ተስፋ ነዉ ስንቄ
Hopeful Lessons is a mix series curated by Ethiopian Records. It is a mix series created to feature musicians/music producers from our continent and its diaspora. It features a mix, an artwork and words chosen by the featured artists.
"Why are you bitter? I am not bitter, it is my optimism and my hope you misread as bitterness" - C.S.
ኪሴ በህልም እና ፍቀር ነዉ የተሞላዉ
MIX
This mix was recorded live in 2019 at Muziqawi Silt- Ankober Lounge Sessions alongside great saxophonist Letarik Tilahun in Addis Abeba.
WORDS AND ART PICKED BY THE FEATURED ARTIST
“If we won’t learn from the past, I am optimistic that our descendants will. They will be able to look back at us through all our videos , pictures, news, social media, all the data collected illegally through the tools of the illegitimate global surveillance corporate state and learn. It is a good thing that all our fuck ups (the biggest in history), selfishness, greed ,and yes all the good shit too, all of it is documented more thoroughly than in anytime in history. Unless big tech companies edit that shit out, like hegemonic colonialists edit out their monstrous sins out of the history books, this is the biggest frog leaping tool that our descendants will have. If there is one good thing to come out of this global surveillance corporate state, it is this. I am glad they will be able to look back at our homeless in the streets , all the people that die needlessly everyday, all the vulnerable parts of our society we have left to fend for themselves, through the harshest of times, times of needless wars, diseases, natural disasters. While simultaneously a small part of our population is living in opulence and excess, and all it is proposing to the former is charity, contempt, gaslighting, misery, theft and condescension, instead of justice. I am glad they will be able to see that giving a few people more power and money than they would ever need or know what to do with is wrong. I am glad they will be able to look through all our irrational contradictory “principles” that do not match our everyday actions. all the glory we keep seeking through the blood of the innocents at the altar of profit, through all the dumb decisions we make, i hope our descendants will look at all of that and call us out for what we are: idiots, i am optimistic they wont say "oh well that is just the way the world is" , no I am sure they will say “it isn’t the way the world is, it is the way idiots made the world out to be”." - C.S.
ABOUT THE FEATURED ARTIST
Ethiopian Records born Endeguena Mulu is one of the leading lights of Ethiopia’s burgeoning electronic music scene. He experiments with traditional rhythms and traditional sonic palettes using electronic music making tool, to explore a future that is eternally Ethiopian and African. He names what he does “Ethiopiyawi Electronic”. He is following in the footsteps of Azmari culture, he is an Electronic Azmari.
READ THE RULES FOR MIX SUBMISSION
Rules:
-Mixes must be sent through a streaming link, no downloads
-Mixes MUST be one hour minimum to one hour and a half maximum
-Send the mix along with a selection of your favorite words and your favorite art that inspires you and keeps you optimistic,
-Your mix MUST include some of your own music
-When it comes to music from other artists, no gentrified music, no cheesy pop and edm.
-Send the mixes on my Soundcloud and Facebook
-Follow the artist here and get to know more here: