“Tekur Sew” – Ethiopian Pride

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Teddy Afro’s title track from his new album, “Tekur Sew” pays homage to Emperor Menelik and his famous victory over the Italians in 1896 which made him the pride of Africa.

The lyrics of the song which are written both in Amharic and Afan Oromo are loaded with the history of Adwa; a topic often sung about by Ethiopian musicians. His originality and way with words are what have led to 6.2 million birr in sales for the album in just its first week of release.

A reliable source from Adika told Capital that since the album came out last Saturday April 14, over 300 thousand of 500 thousand released CD’s and 20 thousand of 300 thousand cassettes have been sold and the numbers keep increasing everyday leading the recording label to say they expect to print more copies soon. A ringtone of his single, released a few days before the album hit the streets is also selling briskly.

In 2001 when he released his first album “Abugida” several songs caught the ears of many listeners in the country. He quickly became a success after that and had hard core fans. But most say they fell in love with his music when he released his second album “Yasteserial” where he sang a song which was critical of the current and previous Ethiopian leadership. Many felt he was speaking to their frustrations and the album invoked strong emotions. In most people’s opinion that was the album that made him a household name.

Teddy’s musical success has been attributed to the powerful messages conveyed through his songs. From compassion to courage; from forgiveness to love, Teddy has been able to break artistic limitations that were previously untouched. He has been compared to Jamaican singer Bob Marley, in part because of his ability to bring political, spiritual and rhythmic presence to his listeners.

“Tekur Sew”, his fourth album, was highly promoted by the label and highly anticipated by fans. When it was released on the eve of Easter holiday it was seen in the hands of many and was played in stores throughout city but at the same time many complained that they couldn’t find it in some places like Arat Kilo and Kazanchis. People were heard critiquing the album and talking about their favorite songs. He seemed to be the point of discussion everywhere. Fans are expecting a big comeback concert from Teddy Afro but there are no known plans in the works.

Source: Capital Ethiopia