigzaw?’
I think the only thing that’s of highest quality is yehabesha libs, for lack of competition
And coffee …
wow interesting…
[quote comment="14376"]Nolawi,
I don’t have your email so, i have to post this comment here sorry. Are you thinking about coming up with a T-shirt that has a picture of kenenisa and Haile. If not can you think about it, i think it will be cool. Think about it, and let me know.
Thanks[/quote]
you can use the press for this discussing.. thank you for suggesting!
Personally, I didn’t deserve the gift, was totally unexpected!…makes it ever more special! Thank you Bernosochiyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
[quote comment="14247"]Teinayistilign,
Do have plan to bring those shirts to your brothers and sisters here in Addisaba?
I think BERNOS must be promoted here in Addis too.
[/quote]
we are a very small operations…
hmmm but what if you know your art is mediocre and you are trying to sell and no one is buying… do you still have the right to complain.
Bernos Team-
Thank you again for the Helm magazine subscription!