She is Selamawit Yohannes: Haftey with a Voice; Music That Moves Us All
Written by Teodrose Fikre, June 20, 2017
“Where words fail; music speaks”. Truer words have not been said than this quote from Hans Christian Andersen. If I wrote a thousand books and a million words for a hundred years, I would still not be able to fully express the way music has impacted my life and how music has been my greatest of elixirs. I have noticed one thing over the years; when I stop listening to music, I am asking for trouble. I think this is the case with all of us; where there is no music to be found, what is evident is hell. Music is the universal language that stills animosity and gives meaning to the meaningless.
I write these words inspired by the music of Selamawit Yohannes, an Ethiopian singer whose songs I bumped into on YouTube as it was running on continuous mode while writing an article. The minute the song “Senay” came on with its catchy cadence and the rhythmic drum beats, I paused my writing and traced the arrow to the YouTube tab to see who was singing this music that was making my shoulders move and my neck move side to side. What I was treated to was a video that was beautifully produced, a singer that was dripping with charisma and a voice that was captivating.
I never heard of Selamawit Yohannes before this day. But from that moment on, I subscribed to her channel and I could not get enough of her music. I admit, when it comes to music I am a zealot. Let me hear a song I like and I will play it out like Donald Trump wore out his welcome. However, I expect a lot from musicians, I do not abide mediocre nor will I ever write about music that does not move me and inspires a deep level of emotion in my heart. This is exactly what Selamawit’s music did for me last week; through her song I was embraced by happiness and wrapped in melodies as if her voice was a gabi on a cold December night.
Here is the kicker though. The songs of Selamawit I kept listening to were in Tigrinia, a dialect spoken by Tigray people in Ethiopia. I don’t speak a lick of Tigrinia aside four words I have picked up over the years. Hamushto, haftey, hawey, and mish–this is the extent of my knowledge of Tigrinia. Yet her music spoke to me because I could feel the essence of her soul through Selamawit’s voice. This is the magic of music though; we don’t have to understand the language in order to love the music of a people. Music binds humanity in this way, I have met a lot of people who hate on people from other tribes or nations, but rarely do I hear someone hate on their music. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that church services are America’s most segregated hour, the inverse of this statement can be found at concerts. Music gathers the most ardent of foes under the umbrella of harmony; people who might otherwise hate each other let biases and preconceived notions go by the wayside the minute the music hits.
I write this of Ethiopia but really I write this for the world. Just because we might disagree politically or philosophically does not mean we have to disparage each other or bludgeon each other rhetorically. What unites us as a people is a lot greater than the current regime in power or the ideologies of the powerful. We all have common hopes, common dreams and all of us want a better future for our children. I pray this for my nation and the world; please put away antipathy and let love be our music. “Black” and “white”, believer versus non-believer, man versus woman, there are endless ways we are made to inflict wounds on each other. If only we saw each other not as labels which don’t describe us but as fellow humans who are all in the struggle together. Humanity is one big orchestra; we all have different instruments and different ways we play music, harmony is found when we leverage our unique gifts and find a common music through our differences.
Let me clarify this one thing, though my stance against the Ethiopian government is absolute, this should in no way be taken as a stand against my fellow Tigray people who are Ethiopian just like me. I love Tigray people as my own for they are my own. In my vein courses the blood and spirit of my grandfather four generations removed Ras Gebreyohanes who was the father of Semeon Meshesha (family tree link). To hate Tigray people would be hating myself. The same can be said of all of us; not even the most rabid ethnic “purist” can say that they are not interrelated to other tribes. Tribe is inconsequential when our blood comes from one. Demachin andinew. Let us remember that more than anything else; we are one people forged by one history. Though injustices are many and past pains felt by many, we can only hope to heal from within when we treat each other as God’s children.
Next time, when you encounter someone who thinks different than you, instead of reverting to anger or animus, listen to the music and let the the songs of love heal us all. We have enough rancor and discord in the world, take a pause from the cacophony that is bleeding our spirits and humanity in the process and instead let music fill our souls. Listen to the music of Selamawit below and you will understand why I’ve been listening to her songs the whole time I’ve been writing this article. Her catchy tunes, her voice that is melodic and the addictive beats will have you moving and dancing right where you are at–moves us into happiness.
Just now I met a woman named Angela who is a hairdresser here in Fort Collins. She asked me what I was working on and I told her that I’m writing an article about Selamawit Yohannes and the universal connective and healing power of music. Angela shared with me a story of how her mother, who was in a horrible car accident in January, has been ailing for a while and has not been too responsive. Yesterday, she visited her mom and decided to play John Denver’s album while giving her mom a foot massage. Her mom instantly became responsive and told Angela that she loved her. Angela was tearing up as she told me how she sobbed while hugging her mom. Music can heal us all in this way; music can give us peace in the midst of turbulence.
Music is my maestro and melodies my serendipity. I give thanks to God above all and thank HIM for the music that is all around us. Let me end it on poetry, Selamawit means “she is peace” and Yohannes was the name of a former king of Ethiopia who was once a rival of my ancestor Emperor Tewodros II (Quintessential Jegna of Ethiopia), the music of peace heals past pains and delivers love in the end. I pay respects to Emperor Yohannes IV the same way my father Fikremariam Million (Father’s Wisdom) paid respects to Haile Selassie when he signed up in the Ethiopian Navy instead of being embittered by the way his father Fitawary Million Tedla was extinguished through injustice. Past is past; we move forward and let love be the music that heals humanity and brings us together as one. #SheisPeaceMusic
“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” ~ Ludwig van Beethoven
If you appreciate the message behind this write up and love music regardless of genre or dialect, share this article on social media using #SheisPeaceMusic and make sure to like Selamawit’s page on Facebook (Selamawit Yohannes)
Check out the music of Selamawit Yohannes and let her music move you.
Right in Gonder, may the souls of Atse Tewodros II and Atse Yohannes find peace and deliver peace for all of Ethiopia and the world.
This message in the Ghion Cast below is especially germane to America and the rest of the world. May we reflect on the wisdom and courage of our ancestors and find unity in order to take on injustice.
This music below is for Angela, may your mother be made whole, perhaps love can truly heal her and the world in the process #amen
Teodrose Fikre
Teodrose was born in Ethiopia the same year Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by the communist Derg junta. The great grandson five generations removed of Atse (emperor) Tewodros Kassa II, the greatest king of Ethiopia, Teodrose is clearly influenced by the history and his connection to Ethiopia. Through his experiences growing up as first generation refugee in America, Teodrose writes poignantly about the universal experiences of joys, pains and a hope for a better tomorrow that binds all of humanity.
Teodrose has written extensively about the intersection of politics, economic policies, identity, and history. He is the author of "Serendipity's Trace" and newly released "Soul to Soil", two works that inspect the ways we are dissected as a people and shows how we can overcome injustice through the inclusive vision of togetherness.
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1 Comment on "She is Selamawit Yohannes: Haftey with a Voice; Music That Moves Us All"
I am a new reader of your most informative Journal I would like to have information on Judaism one of the Abrahamic Religions and why Europeans ( so called Israel) have attempted to make this religion a race where they claim to be the Gods chosen people and oppress others eg Palestinians . How do the Falasha of Ethiopia fit in. I have books on this subject but would like the beginning story of the Jews/ religion.
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