On 5 March 2016, Ethiopian music, gastronomy, cinema, culture, films and the traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony will be presented to the Belgian and European public from 3pm - 8pm at the Belgium Cultural Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar). This event is organized by the Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels in collaboration with Bozar, the Belgo-Ethiopian Association and Ethiopian Airlines. The event will present the new and dynamic face of the Ethiopian cultural scene in Brussels, the capital of Europe and major center for arts.
All throughout the day, the public will have the occasion to discover Ethiopia’s vibrant culture and to be immersed in the rich history of a country where the modern and the traditional coexist. During the event, the public will discover new things about Ethiopia and savor the culture and tradition of this country that is so rich in history whilst resolutely looking to the future.
This mini-festival is called “Addis” in reference to the name of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa also known as the political capital of Africa since it hosts the third biggest diplomatic missions in the world, only after New York and Geneva and has been the seat of the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Addis Ababa means “New Flower” in Amharic which is the national working language of the country.
The day will feature various cultural activities such as degustation of delicious traditional dishes, Ethiopian Wine, a photo exhibition and Ethiopian alphabet writing. In the afternoon documentary film and concert will be shown.
Jamming Addis (2014, 80', English, written and directed by Dirk K. van den Berg) will give an insight about the new generation of young Ethiopian musicians who make contemporary Ethiopian dance. The evening will be enlightened by the concert of the popular ethio-jazz band, Addis Acoustic Project.
The guitarist Girum Mezmur with Ethiopia’s finest musicians will present the popular songs of the past and the contemporary makeover. Ethio-jazz is a blend of jazz, Latino, and pop, mixed with traditional Azmari music.
This event will also be an opportunity for the Belgo-Ethiopian Association to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The Belgo-Ethiopian Association aims to build bridges to the people to people relations between Belgium and Ethiopia in different fields including culture, music and tradition. It intends to shed a positive light on Ethiopia and to inform people from different horizons about the present development potentials of the country.
The Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar) first opened its doors in the heart of Brussels in 1928 with the goal of providing a “total experience” of a wide variety of arts ranging from music to plastic arts, cinema and performance. It is the largest and most prestigious cultural center in Belgium and the oldest of its kind in Europe. Similarly, on 16 March, 2016 Ethiopia’s first-ever Cannes “Official Selection” drama titled ‘Lamb’ directed by Yared Zeleke will be shown at Bozar at 20:00.
For tickets and more info about the event:
https://www.bozar.be/en/activities/108281-addis
https://www.facebook.com/events/1006380656085555/
The Brussels Times
