AUGUST, 2018 ADDIS ABABA

12
A captivating interview
with the young and
energetic artist Betty G

Nyege Nyege Festival

Connect with underground
musicians from around the
continent
Page 08

Mahmoud Ahmed
Keeping his promise, Mahmoud
joined Jorka Events once again
to perform on stage- Event
Review
Page 06
03 04 05
Editor’s Letter Thumbsup
Headsup
August Events
Calendar

06 10
08
Followup
Event Review
Mahmoud Ahmed
Eatup
Restaurant Review
Village
Catchup
International Event

12
Nyege Nyege Festival

Closeup
Interview With
Betty G 18 16 What’sup
Effoi the Social Hotel
Cinema Review
From the

Editor
Despite the fact it’s summer time in Ethiopia is not typically full of events, the past month has really been eventful for
the LinkUp Addis team and all Ethiopians as well. The magazine team is deeply grateful to all the supporters of the
magazine whose incredible initiative in sharing the magazine with friends and colleagues realized an unprecedented
reach of over 70,000 people for LinkUp July edition. Our deepest gratitude also goes to event organizers and business
people who were outstandingly cooperative to share valuable information about their events and establishments in
our venture to develop content for the August edition.

The LinkUp Addis team has also been following the reinstitution of peace between the Ethiopian government and
its Eritrean counterparts with great interest and excitement. The team is confident that the day to feature events from
Eritrea is not very far.

The LinkUp team forwards its condolences to the recent death of Engineer Simegnew Bekele- the Chief Engineer of
GERD Construction Project.

Let’s stay Linked Up with LinkUp. Enjoy.

Eyob Workineh
Editor in Chief

Editor in chief: Cover Photo By: Meklit Photography

Eyob Workineh Dress Designed By: Yohannes Sisters
eyob@linkupaddis.com

Marketing Director:
Eyasu Abdella
eyasu@linkupaddis.com

Creative Director:
Benny Yoseph
benny@linkupaddis.com

Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 3


AUGUST2018
• Live jazz
Sinkenesh grill bar, 7:00pm-9:00pm
• Nebila Abdulmelik Photo Exhibition
Alliance Francaise, 8:00am-18:00pm
Headsup
• Afterwork Live #Jazz Sessiona
Villa Verde, 9:00am-6:30 pm onwards
• Sem Ena Werk Literature Night
Vamdas Entertainment, 5:00 pm-8:00pm
• karaoke night
La lyonnaise bistrot, 9:00pm onwards
• Annual show
Alle School of Arts & Design, 6:00pm
• Addis Agora Speakers Club; Session 35 • Ethiokids Expo
Caleb Hotel, 6:30pm-8:00pm Ghion Hotel, 9:00 AM
• Mingle #3 • Nebila Abdulmelik Photo Exhibition
The Canteen Restaurant, 5:00pm-11:00pm Alliance Francaise, 8:00am-18:00pm
• Cheza Cheza Night
The Vault Addis, 6:00pm
• Nebila Abdulmelik Photo Exhibition
Alliance Francaise, 8:00am-18:00pm

1 2 3 4
• Nebila Abdulmelik Photo Exhibition
Alliance Francaise, 8:00am-18:00pm

• Ethiokids Expo • Mindset Public Lecture Series • Live jazz

Ghion Hotel, 9:00 AM Ethiopian National Theatre, 5:00pm-8:00pm Sinkenesh grill bar, 7:00pm-9:00pm
• Quiz Night
Ramada Hotel, 8:00pm-9:00pm

5 6
• karaoke night • MBA in Impact Enterpreneurship| Open Day
La lyonnaise bistrot, 9:00pm onwards St. Mary’s University, 4:00pm-6:30pm
• National Career Expo
Millennium Hall, 9:00am
7 8
• National Career Expo
Millennium Hall, 9:00am

9 10 11 12
• 2nd Hohe Literature Award Ceremony • Mindset Public Lecture Series • Live jazz • karaoke night
Ethiopian National Theatre, 5:00pm-8:00pm Ethiopian National Theatre, 5:00pm-8:00pm Sinkenesh grill bar, 7:00pm-9:00pm La lyonnaise bistrot, 9:00pm onwards
• Quiz Night
Ramada Hotel, 8:00pm-9:00pm

13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20
• Mindset Public Lecture Series • Live jazz • Black Night
Ethiopian National Theatre, 5:00pm-8:00pm Sinkenesh grill bar, 7:00pm-9:00pm Diamond Hotel, 22:00pm
• Quiz Night • karaoke night
Ramada Hotel, 8:00pm-9:00pm La lyonnaise bistrot, 9:00pm onwards

21 22 23 24
• Mindset Public Lecture Series
Ethiopian National Theatre, 5:00pm-8:00pm
• Quiz Night
Ramada Hotel, 8:00pm-9:00pm

25 26 27 28
• Live jazz • Sem Ena Werk Literature Night • Big Brand Sale and Discounts Bazaar
Sinkenesh grill bar, 7:00pm-9:00pm Vamdas Entertainment, 5:00 pm-8:00pm The Mosaic Hotel, 11:00AM
• Big Brand Sale and Discounts Bazaar
The Mosaic Hotel, 11:00AM
• karaoke night
La lyonnaise bistrot, 9:00pm onwards

29 30 31
4 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018
Thumbsup
Adriana Telles Ribeiro

Gallery Nightlife Adriana Telles

Name: Addis Fine Art (AFA)l Name: Villaverde Ribeiro is Cultural
Attaché at the
Addis Fine Art opened its main gallery space Addis Ababa’s oldest and most architectur- Embassy of Brazil in
in the heart of Addis Ababa in January 2016. ally beautiful indoor and outdoor venue, Villa Addis Ababa. After
The gallery focuses on highlighting contem- Verde operates as a nightclub, concert hall, bar moving to Ethiopia
porary artists from Ethiopia and the diaspora and restaurant. With a total capacity for more from New York City
and features 8-10 exhibitions yearly, as well as than 800 people, VillaVerde hosts Ethiopian two and a half years
talks and events. AFA is also the most active and international bands and DJs, as well as ago, she has become
Ethiopian gallery in the international circuit, cultural and fashion events all year round. addicted to Ethiopian
championing an underrepresented, yet rich jazz and arts, and
space in modern and contemporary fine art. Facebook: www.facebook.com/ enjoys sharing
villaverdeaddis information about
Website: www.addisfineart.com Tel: + 251 92 911 5937 the cultural “hidden
Facebook: www.facebook.com/addisfineart Address: Meskel flower behind St. Yared flowers” of Addis
Tel: +251 91 342 6553 Church Ababa with a view to
Address: Woldfiker Building, 3rd Floor, On Googlemaps? Yes promote the creative
Behind Mafi City Mall, Bole Medhane Alem  industries of the city.
On Googlemaps? Yes Restaurant
Name: Village Mexican Café
Cultural Center
Name: Vamdas Entertainment Undoubtedly the best place to enjoy Mexican
food in Addis Ababa, Village opened just 4
Addis Ababa´s newest cultural center months ago and is already a huge success.
includes 5 movie theaters with high defini- Their veggie quesadilhas, corn tortillas, home-
tion projection and surround sound systems, made sour cream and guacamole are to die
a restaurant, a dance floor, a bar, a café, pop-up for, and their mojitos and margaritas come in
art exhibits, a reading lounge and more! A many delicious flavors. With 100% of all ingre-
place to enjoy art in all its forms, as well as one dients locally sourced from Ethiopian farms,
of the best single origin macchiatos in town. this casual restaurant is a welcome addition
Cinema programming includes Ethiopian and to the Addis gastronomical scene, and its retro
international content. Vamdas Entertainment architecture, dating back to 1974, is an added
Cultural Center has been operational since charm.
April 2018, but an official grand opening is still
to come Instagram: Village_addis
. Tel: + 251 11 558 3132
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Address: Menelik II Avenue, in front of
vamdasentertainment Estifanos Church, near Meskel Square
Tel: + 251 93 115 2544 On Googlemaps? Yes
Address: behind Megenaga Total Station
next to Panorama Hotel
On Googlemaps ? Yes

Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 5

 A Tale of a Promise,
an Ode to a Performance
Eyob Workineh
W hen Mahmoud Ahmed, the Ethiopian
Music Legend unexpectedly canceled
his performance a year ago, he promised
his fans to make it up. Keeping his promise,
Mahmoud joined Jorka Events once again
to perform on stage. LinkUp’s Eyob was at
the event.
Almost a year after the show he had can-
celled and promised to make-up, Mahmoud
proved he was a man of his words at the
Ethiopiawi (an Amharic for Ethiopian) con-
cert II, once again with Jorka Events, and he
was nothing but mind-blowing. Though early
promotion for the event seemed a bit short
of confidence (the entire list of names for the
show was quite uncertain until quite close
to the event date), the event itself was a dis-
play of courage and dare. As one of the most
influential names in the Ethiopian modern
music history, it wasn’t a sur-
prise to see notable
figures as part of
Photo: www.facebook.com/pg/MahmoudAhmed
6 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018
the audience. As a deviation from the usual
concert going clientele- young and T-shirt
wearing, one could witness a number of older,
suit-wearing folks, obviously there for the big
name.
The venue, on the other hand, was quite
a departure and adventurous as it was the
Kana Studio Hall, an outsider to the list of
event venues which looks under a spell to
stick to The Millenium-Hall and Ghion Hotel.
“ Drops of tear were
Accompanied by the Mehari Brothers, the also the dearest
night started with the trending artist Getish companions of a
Mamo and proceeded to Abdou Kiar (ABD), number of people
popular for his song Merkato Sefere (Amharic deeply moved by
for Merkato My Village). With his peculiar how tender yet
dance moves, reggae-touch voice and deep resilient he was.”
passion, Abdou was a sensation from the start
to finish. He was ever at ease connecting with
the audience and making them chant with
him. With all his charisma, the question really
was, “Why don’t we see him on stage more
frequently.”
Then came the story of the night.
When that voice of Mahmoud, ever-young,
ever-graceful, engraved deep in the hearts of
Ethiopians- young and old- was heard from
around the stairs to the stage, it was literally
impossible to hear oneself scream. Supported
by two to walk up the stairs to the stage, it
was obvious Mahmoud was not in the best
of his health. This made his performance
all the more heartwarming and emotional.
It wasn’t at all uncommon to see the disbe- “Abdou was a sensation
lief in people’s faces of the fact that they are from the start to finish.”
really witnessing the live performance of this
legend who has been singing perhaps longer
than they have been alive. Drops of tear were
also the dearest companions of a number of
people deeply moved by how tender yet
resilient he was.
As he sang Almu
Lela- his signature
Ghuragigna
song, he was
 Photos Courtesy of Jorka Events
that Mahmoud we have always known with
his Guragigna dance moves. Despite his seem-
ingly poor health, his voice and performance
never hinted a sign of weakness. And he was
the one, who by far sang the most number of
songs. Accompanied by the best musicians
like Abegazu Kibrewerk, Mahmoud sang fairly
more than 13 songs partially or in full.

For the audience Mahmoud’s perfor-

mance was a mix of joy, disbelief, excitement,
nostalgia and most importantly a lesson on
ethics. To everyone’s astonishment Mahmoud
came with the same ID he had been given to
the event he was unable to show-up last year,
keeping it for a year until he kept his promise.

As great as the performances were, there

were of course some areas of improvement of
which sound was one. Abdou’s performance
was forced to be suspended more than twice
due to microphone issues. There wasn’t also
a well coordinated leadership of stage that
there were a few awkward moments around
the beginning of the show. Another area of
challenge was transitioning. It has almost
become a signature Jorka-Challenge that
the DJs they bring in are really not great at
keeping the audience engaged, and nor are
they effectively able to fill the space between
transition times. Apart from that, it was a great
achievement for Jorka Events, and they have
definitely nailed it this time.

Mahmoud’s perfor-
mance was a mix of
joy, disbelief, excite-
ment, nostalgia and
most importantly a
lesson on ethics.

Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 7

 Festival
Tsadenna G. Assefa

W hen September comes, there will be opportunities for upcoming artists. The
annual exodus to the breathtaking festival aims to connect underground musi-
Nile Discovery beach in Jinja, Uganda. This cians from around the continent with one
“By creating this
event, they have
managed to turn
annual event attracts talents another and with producers and the African music
and spectators from all over “It will featur musicians working with African industry on its
the world. It will also incite the over 300 artists music outside the continent. head.”
Irresistible urge to move, shake from more than The founding fathers and artis-
or dance, which intentionally is 30 countries tic directors, Derek Debru and
the name of the music festival. from across the Arlen Dilsizian told The Guardian
globe on five in an interview, that they wanted
Nyege Nyege, since its first festival stages” to showcase sounds from across
in 2015, has been steadily grow- the continent into one sound. And
ing and attracting a more eclectic they were inspired by the energy,
group of performers for its eclectic audience. freedom and easiness of the people. By creat-
This international music festival is orga- ing this event, they have managed to turn the
nized and curated by the boutiq foundation, African music industry on its head.
a community based organization in Kampala The 4-day music and arts extravaganza
that aims to develop the local arts and cul- will kick off on Thursday, September 06,
ture industry by creating 2018 and wrap up on Monday
conducive plat- September 08, 2018. It will
forms and feature over 300 artists from
Photo: www.facebook.com/pg/NyegeNyegeFestival

8 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018

 Photo: www.bona.co.za
more than 30 countries from across the globe community who have been ostracized. MTN
on five stages, including the new “Dark Stage” Nyege Nyege is expected to attract an increas-
which will feature a world class lineup of elec- ing number of foreigners from the region and
tronic music DJs and the “Spirit of Uganda” beyond, putting Uganda on the map as an
stage that will feature the best of traditional exciting travel destination.
troupes in an idyllic acoustic setting. This Last year the festival saw about 8000 people
year’s festival is also expected to have a com- in attendance. This year’s attendance is
plete site transformation courtesy of some of expected to nearly double. The tickets for
the continent’s most exciting visual artists and this year’s 72-hour celebration go for £60 – 80$
installation experts. - 120,000 Ugandan shillings and became avail-
The 2018 festival will have a special focus able for purchase online on www.nyegenyege.
on South Africa and Tanzania. Headlining com as of May 3rd.
for SA will be ShoMajozi, who was the main
act at Afropunk Johannesburg and is known Source: The Guardian: Nyege Nyege, The
for making crowds go bananas; the Durban Ugandan Dance Collective Reversing Colonial
Gqom scene will come full force with Rude Culture by Gareth Main; March 29, 2018
Boyz and Dominowe; folk/funk diva Zetina Website Link: www.nyegenyege.com
Mosia and underground electro producers
Sleeping Buddha will complete the list. The
Tanzanian line up will feature the cream of
the Singeli Scene of Dar Es Salaam including
the “Godmother of Singeli” Rehema Tahiri for
an exclusive performance, as well as rhythm
heavy Jagwa Music troupe and Msafiri
Zawose. Etran de l’Air will leave Niger for the
first time to perform at MTN Nyege Nyege. The
extensive line up will also feature some of the
continent’s most cutting edge musicians, DJs
and producers, including artists under Nyege
Nyege Tapes.
Not only does Nyege Nyege offer artists
with African sounds, from all over the world a
platform, it also creates a breeding ground for
new and eccentric flavors, and even genres.
With the festival’s critically acclaimed asso-
ciated label, Nyege Nyege Tapes, it gives
artists a space to create and innovate. The
festival does all this while creating a safe
place of entertainment for members of the

“Headlining for SA
will be Sho Majozi,
who was the main
act at Afropunk
Johannesburg and
is known for making
crowds go bananas”

Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 9

An Hour in the Village
La Village Mexican
Ephratha Kibru
W henever I thought of Mexican food,
I imagined the people who ate them
setting the inside of their food on fire just for
the fun of it- pretty much how a foreigner
might see us & our food. After all, spiciness
is a Habesha staple. Maybe we weren’t so
different after all; and I headed to Village to
find out.
Village is a Mexican restaurant located right
in front of Estifanos Church around Meskel
Square. It’s a cozy little place where most stay
for longer than they anticipated. With tasteful
interior design & a music playlist that ranges
from modern RnB to Jazz to Latin “fiesta”
songs, Village is a place for everyone.
I may have had a hard time pronounc-
ing the name at first, but the Quesadilla was
the dish of the hour. Though it took a while
to arrive on my table, it was well worth the
wait. “Queso” means cheese in Spanish & I real-
ized just how rightfully named the Quesadilla
was. As soon as I took the first bite, I could feel
everything melt in my mouth- a clear indica-
tion of good cheese. It molded the array of
ingredients- from the Pico de Gallo to the sour
10 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018
cream- together in a marvelous combination
of intense flavor. Even if the house-made hot
sauce was not as strong as I expected it to be,
Opening Hours:
All week
7:00AM - 11:00pm
the tortilla came to the rescue with the per-
fect amount of crispiness. The strawberry Location:
margarita that chose to accompany my food Menelik II Avenue,
was quite a character as well. With its spunky, in front of Estifanos
tropical twist, palate was at the core of its Church, near Meskel
intentions. It was a stunning meal. Square, Addis Ababa
While there, I also sat down with the owner,
Brook Solomon, to find out more about him & +251 (0) 115583132
the essence of the place he often referred to
as his home. Village was reestablished as a
restaurant close to 4 months ago. Granted, it
had existed prior as a café for quite a while
before undergoing this drastic change-both
in management & service. But keeping the
name Village still gave the restaurant an air
of familiarity.
When asked about the layout of the place,
Brook proudly explains how he & his brother
designed all of the furniture themselves at
their father’s workshop. It was truly inspiring
to find out this rare, hands-on approach to a
business. “This is my home,” he said, “I grew up
in this neighborhood & I know I belong here.”
 This proactive attitude doesn’t stop there.
Brook personally trains all his staff members
on each part of their job. He adds, “I’ve been
working with food since I was 14. I had worked
in and around restaurants and worked every
possible job surrounding it. I don’t undervalue
my employees and they believe in my expe-
rience.” This tendency to share appears in
his other work. He provides training & con-
sultancy to several restaurants here in Addis. “from the Pico de
Most believe that secrecy around recipes is Gallo to the sour
the only way to move ahead in the food indus- cream- together in
try here, but Brook would have none of that.
a marvelous com-
“You can’t paint the same painting after all,”
he says, “Everyone has their own approach bination of intense
to everything. Besides, success is success. flavor.”
Watching an establishment I aided grow is
great in & on itself.”
Discussing the choice of cuisine, Brook
went with Mexican for a number of reasons.
It’s little-known fact that a lot of ingredients
in Mexican food are produced here locally.
Despite that, Mexican cuisine is quite uncom-
mon in Addis. Village realized a place that
wasn’t like everywhere else, a place guaran-
teed to have fresh, Mexican food.
Before I left, I was offered a dessert- a
Mexican cake “Tres Leche”. It roughly trans-
lates to “Three Milks”, and that’s what the
sponge cake was made of. It was baked of
evaporated milk, condensed milk, and cream.
It looked too simple to be good with its light
colored base & whipped cream frosting.
But the taste was just heavenly. It was easily “Brook himself
the highlight of my meal. You would think explains how cus-
having 3 types of milk would leave the cake
with a heavy taste but the case was quite the
tomers were like
opposite. It was airy & light. The not-so-subtle guests in his home.
smoothness of the texture did wonders to my So if anything else,
taste buds. I couldn’t get enough! comfort is guaran-
Sure, the place maybe a bit small for large teed there.”
groups and the price maybe slightly higher
than what most folks are used to but with an
accessible location, ample parking in the back,
clean bathrooms- a highly sought after quality
in Addis, interesting events, and Happy hour
(Monday-Thursday) where almost everything
is 50% off, Village more than makes up for its
minor shortcomings. Brook himself explains
how customers were like guests in his home.
So if anything else, comfort is guaranteed
there.

Photos By: Nitai Schendar, Benny Yoseph

and Village restaurant

Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 11

BettyG
Eyob Workineh
S ince she first appeared in the music scene,
Betty G has always been a unique flavor
in the Ethiopian music industry. The young
and energetic artist who has recently, suc-
cessfully launched her new album Wegegta
at AV Lounge is also passionately involved in
volunteer and charity works. LinkUp Addis’s
Eyob sat with Betty G. talking to her about her
work, personal life and event engagements.
How did you get started with the music
industry?
I have always wanted to be a singer. I once per-
formed in my school carnival and after that I
joined a teenagers’ music group, The Hip Hop
Squad. In a performance we had at Imperial
Hotel, DJ FatSu saw me, and he recommended
me to Express Band. With express band, I
worked at Safari for a while. So that’s how it
all started.
What inspires you in music?
Music itself inspires me because it helps me
express myself. I listen to music when I feel
down or happy etc. My favorite part of music
is performing. I love live performance. I think
when it comes to expressing myself, stage per-
formances are the best place to do it.
How did you and your music evolve from
when you first started to now?
Everything you do in music helps you evolve
and makes you acquire more confidence,
knowledge and experience.
12 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018
The first time I started performing and
working with a band I was this shy girl who
wouldn’t move a lot and turns to the band
whenever she makes a mistake to make sure
they are fine. That slowly changed because
they guided me into being comfortable on
stage. Once that was acquired, I worked with
the Mehari Brothers with whom I did the
Zeritu Tour. This was a huge and concert
level performance as opposed to a small
club show which is just a cozy, small scale
performance. In a concert, one has to rehearse
dance moves, project one’s voice and make
sure the audience is connected to the music “I have been able to
to the smallest detail. So in many ways, the cultivate my vocal
Zeritu Tour was a huge step for me in terms of talent, which they
acquiring more experience and confidence. say is God given,
I worked with Mehari Brothers for more than through a hard
10 years afterwards. It was during that time I work and exercise.”
saw Natty Man perform.
Natty is this singer who is always able to stage
immensely energetic performances. I learned
a lot from him on how to project energy and
make use of that in my performances.
Producing my first album was also another
huge learning edge as I was faced for the first
time to really identify which melody worked
for me and discover my vocal strength. In the
second album I did a lot of vocal exercises
to be able to manipulate my voice instead of
just using my usual voice. So I can say con-
sciously working on myself, I have been able
to cultivate my vocal talent, which they say is
God given, through a hard work and exercise.
How do you describe your relationship with
music?
 Photo Courtesy of Yisakal Entertainment
I have been
able to culti-
vate my vocal
talent, which
they say is God
given, through
a hard work
and exercise.

Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 13

 My relationship with music has always been a
way of passing my message. As writer passes
their message through the stories and a
painter through their painting, I do with my
songs. For example, with Wegegta, my new
album I tried to transfer optimism and posi-

I think when it tivity by projecting how staying positive can

help us survive through encounters; how a
bad day can be less of a burden and manage-

comes to express- able. As a music listener, I am a person who

can listen to music day and night. I say every-
thing I have done in my life, I did with music.
ing myself, stage
performances are They say, the major income for artists in
Ethiopia is not their album but sponsorships
and events do you agree?

the best place to Definitely. The CD industry is not dependable

anymore. People are buying less and less CDs
do it every day. There are cars and laptops that do
not play CDs. On top of that, people do not
any more buy a whole CD to just listen to one
song. As a nation we haven’t yet been able to
adjust to this situation, and this creates chal-
lenges. As a result, once a singer finishes their
album, they have to go out there and look for
sponsorships and events. I feel I was very
blessed on the second album as I had a solid
manager who did a solid managing in terms
of promotion and seeking sponsorships. Now,
it is through different concerts and events as
well as sponsorships that we really do cover
our costs.

Speaking of events, do you have any favorite

concert that you have attended recently?

When I was in Dubai, I went to Jennifer

Lopez’s concert. It was amazing and more
than any I expected. Jennifer gave an amaz-
ing performance. The performance level
she gave, given her age, was unbelievable. I
was saying to myself, “I got to be a performer
like she is.” The concert was organized. The
dance moves were extremely well rehearsed
because you wouldn’t do such a performance
that clean professional and at the same time
natural with out effective rehearsal. To give
out such an intense moves one has to build
a lot of stamina and exercise to keep oneself
fit. Doing so, you become not just a singer but
a performer.
My original plan actually was to attend Ed
Sheeran’s performance which I was unable to
attend as it was after my scheduled flight out
to Dubai, but I am so happy I had Jennifer’s.
Photo: coke-studio-africa

As a performer, what do you like to see in an

event you are going to perform?

14 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018

On the organizational side, the most important
part is the sound. I want the sound carefully
checked when I have a performance. I want
to make sure my voice to be clearly audible
to the audience. The other one is light. There
should be an adequate and dynamic lighting
system that smoothly goes with each song
that is performed. I say light sets the whole
vibe of the concert. If the stage is well orga-
nized, which is the hardest task, it would
greatly contribute to having an audience that
is well engaged with the performance which
is another important part I would like to see
in any event I perform.
In relation to that, was there any event that
you liked because of the elements you have
just mentioned?
Yes. Recently, I was in London, for a perfor-
mance at One Africa Music Fest. The venue
was the SSE Arena, Wembley. Though not all
the audience knew my song, I was the hap-
piest on stage. The sound was crystal clear.
I didn’t have to scream my lungs out to get
my voice heard as I could hear it very clearly.
This gave me more energy to dance and thus
entertain the audience who, before that night,
didn’t even know my songs or if I existed for
that matter.
Are you planning a concert for you new
album?
Yes, I am. Before a concert, I am planning to
have a small performance with maybe up to
200 people, and even before that, I will have
a concert on August 11, 2018 in London for the
same project I mentioned before with One-
Africa Music Fest. Following that, I might have
a huge concert around the New Year.
Getting to your routines, whose songs are you
listening to these days?
These days, honestly, I am listening to an
Indian song that I have to work on. It is a song
Mahatma Gandhi used to like. But personally
for entertainment, I am listening to Justin
Bieber. I am in fact a Michael Jackson fan. I
think he has set the bar very high. Locally my
favorites are Tilahun Gessesse and Tewodros
Kassahun (Teddy Afro). I always try to learn
from these artists and acquire some skills of
theirs to blend it into my own, if that is possible.
As a final remark, what is your word to any
aspiring young talents aiming to become the
next superstar?
First thing is that music is not just fun. There
is a lot of hard work. If you really want to be in
it, you have to brace yourself for all the hard
work awaiting you. Another advice I would
like to give which I originally got from my
mother who was also the biggest supporter
and fan of mine is to not give up on school.
Even though one plans to pursue music as a
career, education is really important in a third
world country like ours, and one should be
able to handle both music and education side
by side. So have a clear idea of what you want,
work hard for it and never give up on your
education.
Any last words and Recognitions you might
want to make?
I am a high profile supporter for UNHCR, a “The first time I
UN organization that works with refugees. started perform-
As a high profile supporter, I visit different ing and working
camps, and I try to express whatever needs with a band I was
[the Refugees] might have. For example in a this shy girl who
visit I had to Gure-Shombola Camp in Assosa, wouldn’t move a
the refugees who were mostly from South lot and turns to the
Sudan. I saw that the refugees didn’t have a band whenever she
permanent shelter and other needs that were makes a mistake”
not fulfilled. I advocated for them so they can
have those needs fulfilled.
I am also a Green Fest Ambassador. As an
Ambassador, I am trying to create awareness
about climate change and Making Ethiopia
Green Again. Around the end of August there
will be a 7-day running tournament raising
awareness about making Ethiopia green. I
think it will contribute a great deal in remind-
ing people of environmental protection and
climate change in Ethiopia.
Finally, is there any one you would like to
thank?
I would like to thank God for making my “My relationship
career possible. Next is a thank you to my with music has
Mom who has always been a big support and always been a way
guide in my career. I thank my family, Young of passing my mes-
Lu, Habesha Beer (sponsorship), Yisakal sage.”
Entertainment (producing my new album)
for all their unflagging support.
Linkup team would like to thank Yisakal
Entertainment for facilitating the interview
with Betty G.
Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 15
Social Hotel
The

Edom Baheru

and Pizza. It has both indoor and outdoor Location:

K nown primarily for its thin-crust, 99%
locally produced, vibrantly named
pizzas, Effoi has been the prime choice for
tables. It is a family spot where one can take
children for some healthy family lunch or
Atlas

dinner – and some herbal tea. It gets really Service /label:

modern lifestyle in all its locations in Addis
Ababa. Effoi Red, located around Atlas,
is the first of the chain’s branches to have
been operating since 2007G.C. Recently
Effoi Red has renovated to accommodate
a guest house, a restaurant, Ankober, the
whiskey bar, and Segent- the outdoor bar
on its rooftop.
Effoi prides itself on being the first and
only pizza restaurant that uses 99% local
ingredients. The business is founded on
the philosophy of being the social hotel for
young professionals. Effoi values the modern
Ethiopian culture. This is reflected in every
experience that you are guided through as
well as its backstage contributions. Its dedi-
cation to locally produced ingredients, locally
designed and decorated rooms and outlets,
its branding of the services and products,
and other attributes allow a full experience
of Ethiopian hospitality. There are also several
other qualities to Effoi that help customers
have unique sets of experi-
ence. These are more than
visibly demonstrated in its
3 outlets.
The restaurant is sit-
uated on the ground
floor of the building.
Its services include
a perfect menu of
foods, beverages
crowded at times but I have not had any com- Bar/ Restaurant
plaints on service thus far. You are guaranteed
to get what you paid for, with a smile on top. Working hours:
Effoi Restaurant
The whiskey bar, Ankober, is found on
the 7th floor. If you are looking to spend 11AM – 12AM
some time with your friends in a cozy, con-
Ankober & Segenet
versation-friendly setting, Ankober whiskey Sun - Wed : 5pm - 12am
bar provides the quite, friendly, dimly lit Thurs - Sat: 5pm - 2am
environment with soft music playing in the
background. There is never a problem where Other branches:
to have for a snack before or after your drink Kazanchis, Sarbet, Ayat
amongst your friends, because Effoi provides
Pizza services throughout its establishments
(rooms included) only for a bill just a bit higher
than its restaurant prices.
Located on the roof top of the building, I
have found Segenet to be one of the hottest
spots for nightlife in Addis. For a night out with
a group of friends, drinking cocktails, enjoying
a 360 view of the city and breathing its air,
Segenet has you covered.

16 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018

 Photos Courtesy of Effoi
THE PRIME
CHOICE FOR
MODERN
LIFESTYLE
IN ALL ITS
LOCATIONS IN
ADDIS ABABA

Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 17

[Cinema]
Kidus Tamiru

Aand Ekul
Directed by: Samuel Teshager
Runtime: 110m
Starring: Fikirte Desalegn, Yabsera Teklu

The story centers around three disparate characters, a tough tomboy, a young pickpocket
and a loner with a sad past, coming into each other’s lives by chance and after some ini-
tial conflict, and comedy, come to realize they are just what they needed for each other.
Aand Ekul is an optimistic, feel-good film, despite the bleak first act, about learning to
be grateful for the things we have and never giving up on family. The film is mostly held
together by the energetic performance of the lead actress, who was well cast for the role.
Other upsides include the good cinematography and good performances from most of
the cast. But, like most Ethiopian films, this one also suffers from the intention to be many
different genres at once. It’s family drama, comedy, desperate tearjerker and romance all
rolled into one, sometimes within the same scene. Also, The film’s story and direction is
a bit too predictable. The usual choice of “good message” over plot is clear in the writing.
But overall, I’d say Aand Ekul is a good choice for pass the time.

6/10

Misten Darkuat
Directed by: Bereket Werede
Runtime: 110m
Starring: Alemayehu Tadesse, Alemseged Tesfaye, Hanan Tarik

Misten Darkuat is a story about a man who decides, after finding out he has a month to live,
to find another man for his fiancée to marry, so she wouldn’t be heartbroken with the loss.
This far fetched comedy gets most of its jokes from the silly attempts of the main character
and his best friend to convince the girl to break up with him and move on. And mostly
because of the great chemistry between Alemseged and Alemayehu, this film is quite fun
and enjoyable. All of the main actors were really well cast for their roles and the writing is
also funny at times. Alemseged especially steals the show here, even though he’s typecast
as his usual character. The film is also well directed but the terrible cinematography almost
overshadows it. Also the ending could have been a lot better, it’s completely inconsistent
with the rest of the film. And even though the film rated itself PG-13, The mature content
and innuendo would be more appropriate for grown ups. But all in all, this is a fun and
romantic film I’d recommend to anyone in the mood for an Ethiopian film.

7.5/10

18 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018

Ant Man and The Wasp
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Runtime:118m
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

Ant Man and The Wasp resumes the story of Scott Lang (Ant man) right after the events
of Civil war as he teams up with Dr. Hank Pym and The Wasp as they try to figure out
a way into the quantum realm to rescue Janet Van Dyne, all the while fighting a new
mysterious villain. This film is very much in the vein of the first one in that the “hero” is
mostly comedic than heroic and the stakes aren’t that high, at least compared to other
marvel films. But the film’s light hearted approach is maybe what is needed for MCU fans
after the seriousness and emotional drain of Infinity war. Compared to the original, there’s
better acting, visual effects and action in this one; the addition of the giant “ant” man is one
example. But the film is also the weakest Marvel film in recent times after a string of great
releases that raised the bar. This one merely recycles the tropes of the old MCU formula.
There’s also no consequence to this film’s existence, you could skip it and not miss a bit
in the next marvel films. But if you’re a fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, the first
Ant Man or even Paul Rudd, You’ll definitely enjoy this.

7.5/10

Skyscraper
Directed By: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Runtime: 102m
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han

The story centers on security consultant Will Sawyer(Johnson) as he tries to get his family
out of the newly built world’s tallest building when a group of terrorists take control of it.
Skyscraper features the typical action movie premise of one man fighting a seemingly
undefeatable antagonist against all odds but this film fails on almost every point. Starting
from the writing, the clichéd and uninteresting characters are hard to care about, and
the dialog is cheesy and dull. The stereotypical villain is not even formidable enough to
stand out from his henchmen. The acting just seems like everybody wants to be done
with their lines and get it over with. In short, this film is like a really boring remake of die
hard. I suggest you save your money and watch something else. Unless you’re a really,
really big fan of The Rock.

4.5/10

Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018 19

 Photo Courtesy of IceAddis
A residency program between East African
media activists and East African media, cul-
ture and innovation centers

Agazit Abate

Iceaddis in collaboration with icebauhaus The EAMLab focused on peer-learning

launched the East Africa Media Lab collab-
oration in 2017. The idea behind the East
African Media Lab (EAMLab 2017) was to
create a space for networking and collabora-
tion between East African media, culture and
innovation centers and East African media
professionals, innovators and storytellers
through a short term residency program.
From the very beginning of the project,
we have been on an educational journey
into the East African media and storytelling
landscape. Our first task was to find partner
organizations who would act as hosts and sto-
rytellers who would act as fellows. We were
extremely lucky to find and partner with
organizations doing phenomenal work in
advocacy, digital media storytelling, feminist
engagement, cultural activism, technological
innovations, and entrepreneurship. We were
equally fortunate to find photographers, film-
makers, researchers, digital innovators, and
writers to join the fellowship cohort. At the
end of the preparation phase of the project,
we ended up with ten fellows and nine host
organizations from all over East Africa (and
a couple outside of the region), including
Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda,
Senegal, Somaliland, Sudan, South Sudan,
Tanzania and Uganda.
and open and free media technologies. In this
context, participants and their host organiza-
tions were encouraged to approach political
and social challenges in creative, experimen-
tal and interdisciplinary ways through digital
means. The inaugural cohort worked on proj-
ects ranging from a multimedia exploration of
the arms trade in Uganda to a feminist based
creative writing workshop in Tanzania, a
research project on the ICT4Ag community
in Ethiopia to a photography exhibit exploring
the lives of South Sudanese in Sudan.
In 2018, we are planning to expand the
project and launching East Africa South East
Asia MediaLab collaboration. Visit http://
medialab-collaboration.org/projects/
The EAMLab is supported through fund-
ing by the German Ministry of Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

20 Linkup Addis Ababa August 01, 2018