Tadias TV
Published: Wednesday, April 29, 2009
New York (Tadias) - In the following interview with Tadias TV, Academy Award nominee Leelai Demoz, speaks about his role as one of the judges at the 2009 Addis International Film Festival and his experience as a filmmaker. The documentary Guzo (The Journey), directed by Aida Ashenafi won first place in this year’s competition. The film is scheduled to premier in Washington DC on May 9th at the Lisner Theater (GWU).
Leelai’s interview was taped in Los Angeles. Part two of our Ethiopians in Hollywood series will feature filmmaker Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, who worked as Cinematographer and 2nd Unit Director for Guzo.
Ethiopians celebrate the life & works of the legendary singer, the late Tilahun Gessesse
Washingto, (VOA) — nThe Amharic service’s Radio Magazine hosts, Addisu Abebe and Alula Kebede, bring you a 50 minutes examination of the singing career of Tilahun Gessesse. The singer, an icon of Ethiopia’s thriving entertainment industry, died Sunday April 19, 2009 and was buried Thursday, April 23, 2009 at Trinity Cathedral following a gathering of hundreds of thousands who bid him farewell on Meskel Square.
Guests on the show include the singer’s widow, Roman Bezu, multi-talented veteran musician and composer Merawi Setot who shared the National Theater stage with the King of Ethiopian Song during his more than 45-years career; Tesfaye Lemma, reknown composer, poet and writer, Dawit Yefru, former band member of the famous Roha and current president of the Ethiopian Musicians Association.
Other interviewees include singer Teshoma Asseged and pianist Abduke Kefene who worked closely with Tilahun, vocalist, Yared Yefru, who sang duets with Tilahun in a ride to the air port as the 68-year-old artist caught a flight back home to Ethiopia, the day before he died.
Guests on the show include the singer’s widow, Roman Bezu, multi-talented veteran musician and composer Merawi Setot who shared the National Theater stage with the King of Ethiopian Song during his more than 45-years career; Tesfaye Lemma, reknown composer, poet and writer, Dawit Yefru, former band member of the famous Roha and current president of the Ethiopian Musicians Association.
Other interviewees include singer Teshoma Asseged and pianist Abduke Kefene who worked closely with Tilahun, vocalist, Yared Yefru, who sang duets with Tilahun in a ride to the air port as the 68-year-old artist caught a flight back home to Ethiopia, the day before he died.
Sarah Jessica Parker Expecting Twins - Matthew Broderick Happy
After years of divorce rumors and public speculation, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are expecting twin girls by way of a surrogate mother.Parker, the star of the hit show and movie "Sex and the City" is currently filming "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" a romantic comedy costarring Hugh Grant.
It is also rumored that she will appear as Ivy Ames in the dramatic comedy "The Ivy Chronicles" due next year. The film tells the story of a New York mom who starts a new life for herself and two girls after she loses her husband, her apartment and her job on Wall Street.
Matthew Broderick's latest film "Wonderful World" is due later this summer, and he's currently starring on Broadway in "The Philanthropist."
He has also just completed filming on the dramatic "Margaret" due later this year. It stars Anna Paquin, Mark Ruffalo and Matt Damon. The story revolves around a young woman (Paquin) who witnesses a bus accident, and is caught up in the aftermath, where the question of whether or not it was intentional affects many people's lives.
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Stephen Hawking In Hospital - Very Sick
One of the great minds of physics and math has fallen ill.Uber physicist Stephen Hawking is very ill and has been hospitalized with a chest infection and possibly other ailments.
He had reportedly not been feeling well for the last couple of weeks.
The news was released by Cambridge University where he works as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.
Hawking, 67, suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Hawking has survived for more than 40 years with the disease.
Hawking grew to fame with his 1988 book, "A Brief History of Time", and went on to write "Beyond the Horizon" (2009) and "Fate Of The Universe".
He has also appeared as himself on the smash hits "The Simpsons", "Futurama", "Last Days On Earth", "Alien Planet", "God, the Universe and Everything Else"
Video: Stephen Hawking Lecture Video
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The Top 10 Sexiest U.N. Goodwill Ambassadors
Living in a world far removed from the reality and brutality of everyday life, celebrities are often considered superficial and self-indulgent. But every so often, the United Nations taps a selfless celebrity to become one of their ambassadors and help them save the world. These celebrities donate their time to making the world a better place…and they look hot doing it.
Source: Jemal Countess/WireImage & Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images
10. Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Source: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
Maria Grazia Cucinotta is a famous Italian actress best known for her role in the Academy Award-winning film Il Postino and for playing Cigar Girl in the James Bond film The World is Not Enough.
Maria was named an Ambassador against hunger with the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) in 2006. The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing food to more than 90 million people a year. Maria and the WFP strive to eradicate hunger and malnutrition across the globe.
On a field trip to India, Maria urged the international community to support WFP programs as a way of educating hungry and poor children. She told reporters, “Working side by side with WFP has taught me that each one can make a difference in the fight against hunger. Food can serve as a magnet to bring children to school and change their life.” This Bond Girl believes indifference is the enemy of the fight against hunger.
9. Naomi Watts
Source: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
The blonde Aussie actress was named a Special Representative for the United Nation’s program for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2006. The star of 21 Grams joined the U.N. program to raise awareness about AIDS and to give a greater voice to the needs of people living with HIV.
Naomi has participated in AIDS summits and recorded a PSA for UNAIDS. In 2006, she headed to Zambia for a fact-finding mission, which highlighted the socio-economic impact of HIV on women and girls.
"In Zambia, I saw first hand the devastating impact of AIDS on individuals, families, and communities,” said Naomi. “I was both humbled and inspired by the strength and courage of the women, men and children I met, who are truly moving mountains to save lives. They are the real heroes in this fight."
Naomi believes everyone can make a difference in the fight against AIDS and HIV.
8. Nicole Kidman
Source: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Academy Award-winning beauty Nicole Kidman once played a United Nations interpreter in the film The Interpreter. Now she actually works for them. Nicole was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in early 2006. Nicole works with the organization to raise awareness of the issues women face around the world.
Last year Nicole was a high profile participant in the U.N.’s "Say NO to Violence Against Women" campaign. She addressed the United Nations, revealing the sobering statistic that one in three women encounter violence against them in some shape or form.
In her speech she said, "I have been UNIFEM's Goodwill Ambassador for more than two years now and I have seen how being born a woman puts you at risk of the most appalling and widespread human rights violation of our time. The "Say NO" campaign provides people all over the world with an opportunity to add their names to an ever-growing movement of people demanding that ending violence against women be made a top priority for governments around the world."
You can join over five million people and say "No" to violence against women by visiting SayNOtoViolence.org.
7. Liya Kebede
Source: Scott Gries/Getty Images
Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian model who has twice appeared on the cover of U.S. Vogue. In 2007 Forbes magazine named her the 11th highest paid model in the world. Liya is more than just a pretty face -- she has a helping hand. In March 2005, she was appointed a World Health Organization (WHO) Goodwill Ambassador. She has made it her life mission to raise awareness of the health risks facing new mothers and infants in her native Ethiopia and around the world.
In accepting her position with the United Nations, Liya made a point of outlining the health risks women face when giving birth in the undeveloped world. She said, “Every day we hear about the dangers of cancer, heart disease and AIDS. But how many of us realize that, in much of the world, the act of giving life to a child is still the biggest killer of women of child-bearing age? That over half a million die every year? Or that three million babies are stillborn? Or that another four million die during the first days and weeks of life?”
Liya also gives back to her native Ethiopia. In 2007, she launched a line of kid clothing that is manufactured in Ethiopia through her charity foundation. The clothes provide jobs and an economic way to rise out of poverty.
6. Catarina Furtado
Source: Alfredo Rocha/WireImage
Catarina Furtado is one of Portugal’s most popular celebrities. She is an actress, television personality, and a champion of women’s rights. Catarina was appointed a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador in 1999. She has worked tirelessly to educate people about sexual and reproductive health as well as participating each year in the launch of the UNFPA's State of the World Population report.
Catarina is proud of the work she conducts on behalf of the U.N. She says, “Being a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador is being a spokesperson for all the women and children who cannot speak for themselves and who need urgent help. This mission fills me with a huge sense of responsibility. UNFPA fights on a daily basis to ensure that all women, girls, and children are treated with dignity and respect.”
In 2005, Catarina received the "Ordem de Mérito – Comendador" award by the Portuguese Government for her services to humanity.
More on : http://www.spike.com/blog/top-10-sexiest/76313
Source: Jemal Countess/WireImage & Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images
10. Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Source: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
Maria Grazia Cucinotta is a famous Italian actress best known for her role in the Academy Award-winning film Il Postino and for playing Cigar Girl in the James Bond film The World is Not Enough.
Maria was named an Ambassador against hunger with the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) in 2006. The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing food to more than 90 million people a year. Maria and the WFP strive to eradicate hunger and malnutrition across the globe.
On a field trip to India, Maria urged the international community to support WFP programs as a way of educating hungry and poor children. She told reporters, “Working side by side with WFP has taught me that each one can make a difference in the fight against hunger. Food can serve as a magnet to bring children to school and change their life.” This Bond Girl believes indifference is the enemy of the fight against hunger.
9. Naomi Watts
Source: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
The blonde Aussie actress was named a Special Representative for the United Nation’s program for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2006. The star of 21 Grams joined the U.N. program to raise awareness about AIDS and to give a greater voice to the needs of people living with HIV.
Naomi has participated in AIDS summits and recorded a PSA for UNAIDS. In 2006, she headed to Zambia for a fact-finding mission, which highlighted the socio-economic impact of HIV on women and girls.
"In Zambia, I saw first hand the devastating impact of AIDS on individuals, families, and communities,” said Naomi. “I was both humbled and inspired by the strength and courage of the women, men and children I met, who are truly moving mountains to save lives. They are the real heroes in this fight."
Naomi believes everyone can make a difference in the fight against AIDS and HIV.
8. Nicole Kidman
Source: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Academy Award-winning beauty Nicole Kidman once played a United Nations interpreter in the film The Interpreter. Now she actually works for them. Nicole was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in early 2006. Nicole works with the organization to raise awareness of the issues women face around the world.
Last year Nicole was a high profile participant in the U.N.’s "Say NO to Violence Against Women" campaign. She addressed the United Nations, revealing the sobering statistic that one in three women encounter violence against them in some shape or form.
In her speech she said, "I have been UNIFEM's Goodwill Ambassador for more than two years now and I have seen how being born a woman puts you at risk of the most appalling and widespread human rights violation of our time. The "Say NO" campaign provides people all over the world with an opportunity to add their names to an ever-growing movement of people demanding that ending violence against women be made a top priority for governments around the world."
You can join over five million people and say "No" to violence against women by visiting SayNOtoViolence.org.
7. Liya Kebede
Source: Scott Gries/Getty Images
Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian model who has twice appeared on the cover of U.S. Vogue. In 2007 Forbes magazine named her the 11th highest paid model in the world. Liya is more than just a pretty face -- she has a helping hand. In March 2005, she was appointed a World Health Organization (WHO) Goodwill Ambassador. She has made it her life mission to raise awareness of the health risks facing new mothers and infants in her native Ethiopia and around the world.
In accepting her position with the United Nations, Liya made a point of outlining the health risks women face when giving birth in the undeveloped world. She said, “Every day we hear about the dangers of cancer, heart disease and AIDS. But how many of us realize that, in much of the world, the act of giving life to a child is still the biggest killer of women of child-bearing age? That over half a million die every year? Or that three million babies are stillborn? Or that another four million die during the first days and weeks of life?”
Liya also gives back to her native Ethiopia. In 2007, she launched a line of kid clothing that is manufactured in Ethiopia through her charity foundation. The clothes provide jobs and an economic way to rise out of poverty.
6. Catarina Furtado
Source: Alfredo Rocha/WireImage
Catarina Furtado is one of Portugal’s most popular celebrities. She is an actress, television personality, and a champion of women’s rights. Catarina was appointed a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador in 1999. She has worked tirelessly to educate people about sexual and reproductive health as well as participating each year in the launch of the UNFPA's State of the World Population report.
Catarina is proud of the work she conducts on behalf of the U.N. She says, “Being a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador is being a spokesperson for all the women and children who cannot speak for themselves and who need urgent help. This mission fills me with a huge sense of responsibility. UNFPA fights on a daily basis to ensure that all women, girls, and children are treated with dignity and respect.”
In 2005, Catarina received the "Ordem de Mérito – Comendador" award by the Portuguese Government for her services to humanity.
More on : http://www.spike.com/blog/top-10-sexiest/76313
Justin Timberlake, Kenna & Lupe Fiasco To Climb Kilimanjaro
Justin Timberlake and Lupe Fiasco will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity later this year.
The idea for the climb comes from singer Kenna, who was born in Ethiopia and nearly lost his father due to the lack of safe drinking water. The three-piece will embark on the African trek in the Fall, to raise funds and awareness for the water crisis.
"My dad almost died as a child from waterborne diseases in Ethiopia," Kenna tells Elle Magazine, "and he had talked to me about digging a well there, and I thought, 'I have too many friends who would be concerned with the subject of clean water. Maybe I can help out.'"
And speaking of his involvement, Lupe Fiasco adds: "I'm an adventure junkie. Part of the motivation is beating Kenna to the top. Sabotaging his tent, taking the lining out of his coat, lacing it with ants or something like that."
The idea for the climb comes from singer Kenna, who was born in Ethiopia and nearly lost his father due to the lack of safe drinking water. The three-piece will embark on the African trek in the Fall, to raise funds and awareness for the water crisis.
"My dad almost died as a child from waterborne diseases in Ethiopia," Kenna tells Elle Magazine, "and he had talked to me about digging a well there, and I thought, 'I have too many friends who would be concerned with the subject of clean water. Maybe I can help out.'"
And speaking of his involvement, Lupe Fiasco adds: "I'm an adventure junkie. Part of the motivation is beating Kenna to the top. Sabotaging his tent, taking the lining out of his coat, lacing it with ants or something like that."
Solar Airplane - Sunseeker II
The solar powered aircraft, the Sunseeker II will fly over Europe following its featured presentation at the e-flight expo(April 2-5)). The tour will be the largest journey for the Sunseeker since 1990, when its predecessor, Sunseeker I, crossed the United States in 21 flights, with 121 hours in the air. The new Sunseeker II has improved for better performance, including wing modifications, an increase in surface area for solar cells, more powerful motor and new lithium polymer batteries. The tour will cover 8 countries: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, France and Spain. Designed by aircraft mastermind Eric Raymond. More after the break...
Via : Link
Aster Aweke - Museke African artistes
By Chale - Posted on April 10th, 2009
Tagged: Ethiopia
View all Ethiopia entries
Date of Birth 1961-01-01
Real Name Aster Aweke
Aster Aweke was born in Gonder, near Lake Tana, in Northern Ethiopia and raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. At a very young age, Aster realized her passion for singing. As a teenager in a society that did not place a high premium on the singing profession, her decision to undertake a musical career was a difficult one to make. She knew that her choice to pursue a high-profile role in music, especially as a woman, would mean traveling a long and lonely road.
Aster launched her professional singing career at Hager Fikir Theater. In the late 1970s, she began performing at Addis Ababa night clubs, cultivating her songwriting and singing technique and emulating Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and other Western vocalists whose records were popular in the local discos. She performed at various clubs and hotels, including Hotel D'Afrique, Wabi Shebelle and Ras Hotel, accompanied by the Continental Band, Shebele Band, and Ibex Band (before they became known as the Roha Band).
Aster began her recording career in Ethiopia with two 45 vinyl record releases, followed by nine cassette releases. Her last cassette, Munayë, was released in 1981, coinciding with her departure from Addis Ababa to the United States. This recording cemented her status as an enduring musical tastemaker among music lovers in Ethiopia.
Upon arriving in the United States, Aster settled in northern California. Believing that she had left her musical career behind her in Ethiopia, she focused on continuing her education. Clearly, this decision was very difficult for her, as she truly loved the profession of music. Of this period in her life, Aster says, I was miserable! Luckily, her friends persuaded her to return to the stage and 20 seconds into her first song, she recognized her true calling. I found my happiness was in singing, Aster recalls, and she moved across the country to the Washington D.C. area, which has a large and well-established Ethiopian community. There, she began singing in various Ethiopian restaurants.
In 1985, Aster was on the move again, performing for enthusiastic Ethiopian audiences in cities across North America. In the late 1980s, Aster was discovered by the London-based independent label, Triple Earth, an event that marked her entrance into the World Music scene. Shortly thereafter, she secured a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment and released two major albums, Aster and Kabu, on their Columbia label. Following her widespread popularity in the United States and Europe, Aster appeared on several radio and TV shows, including the acclaimed Night Music on the NBC television network, where she appeared as a special guest of the host, David Sanborn, one of Americas musical trendsetters. She has also appeared on CNN, BBC radio and television, PBS radio and television, CBC, and Londons Channel 4 Big World Café. Print appearances include Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. Aster not only performs, but also writes and arranges music in her own unique style. Her songs have become anthems to her fans in Ethiopia, as well as to Ethiopians living abroad. Moreover, several of her songs have been included on compilation CDs, alongside other major World Music artists such as King Sunny Ade, Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Youssou NDour, and Angelique Kidjo. Some of the compilation CDs containing Asters songs are Desert Blues (Network Media, GmbH, Germany), Discover the Rhythms of Africa Today (EMI Music Holland, Netherlands), Afrika (PolyGram, Norway), World Dance Beat, (K-Tel International, USA), Under the African Skies, (BBC Enterprises Limited, United Kingdom), Fruits of Freedom, (Munich Records BV, Belgium), and Its a Triple Earth, (Triple Earth Records, United Kingdom).
Aster has topped both the Billboard and College Music Journals (CMJ) specialist charts. Kabu reached and remained at the ..1 position for four weeks on the CMJ New World music chart and was in the Top 10 for five consecutive charts (10 weeks) on Billboards World Music chart.
To date, Aster has released a total of 20 albums, six of them on CD Aster, Kabu, Ebo, Aster Aweke Live in London, Hagerë, and Sugar. While five of the CDs were recorded in various studios, the Live CD was recorded on September 16, 1996, during a sold-out concert at the prestigious London club, Hammersmith Le Palais, celebrating the Ethiopian New Year (1989 A.D.). A music video of this concert has been made, as well. Since her first CD release, Aster, she has performed for audiences at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl, and various European festivals. Aster has shared the stage with renowned singers and performers, including Hue Masekela, Maria Makeba, Mano Dibango and Bradford Marsalis.
Aster has just completed her seventh album on CD, a compilation of timeless songs recorded over the last 25 years. She is currently working on a new album to be released in 2004.
When she arrived in her homeland in 1991 for the first time in 16 years, Ethiopian-born and Washington, D.C.-based songstress Aster Aweke was greeted by thousands of loyal followers awaiting her plane. During the month-long tour that followed, Aweke performed before more than 80,000 people and showed that she remains one of Ethiopia's best-loved performers. Aweke has been equally successful throughout the world. Her second album, Kabu, spent four weeks in the top position on the CMJ New Music Charts, and was in the Top Ten of Billboard's World Music Charts for ten weeks in 1990. A native of Gandor, a small town near Lake Tara, Aweke was raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. The daughter of senior civil servant in the Imperial government, Aweke was determined to become a musician by the age of 13. By her late teens, she was singing in Addis Ababa clubs and hotels with such bands as the Continental Band, Hotel D'Afrique Band, Shebele Band, and the Ibex Band (before they became the internationally known Roha Band). Launching a solo career, Aweke was encouraged by musical entrepreneur Ali Tango, who financed and released five cassettes and two singles of her music. By 1981, Aweke had become disillusioned by Ethiopia's oppressive political climate and relocated to the United States. Temporarily settling in the Bay Area of California with plans to pursue an education; within two years, Aweke continued on to Washington, D.C., the site of the largest Ethiopian population in the U.S. After building a following with her performances in local Ethiopian restaurants, Aweke toured the U.S. and Europe in 1985.
Info from Aster Aweke's Myspace
Tagged: Ethiopia
View all Ethiopia entries
Date of Birth 1961-01-01
Real Name Aster Aweke
Aster Aweke was born in Gonder, near Lake Tana, in Northern Ethiopia and raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. At a very young age, Aster realized her passion for singing. As a teenager in a society that did not place a high premium on the singing profession, her decision to undertake a musical career was a difficult one to make. She knew that her choice to pursue a high-profile role in music, especially as a woman, would mean traveling a long and lonely road.
Aster launched her professional singing career at Hager Fikir Theater. In the late 1970s, she began performing at Addis Ababa night clubs, cultivating her songwriting and singing technique and emulating Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and other Western vocalists whose records were popular in the local discos. She performed at various clubs and hotels, including Hotel D'Afrique, Wabi Shebelle and Ras Hotel, accompanied by the Continental Band, Shebele Band, and Ibex Band (before they became known as the Roha Band).
Aster began her recording career in Ethiopia with two 45 vinyl record releases, followed by nine cassette releases. Her last cassette, Munayë, was released in 1981, coinciding with her departure from Addis Ababa to the United States. This recording cemented her status as an enduring musical tastemaker among music lovers in Ethiopia.
Upon arriving in the United States, Aster settled in northern California. Believing that she had left her musical career behind her in Ethiopia, she focused on continuing her education. Clearly, this decision was very difficult for her, as she truly loved the profession of music. Of this period in her life, Aster says, I was miserable! Luckily, her friends persuaded her to return to the stage and 20 seconds into her first song, she recognized her true calling. I found my happiness was in singing, Aster recalls, and she moved across the country to the Washington D.C. area, which has a large and well-established Ethiopian community. There, she began singing in various Ethiopian restaurants.
In 1985, Aster was on the move again, performing for enthusiastic Ethiopian audiences in cities across North America. In the late 1980s, Aster was discovered by the London-based independent label, Triple Earth, an event that marked her entrance into the World Music scene. Shortly thereafter, she secured a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment and released two major albums, Aster and Kabu, on their Columbia label. Following her widespread popularity in the United States and Europe, Aster appeared on several radio and TV shows, including the acclaimed Night Music on the NBC television network, where she appeared as a special guest of the host, David Sanborn, one of Americas musical trendsetters. She has also appeared on CNN, BBC radio and television, PBS radio and television, CBC, and Londons Channel 4 Big World Café. Print appearances include Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. Aster not only performs, but also writes and arranges music in her own unique style. Her songs have become anthems to her fans in Ethiopia, as well as to Ethiopians living abroad. Moreover, several of her songs have been included on compilation CDs, alongside other major World Music artists such as King Sunny Ade, Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Youssou NDour, and Angelique Kidjo. Some of the compilation CDs containing Asters songs are Desert Blues (Network Media, GmbH, Germany), Discover the Rhythms of Africa Today (EMI Music Holland, Netherlands), Afrika (PolyGram, Norway), World Dance Beat, (K-Tel International, USA), Under the African Skies, (BBC Enterprises Limited, United Kingdom), Fruits of Freedom, (Munich Records BV, Belgium), and Its a Triple Earth, (Triple Earth Records, United Kingdom).
Aster has topped both the Billboard and College Music Journals (CMJ) specialist charts. Kabu reached and remained at the ..1 position for four weeks on the CMJ New World music chart and was in the Top 10 for five consecutive charts (10 weeks) on Billboards World Music chart.
To date, Aster has released a total of 20 albums, six of them on CD Aster, Kabu, Ebo, Aster Aweke Live in London, Hagerë, and Sugar. While five of the CDs were recorded in various studios, the Live CD was recorded on September 16, 1996, during a sold-out concert at the prestigious London club, Hammersmith Le Palais, celebrating the Ethiopian New Year (1989 A.D.). A music video of this concert has been made, as well. Since her first CD release, Aster, she has performed for audiences at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl, and various European festivals. Aster has shared the stage with renowned singers and performers, including Hue Masekela, Maria Makeba, Mano Dibango and Bradford Marsalis.
Aster has just completed her seventh album on CD, a compilation of timeless songs recorded over the last 25 years. She is currently working on a new album to be released in 2004.
When she arrived in her homeland in 1991 for the first time in 16 years, Ethiopian-born and Washington, D.C.-based songstress Aster Aweke was greeted by thousands of loyal followers awaiting her plane. During the month-long tour that followed, Aweke performed before more than 80,000 people and showed that she remains one of Ethiopia's best-loved performers. Aweke has been equally successful throughout the world. Her second album, Kabu, spent four weeks in the top position on the CMJ New Music Charts, and was in the Top Ten of Billboard's World Music Charts for ten weeks in 1990. A native of Gandor, a small town near Lake Tara, Aweke was raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. The daughter of senior civil servant in the Imperial government, Aweke was determined to become a musician by the age of 13. By her late teens, she was singing in Addis Ababa clubs and hotels with such bands as the Continental Band, Hotel D'Afrique Band, Shebele Band, and the Ibex Band (before they became the internationally known Roha Band). Launching a solo career, Aweke was encouraged by musical entrepreneur Ali Tango, who financed and released five cassettes and two singles of her music. By 1981, Aweke had become disillusioned by Ethiopia's oppressive political climate and relocated to the United States. Temporarily settling in the Bay Area of California with plans to pursue an education; within two years, Aweke continued on to Washington, D.C., the site of the largest Ethiopian population in the U.S. After building a following with her performances in local Ethiopian restaurants, Aweke toured the U.S. and Europe in 1985.
Info from Aster Aweke's Myspace
Video: Adam Lambert Sings "Mad World" - American Idol April 7, 2009
Most of the east coast was up in arms Wednesday morning when they realized that American Idol ran long Tuesday evening, and most DVR's cut off just before Adam Lambert performed "Mad World" by Tears for Fears.It was one of the season's best performances and Simon Cowell actually gave Lambert a standing ovation. Awesome.
Last week, Las Vegas odds makers moved Adam into the winner's circle with spot on odds to walk away with the grand prize.
This guy is emerging as one of the most unique and talented performers ever seen on AI.
Watch Adam Lambert Sing "Mad World" April 7, 2009
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Ethiopian Beauty Causes Royal Divorce ‘Shocker’ in Europe
New York (Tadias) - The internet is abuzz with the news that an Ethiopian beauty has wrecked a royal marriage in Europe.
Countess LuAnn de Lesseps and her husband, Count Alexandre de Lesseps, have separated after the Royal sent an email informing his wife of 16 years that he is intimately involved with an Ethiopian woman in Geneva.
According to Monday’s New York Social Diary: “Alex, the Count de Lesseps has, it is said on the streets of Geneva, taken up with a beautiful Ethiopian beauty who is not only quite a bit younger than he but also quite a bit younger than his wife.”
The Count - whose great-great-great grandfather, Ferdinand de Lesseps, built the Suez Canal and started the Panama Canal, later presenting, for France, the Statue of Liberty to America - sent an email to a friend of Luann’s “saying he was with an Ethiopian woman in Geneva and he was serious with her”, NY Post reports.
And New York Magazine says: “Count Alexandre de Lesseps was clearly always lucky to be married to his Real Housewife of New York City, LuAnn…. But, alas, the world is not fair, and according to ‘Page Six’ the aging lothario found some Ethiopian chippy in Geneva to shack up with, like they always do. He let LuAnn know he was leaving her just one month before her book, Class With the Countess: How to Live With Elegance and Flair hit stands.”
Countess LuAnn de Lesseps and her husband, Count Alexandre de Lesseps, have separated after the Royal sent an email informing his wife of 16 years that he is intimately involved with an Ethiopian woman in Geneva.
According to Monday’s New York Social Diary: “Alex, the Count de Lesseps has, it is said on the streets of Geneva, taken up with a beautiful Ethiopian beauty who is not only quite a bit younger than he but also quite a bit younger than his wife.”
The Count - whose great-great-great grandfather, Ferdinand de Lesseps, built the Suez Canal and started the Panama Canal, later presenting, for France, the Statue of Liberty to America - sent an email to a friend of Luann’s “saying he was with an Ethiopian woman in Geneva and he was serious with her”, NY Post reports.
And New York Magazine says: “Count Alexandre de Lesseps was clearly always lucky to be married to his Real Housewife of New York City, LuAnn…. But, alas, the world is not fair, and according to ‘Page Six’ the aging lothario found some Ethiopian chippy in Geneva to shack up with, like they always do. He let LuAnn know he was leaving her just one month before her book, Class With the Countess: How to Live With Elegance and Flair hit stands.”
Hotelicopter - The Worlds First Flying Hotel
Wow, the flying hotel and largest helicopter in the world, Cool! The Hotelicopter is modeled on the Soviet-made Mil V-12, of which there were only two prototypes ever made. The Hotelicopter Company purchased one of these prototypes from the Mikhail Leontyevich Mil helicopter plant in Panki-Tomilino, Russia in 2004 and have been engineering the world's first flying hotel ever since."The Hotelicopter features 18 luxuriously-appointed rooms for adrenaline junkies seeking a truly unique and memorable travel experience. More after the break...
Each soundproofed room is equipped with a queen-sized bed, fine linens, a mini-bar, coffee machine, wireless internet access, and all the luxurious appointments you'd expect from a flying five star hotel. Room service is available one hour after liftoff and prior to landing." The Hotelicopter is due to fly maiden journey this summer(June 26th) with an undisclosed price...If you have interesting? There is three fly tour. Inaugural Summer Tour - 14 days (Friday, June 26th, 2009 - Friday, July 10th, 2009)California Tour - 14 days (Friday, July 17th, 2009 to Friday, July 24rd, 2009) Bay/Jamaica, European Tour - 16 days (Friday, July 31st, 2009 to Sunday, August 16th, 2009) the spec:
Dimensions Length: 42 m (137 ft)
Height: 28m (91 ft)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 105850 kg (232,870 lb)
Maximum speed: 255 km/h (137 kt) (158 miles/h)
Cruising speed: 237 km/h (127 kt) (147 miles/h)
Original Mi Range: 515 km (320 mi)
Our augmented Mi Range - 1,296 km (700 mi)
more pics... & Video
more pics... & Video
Via : Link
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