Ethiopia's first music disks

Nearly 100 years ago vocalist, musician, Tessema Eshete, recorded Ethiopia's first music disks in Germany. These disks are the first for Sub-Saharan Africa and among  the oldest in the entire continent. When Tessema passed away in October of 1964, cartons of these historic disks which were stored in his residence disappeared under strange circumstances. Despite all his efforts; the son Yidnekatchew Tessema was unable to trace the disks in his life time. Nonetheless, a five minutes cassette he safeguarded and left behind, was in the end instrumental in initiating the search and eventual discovery of the ODEON edition of sixteen of the seventeen double sided disks by his father.

On May 10 2000, the Society of friends of Ethiopian Studies gave me the opportunity to make a presentation on the life and works of my Grand father Tessema Eshete. In addition to a brief history, and the following selected poems, I used this unique occasion to introduce Yidnekatchew's precious five minutes cassette of his father's songs.

• Selected poems one

 

• Selected poems two

 

• With this question at the end of the presentation, Professor Pankhurst started the successful search for the disks

 

Two years later, the disks were discovered by Dr. Wolfgang Bender, at the same institute where I made the presentation.

 

• Preface by Dr. Wolfgang Bender

 

• How much does the family know about these historic disks? 

 

• Link to the audios and photos of the historic disks.