Tilahun Gessesse was born on 29 September 1940, in Addis Ababa and died on 19 April 2009.
Tilahun was born to Woizero Gete
Gurmu and Ato Gessesse Negussee. When he was fourteen years old, he was
taken by his grandfather to Waliso Oromia where he began attending Ras
Gobena Elementary School.
As time went by, his interest in
music became increasingly clear, although his grandfather urged him to
concentrate on his academic studies. The Ras Gobena School Principal
Mr. Shedad (who was from Sudan), encouraged Tilahun's interest in music
and urged him to go to Sudan to pursue his music career. Although
Tilahun did not go to Sudan, he took Mr. Shedad's advice very
seriously. When Woizro Negatwa Kelkai, Ato Eyoel Yohanes and others
artists from the Hager Fikir Theatre came to his school to perform,
Tilahun took the opportunity to discuss his interest in music with Ato
Eyoel. He was told to go to Addis Ababa if he wanted to pursue a career
in the field.
Tilahun left school to go to Addis
Ababa, a journey he began on foot without his grandfather's consent.
When his grandfather realized that Tilahun was no longer in Woliso, he
informed Tilahun's great-aunt in Tulu Bolo. After Tilahun traveled
fifteen kilometers on foot, he was caught in Tulu Bolo and stayed
overnight with his great-aunt Woizero Temene Bantu. The next day, he
was forced to return back to his grandfather in Woliso. Since his
interest in music lay deep in his heart, Gessesse chose not to stay at
his grandfather's house in Woliso. After staying only one night at his
grandfather’s house, he again began his journey to Addis Ababa, this
time hiding himself in the back of a loaded truck.
In
Addis Ababa, Tilahun was first hired by the Hager Fikir Association,
which is now known as Hager Fikir Theater. After a few years at the
Hager Fikir Theater, he joined the Imperial Bodyguard Band where he
became a leading star singer. During his time with the band, Gessesse
ran afoul of the government after the attempted coup d'état of December
1960 by the Imperial Bodyguard. He was arrested and put in prison for a
time.
Tilahun moved to the National Theater
where his success continued. He was so famous that he appeared three
times in front of Emperor Haile Selassie I. During a visit, the Emperor
advised him not to abuse his talent.
Tilahun's recordings are in Amharic and Oromo.
He received an Honorary Doctorate
Degree from Addis Ababa University, in appreciation of his contribution
to Ethiopian music. He has also received an award for his lifetime
achievements from the Ethiopian Fine Art and Mass Media Prize Trust.
Tilahun Gessesse died on April 19, 2009. He had been in poor health for several years due to diabetes. --Wikipedia.org
