Finished film and notes on Ethiopia & Ethiopian Music
My film, Sylvia Pankhurst, artist, Writer, Fighter is now complete. During the process of making I was surprised to learn of Sylvia’s defence of and love for Ethiopia and I have explored this within the film and the film’s soundtrack.
Once Ethiopia was free again after Italian Fascist occupation Sylvia was able to advise and assist with reconstruction. In addition to gathering information and publishing on Industry, Education, Transport, and Health, Sylvia also admired and collected information about Ethiopian music and instruments, believing that protection of culture was also essential to successful recovery. She wrote about both religious and secular music in her book, Ethiopia, A Cultural History (published 1955). In her chapter on secular song and story Sylvia details Ethiopian instruments, their construction and their European equivalent. She includes some of the words from “household” songs or “zafan ” produced by women. One such song describes a man as having “trousers of wind and “buttons of hail” to vividly evoke a particularly unreliable man. While this was not so suitable a direction for my film the chapter includes a diverse set of lyrics and notation to represent the humour and challenges faced by everyday life in Ethiopia.
When searching for appropriate music for my film I was introduced to an intriguing collection Ethiopiques , published by Buda Music. Several musicians caught my ear and particularly the work of pianist and composer Emahoy Tsegué -Maryam Guèbrou. Her music is a curious hybrid of western classical with distinctive Ethiopian phrases hidden as surprising gifts to the listener. Emahoy studied music in Europe before returning to Ethiopia. Although she was a gifted musician it became difficult to pursue her career in the direction she desired. She became a reclusive nun, whose sister became a close friend of Sylvia’s. I have included 2 of her tracks in the now complete film, The Homeless Wanderer, and Presentiment.
Emahoy’s archive is represented through the Tsege Mariam Music Foundation that funds music education for underserved children. In 2023, it funded quality music instruments for the music department of a high school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In the US it funded one on one piano lessons for twenty eight students for one year. The Foundation is financed from music revenues generated by the Emahoy Tsege Mariam Music Publisher. For information about the foundation or to make a donation visit- https://www.emahoymusicfoundation.org/donate
To purchase music sheets, items with favourite song titles visit-https://emahoymusicpublisher.com/shop
