Amane Ibrahim
Amane Ibrahim | |
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| Born | May 23, 1952 Kara Kore, North Shoa, Ethiopia |
| Nationality | Ethiopian-American |
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Amane Ibrahim A music composer, arranger, and conductor who has worked in various capacity in his native country Ethiopia. Throughout his career of over two decades, the artistry of Amane Ibrahims Teaching, original compositions and arrangements are monumental in history at the national level. His enthusiastic approach and creativity were an ideal example to the young generation of musicians.
Early life and education
Amane Ibrahim was born on May 23, 1952 and is the youngest child in the family. He grew up in the town called Kara Kore in North Shoa, where he completed his primary education. Being very active and studies, Amane got double promotion two times and finished his primary school education at an early age. He then went to Haile Mariam Mamo Secondary School at Debre Birhan, where he studied for a semester and then dropped out due to personal reasons.
After a while, he moved to Addis Ababa. During his stay there, one day he went to meet his friend at the Baede Mariam School (at the university campus) where he stumbled upon an advertisement posted on behalf of the National Music School which later called Yared Music School. This incident led him to enroll in to study music in 1967. He studied both Academic and Music subjects over the course of four years. Upon graduating with distinction from Yared Music School, Amane received a Gold-Plated watch, Gold-Plated Pen, and books from His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie the1st.
After graduating, Amane was selected for a two-year-long Advanced Diploma course where he mostly practiced music and honed his skills as a musician. He appeared on several school concerts. During this time, beside the school curriculum, he attended workshops and received training from visiting professors coming to Ethiopia for different reasons. Finally, he finished the course successfully.
In 1973 Amane Ibrahim was offered a Scholarship through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR and got admitted to the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. While he was there, beside the regular music classes, he learnt more about the systematic understanding of Art and Science on one hand and its aesthetic applications on the other. He also pursued more knowledge from a private Institute in order to broaden his knowledge. He graduated from MS University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in Music. During his time at college, Amane also attended several summer camps and became a member of different committees, and was actively engaged in coordinating activities for them. He also served as the VP of the African Students Association of the University.
Career
Amane Ibrahim started his career in 1978 as a music instructor at the Yared Music School. He taught many subjects at this school due to the shortage of faculty members. During that time, he made students involved in different activities that would help them when they graduate. In 1980 Amane Ibrahim transferred to the national theater becoming the head of the music department. In 1981, he rose up to become the director of the Yared Music School where he served for another two years. In 1984 he turned back to the National Theater and became the Artistic Director, serving in this capacity for two and half years. In 1987 Amane became the head of the Fine Arts division at the Ministry of Culture and Sports. Finally, in 1989 he was transferred to the Hager Fikir Theater as the General Manager. He worked there for solid three years until he left the country due to the new regime’s hostility towards him.
During his career, Amane Ibrahim has been continuously involved in contributing to elevating the overall music community in the country. He has written songs for soloists and choruses. He also composed and arranged instrumental music for a wide range of occasions. These include:
- Amane Ibrahim was one of the composers and conductors of the musical drama Demachin (our blood) performed in (1979). On Guzoachin (our journey), a musical drama too presented in 1983, he was also a composer, conductor, and coordinator.
- Amane chaired the panel of Judges for the first-ever music and dance competition between the 25 Addis Ababa Urban Dwellers associations (Kefetegnas) Amateur Musicians (1979).
- Amane was chair of the music section committee that curated the Yabeyot Zemare in 1984. It was a presentation of music and dance that was performed for the founding Congress of WPC and its 10th anniversary. For this show, he also participated as a composer and conductor. In 1986 he coordinated and guided the committee of professionals assigned to do musical performance for the 11th anniversary of the revolution presented by Addis Ababa youth.
- While Amane was an artistic director at the national theater, he participated in the planning, designing and launching of the weekly show Teyente - Tebebat. In 1987 he once again guided and chaired the committee responsible for the presentation of a musical show for the one-hundred-years birth anniversary of the city of Addis Ababa.
- In 1988, Amane contributed and guided a lot to the making of The Bell of Unity a musical drama, presented for the celebration of the 25th year of the OAU (Organization of African Unity).
- Being a government employee, Amane took different responsibilities of organizing cultural shows, and other presentations. He Headed different cultural groups to different countries of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He participated in professional seminars and symposiums both local and abroad. Amane was once chairman of the board of the ethiopian musician association in 1979. In the later years he remained serving as Executive member of the board until he left the country.
Personal life
In 1991, the change that happened after the fall of the old regime in Ethiopia has touched the entire society one way or the other. There was hostility towards the people who worked with the previous government and were branded as enemies. They were not seen as people who belong to that country. Mass condemnation and allegation with no substance but pure Joules and enmity. During this time Amane was imprisoned for about two months in Holeta and was released with no explanation. After he came out of prison, Amane supervised the New Year Music presentation as per usual. Soon after, a high level of delegation visiting Sudan wanted to have a cultural group to go with them. Along with others, Amane was the ideal person to implement it. Two months after coming back from abroad, he was fired from his job by the direct order of Tamrat Layne (then Prime minister of Ethiopia). For Amane, thereafter, hope and safety were remote. Finally, he decided to leave the country.
Since 1993, Amane Ibrahim has been living in exile in the United States of America along with his wife Addis Hiskias who also happen to be among the first batch of Theater Art graduates of Addis Ababa University. Amane is working for different companies while his stay here in the US.
Gallery
Yared School Choir group; Amane Ibrahim, Piano; An Ethiopian Musician and educator of Armenian descent, Nerses Nalbandian, Conductor
Music rehearsal; Amane Ibrahim, Piano; The most popular Ethiopian singer of the 20th century the late Tilahun Gessesse and Female singer Hmelmal Abate.
Trio; Amane Ibrahim(Piano), Gezahegn Haile (cello), Marelign Tesfalidet (Violin)
