- Tigist Shibabaw
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Tigist Shibabaw 
Background information Birth name Tigist Shibabaw Born 1980 Origin Chagni, Ethiopia Died 2008 (age 28)
Bahar Dar, EthiopiaGenres Ethiopian music, Hip hop Occupations singer Instruments Voice Years active 2000–2008 Labels Palm Pictures Associated acts Bole2Harlem, Gigi Notable instruments voice Tigist Shibabaw (born in Chagni, Ethiopia, 1980–2008) was an Ethiopian singer and one of the original members of the Harlem-based hip hop fusion band Bole2Harlem. She was the sister of singer Gigi.
Contents
Early life
Tigist was born and raised in the small northwestern Ethiopia town of Chagni. She was one of ten siblings, born into a family of coffee farmers that relied on the local river for their harvest.[1] Her sister has described learning traditional songs from a priest in the family home,[1] in spite of the Ethiopian Church generally prohibiting singing or playing music in church until the Derg era.[2] Their household was always filled with entertainment; the children of the house where often recruited to entertain guests.[1]
Recording career
Tigist immigrated to the United States in 2000 to pursue a music career, joining her older sister Gigi who was already a globally acclaimed musician in her own right. Their father had initially forbidden Gigi from becoming an entertainer.[1]
Death
Tigist died at the age of twenty-eight in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia where she is said to have traveled on a spiritual journey shortly after she finished recording with Bole2Harlem. Details regarding the circumstances surrounding her passing never emerged, including the exact date of her death. She was buried in Chagni, Ethiopia, the town where she was born, among family.[3]
Discography
Album Label Year Gigi Palm Pictures 2001 Radioaxiom (A Dub Transmission) Palm Pictures 2001 Zion Roots Network Medien 2003 Mandeng Eletrik Mulatta 2004 Gold And Wax Palm Pictures 2006 Bole 2 Harlem, Vol#1 Sounds of the Mushroom 2006 Un Automne 2007 Les Inrockuptibles 2007 Bole2Harlem
In 2005, Tigist started recording -for what would become- her only full length CD of original material. After meeting at the downtown Restaurant/Bar/Meeting place, "L'Orange Bleue", Tigist started collaborating with David "Duke Mushroom" Schommer, an American Producer/Writer/Musician who was raised in an Ethiopian art filled home. His father was Norbert Schommer, an American professor who from 1950-58 who was one of ten professors from around the globe brought there to help build and teach at "Addis Ababa University" (Now Arrat Kilo) the first major university in Ethiopia during the reign of Halie Selassie[4] Influenced by his father's legacy, he found himself bonding with many Ethiopians living in Harlem and would often host house parties filled with Amharic song and humor. After reaching a temporary writers block on what would become the title track, Bole2Harlem, Tigist and David called in their mutual friend, Ethiopian born computer tech Maki Siraj, and helped inspire him to write and rap verses over the song. The 3 all felt the combo was magic and the album project was launched.[5]
Tigist and David's concept for the record revolved around the transit culture of Addis Ababa where cab and minivan drivers pack their vehicles to capacity with patrons, casually mentioning their destination and requesting less-than-full fare for their service. The drivers are accompanied by one doorman that secures the vehicle once all the passengers have boarded, after which he will sound the name of the destination. A common destination is Bole Road in Addis Ababa to which the doorman would yell "Bole, Bole, Bole, Bole, Bole!" upon closing the vehicle door. Other common Bole named destinations in the city include Bole Airport and the neighborhood of Bole. The group added the destination of Harlem, as there was the vision of a doorman sounding "Harlem, Harlem, Harlem, Harlem, Harlem!". From this, the creative concept for the album cover art was inspired which includes a minivan model similar to those found in Addis Ababa, with the word Bole2Harlem mounted on its side.
There is a lot of subtle crossings of Ethiopian and American culture within the album, The song Hoya Hoye, is a great example. The song title is said to have been inspired by something Ethiopian children chant during the Ethiopian version of Halloween, Hoya, hoye, HO, hoya hoye, HO, as they simultaneously make rhythmic beats as they clap and pound walking sticks. After hearing this chant sung in Addis, David got the inspiration for the main beat of the song from a hip-hip track he heard while walking the streets of Harlem. During this same walk, he also heard a Gospel choir singing as he passed by a Harlem church and decided to add that flavor (Feeling all right!) to the song. The blues scale heard in the song, is more than that, it's roots are in an abbreviated version of an ancient Ethiopian musical scale.[5]
A video for the song Enseralen Gojo was directed by Ethiopian film maker and director Aida Ashenafi and was shot in the town of Harar, Ethiopia. It was the only official video made for the album. Only Maki and David were featured in the video along with local traditional dancers as Tigist was unable to travel then due to US visa issues.[6]
On Saturday, January 19, 2008 David posted the following on the band's MySpace page: "It is with a wounded heart that I convey to you all that Tigist Shibabaw -our singer, our sister, our light, who had been on a spiritual journey in Ethiopia, Died unexpectedly in Bahar Dar Last week. She was Buried with Family in Chagni -the place of her birth."
Detailed Album info:
Track listing
- Bole 2 Harlem - 4:12
- Hoya Hoye - 4:08
- Enseralen Gojo - 5:27
- Ametballe - 4:56
- Hi Loga - 4:19
- Endegena - 4:47
- HOME - 5:55
- Ya Selam - 3:54
- Aya Bellew - 4:41
- Harlem 2 Bole - 2:28
- Quralew - 1:47
- Ensaralen Gojo (Remix) - 8:58
- Africaye! - 2:28
Personnel
- Performed by: David "Duke Mushroom" Schommer-Vocals, drums, percussion, beats, bass, keyboards
- Tigist Shibabaw - vocals
- Fray - Vocal #4
- Davi Vieira - Brazilian Vocal/Add. Perc #5
- Maki Siraj - raps
- Dave Eggar - cello #3
- Henok Temesgen - solo Basses # 4-5
- Robert Aaron - All Horns #2-4-6-7-13
- Joewarn Martin - Gospel keys on #2-7
- Balla Tounkara - Kora and Voice #10
- Sam "Carpete" Effron - Reggae Guit#1-2-3
- Gregg Fine - guitar #7
- Khalid M'Zouz - Moroccan Clapping #1-2-7-8-9-10
All Songs Written by:
- D.Schommer: Music
- M.Siraj, T.Shibabaw, D.Schommer: Lyrics
Except:
- #4, 11: D.Schommer :Music, M.Siraj :Lyric
- #3, 12:D.Schommer : Music, J.Bashir, M.Siraj : Lyric
- #6: D.Schommer : Music, M.Siraj, D.Vieira :Lyric
a Sounds of the Mushroom record. Released with permission:
- US: Sheer Sound/Ryko
- EU: World Connection/M247
- Ethiopia: MANGO RECORDS, PLC
References
- ^ a b c d "Ejigayehu Shibabaw Official Myspace". http://www.myspace.com/ejigayehu#more. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
- ^ Shelemay, Kay Kaufman (September 15, 2006). Ethiopia: Diaspora and Return. Interview with Banning Eyre. Afropop Worldwide. http://www.afropop.org/multi/interview/ID/108/Kay+Kaufman+Shelemay-Ethiopia%3A+Diaspora+and+Return. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
- ^ "Ethiopian Singer Tigist Shibabaw of Bole 2 Harlem Dies in Bahar Dar". January 21, 2008. http://worldmusiccentral.org/2008/01/21/ethiopian-singer-tigist-shibabaw-of-bole-2-harlem-dies-in-bahar-dar/. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ "Harlem Globetrotters". http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-12-26/music/harlem-globetrotters/. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
- ^ a b "Bole2Harlem". http://www.pri.org/theworld/?q=node/7760. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
- ^ "Maki The International MC - Abesha.com". http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=34303741&blogId=238094119. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
External links
Categories:- 1980 births
- 2008 deaths
- Ethiopian female singers
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