The new institution, which may be called the “Grant Commission” or “Budget Commission,” is designed to endure regime changes and operate free of political affiliations.

The recommendation to establish the new commission came after the House conducted a study to identify gaps in the existing revenue sharing formula.

According to Wakitole Dadi, director of Regional States Fiscal Equalization department at the HoF, the study, which is carried out by a foreign consultant, identified revenue potential of regional states in Ethiopia.

According to the study, unfair resource distribution is a major reason behind rising conflict in Ethiopia.

“The study suggested a Grant Commission must be established to oversee resource distribution management and fiscal transfer reform independently. Currently, there is a directorate in HoF but it cannot be free of politics,” said Wakitole, adding, “The Commission will be a think-tank equipped with high professionals.”

The independent institution is necessitated, manly to avoid reshuffles in subsidy policy every time a new political party comes to power.

Presidents of regional states, who are members of the Standing Committee on Budget and Revenue sharing, agreed to establish the independent commission. The next step is to await for approval from the HPR and introduce directives and regulations needed to establish the commission.

HoF, which approved the recommendation to establish the Grant Commission, has already requested the World Bank to support the establishment of the new commission.

“Our study indicated there is a growing disparity among regional states, regarding development. If it is necessary, we will table the agenda of revenue sharing and necessity of the commission, to the upcoming national dialogue,” said Wakitole.

The Commission will allow regional states to access loans from the federal government and devise mechanisms for regional states source of development financing, other than federal subsidy. So far, regional states cannot access external loan.

The House is currently crafting a new budget sharing formula, which will be implemented after two years. According to Wakitole, The current revenue sharing formula, which is implemented beginning 2020/21, will stay in place only for the next two years.

Patoranking – a Nigerian reggae-dancehall singer and songwriter – and Mafikizolo, a South African duo consisting of Theo Kgosinkwe and Nhlanhla Nciza, were among the African stars who lined up to perform at the African Music and Cultural Exchange Festival (AMCEF) commemorating the annual Africa Day.

The event which took place few months ago at Ghion Hotel was sort of a continental networking occasion. Nevertheless, the main event was not the act that stole the show. By far, it was a group of children dancing in a circle which grabbed the audience’s attention.

It was not that they were professional dancers; the kids were amateurs, who were merely mimicking dance teachers from Bailamos – one of the Latin dance clubs in Addis Ababa. The free and innocent spirit that comes with their age gave the group the energy to dance to non-stop African and Latin beats. The audience couldn’t help but gather around the kids to watch them learn the ABCs of dancing – especially salsa dancing.

The festival might have brought forth amateur salsa dancers, but the city is no stranger to salsa and other Latino ballroom dance steps including Bachata, merengue and cha-cha-cha. Almost every night of the week is tinted with Salsa dancing nights. Salsa nights every Sunday at club Bailamos and every Friday at Echo lounge are among the most prominent ones.

Apparently, there is a ‘salsa circle’ in town, consisting of youth in fancy outfits and seek out one of the most intimate dance style known to man – salsa. It takes months of training before the dancers learn even the basic move, which they improve as time goes by.

“Step back with the left, step with right foot in place; left closes next to right, step back with your right; step with left foot in place…” and the training goes on and on. After the lesson, the spinning and all those captivating dance moves continue to take place.

Yonas Sisay, 26, a promoter, is one of the salsa enthusiasts in town. He took six-month training at Ethiosalsa, a dance school practicing at club Bailamos. It has been five years since he finished the training and he is always hunting salsa-related events.

“I enjoy every move. Since I am passionate about salsa and I have a flexible body, I was quick to grab the steps,” he states. He started with three-month basic dance lesson and moved on to the advanced stage. Some of his classmates joined the school to become professional dancers while others used salsa to stay healthy and fit.

After he was done with the training, he kept in touch with the other trainees and gave freelance lessons for beginners. “Bailamos hosts salsa nights which gives us a chance to practice our moves. In addition, we get to teach new comers and also practice new moves,” he explains.

Various hotels plan Valentines’ Day night-outs which comprise salsa dancing. Dancers like Yonas use such annual events to show their skills and possibly attract couples to learn salsa. He is now getting ready for a Valentine’s Day dance show at Nexus Hotel. The way he puts it, “Salsa is a romantic dance which adds color to Valentine’s Day celebration. Whenever there are events for couples, our group would jump at the responsibility to be a part of them.”

He usually surfs the web in search of salsa moves he can teach himself. There are dancers from his batch who are now participating in events held in Cuban and other Latin American embassies’ in Addis Ababa.

The 21-year-old Eyerusalem Tilahun studied construction but she is more passionate about salsa than construction. She says, “I love dances of all kind but I truly adore salsa.” For her, the rhythm of the songs added with the intimacy is a blissful experience. She dances hip hop and African aside from salsa, however, it is salsa that takes her breath away.

“Before learning the steps for couples’ dances, I took time to study the basic moves which are practiced individually. Since I had always been into dancing, I didn’t find it difficult to master the moves,” Eyerusalem remembers. She never misses a salsa night at Bailamos or at Alem building.

There are lots of salsa lovers like her, who makes an appearance in every salsa party in town. They know the place and time of each event and they make sure to show up with or without a partner. “I don’t mind going alone to a salsa night because I know I would find someone as passionate as me on the dance floor,” she stresses.

For her, salsa is ‘a kind of addiction’ she doesn’t want to give up. Each and every time she comes across a new move, she approaches her male dancer friends, since they have to lead, to learn how to execute the moves. She notices the number of dance schools is increasing from time to time and she believes it is due to the growing interest in salsa and other modern dance styles.

BLatino, Ethiosalsa and BailAmor are few of the dance training studios aside from gymnasiums and clubs such as Juventus Sport Club that has a dedicated section for dance lessons. It has been four years since four dancers formed BaliAmore. They came together when they danced with a Cuban salsa trainer giving dance lessons in Addis Ababa, twenty years ago.

“When we started off, we only had six students,” remembers one of the teachers, Melat Mebratu. The dancers decided to host New Year’s and Valentine’s Day salsa nights to get people acquainted with the style. It took them years to get 35 students per class. They have taught over 2,500 dancers over the years. Some of whom ended up opening their own dance schools.

According to Melat, they focus on various Latino and African dance styles. Most of the styles originated in Africa and they have gained a wider popularity across the world. The four teachers participate in salsa and Bachata festivals including those held in New York and Dubai. “Many people can’t relate Ethiopia with salsa dancing. This is why we are trying to blend salsa with Ethiopian traditional dances,” she points.

By mixing Ethiopian traditional dance moves with salsa, they hope to gain the kind of acceptance contemporary dance and hip hop has gained in Ethiopia. They also expect to promote Ethiopian traditional dance moves alongside with salsa.

“Some people are convinced that salsa is foreign to the Ethiopian culture while in fact the style had an African origin all along,” she explains. One of the reasons they focus on training youngsters is to cultivate the dance culture. She believes the dance is designed in such a way that it boosts women’s confidence and teaches men to be more caring.

Melat explains that with the growing number of schools, dancers have access to salsa nights. “Each school has a dance night besides training; therefore students from any school have access to salsa all week long,” she affirms. They have students who are a couple, friends or relatives or those training for a wedding.

It is not only dancers who attend the dance nights but people who enjoy watching salsa congest the venues too. Some people start out as weight loss exercise but they end up being one of the best dancers. For some others, salsa is a modest way to spend time and entertain.

Melat and her friends are also active in charity, organizing events to give lesson for various causes other than dancing. They volunteer at a nongovernmental organization known as Sile Enat. With such activities they hope to raise people’s awareness about the dance.

Johnson Seifu Weldesilassie, founder of Ethiosalsa School, has taught over 2,000 students in his school and also at Alem gym and Juventus dance studios. For Johnson, salsa is more than just a dance, he says; in addition to the social and cultural side of the dance it benefits for a healthy life and dynamic romantic relationships is also quite important.

Be it salsa, lambada or any other dance style, he wants his students to use the classes for networking. “Before the lesson, my students sign a piece of paper that says they are required to help one another using the profession each of them acquired,” he explains. He had students who are doctors, accountants and journalist by day and salsa gurus by night.

Every six months, the school hosts a huge graduation party for the students. The trainees are supposed to help out when there are new students. “We are one big, happy family. Everyone keeps in touch after the dance lessons,” the teacher mentions.

They have retreats every three months and a salsa night every week. Most of the students are inspired by such dance nights. The school has strong ties with Cuban, Argentinian, Venezuelan and other embassies, who show an immense interest in the dance lessons.

So far, there have been 14 batches of students who took dance lessons. They pay 250 birr every month and there are students ranging from 19 to 55 years of age. After graduation, the students perform at various events, mainly for Valentine’s Day. Previously, they have performed at Hawassa and Shashemene towns.

“There are a lot of people who want to learn salsa and the number of schools is growing to satisfy this need,” he points. He has taught US embassy and African Union delegates, which indicated the growing demand for the dance.

The dancer encourages volunteer activates aside from the dance. His students have been involved in different charity events in the past. He says they are on a process to host a fund raiser event for Mekedonia in the near future.

Abyssinia Arts and Modeling school gives modern dance lessons in hip hop, twist, raga and salsa. The founder and director, Genet Kebede, says that the teachers and students will be examined as a part of the government’s scheme to evaluate skills. According to her a new curriculum has been formulated which will be implemented by all dance schools.

She says: “Having a unified curriculum and getting a certificate changes a lot in the sector.” She believes students will have a chance to pursue the dancing carrier aside from people who learn for personal pleasure.

Goethe-Institute Addis Ababa, that hosts arts and culture related events, was crowded with numerous people earlier this week. An event like no other was about to commence and many were eagerly waiting.

There were swivel chairs on every corner each with a virtual reality headset on them. One can choose from a list of short movies and bask in the world of virtual reality—which is one of the most fascinating technologies in the world today.

Samsung virtual reality (VR) gear was dedicated to movies selected from Kenya, Senegal and Ghana.

For most of the audience it was their very first time to experience cinema in the virtual dimension. Some of them were clinging on to the swivel chair in disbelief of the real-like virtual world. There were few people who kept taking off the headset every now and then since what they saw through the glasses was too close the reality around them. They could see the characters in the movies exactly as they were at the scene of the film.

The audience, who can see the 360-degree set of the movie, has the privilege to perceive the entire environment of the movie just by rotating the chair or moving their head. It was a remarkable experience for many, as they wanted to see more movies after trying one or two.

The exhibition “New Dimensions—Virtual Reality Africa” brought forth four African movies: “The Other Dakar” from Senegal, “Spirit Robot” from Ghana and “Let This be a Warning” and “Nairobi Berries” from Kenya. The movies were displayed at Goethe-Institute Addis Ababa and iceaddis for four days.

The computer technology virtual reality uses virtual reality headsets or multi-projected environments. These physical environments or props are designed to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulate viewer’s physical presence in a virtual or imaginary environment. A person using virtual reality equipment can look around this imaginary world.

The technology has evolved to a point that with high quality VR users are able to move around and interact with virtual features.

The virtual reality effect is created by virtual reality headsets consisting of a head-mounted display with a small screen in front of the eyes. The effect can also be created through specially designed rooms with multiple large screens.

These days, virtual reality is applied to almost every sector including medicine, engineering, architecture, heritage preservation, marketing and video gaming. It has also been one aspect of the arts sector with its effect that is similar to the real world. Films produced for VR allow the audience to view a 360-degree environment in every scene.

Virtual reality has entered the sporting world and there has been some efforts to transmit matches in VR. It is also a part of kid’s entertainment as some companies has been installing it onto roller coasters.

VR is now a part of surgery training and a 360-degree video is recorded during operations. In regards to education, primary schooling, space, pilot and military trainings are now being given using VR.

In terms of visual arts, there are various exhibitions and festivals dedicated to VR based artistic pieces. Artists are using the VR medium as an optional method to express their ideas and it is attracting a number of audience. Music videos and concerts are now being presented using VR. It is believed VR has created an intense experience to the arts.

According to the organizers, “New Dimensions—Virtual Reality Africa” exhibition is intended to showcase vibrant, diverse and ever-changing cultural landscape of contemporary Africa.

“Spirit Robot” is a nine-minute documentary by Ghanaian science fiction author and founder of the Afrocyberpunk website Jonathan Dotse. In the movie he explored the Chale Wote Street Art Festival in Accra. The festival has been described as a driving factor of art renaissance in the city’s public spaces.

“Nairobi Berries” is a poetic city symphony about Nairobi by the Kenyan photographer Ng’endo Mukii. The synopsis reads “In the empty spaces we cannot claim as our own, in forests full of smoke and beneath still waters, two women and a man wrangle. Each must hollow out the other’s core for fruits promised but only ever borne in dreams. For this is Nairobi, the city we call home.”

“The Other Dakar” is a short film by Senegalese fashion designer Selly Raby Kane. It depicts a little girl who is chosen to discover the invisible Dakar.

The Kenyan artistic crew The Nest Collective created “Let This be a Warning”, a seven-minute movie that explores a future in which a group of Africans have left earth to create a colony on a distant planet. In the film they respond with disquiet to the arrival of an uninvited and unwelcome guest.

After watching few minutes of the movie, viewers understand they are the “uninvited and unwelcome guest” since the story revolves around them being the focus. All the characters speak keeping the emphasis on the viewer, who feels as if everything is happening for real.

According to the organizers, the Goethe-Institute and Cape Town based non-profit organization Electric South aim to provide support and mentorship to African storytellers and artists in the development and production of their own virtual reality ideas. In addition, they work towards introducing African and international audiences to African-produced virtual realities.

Dahna Menner, an arts and culture student in Germany and an intern at Goethe-Institute and the one in charge of organizing the exhibition says, “New Dimensions— Virtual Reality Africa” was displayed in Johannesburg, South Africa before traveling to Ethiopia.

The exhibition was organized to support virtual reality startups in the continent. The selected movies have been touring in other African countries and were also a part of European festivals including a festival in Berlin, Germany.

“We have got a very good feedback since this is the best opportunity to experience virtual reality. We have also noticed people are interested in VR,” Dahana explains. She says they have been promoting the event on social media and also using iceaddis’ contacts.

According to her, the range of movies presented from documentary to feature attracts various audience. VR is also opening up possibilities for artists. “An artist can work on a whole new level using virtual reality. It opens opportunities for animation and getting the people into the movie,” she points.

Although virtual reality is a growing medium, it hasn’t developed that much in the Ethiopian art scene. Neither the artists nor the audience are used to the idea of using VR in the arts sector.

Dahna says the aim of the exhibition is to introduce the medium to artists and show them possibility of using VR. Motivating people to use it is the second goal although not having enough technical equipment has been a challenge.

“It might be easier for consumers to use it but it takes a lot to actually produce it. The equipment might not be available now but it is something we can work together,” she explains.

For her, experiencing cinema through VR is an “emotional journey” as one gets immersed into a new reality other than his\her surroundings. “One gets to a new reality skipping out of his\her reality. Being part of a new reality is emotional and one might even loose his\her mind,” she narrates the experience.

The fact that people can’t see their body while they are using virtual reality headsets creates a detachment between viewers and their surroundings. When and if people are disconnected with the reality, all their senses start to consume what is being presented through the glasses. This is the reason for Dahna saying “It is a new experience to the body and mind”.

Virtual reality has evolved since its introduction in the 1940s. Over the years, the development of omnidirectional cameras, also known as 360-degree cameras or VR cameras increased the ability to record in all directions.

From 1970 to 1990, devices for medical, flight simulation, automobile industry design, and military training purposes started to flood the market. The now popular headsets started to be widely sold for private purpose after the 1990s. Presently there are around 230 companies developing VR related products. Facebook, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Sony and Samsung all have dedicated VR groups.

On the other hand, the technology has been criticized in regards to health related consequence such as an effect on vision and neurological development.

“The world is who call us the ‘royal family of reggae’ and there is nothing wrong with that. We live a life that is exemplary to humanity and if royalty is what people see from our livity, then we thank God for that,” says Peter “Peetah” Morgan, with a humble smile on his face, answering a question forwarded to him by The Reporter.

When asked what it feels like to be on the spotlight of reggae music for over two decades, he says “it is normal” for the band members of the Morgan family, who have been making music since childhood.

Many refer to Morgan Heritage as the ‘royal family of reggae’ and there is a solid reason for it. The siblings have been making the world groove with hit songs since 1994.

The band is composed of five children of renowned Jamaican-born reggae artiste Denroy Morgan. The members, Peter “Peetah” Morgan, Roy “Gramps” Morgan, Una Morgan, Nakhamyah “Lukes” Morgan and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan were born in Brooklyn, New York City, United States.

Their first appearance was at Reggae Sunsplash in Jamaica and since their debut album “Miracles” they have released 14 albums. Of these albums “Strictly Roots” (released in 2015) won the 2016 Grammy Awards for best reggae album and “Avrakedabra” (released last year) has been nominated for the 2018 Grammys.

Three members of the band recently came to Addis Ababa to celebrate Ethiopian Christmas with their fans and also as part of celebrating their Grammy nomination.

Remembering how they grew up, Peter says “We didn’t grow up like the average American kid; we grew up like we were in Jamaica. Our dad was worried because we didn’t speak in an American accent.”

Though their parents wanted them to speak in an American accent and grow up like kids their age, they stuck with their roots. It is not just the way they spoke, but everything they did interconnected them to their Jamaican heritage. “No matter where we are born, our culture is deeply embedded in us,” he explains.

When their parents decided to move back to Jamaica after 25 years of living in the states, the children decided to go back home as well. They kept embracing their heritage, as they have always been in touch with their ancestries. “We didn’t go to Jamaica to find who we are, we already knew who we were,” he says.

After moving to Jamaica, they began working with prominent reggae producers Bobby Dixon and Lloyd James. Then released their critically acclaimed second album “Protect Us Jah” in 1997, which was followed by “One Calling” in 1998 and “Don’t Haffi Dread” in 1999.

“Moving to Jamaica was not about music. Wherever in the world we do music because music is universal,” Peter says. He believes location has nothing to do with the flourishment of their musical carrier. They are now based in Nairobi, Kenya.

They came to Addis Ababa for the second time and though one would expect them to perform at a huge concert, they performed for a small crowd in A/V club on Christmas eve. According to the organizers, HIM International Events and Habesha Weekly, it was not possible to have an open-air concert given the current political situation of the country.

The organizers also said that the band did not ask for a lot of money for the performance, which Peter confirmed saying “Being in Ethiopia is not about money. It is not about what we come to take from Ethiopia. It is about our spiritual satisfaction.”

Yohana, one of the youngest Ethiopian reggae artists, opened the show with Bob Marley’s songs and his hit ska song. He was followed by Ras Jani, who entertained the small crowed with songs from his “Selamta” album. Morgan Heritage came on the stage singing one of their well-known songs “Tell Me How Come”.

Their fans lined up in front of the stage, singing along and dancing. Peter and Roy Morgan a.k.a. Gramps were fist bumping with fans who were close to the stage. From young reggae lovers with newly growing dreadlocks to older women wearing long Tibeb– traditional dress- the club was a sort of gathering spot for the reggae community.

“Just being in Ethiopia at this time of the year is fulfilling for us. We perform everywhere we go but, to be here on the festive season of Gena is a joy for us,” Roy said expressing his happiness. He says one of the greatest things they look forward to is performing in Ethiopia with a full band.

“We came to Ethiopia to celebrate Christmas with Ethiopians, with the spirit of Christmas. We will prepare to do a great show in Ethiopia,” he attests.

According to Roy, performing in Africa was not always easy but nowadays the continent is becoming a preferable destination for many artists. The band has performed in West Africa including Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and the Gambia. Currently they are exploring East Africa by traveling to Kenya, Malawi and Uganda. “It is a big continent and there is a lot of work to be done. There is no other artist who has come to Africa like Morgan Heritage,” he explains.

The first time he came to Ethiopia he was amazed with what he saw and he looks forward to exploring more of the country saying “Ethiopia is a land of untold stories. There is still a lot to be learned. His Imperial Majesty Haile-Selassie I inspired us that we should come back home.”

They went to Debre Libanos church as a part of their recent voyage. Visiting Shashemene and connecting with the community is also included in their near future plan.

He wants artists of African descent to come to the continent and give back to the community. He remembers an era where many did not want to come to Africa but now thing seem to be changing. “Africa is on its way up. Africa is the new frontier and we are doing our job,” he explains about the band’s ties to Africa.

The way he describes it, “Many didn’t want to come before. I saw many people run to Africa and run back home because people only look into what Africa can do for them and not what they can do for Africa. We are calling people from the western hemisphere to come build Africa.”

The musicians believe coming to Africa is more than a musical performance – it is a way through which artists strive towards cultivating consciousness among the youth. “We are not just going to come here jump and do certain things but we have to make due diligence,” they say.

Morgan Heritage is among musicians who reflect up on societal realities and hope to raise awareness through music. Roy says, “It’s not only drugs and HIV but, the influence of the Babylonian system. The music is more about the movement.”

Their album “Here Come the Kings” was released in 2013, followed after touring Europe. Their latest album “Avrakedabra” includes their musical journey in four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. The title of the album is written with the touch of Amharic words.

“Avrakedabra is the original pronunciation of the word we know today as abracadabra, it is Amharic origin which precedes Hebrew and it means I create what I speak,” Roy says while speaking of their Grammy nominated album.

He says creating the album in four continents was a magical experience. “We were able to bring in different sounds, vibes and energies from all over the world and finalize it in one studio,” he says.

From the album, they have released a music video of the song “Reggae Night”. Vocals to the song were recorded in Zimbabwe. In their songs, one can get a blend of reggae, gospel, R&B and many more flavors.

They have worked with many of the top reggae artists including Capleton, Junior Kelly, Luciano, Gentleman, Beres Hammond and Chronixx. In their latest album, they have collaborated with Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley in tracks like “Selah” and “Harder Than U Know”.

Peter says it is joyous to collaborate with young and veteran artists. He believes such collaborations show unity amid musicians and states “When we work together as artists, it shows a level of unity amongst us that sometimes the world doesn’t see. The world is caught up on competition between artists and people feel more triumph by putting artists up against each other; while we the artists don’t think about it like that. We want to work together and make good music.”

The band members have also perused solo acts. One of Peter’s famous songs is “Stay Getting High” and Roy, CEO of Dada Son Entertainment, has released albums including “Two Sides of My Heart”. His son Jemere Morgan has also followed the same path. Peter says “Performing as a family is what we have been doing since we were children and this is what we know.”

Morgan Heritage, who are keeping the reggae tradition of the family running through spreading positive message, signed to the label “Cool To Be Conscious” up on releasing their last album and the members echo this message saying “The new cool is conscious”.

When it comes to conscious music, Peter says as there were many artists devoted for conscious music before the band’s existence, there will be several more in the future too. Alongside them, he remarks stars such as Lauren Hill, Jill Scott and John Legend. Through music with pertinent message, he says their songs push the youth to be the next Albert Einstein or the next Haile-Selassie.

“Our role in reggae music is to maintain consciousness in what we do. It’s not that we are preaching Rastafari because consciousness doesn’t mean religion. It is a sense of spirituality,” he points. Taking the fact that Christianity has many different denominations as an example, he says there is a difference between preaching religion and resounding spirituality.

He expresses what they stand for saying, “We are a spiritualist more than religious people. It is about being true to yourself. Being true to the spirit of right and honesty and live a life that people can see it and glorify the most high.”

He goes back in time to the 1960s and 70s where legends such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bob Dylan and Burning Spear were the voice in conscious music. Even though the media doesn’t promote conscious music, he says valuable message is being heard through young and vibrant musicians. He believes there is always a space for consciousness and someone doing something to represent a certain level of consciousness.

“The media promotes the fast life, the party and the bling bling. Which is attractive. That why we say ‘it is cool to be conscious’. By being conscious you are not trying to be better than anyone else. It means being aware of what’s going on,” Peter recites.

Roy shares his brother’s opinion saying “We say it is cool to be conscious. When you free your mind, no one can trap you.”

The siblings state they don’t focus on fighting against music that they believe is a trap for the young ones. Instead, they are engaged in awakening the youth and they believe other artists will follow the same path once they understand the power of conscious music.

Peter stresses, “Our mission isn’t to fight. The time we sped to fight, we can spend that time to heal. We don’t focus on fighting trap music.”

The Morgan’s say they are always up for entering to new territories, experiencing new culture and meeting new people. “Music is what we know from children growing up to adults. This is who we are and this is what we love,” they express themselves.

From singing about historic sites such as Meskel square to being baptized in an Ethiopian Orthodox church, the Morgan family have a deep connection to Ethiopia. They want to get involved with the Ethiopian Rastafarian community and reggae musicians as well.

They point Ethiopia has been in the forefront of their history lessons and by singing about Meskel Square and emphasizing the country in general, they expose more about Ethiopia to the rest of the world.

“We are yet to get involved with the reggae community in Ethiopia and it is something we look forward to. One of our biggest aspiration is collaborating with a lot of African artists and bringing our talents together to show Africans at home and Africans abroad are connected through music,” Peter specifies their plans.

“Oh! I will never forget how exited I used to get when my dad tells me that we are having an ice cream at Blue Tops,” says Niyat Yohannes, in her mid-twenties. Niyat goes back in time every time she hears the word Ice Cream.

For her, an ice cream embodies a journey of her life – from the memorable family outings to hanging out with friends. As a child, ice cream was the ultimate reward for Niyat for doing well in school. As a teenager, it became what the ‘cool kids’ like her would go out to get on weekends. Today, as an adult, ice cream is a comfort food for her. Be it during rough times or up on hearing happy news – she still runs to her favorite ice cream place.

Blue Tops was a restaurant located around Amist Kilo in front of the national Museum. It was one of the prominent ice cream shops in Addis which had managed to forge strong ties with its customers over the years. Gelatopia, Mimo and Aurora also come to mind when going a few years back in the city’s ice cream history. Back in the day, these were the ‘it’ places to get ice cream for not more than 20 birr.

Although ice cream lovers remain with the same passion for a scoop or two, it is new parlor owners who have taken over the business now. Consequently, people like Niyat have shifted to contemporary popular spots.

TripAdvisor, an American travel and restaurant guide website that provides hotel and restaurant reviews, accommodation bookings and other travel-related contents, lists Tutto Gelato, Igloo Ice Cream and Embwa Creamery among the top places to get ice cream in Addis Ababa today.

Indeed, these have been the shops frequented by ice cream lovers for the past five years or so. Those who can’t go more than few weeks without a taste of an ice cream are their loyal customers. Ice cream is a seasonal business in Ethiopia, since the number of customers decrease during lent seasons and in the summer (rainy season for Ethiopia). In the peak season, the shops sell up to 70 kilograms per day. Whereas, roughly up to 300 people visit each of the shops The Reporter has spoken to.

Yetsom Meyazia is a common Amharic expression for non-fasting food items traditionally consumed in bulk on the eves of on-setting fasting seasons. Most restaurants all over the country are crowded with people having ‘one last meal’ before weeks of fasting sets-in. Raw meat, kitfo and siga tibs (different servings of beef) are among the local dishes many love to say ‘good bye’ to before restraining themselves from beef and dairy products. But, it seems that recently the ice cream parlors are getting piece of this action.

A day before this year’s charismas fasting season, it wasn’t only the restaurants that were busy but the ice cream shops too. For example, many people were seen lined up in and around Tutto Gelato which is located around Atlas. The waiters were too busy serving those inside the shop and the ones eagerly waiting in their cars. The area was overcrowded that night and many were forced to turn away because they couldn’t find parking spots.

Tutto Gelato, which started giving service two years ago, is an ice cream shop owned by three shareholders. It looks like Seifegebrel Seyoum, the operational manager, is the main brain behind Tutto Gelato. He says, he stated the company with his business partner after studying the art of ice cream making in Italy.

They purchased all the required machineries and ingredients that will last them for a while from Italy. It took nine months to set up the shop and train their people. “Gelato is Italian for ice cream, which is made of natural ingredients. There is no artificial coloring and within -13 °C to -12 °C temperature, it has four days of shelf life,” he explains.

With the growing number of people who are conscious about consuming natural dessert, he says their gelato business is booming. He states that they use fresh vegetables, cream, milk and other necessary ingredients to get the desired result.

They have opened three brunches located around Bole, Sar Bet and one in century mall. “We knew we would return our cost of traveling to Italy to learn about gelato because there is a huge demand in the capital,” he remarks.

The other shareholders have a background in transportation and the ceramics sector; however, they are now completely immersed in the ice cream business. He says “People are recognizing the teste of our gelato and loving it.”

They have 40 different flavors and they serve 18 of them at once. Cookies original, cookie flavored ice cream, is among Tutto’s standard flavors. Dolce latte (with a taste of caramel and chocolate) and salted butter caramel (butter, caramel and chocolate) are in high demand as well. Pineapple, banana and mango flavors are consumed the most during fasting seasons.

“There is a wrong perception that ice cream is just for children even so, our customers are between the age of 20 to 50,” Seifegebrel states. Eating ice cream is becoming more prevalent as compared to the previous years and he believes once people are used to the taste of ‘real ice cream’ the demand will grow even more.

They import ingredients other than milk, egg and sugar from Italy. He says the recent birr devaluation is complicating their job, which mainly depends on imported items. “We are using ingredients we already have in stock, given the current foreign exchange shortage, it is going to be harder once we finish what we have stored,” he highlights the situation.

Currently, one scoop or con of ice cream is around 40 birr. “Ice cream making is an art therefore requires creativity,” says the manager who hopes to expand the business over the coming years.

Most ice cream parlors are busy around holidays like Christmas. Aside from well-known flavors, many create their own signature recipes in addition to using cooking websites and books for more options.

Michael Yimesgen, who co-owns Embwa Creamery with his wife, went out on a quest to teach himself ice cream making four years ago. “I wanted to make a good ice cream so I started researching. I experimented with different flavors and asked people to taste them,” he clarifies how he got into the business.

He used to ask comments from friends and family members which he used to improve his skills. He started off using simple machineries and giving out ice cream gifts for holidays. When he was certain that he has perfected the craft, he bought professional materials from Italy and opened Embwa.

Michael, who was a lawyer in the US for six years, has now settled on seven flavors which he offers in the two brunches located in Sishu Burger and Ebony Restaurant. “Creamery refers to the complete package production of an ice cream by a company,” he points.

Strawberry banana, chocolate brownie and chocolate chip cookie are adored by most of their customers in addition to Yejebena Buna (coffee flavored ice cream) and Kesh Kesh (made of dry caramel and chocolate).

“We produce our own powder and extract our own cream to make different ice cream flavors,” he explains. Online materials and cooking books are their main sources materials as they follow instructions and keep remaking until they get the right taste. Whenever he tries out new recipes, he experiments with local ingredients.

He believes that there are a lot of ice cream shops these days, since it is getting easier to access ingredients with local importers. Yet he says, “On the other hand, it is hard to come across those who produce ingredients for their own consumption.”

At the beginning, most of his customers were expats; but now there are also locals who exclusively go to the shop to get ice cream or have a scoop after having a burger at Sishu. They produce up to 30 to 50 kilograms on holidays as they expect up to 350 people. They usually introduce new flavors for holidays and carry on after gaging the response.

“For this Christmas, we are planning to give away cookies that we use to make ice cream,” he indicates what they have installed for the holiday. They sell the small scoop and con for 36 birr and the big one for 50 birr.

He says “Our customers like the fact that the ice cream has no artificial taste. They also like we have bigger portion.” He has his eyes set on Kazanchis and Bole neighborhoods as he says “It is a profitable business as long as you manage it well.”

Gianluca Pagani, a cheese maker by profession, is one of the three shareholders of Igloo Ice Cream, which started off as a plain conversation between childhood friends. One fine afternoon, the crew developed the craving for an ice cream as it was a hot day. They said “What if we open an ice cream shop?” as a joke but five years later the joke became a lucrative reality.

They opened the first shop around Japan Embassy followed by the one around Olompya and the third one inside chicken hut in front of the Millennium Hall. He states “Our customers know Igloo for Biscotto ice cream. We import the ingredients from Italy and only use milk and cream avoiding egg,” all in all they have 30 flavors which rotate from time to time.

According to Gianluca, considering Addis Abba is a big city and the population is increasing, he can’t say there are numerous consumers. Nevertheless, the number is increasing as compared to five and six years back. They sell one scoop and cup of ice cream for 40 birr.

He believes the life style change of city dwellers has made an impact in his line of work. “The life standard has changed. The foreign exposure and media has also contributed a lot. Having an ice cream is now one way to relax and people plan their days with ice cream in mind,” he narrates.

They produce 100 to 130 kilograms, serving up to 200 people on their busiest day but, he says the business is complicated since it is highly seasonal. “People’s mind set towards ice cream has changed but no one eats ice cream in rainy days and fasting season. On a good business day such as eve of fasting seasons, it is common to come across long line of people at the ice cream shop. Conversely, the parlors will be empty on the following day.

Shortage of foreign exchange has forced them to put their expansion plan on hold as they import most of their flavors excluding fruits. They usually import ingredients every two months or so. He says if materials such as take away packaging are manufactured in Ethiopia, it would prevent them from importing. Despite the challenges he says “We want to keep around our customers who doesn’t eat anywhere else but at Igloo.”

He points, as compared to neighboring countries, there are lots of Ethiopians who consume ice cream; more than Kenyans, for instance. Oppositely, Djiboutians eat a lot of ice cream than Ethiopians as a result of the country’s hot weather and the prevalence of sweets in the Muslim community.

Elias Belay (name changed) has been eating ice cream at Blue Tops and Bruno’s and now shifted to Tutto Gelato, Embwa Creamary and Igloo Ice Cream. Elias, who frequents the shops on weekends, says they each present distinct taste. He enjoys having ice cream and believes it helps with food digestion.

He says the growing number of the diplomatic community in the city and the ‘modern way of life’ has contributed to the popularity of ice cream, especially among the youth.

Ice cream, one of the widely consumed desserts, is usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavors. It is typically sweetened with sugar or sugar substitutes. Ice cream, with different names such as frozen custard, sorbet and gelato is presented with lots of varieties and styles.

According to historic records, ancient Greeks ate snow mixed with honey and fruit in the markets of Athens. A frozen mixture of milk and rice was used in China around 200 BC. Around 400 BC, the Persians invented a special chilled food, made of rose water and vermicelli, which was served to royalty during summers.

Italian duchess Catherine de’ Medici is credited with introducing ice cream into Europe in the 16th century after marrying the Duke of Orléans. She is said to have brought Italian chefs to France, who had recipes for flavored ices or sorbets.

No more a ‘nobility food’, ice cream’s popularity increased over time. The most popular flavors of ice cream are vanilla and chocolate. Ice cream became popular throughout the world in the second half of the 20th century. With the advancement of technology, one can access ice cream makers at home where as ice cream is also manufactured in high scale companies.

Recipes to salted caramel, coffee with chocolate covered espresso beans, fresh mint chocolate chip, mocha ice cream, coconut caramel and many more flavors are one click away.

This story is illustrated in “Under Construction”, a video art piece by Yacob Bizuneh. Green and yellow, a color used to infer construction is taking place, has inspired many artists to express their distress over the sudden changes occurring in the country. Especially Addis Ababa, a growing construction hub, is changing rapidly, leaving no reminiscence whatsoever of the past.

“Under Construction”, which is among the 17 videos encompassed in Addis video art festival is not the only artistic piece dealing with the change the city is going through. “Frightened”, a video art by Marta Haile depicts the fear and confusion city dwellers are facing as a result of high rising buildings swamping Addis.

The emerging constructions, which seem to have no space for preserving historical sites, has been up for discussion for years now. Debates about creating a balance between heritage preservation and the progressing construction are still going on in various venues.

The second edition of Addis video art festival, that took place for the past two weeks, has once again brought forth the issue for dialogue. Only this time it is using video art. The festival themed “Love Triangle” screened video arts dealing with various socio-economic and political issues.

The video art festival idea came about after an incident that occurred ten years ago, states the founder Ezra Wube. Photographer Aida Muluneh suggested he screens one of his animation videos at Meskel square.  The square had a newly installed huge electronic billboard which was used to screen movies, football match and commercials.

He rented the screen to show a minute excerpt of one of his short animations. “At the time, one minute was the maximum time allowed to screen per day,” he told The Reporter. The video is based on a folktale inspired by everyday scenes from Addis Ababa. “Seeing my art echoing in the city, in context and parallel imagination with the everyday life was the most thrilling experience,” he remembers.

Years after that experience, he decided to create a space where Ethiopian and foreign video artists get a chance to screen their videos. He has been screening his videos in several video art festivals held in various countries. It does not require much to organize such festival since videos can be screened just about anywhere. “So I began to think about the possibility of organizing a festival in Addis too,” he states.

The art community quickly embraced the idea and the first edition of the festival dubbed “New Home” was held las year in various venues including galleries, Alle School of Fine Arts and Design and Tej Bet, a local bar where honey wine is served.

For the second edition, his team sent out an open call for video artists who has an artistic piece that falls under this year’s theme. Artists whose works were selected for this year include Mohamad El-Hadidi, Mulugeta Gebrekidan, Marie-France Giaraudon, Martha Haile, Edgar Endress, Shahar Marcus, Nezaket Ekici, Helina Metaferia, Carolin Koss, Michael MacGarry, Susanne Wawra, Onyinye Alheri, Meike Redeker, Ng’endo Mukii, Eyal Segal, Yacob Bizuneh, Jacob Podbler and Wala & Kush. All the videos are of a single channel and created within the last three years.

The videos were screened at Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Fine Arts, Addis Ababa Museum, the National Gallery, British Council and Fendika Cultural Center. There were also public screenings around Merkato, Sidist Kilo, Arat Kilo, Biherawi and supermarkets around Bole. “By sharing video art in both conventional and non-conventional settings, the festival will reach both the art community and the everyday passerby. The festival aims to create a dialogue between local, and international artists by encouraging digital media culture,” Ezra explains.

He says through screening movies in varies locations, including street corners, rooftops, public spaces, cultural centers and art hubs, his team hopes to grab the attention of the local community. “We hope to get the community interested, to ask questions and stay connected by finding the quintessential common human elements within the international videos we are sharing,” he points.

While screening videos in public areas, they have been able to create curiosity among the public. They have also reached the public aside from the art community. He believes the art community is small and the team wanted to reach outside that circle. “Art and life cannot be separated, the closer an art is to life the truer it is,” Ezra elaborates.

Video art is gaining popularity in terms of providing an alternative means of voicing different ideas. he states video is a medium that gives numerous possibilities for artists ranging from image, sound, movement and time.  He says “A video can be a painting, a sculpture, a sound, narrative or non-narrative and also the combination of all,” giving an immense freedom to the artist.

According to him, video art is becoming an optional artistic medium not only in the countries responsible for developing it but, countries like Ethiopia too. “Digital media is not singular; it is infinitively copy-able. Which brings a gesture of generosity for the artist. It is a fluid medium and it can be forgiving as well, because if you don’t like it you can certainly erase it easily, forever,” he points.

He believes Ethiopian video art is a part of Ethiopians deep-rooted story telling culture. Nowadays, the digital technology made these culture more easily accessible. Anyone can produce a video using mobile phone or any other gadget without a studio.

He says “Our artists are interdisciplinary in their practices, incorporating the performative, the stoic and painterly art.” He refers to Yacob Bizuneh’s “Under construction”, Mulugeta Gebrekidan’s “Auropa” and Martha Haile’s “Frightened” that has highlighted social issues.

The videos tell stories from various countries including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Chile, India, Turkey, Canada, USA, Israel and Italy. Issues of migration and global warming has been depicted in some of the videos.

According to Ezra, the festival included videos that translate new positions which are created from the experience of moving between place, time and identity. He also explains why the festival is dubbed “Love Triangle” saying “It is to imply connection and ties between three entities; the subject and two objects. Due to a surge in development, many residents of the city of Addis Ababa will be relocating to new neighborhoods. For those who move, their sense of belonging is no longer singular, instead they are tied between yesterday and today, here and there.”

They call it “the lung of Addis Ababa”. And it does not take long for anyone who sets foot in the area to understand why. With the best panoramic view of the city, Mount Entoto is home to diverse flora and fauna. The taciturn, yet breathtaking Entoto Natural Park is part of the chain of mountains on the northern part of Addis.

The fresh air is therapeutic as one slowly let goes of the hustle and bustle of the city. This meditative site has a huge role in the city’s history as well.

The history goes back to over a century, when Emperor Menelik II chose to have his palace at the mountainous area when he moved to Addis Ababa from Ankober town. It was a strategic move considering the location and rich natural resources of the area.

Soon after the Menelik’s settlement, news spread that people were facing shortage of firewood. So Menelik had to search for a seed that would bear fruit within a short period of time from overseas. Australia’s Eucalyptus seemed to be the right answer and the seed was imported to Ethiopia. Bahir Zaf was the local name given to the plant that overtook Entoto and other parts of Ethiopia by storm.

As promised, Bahir Zaf grew in a few years’ time and people started to use it for building houses. In addition, selling the leaves became a source of income from countless families. Back then, little was known until it was discovered that the plant has a negative impact on the environment.

Bahir Zaf is considered to be a “selfish” variety in the plant world. No other plant can grow within a few radiuses since it absorbs all the underground water. Let alone trees, it is impossible to come across grassland wherever it is planted. Loosing other plant species and water resource wakened people to the hazards nature of the plant. As a result, destroying it became the only option.

Nonetheless, years after the incident, Bahir Zaf still stands proud in various parts of the country. Ethiopian Heritage Trust, a nonprofit organization, formed to protect natural and historical heritages of the country, took the initiative to change this reality. 22 years ago, the association began uprooting eucalypts and replacing it with indigenous seeds.

After reaching an agreement with the Addis Ababa City Administrative, the organization took over Entoto for one hundred years so as to cover 1,300 hectares with indigenous plants. Members of the association, in collaboration with public and private companies, students and volunteers, have been doing that for over a decade now.

In that regard, Mount Entoto has been evolving over the years and nowadays one can see indigenous plants such as Zigba, Tikur Enchet, Korch, Yehabesha Tsid, Yehabesha Girar, Wulkifa and Enbilbay instead of Bahir Zaf. According to Mulugeta Hirpo, head of Heritage Development and Preservation at the Ethiopian Heritage Trust, 500 hectares of the Entoto Natural Park is currently covered with Ethiopian-based florae.

While visiting Key Ber – one of the eight sites in the park – The Reporter witnessed various indigenous plants. 3,200 meters above sea level, the mountain is in a better condition as compared to the previous years. “Uprooting eucalyptus, which had an immense impact on the land, took years. There were no other types of trees as a result of its unfavorable nature. Birds and other animals fled from the park as well,” Mulugeta explains.

He says that the area was highly affected by soil erosion and it has always been exposed to flood. After planting indigenous florae and building a dam barrier that stops the flow of water, they managed to rehabilitate 13 ponds. Animals such as Yemenelik Dikula, Kerkero, Midakua and Gureza have now returned back in the park in search of shelter.

“The loss of natural habitat threatened the life of endemic birds and animals. Now that it is undergoing rehabilitation, they are coming back to the park,” he states. The fortunate condition has also abetted in the growth of seeds that have the nature of living underground for ages, only to grow out on their own.

The indigenous plants cover only one part of the park, whereas the other half is still widely populated with eucalyptus. The plant has been a source of income for many women who have no any other means to support their families. A complete destruction of the plant would mean endangering the livelihoods of many. Thus, Mulugeta suggests there ought to be another mechanism to sustain these households.

He stresses, “Entoto, often referred to as the ‘lung’ of Addis Ababa, needs protection. It is the backbone of the city as it provides clean air and water.” Many say that Addis, which is gradually becoming a concrete jungle, is indeed in need of such natural recreational sites. The city administration has been criticized for lack of proper preservation of parks in the capital including Entoto Park, Hamel 19 Park, Yeka Park, Bole Park and others.

Deforestation has been one of the major problems in Ethiopian natural sites, and the hills of Entoto have been on the list of areas that are strongly affected. Ethiopian forest populace has decreased from 80 percent to four percent in the past years and later on increased to 13 percent. In the case of Entoto, the problem extends to illegal settlement and boarder conflicts too.

According to Ethiopian Heritage Trust board president Likae Kahinat Abayneh Abera, they are currently quarreling over a plot of land that is on the border of Addis Ababa and the Oromia Regional State.

“We have asked to continue working on the part of the park that the region took from us. Since our work has never been restricted to one area or a specific region, we are waiting for their response,” he told The Reporter.

He also stresses that they cannot access their office and parts of the park where they used to process seeds. Such squabbles disrupt the conservation procedure compromising the natural resources. While waiting for a reply from the region and city administration, they are on the verge of building a new hub, despite budget constraints.

Questions related to border arise from various sides including adjacent churches and individuals who have been living in the area for years. Most of these people own pets that continued to impend on the preserved area. The population growth has resulted in habitat destruction through livestock grazing.

Mulugeta says that as long as there is no alternative means for fuel and construction, people will keep exploiting the natural resource. People who are using the pond as a water resource and those visiting the park for recreation are hardly concerned about keeping the area clean. In this regard, the association has a plan to find resettlement areas for the community to reduce contamination.

Around Entoto churches including Saint Mary and Saint Raguel are among the sites frequently visited by tourists. Visitors enjoy the view from the hills and lots of reviews have been written about the area on tourism websites. Therefore, protecting the natural resource of the park in turn secures revenue from tourism.

According to a research, Species Composition, Relative Abundance and Distribution of the Avian Fauna of Entoto Natural Park and Escarpment, by Kalkidan Esayas and Afework Bekele from Department of Natural Science of Gambella Teachers’ Education and Health Science College, 124 avian species belonging to 14 orders and 44 families were identified in the area.

The research reveals that Entoto is one of the important bird areas (IBAs) in Ethiopia. In addition, Entoto and its surroundings have high elevation with a diverse flora and fauna. “This biodiversity has been affected as a result of various natural and anthropogenic threats. This increases the threat for avian species from time to time,” it reads.

It is indicated that the area is unique as the foothills of the mountain consists of volcanic rocks, reddish rhyolite, trachyte, ignimbrites, tuffs, welded tuffs and black obsidian. Moreover, amid the birds residing in the park, five of them are endemic to Ethiopia while 11 are shared between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which will be in grave danger if the vegetation layer decreases. “If the vegetation layer increases the number of available niches for birds also increases and so does the diversity of avian species,” the researchers indicate.

In the research, it is also indicated besides birds, there are also other mammals. In that regard, the Entoto Natural Park can serve as an important biodiversity center. Conversely, the long history of eucalyptus plantation, settlement, deforestation and erosion has left a negative imprint.

Over the years, deforestation of watersheds has resulted in loss of genetic resources, flooding and wood scarcity. Illegal settlements in the park enabled people to have easy access to enter and collect fuel wood. “Therefore, protection of the area is mandatory for wildlife conservation especially for birds to enrich their diversity, abundance and to maintain the natural ecological balance of the area,” it is recommended.

In a world where global warming is the number one concern, many countries are striving to rehabilitate their natural resources. For most of these countries, the restoration process is taking a long period of time bearing in mind the extent of the damage.

Henceforward, in the Ethiopian context the question remains, how far will concerned bodies go to protect the existing natural resources of the country before reaching the desperate point as the rest of the globe?

Etfruit, The Ethiopian Fruit and Vegetables Marketing Share Company, is probably one of the local companies that most Ethiopians are well-acquainted with. Many had shared the mangos, oranges, bananas and other fruits sold in the small Etfruit containers scattered all over Addis Ababa.

With 16 branches across Ethiopia, it was the most prominent fruit and vegetable provider until selling fruits on a wheelbarrow started to become common on the streets of Addis. Even though the street vendors are always getting in trouble with law enforcement officers, they have contributed a lot in terms bringing fruit and vegetable to the doorsteps of urban dwellers.

The street fruit and vegetable market extended to French fries, samosa, doughnut, cookies and other snacks over the past decade. With a growing number of people living in cities and the hectic work hours, many started to consume these relatively less expensive fast foods.

Eating on the streets hasn’t always been “accepted” in Ethiopian customs; however, the modern way of life seems to have transcended the norm. Consequently, especially at nights, the streets of Addis are being flooded with the fast spreading fast foods.

Given most of the vendors lack knowledge of healthy food preparation and the unsanitary streets of Addis, street food has been predestined to being a cause for food-related diseases. Nevertheless, there is a completely different reality regarding street food in other countries. Even in Nairobi, capital of neighboring Kenya, it is common to come across fast foods on the streets, including fried chicken.

Buying foods or drinks from the streets is extolled in other parts of the world as it saves time and one can get fresh products. Trying to transform the street food culture in Ethiopia, some private companies have recently started selling snacks and hot drinks with a better service than what people were used to.

On one of the busiest streets of Addis, Bole Edna mall area, cars and people walking by line up early in the morning. They wait for the arrival of two cars that have the label Bama Coffee written on them.

The founder of Bama coffee, Daniel Tesfaeyesus, and his employees hurriedly cut the fresh home-baked banana cake while serving coffee and macchiato. After a minute or so their customers head to their respective offices with a hot drink in a takeaway cup.

Bama started off by serving coffee and macchiato in meetings and conferences. The founder then decided to start selling drinks and snacks on the streets considering the time constraint many have to deal with especially when it comes to sitting down and dining during rush hours.

“We want people to know it is possible to get snacks and hot drinks within a short period of time. It takes us around thirty seconds to serve everything,” Daniel explains. He wants to change the perception of people when it comes to getting foods or drinks from the streets to be consumed on the way to work.

In this day and age, lots of people work two or three jobs and they prefer anything that is served as quick as possible. In this regards, companies like Bama strive to be the alternative service providers as opposed to cafés and restaurants.

“Besides the quick service, foods and drinks on the streets are inexpensive. For example, we sell all our hot drinks and snacks for 12 birr,” Daniel says. He is not oblivious to the fact that anything consumed from the streets has been considered unhygienic and unhealthy in the past. Many people have been hospitalized as a result of consuming street food.

“It is up to the service providers to make sure everything is clean. From the type of oil we use, to the place we work, store and serve at, we keep everything to the maximum standard,” he elaborates.

Let alone start-up food and drink, vendors on the streets, hotels and restaurants with huge names have been accused of serving contaminated food and operating in hazardous kitchens. In tlight of that, people say that it is up to the government to inspect the street vendors before licensing their companies.

According to Daniel, providing healthy snacks is their priority as they try to keep everything natural. He says they create doughnuts with various flavors and always try to come up with something new. They have a delivery service to offices that are in close proximity to their trucks and they have also started a coffee bar at Morning Star Mall.

“We will have a bigger market once the culture of consuming snacks and drinks from the streets becomes more popular in the Ethiopian,” he states, confirming street vendors are responsible in changing people’s mindset by providing clean products.

Bama has been in business for nine months now and the founder says they have had a good feedback from consumers so far. He also believes street food is an untapped market and companies providing a hygienic service have a chance of being profitable.

Other busy areas such as the road from the National Theater to Leghar and Mercato will be their following target markets.

Conversely, he notes, there are complications when it comes to working on the streets of Addis. “We have a license from the Ministry of Trade. But, we constantly clash with law enforcements since there is no clear demarcation to where we can work,” he explains.

As Daniel explains, street vending has a licensing section; however, selling on streets from vehicles is ambiguous as they can travel from one place to the other. He believes having a clear administrative laws and a common understanding with law enforcers will smoothen their work environment.

According to a research entitled “Hygienic and Sanitary Practices of Street Food Vendors in the City of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia” written by Temesgen Eliku for the Department of Environmental Science, College of Natural and Computational Sciences in Wollega University, the quality of raw materials, food handling and storing activities are major factors that affect the safety of street food.

Bearing in mind the increasing number of street vendors, he recommends they should be cautious when it comes to choosing the environment they work around. In his research, he found out that most of them work in the presence of insects, gaseous pollutants from air, dirt particles and domestic animals.

“Street foods are at high risk of contamination. They are sometimes stored at unsuitable temperatures and sold from vending sites which include kiosks, make-shift accommodation, and push carts as well as other temporary structures,” he points and highlights food handling, storage and serving should be regulated.

He concludes, cities like Addis Ababa that are rapidly growing in size and population and also characterized by “people on the move” make a conducive environment for the street food business, if the vendors provide healthy snacks and drinks.

Lewam Haile, 28, has traveled to various African and European countries and one of the exciting things she mentions is finding inexpensive foods on the streets. She says almost everyone purchases hot drinks from the streets every morning.

She has bought coffee from Bama a few weeks ago and a snack from a truck located around Bole. “I like buying snacks or drinks from the streets mostly because I believe it is a wonderful idea given Addis is a huge city and needs lots of similar services,” she explains.

Like many locals she believes that not all street vendors provide healthy foods and drinks. “Anyone can tell if the vendors are providing clean products or not. However, there are some circumstances that are difficult to tell,” she says.

According to Lewam, the city will require more street food, with the influence of a modern way of living. She says the existence of street vendors will familiarize people with the idea of street consumption. She also hopes to see trucks that move around town selling ice cream, burgers and other fast foods since it could be a promising business as well.

It is almost midnight; nonetheless, China’s capital Beijing is as lively as the daytime – if not more. While visiting one of the most vibrant cities in the world, one cannot help but stay awake to get the best of a pleasant night out.

With more than 3,000 years of history, the city has centuries-old sanctuaries and present-day high-rise buildings.

Among several spots that are recommended to be visited during night-time, Wangfujing Street tops the list offering countless activities.

From a pedestrian street to dynamic night market, shopping malls to strip clubs, bookstores to fried scorpion-on-a-stick, you name it – Wangfujing has it all.

Wangfujing, literally translated to mean ‘prince’s mansion well’, is one of the well-known touristy streets in Beijing. The name was driven from prince’s residences which were built in the area during Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).

The street, which is located in Dongcheng district of the capital, has been a commercial center for locals and tourists since the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644).

Though Wangfujing is essentially buzzing 24/7, the night life is more captivating. Not only this street, but most of the city’s best moments can be caught after sunset.

Wangfujing is one of the traditional downtown areas of Beijing and until the late 1990s it was open to traffic. Nowadays it is a pedestrian street, which helps to thoroughly observe endeavors of the area.

Bartenders of strip clubs in the area are usually overzealous and most of them walk around outside to summon passersby. They go on and on about what their club offers as opposed to the others. The clubs are made of a see-through glass and anyone can see the dancers hopping on the stripper poles. Customers choose the best clubs by looking at the dancers from outside of the clubs.

The clubs on this street are more public as opposed to the so called sex pubs which are more underground. They are discrete in a sense of ‘what happens in Beijing stays in Beijing’ kind of way. In these private pubs, although most of the waiters don’t speak much English, they try to elaborate their services using Mandarin and little English.

The 810-meter-long walking street fuses traditional stores and modern shopping malls. It includes two book stores—Wangfujing bookstore and Foreign Languages bookstore—which are over five decades old. It is pleasing to see many customers going from one shelf to the other in search of books published in China and imported from other countries.

The entire street, embroidered with squares, grasslands, flower beds, fountains, ornamental columns and sculptures is often full of people. Not being bothered by vehicles, walking on the street gives some sense of freedom as one walks in the middle of the road.

The benches, that are few kilometers apart, lure visitors to sit and admire the view and many tourists take a selfie or two hoping to hold on to the memory.

The night food market, known as Donghuamen, is open to taste octopus, scorpion, dumplings and fried banana. The lively night food market fascinates foodies who are interested in experiencing the local taste. Scorpions can be served in different ways – roasted, fried, grilled or even alive. Many are particularly riveted to taste fried scorpions and served on a stick. Of course, it is not every one who dares to take a bite from the moving scorpions.

The snack street is densely packed with restaurants and street food stalls and captivates many tourists. Food such as chuanr, meat kebabs that is commonly made of lamb, and desserts, such as tanghulu or candied fruits on a stick, are among the most popular.

The street food also includes insects, sea creatures along with other animals and desserts. The night fruit market is led by relaxed street vendors, who sometimes play Chinese traditional games with next door sellers.

The friendly vendors offer couples or group of tourists to taste grape or other fruits. Some propose a sip from the famous Asian rice wine a.k.a. Mijiu—which has an alcohol content of 18 percent–25 percent. The vendors try to communicate using hand gestures, considering the language barrier.

The night market also involves vendors who sell souvenirs. As most local markets in Beijing, bargaining plays a significant role in the selling-buying process. Vendors and buyers go back and forth until they agree on a final price.

The three large markets on Wangfujing Street are Sun Dong An Plaza, Beijing Department Store and the malls at Oriental Plaza- one of the largest markets in Asia and presents brands like Trussardi and Miss Sixty, and jewelry and make up products.

The old Beijing Street, which is located on Wangfujing Dajie, is an underground street entailing stores that sell shoes, caps, silk cloth, scissors, Chinese brushes and ink-stick, jade, teas, desserts, pickled vegetables and roast duck.

Beijing Craftwork and Art Mansion, an old shop in the area, operates with various industrial arts and artwork. Whereas state of the art toys are available at Xin ZhongGuo children’s goods store. Art admirers usually purchase the craftworks, which more or less depicts China’s ancient history and culture.

Wangfujing is home to around 280 famous brands including Chinese ones such us Shengxifu hat store, Tongshenghe shoe shop, and the Wuyutai tea house. Other stores carry brands such as Calvin Klein, Nina Ricce, Gucci and Prada.

Women are seen lining up to buy or try out cosmetic brands such as Christian Dior, Elizabeth Arden and Guerla. Yves Saint Laurent, Nina Ricci, Charles Jourdan and other boutiques are often heavily crowded.

A photo studio which took formal photos of the first Chinese leadership and the famous St. Joseph’s Catholic Church are among the places visitors take pictures of on the street.

Aside to the exciting night life, Wangfujing Street is also remembered for the 2011 pro-democracy protests in China. In what was named as ‘Chinese Jasmine Revolution’, inspired by and named after the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, a large number of protesters gathered on the street leading to the arrests, detentions and ban of foreign journalists not to conduct interviews around the area without applying for permission.

The street, which many consider as ‘the heartbeat of Beijing’, is home to numerous local bars and foreign restaurants. The street mixologists, who put on quite a show, aside to mixing drinks are the highlight of the area.

Many locals and foreigners wait in line for the especial on-the-spot mojitos and other drinks. What’s fascinating about this part of the street is the fact that people do not look for a place to sit to grab a drink or look for people to accompany them. Many buy drinks from the street and drink it on the side of the road while mingling with people from different parts of the world.

The bartenders on the street have huge speakers and they play various type of music from old school hip hop to electronic dance music. For people who are up to assessing their singing skills while having fun, bunch of karaoke bars are open until late night.

The area offers a moderately ‘quiet entertainment’ in opera theaters with Chinese soap opera and acrobatics shows.

According to tour.beijing.com “No Beijing tour is complete without visiting Wangfujing Street.” Lots of entertainment options are recommended on the website. “If you like to enjoy Beijing night tour, Wangfujing Street is not to be missed. The neon lights can now be compared to those of any big cities in the world,” It reads. The area is compared with New York’s Fifth Avenue, the Champs-Elysees of Paris and the Ginza in Tokyo.

With a similar vibe, Sanlitun Street is one of the most well-known bar streets in Beijing. It is a very busy street especially during the night since it is adjacent to foreign embassies including Ethiopia’s. It is said that the first bar was opened on Sanlitun in 1983.

The bar street is popular among tourists and foreign students in China. Sanlitun is famous for parties and clubs dedicated to a certain type of music including a roof-top Latino club. The DJs play nothing but Latin American hits and the club is crammed with people always set for dance-offs.

Many prefer to hang out at Tang Club, China Doll, The World of Suzie Wong, Nest, The Den, D-22, Bar Blu, Banana, Babyface and Angel dance clubs in addition to famous international-standard bars and cocktail lounges.

The perky lights and gigantic screens of these clubs guarantee the well promoted ‘radiating China’. One particular club has a screen putting on a show live from the dance floor, symbolically calling out to ‘show what you got on the floor’.

It is common to come across clubs with a mix of break beats, indie and house music featuring international DJs on the weekends. There are a number of sport-bars and restaurants dedicated to various foods from around the world.

After visiting the embassy area, many stop at these restaurants-either feeling home sick or ready to experiment with food from another country than their own. Ras is a renowned Ethiopian restaurant in Beijing.

Tourists who share their experience on one of the largest travel guide books-Lonely Planet-refer to the street as ‘diplomatic world of China’ while stating the diversified activities that take place.

Some tourist attraction sites, which can also be visited during day time, have a magnificent view at night. For example, Tiananmen Square lights up every night adding a flavor to the experience. Most of the buildings in/or surrounding the Square will also radiate.

Qianmen Street, which runs south from Tiananmen Square, is one of the last remnants of the business centers of old Beijing. It has been transformed into a modern commercial pedestrian street, next to Wangfujiang.

Beijing National Stadium a.k.a. Bird’s Nest is spectacular when lit up at night. Likewise, Beijing National Aquatics Center a.k.a. Water Cube is also highly visited during night. It is named cube because of the semi-transparent bubbles that spread with a shape of H2O.

Beijing Central Business Center or CBD, consisting local and international firms, is on the list of places to be visited at night alongside the then CCTV now CGTN- China Global Television Network tower. These skyscrapers have illuminating screens on top of luxury buildings.

People walk under such structures enjoying the high-tech lighting and open space comprising of human made lakes and open-air bars.

Beijing nights, with various alternatives, is exhilarating, daring at times and freeing in general. Depending on what one is interested in, the capital awaits with unforgettable memories.

Ethiopia is a melting pot of cultures and traditions. The traditional dance scene in Ethiopia speaks of this fact laud and clear. Every dance movement carries with it a piece of the specific mindset of the community which created it. Nevertheless, Ethiopia’s traditional dance scene is also the least studied and investigated. Yet, in recent times, some innovative dance crews are coming up with a unique style which is also important to preserve traditional dances by fusing it with contemporary moves, explores Meheret-Selassie Mokonnen.

Nambi IV, The Present Past, is a dance piece choreographed by Ugandan dancer Lilian Maxmillian Nabaggala. The dance performed by her along with two other contemporary dancers takes the audience back to ancient times to reflect up on potent African queens.

Last week the three dancers graced Alliance Ethio-Françaises’ stage with royal outfits and noble moves. The half an hour show was intended to depict how African queens used to rule their respective countries. The dance highlighted African queens from Yaa Asantawwa, Queen of the Ashanti Empire (Ghana), to Queen Nzinga of Angola, Queen of Sheba of Ethiopian and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt.

The prevailing, and at times warrior-like moves of the dancers were accompanied with witty and frisky sides of the women.

“The dance reflects how the ancient queens used to rule, how they used to carry themselves, how they were leaders, warriors and still kept their men by their sides supporting them. The piece illustrates how these women were respected by society and how they reflect to the women of today,” explains the choreographer.

The piece mirrors and prompts women of today about their roles and contribution towards building societies. It challenges gender roles in the traditional African society by invoking stories from ancient times.

Lilian says the performance speaks to the business women, entrepreneurs and other professional women of the present. It calls up on women to value themselves as a valuable member of the society and be confident in carrying out any task.

She is a member of Ugandan contemporary dance group called Batalo East, which was formed on basis of linking and strengthen traditional and urban arts, five years ago.

“We represent contemporary dancers who go back to their heritages. When you know the new styles in dance and bring them to the traditional aspect, you create something that identifies you,” she elaborates.

The company encourages preservation of culture and the development of young people who have strong roots in their home culture. They strive to create a sense of identity and place while promoting dancers who can contribute to the globalized world.

Batalo East is one of five international contemporary dance crews who gathered in Addis Ababa for a common cause—preserving traditional dance by way of fusing its elements with contemporary moves.

Destio dance company, founded in 2014 by two contemporary dancers, Addisu Demissie and Junaid Jemal Sendi, organized Adey international dance festival, which brought together dancers from different regions of Ethiopia and other countries.

Destino was founded to support underprivileged youth including street children and people with physical disabilities, in developing their inner-potential through dance. Visually impaired people and people with disabilities were among the performers at the festival.

The company provides free artistic lessons in their dance academy in Addis Ababa located around Vatican Embassy. They also perform around the globe popularizing Ethiopian contemporary dance.

Adey international dance festival came about when the dancers sought to explore Ethiopian traditional dance from various regions. After securing a fund from the European Union and the Embassy of Switzerland, they had a three-month journey with the purpose of promoting, preserving and documenting traditional Ethiopian dance.

Once discovered Ethiopian traditional dance has not been well documented; consequently it is in grave danger of disappearing. The crew tried to cover seven regions and study their respective traditional dances. The endangerment of traditional dance is not just an Ethiopian problem; in fact countries with similar experience were invited to the three-day festival.

Dancers from Uganda, Tanzania, Spain, Slovakia and Japan were invited to showcase their experiences in safeguarding their national dance heritage by blending it with contemporary moves. Spanish dancers exchanged experience with dancers from Gambella region where as Japanese with Somali region and Ugandans with Amhara region.

The festival was comprised of workshops, exhibitions, screenings, conferences and dance performances at Alliance Ethio-française and Ethiopian National Theatre.

As Lilian explains, in Uganda, there have been efforts by contemporary dance companies to preserve the traditional dance by fusing it with contemporary moves. In their company, they invite traditional dancers from remote areas so that they work alongside the urban youth. Whereas the urban dance teachers are playing a role in fusing the traditional with contemporary elements.

This process is a long one and not everyone in the society understands what they are trying to accomplish. Nonetheless, this hasn’t stopped them from continuing the hard work. They always try to get closer to their communities through social dance nights and other outreach programs. The company also pushes the youth to research traditional dances by going back to their cultural heritage.

Lilian says, “Urban dancers didn’t want to associate themselves with cultural troops because they feel like they were backward. But, when we start to work with them, together in the same space this attitude started change.”

The company creates space for the youth since most of them don’t know their background. As Lilian puts it, the young ones are lost and they didn’t know where to attach themselves. Therefore, the company works on bringing them closer to their culture so that they appreciate where they are from.

She also indicated that they are to start archiving traditional Ugandan dance from different regions with a grant they recently secured. Similar to Ethiopia’s case, lack of documentation is one of their biggest challenges. “Some traditional dances are going extinct. We are trying to revive these by working with different communities that still practice the dances,” the dancer explains.

From Africa to Europe and Asia, contemporary dancers share similar sentiment when it comes to preserving heritage through dance. Japan’s Mademoiselle Cinema dance company is among crews trying to hold on to artistic heritages.

Les Slovaks is a Slovakian dance squad consisting dancers Milan Tomasik, Martin kilvady, Milan Herich and a French musician Simon Thierree. It is an old time friendship crew founded since the members started folk dance together in their home town. They established the company in 2006- with a folk dance background they got into contemporary dance and blended the two.

For Adey international dance festival, also commemorating their 10th anniversary, they presented a piece called “Journey Home” which Milan explains as “We do traditional dance mixing it up with contemporary. The piece has a nostalgic effect about where we are from.”

Martin says, “Although we are contemporary dance company, we focus more on traditional folk dance.” The crew explains their piece as a melting of different regional dances from Slovakia.

In Slovakia, there are companies that document and preserve the traditional customs existing in dance. These dedicated companies have worked a lot on the documentation process and they present their dance fusions in various venues.

Addisu Demissie co-founder and manager of Destino Dance Company says that their crew’s initial aim was to study seven Ethiopian regions’ traditional dance in three months. However, they discovered each region takes a longer time. As a result, they decided to do a short survey that highlights the inspiration behind different Ethiopian traditional dances.

They tried to document reasons behind each and every body movement, including the traditional cloth and jewelries worn by communities. “We came across dances we haven’t seen before. Our aim was to explore the reasons behind their body movements. And discovering the inspirations was very surprising,” he recites.

He references few Ethiopian traditional dance styles along with the background of how they came to be. Kemise’s dance is somewhat a resemblance of farm oxen. When farmers plough the land the oxen lead the way moving their front legs in a certain way. The farmers took this inspiration which was later adopted into their dance.

Tenben’s traditional dance, performed by a man and a woman, resembles the interaction of doves. The woman holds her arm pit and bends down from her shoulder, while the man overshadows her. “It is as if male doves circulate the female dove showing interest. However, the female retreats refusing to depend on the man.”

Raya traditional dance brings to mind people moving from one place to the other. The dancers don’t hold on to a steady ground but move forward with energy.

“All in all when we look at Ethiopian traditional dance, it looks like the human body structure. From north by the way of the middle to south regions, the body movement goes down from head to toe. North focuses on neck and shoulder which continues to belly, hips and ends with foot movement,” the dancer points.

Addisu says there is a huge gap when it comes to documenting these traditional dances. He doubts the presence of adequate researches with profound analysis to the background and value of these dances within the Ethiopian community.

So as to protect the traditional values, Destino came up with a documentary movie and a book.

He believes though change is inevitable, the traditional base shouldn’t be forgotten rather emphasized with contemporary dance.

“We are cotemporary dancers but there are lots of dancers all over the world who do the same thing, sometimes even better than us. What make us exceptional is traditional dance. Therefore, it is wise to fuse these elements with contemporary moves so that we gain an international acceptance with our unique style,” he elaborates.

Lucie James, project coordinator of the company, agrees taking inspirations from traditional dance and blending with the contemporary aspect will help the dance transcend time. She says they aimed at preserving, documenting and promoting traditional dance as one of Ethiopia’s cultural heritages.

She explains the dancers knew the richness of Ethiopian’s traditional dance but had difficulties to draw inspirations since there are little written documents. This led them to travel to Oromia, Gambela, South, Amhara, Tigray, Benishangul Gumez and Somali regions.

She believes documenting these traditional dances will contribute to the preservation process and also will lay the ground works for future studies.

She says it is not easy to gain the full attention of the society since there is limited knowledge when it comes to contemporary dance. She describes the alienation as “Contemporary dance is almost alien to Ethiopians culture but slowly there is a growing interest.”

According to Lucie, the free nature of contemporary dance, which leads people to express themselves spontaneously aids people to open up to the style. She avows “With the power of dance, we will get to the point we need in time”.

Destino tries to cultivate the contemporary dance culture among the youth by training them how they can blend traditional moves with contemporary steps. Before the festival, they have been training young traditional dancers in different regions.

“The only way to make a sustainable society is to preserve traditions. Thus the youth have been given notions in how by using contemporary choreograph one can preserve traditional dance. As long as one can keep the traditional essence, its best to modernize the dance to tell current stories,” she notes.

Netsanet Birhanu, 16, is among the traditional dancers who learned to fuse traditional and contemporary dance moves. Born and raised in capital of the Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, Asossa, she has been focusing on traditional dances from communities such as Berta and Mao.

She believes it is important to blend the traditional steps with the contemporary ones to gain wider acceptance. “We have to understand, research and document the past so as to know where we came from. This should be done along with revising our heritages with a modern touch,” she explains.