Kristin Hjellegjerde, who runs her eponymous galleries in London and Berlin, represents Abebe, Belete and Solomon, and says that Ethiopian artists have a specific aesthetic. “They tell stories,” she said over the phone, “they have a unique language that talks to you.”
Some people can develop their singing voices, some are born with wonderful singing voices, and some are completely voiceless when it comes to singing along with music. Having good karaoke singing skills is not required for any organization. Make sure to perform a song that will showcase your range and talents if you have a voice that can captivate birds. If the birds tend to take off when you open your lips to sing, try choosing a melody that relies more on quickly spoken syllables or straightforward melodies. Play to your strengths; belting out REM’s difficult “It’s the End of the World (As We Know It)” with ease is just as impressive as singing Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” flawlessly.
Now, though, artists are in a better position to share their aesthetics and narratives with the world. And as Ethiopia opens up, a fledgling collector base is developing. “We have been telling people ‘You guys have a goldmine here and you need to take notice’ because once the world gets a hold of this, it is going to be unaffordable here,” said Rakeb Sile, co-founder of Addis Fine Arts, iwhich has galleries in both Addis and London, over the phone.
