At 75, the singer talks about his feelings for music and his path to becoming one of country’s greatest music entertainers

Newly arrived to the capital, fresh from three years at Gondar Public Health College, Bahta Gebrehiwot in his young hood had no plan to make a career as musician. But in 1961, the famous Ras Hotel Band was looking for a vocalist and a childhood friend convinced him to apply. Apply, he did. From the pool of 70, he was recruited to be a lead singer for the band, the first band to perform regularly at the fashionable hotel, along with Girma Beyene. In the span of just a few years, Bahta came to perform more than a dozen tunes regarded as standards, singing both in Amharic and Tigrigna. They include classic hits such as “Anchim endelela,” “Sikay Zekal Eyu,” “Tessassategn Eko“,”Degmo Endmin Alesh,” “Gizie,” “Wede Harar Guzo,” “Ewnet Yet Lagegnesh?” “Milas” and “Bemignot Alnorem.” His music became radio hits, just at a time when the radio was becoming accessible to wider audiences. To this day, his music are being recreated and covered by younger musicians, often less talented than him.

Bahta was born in 1943 in Adigrat, Tigray region. He grew up in farm with his six siblings. At tender age, he started going to church school, as it was the customary then. “My first musical beginning was at the church. I used to sing liturgical chant, using instruments,” he says. His family played traditional folk at festivals and cultural events, repeating classic songs and with Kebero. “They performed better than me, in fact,” he says. Later at a government school, he would take some short music and drama courses.

After finishing grade eight, he moved to the old imperial capital Gondar and joined the Gondar Public Health College. It was after finishing his three years course that, he came to the capital, Addis Ababa.

As an 18-year-old man, Bahta started off his musical career for the Ras band that had an eloquent sound and played gigs on Fridays. He and the other band members were fed and lodged full time at the Ras hotel. “I and Girma Beyene were the youngest of the group. Tefera Mekonnen was the leader of the group. He was a great pianist and arranger. He had a big role. He instilled on us professional discipline while giving us advice.Gebreab Teferi used to write Amharic lyrics for me, while I myself wrote the Tigrigna tunes. Zewedu Legesse played trumpet, Getachew Woldeselssie saxophone, Tilahun Yimer base guitar,” Bahta recalls.

Most of the members of Band came from the Haile Selassie I Theatre Orchestra, which was then led by the renowned Armenian composer and conductor Nerses Nalbandian (1915-1977), widely credited for fusing the traditional Ethiopian folk music with western-influenced jazz.

“These were really able professionals and working with them was such an uplifting experience. I got immersed into different types of music. At first I didn’t even know what a rhythm was. Ras Band trained me. That was why I became popular in short time,” he says.

“Every Friday evening, we used to play different songs music in the dining room upstairs. I sang in Amharic whereas Girma Beyene sang in English. Most of our clients were foreign diplomats, visiting dignitaries, members of nongovernmental organizations and aristocratic family. The band members were required to dress up appropriately. For example, there was strict control if the necktie was well coordinated with the suit,” he recalls.

Bahta’s career began to pick up and he was playing more and more dates in Ras Hotel and other important events. His parents would have preferred a more stable career choice but they didn’t stand in his way. “They came to know I became a singer through listening to the radio. They did not object much,” he said.

Bahta also started to write lyrics and arrange music. “My songs tend to reflect my life and my experience in one way or another. I wrote the song, for example, ‘Wede Harar Guzo’ after I made a trip to Harar and fell in love with a young girl there,” Bahta recalls. “I was as much in love with the city. It was utterly unfamiliar place. The colourful street life, the richness of the market, the mild weather. I returned to Addis with heavy heart and sad song, which turned out to be ‘Wede Harar Guzo. This was a hymn to the beauty of the city and the girl that I fell in love with.” He also played the Amharic version of Ray Charles’s Unchain My heart, which became very popular.

Martha Teferra Mekonnen, herself a musician and the daughter of the pianist Teferra Mekonnen told Ethiopia Observer that though she was young then, she had a good recollections of the band and Bahta’s performance. “Bahta has stood the test of time because he is excellent. My dad used to admire him for his vocal singing, personality and style of dressing,” she said.

The band performance continued smoothly, In 1965 Getachew Wolde-Selassie left and gave up music to join the Ethiopian Highway Corporation and he was replaced by Wodajeneh Filfilu. The trumpet player, Zewdu Legesse was victim of horrifying bee attack and strangely couldn’t bring out his voice. Assefa Bayisa was brought from the National Theatre to replace him, Bahta recalls.

In 1965, the group was lured away by the new Ghion Hotel and was renamed the Ghion Band. Bahta was moved with the Ghion band for a while Girma Beyene formed the second Ras Band. In 1972, Bahta decided to take a break from music to become an accountant.

After the dawn of the 1974 revolution, Bahta went back to Tigray. While on his way to Adigrat, he was arrested for carrying illegal firearms, though he was released on bail few days later. He felt that the regime was becoming even more oppressive and he decided to join armed guerrilla, Tigray Liberation Front. He became member of the TPLF’s cultural troupe, performing among others with Tigrigna female vocalist Nigisti Hayelom. Few years later, the musical troupe was disbanded and Bahta became regular army member. “I did not stay long in the army. I came back to Addis Ababa in mid-80 and started working as an accountant for Hager Fikir Theatre,” he says. This continued until the ousting of the military regime in 1991.

Bahta’s earlier songs were reissued “The Best of Bahta Gebre Hiwot,” an album realised in 2000 in Washington DC. He made a comeback in 2004 to play at the Ethiopian Music Festival in Addis Ababa with the US based Either/Orchestra, an ensemble dedicated to the Ethiopian repertoire for several years. The concert at the festival was recorded and ultimately appeared in Francis Falceto’s Éthiopiques 20 series on the French Buda Musique label. When Jazzamba, a top-tier jazz club located in the historic buildings of Taitu hotel opened its door in 2009, Bahta started performing there on Fridays, his performing career undergoing a renaissance. Unfortunately, the club was burned in 2015.

Now as the 75-year-old performer and father of five, Bahta continues to perform at certain venues in Addis Ababa such as the Coffee House, one of Addis’ earliest jazz clubs. “I’m doing pretty well. I’m active. I do my workouts. I’m in good shape. I just can’t perofrm the way I once did, but I have my wife and my friends supporting me.”

Main Image: Batha Gebrehiwot, Addis Ababa, 2013 – ©Mario Di Bari

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