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Legendary Ethiopian singer Tilahun Gessesse passed away

Posted on by EthiopianReview.com

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — News sources in Addis Ababa are reporting that legendary Ethiopian singer {www:Tilahun Gessesse} has passed away at midnight last night.

Tilahun, 69, had been receiving medical treatment in the U.S. for several months and returned to Ethiopia a few days ago to celebrate Easter (Fasika) with family and friends.

He was admitted to a hospital after complaining about heart problem.

Brief biography of Tilahun Gessesse

Tilahun Gessesse is a legendary Ethiopian singer whose singing career spans 5 dacades. He was born on September 29, 1940, in Addis Ababa and died on April 19, 2009.

Gessesse was born to Woizero Gete Gurmu, who was Oromo, and Ato Gessesse Negusse, who was Amhara. When he was fourteen years old, he was taken by his grandfather to Waliso where he began attending Ras Gobena Elementary School.

As time went by, his interest in music became increasingly clear, although his grandfather urged him to concentrate on his academic studies. The Ras Gobena School Principal Mr. Shedad (who was from Sudan), encouraged Gessesse’s interest in music and urged him to go to Sudan to pursue his music career. Although Gessesse did not go to Sudan, he took Mr. Shedad’s advice very seriously. When Woizro Negatwa Kelkai, Ato Eyoel Yohanes and others artists from the Hager Fikir Theatre came to his school to perform, Gessesse took the opportunity to discuss his interest in music with Ato Eyoel. He was told to go to Addis Ababa if he wanted to pursue a career in the field.

Gessesse left school to go to Addis Ababa, a journey he began on foot without his grandfather’s consent. When his grandfather realized that Tilahun was no longer in Woliso, he informed Gessesse’s great-aunt in Tulu Bolo. After Gessesse traveled fifteen kilometers on foot, he was caught in Tulu Bolo and stayed overnight with his great-aunt Woizero Temene Bantu. The next day, he was forced to return back to his grandfather in Woliso. Since his interest in music lay deep in his heart, Gessesse chose not to stay at his grandfather’s house in Woliso. After staying only one night at his grandfather’s house, he again began his journey to Addis Ababa, this time hiding himself in the back of a loaded truck.

In Addis Ababa, Gessesse was first hired by the Hager Fikir Association, which is now known as Hager Fikir Theater. After a few years at the Hager Fikir Theater, he joined the Imperial Bodyguard Band where he became a leading star singer. During his time with the band, Gessesse ran afoul of the government after the attempted coup d’état of December 1960 by the Imperial Bodyguard. He was arrested and put in prison for a time.

Gessesse moved to the National Theater where his success continued. He was so famous that he appeared three times in front of Emperor Haile Selassie I. During a visit, the Emperor advised him not to abuse his talent.

The majority of Gessesse’s recordings are in Amharic, though he has recorded a number of songs in Oromo.

He received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Addis Ababa University, in appreciation of his contribution to Ethiopian music. He has also received an award for his lifetime achievements from the Ethiopian Fine Art and Mass Media Prize Trust.

Sources: Wikipedia

37 thoughts on “Legendary Ethiopian singer Tilahun Gessesse passed away”

  2. he was great singer all of us including my father and my grand father grew up with his fantastic and delicious music, i think he is the only ethiopan that most ethiopian admit and appreciat him from board to boared with out any exception

  11. በክቡር ዶክተር አርቲስት ጥላሁን ገሰሰ
    ዜና እረፍት የተሰማኝን ጥልቅ ሃዘን ስገልጽ በከፍተኛ ሃዘነ ነው ::
    አምላክ ነፍሱን ነፍሱን በገነት ያኑርልን !

  13. ****Tilahun****

    እስኪ ስሙኝ ሰዎች አንድ ጥያቀ አለኝ
    ምነው ባገር ሰላም ጸሃይ በረታብኝ
    ጉድለቱ ተሰማኝ ሆዴን ባር ባር አለኝ
    መከታ ጥላየ ጠፋብኝ መሰለኝ

    ይብላኝ እንጅ ለሱዋ ለልጁ ሙዚቃ
    በድምጹ ተውባ በትንፋሹ ደምቃ
    ለኖረችው ካዘን ራሱዋን ጠብቃ

    ጥልሽማ ሄደ ወደማይቀረው
    ግን ራሱ እንዳለው…
    “ሞት እንኩዋን ጨክኖ ወስዶ ከሚያስከቀረው
    ምናለ ደጋጉን ዳግመኛ ቢፈጥረው”
    አምላኬ ድጋፌ, ሜሪላንድ

  14. በጥላሁን ገሰሰ ሞት እጅግ በጣም አዝኛለሁ

    አምላክ ነፍሱን በሰማይ ቤት ይቀበላት

    ለቤተሰቡና ለመላው ኢትዮጵያውያን ጽናትን ይስጣቸው
    የቀብሩን ስነስርእት ገበያላይ ቢውልና ብናየው ከህዝባችን ጋር ቆመን እንደቀበርነው እንቆጥረዋለን

    ባዩሽ ከካናዳ

  18. አምላእክ ይከተለወ በገነት ያሰበው አፈር ነእህና ወደ አፈር ትሂዳለህ እሱ ያበርታቸው ለመላው ሀዘንተኘ

  19. Tilahuneya mechame behone kemot Yemeker yeleme. Gen yegeremege neger Egezyabhere 16 amete selechmerlhe degemome wed metwedat agereh dershe yalesekaye selalefk besu tesenantenale. Lemen yahele Enewnegh Netuhebere Jappy
    Haelagenete Ena Lelothume Egezyabher Yasnanathu.

  20. tilahun geta nabsehen yemarwe…you are one of the beast no one is gone replace you ..we miss you but one thing your music is gone stay forever i am foul to say that but i am right

  30. Dear Dr Artist Tilahun Gessessse, was a Hero!
    God has created Tilahun to be a unique and talented person, and I know that your published songs were not for commercial purpose but for community utilization and it have been used during War, during weddings, during honesty, during drought, and telling the reality to the people. Besides your vocal has a great power of attraction to lesson your songs. Both your Amharic and Oromifa songs were so great, but Ethiopia lost you. I do not think to get such king of Musician within my generation. What I really regret is that it would have been good for your soul to confess and sing the spiritual songs before you leave this world. However it is my always pray that God will put your soul at the right side of his Son, Jesus Christ, and He is full of forgiveness to you!
    My grief of your family the grief of Ethiopia and her people. My Condolence to your family!
    Nebsihen Egzabiher Genet yanurewu! Yatsidkat, Keegzaberh liji ke Geta Eysus kegn yaskemitewu, Amen!

    Yantew Tokicho Oromiticha!

  36. what if Tilahun’s both parents oromo??? does that make him less ethiopian????? he is oromo and a proud ethiopian.

    please this is his life history before puting some just go and ask his family.

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