Ashenafi Kebede
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Ashenafi Kebede (Amharic: ኣሸናፊ ከበደ; 1938–May 8, 1998) was an Ethiopian composer, conductor, ethnomusicologist, historical musicologist, music educator, novelist, and poet.
Kebede was born in Addis Ababa, and was educated in musicology at the Eastman School of Music (1962) and Wesleyan University (M.A. 1969; Ph.D. 1971). He founded the National Saint Yared School of Music in Ethiopia, serving as its first director (1963–1968). He was designated a National Composer by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, in 1967. Shortly after that he began his graduate studies in the United States, and earned the first Ph.D. in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University.
Ashenafi was a prolific writer. His works include a novel, Confession (1964), articles in ethnomusicology journals, the book Roots of Black Music, and numerous articles in The Chronicler, the magazine of the Center for African-American Culture.
In his own compositions he combined Ethiopian and Japanese musical ideas. "Koturasia" is one such piece, written for flute, clarinet, violin, and Japanese koto. Among his other musical compositions were "Peace unto Ethiopia" and "The Life of Our Nation".
In the United States, he was Director of the internationally known Ethiopian Research Council,[1] consisting of a group of Ethiopian and American scholars and professionals. At the time of his death he was Director of the Center of African-American Culture at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida,
[edit] Notes
[edit] Selected writings
[edit] Articles
- "The Krar", Ethiopian Observer, 196x.
- "The Bowl-Lyre of Northeast Africa. Krar: The Devil's Instrument", Ethnomusicology, Vol. 21, No 3 (September 1977), pp 379-395.
- "The Azmari, Poet-musician of Ethiopia", The Musical Quarterly LXI(1), 1975, Oxford University Press.
- Review of "Ethiopia III: Three Chordophone Traditions by Cynthia Kimberlin, Jerome Kimberlin", Ethnomusicology, Vol. 34, No 1 (Winter, 1990), pp 196-198.
- "A History of Music", article in Addis Ababa University Alumni Association Newsletter. Contains "Saint Yared: Ethiopia's Great Ecclesiastic Composer, Poet and Priest", "Sacred Musical Instruments at the Horn of Africa", and more.
- "Zemenawi muzika: modern trends in traditional secular music of Ethiopia", The Black Perspective in Music, Vol 4, No 3., pp 291-301, 1976.
- "Musical innovation and acculturation in Ethiopian culture", African Urban Studies, vol. 6., pp 77-87, 1979.
- "Zur Geschichte der Amhara-Musik in Äthiopien" [tr. "On the History of Amhara Music in Ethiopia"], Musikgeschichte in Bildern ("Music History in Pictures") monograph series, Number 1, Ostafrika [East Africa], edited by Gerhard Kubik, Deutscher Verlag für Musik, Leipzig, pp 11-14, 1982.
[edit] Dissertation
- The Music of Ethiopia: Its Development and Cultural Setting. Ph.D. Dissertation, Wesleyan University, 1971.
[edit] Books
- Confession: the most exciting, heart-breaking story of an Ethiopian in the United States, 1960.
- Roots of Black music: the vocal, instrumental, and dance heritage of Africa and Black America. Prentice-Hall, 1982. ISBN 0137831595.
[edit] Selected musical works
- The Shepherd Flutist, 1968.
- The Music of Ethiopia: Azmari music of the Amharas, 1969.
[edit] Bibliography
- Kimberlin, Cynthia Tse, "The Scholarship and Art of Ashenafi Kebede (1938-1998)", Ethnomusicology, Vol. 43, No 2 (Spring-Summer, 1999), pp 322-334.
- Kimberlin, Cynthia Tse, "Four Contemporary Ethiopian Composers and their Music: Asnakech Worku, Nuria Ahmed Shami Kalid a.k.a. Shamitu, Ezra Abate Iman, and Ashenafi Kebede", Ethiopia in Broader Perspective: Papers of [the] 13th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Vols. I-III, eds. Fukui, K., E. Kurimoto, and M. Shigeta. Kyoto, Japan: Shokado Book Sellers. 1997.
- Olsen, Dale A., "Ashenafi Kebede is Remembered", Florida State Times, August 1998.
