Teddy Afro’s “Tikur Sew” – Ethnic Politics and Historical Narrative

by Rachael Hill
The Africa Collective

Battle of Adwa oil painting (ca. 1970, Library of Congress)

Ethiopian popular singer Teddy Afro released his fourth and most recent studio album Tikur Sew (Black Man) in 2012. The title track was a tribute to the late 19th century Emperor Menelik II and the victory of a united Ethiopian front against an aggressive Italian invasion. The event commemorated in the song and reenacted in the video is the world famous 1896 Battle of Adwa. I am not alone in arguing that this is an event of global historical significance. It not only continues to feature prominently in the historical memory of many Ethiopians as a kind of patriotic touchstone that highlights Ethiopia’s fierce defense of its sovereignty in the face of encroaching European colonialism but also, Africans throughout the world drew inspiration from Ethiopia’s victory over a well-equipped modern Italian army. In many ways, Ethiopia became emblematic of African resistance and Adwa signaled the possibility of a future victory for Africans (Diaspora included) living under the yoke of colonial rule and oppressive segregationist policies. In Europe, and Italy in particular, the Battle of Adwa was a humiliating reminder of the limits of European colonial power and challenged erroneous assumptions about African inferiority. One can learn more about the global historical importance of the event itself here and here or learn about the legacy of Adwa as it is remembered in Ethiopia from Haile Girma’s documentary film Adwa.

Depiction of Empress Taitu in the Battle of Adwa

I read the message of the song as one that was calling on Ethiopians to remember the spirit of Adwa—unity forged in diversity. Additionally, it seemed important that the song itself makes mention of Empress Taitu (Menelik II’s consort who led troops into battle) and the video depicts (at least two) women on the front lines. Ethiopian women have a long history of military involvement that often goes unacknowledged. Arguably, without the acumen of Empress Taitu, a skilled diplomat who was fluent in Italian and had the power to challenge her husband’s decision-making, there would be no Battle of Adwa to speak of. For it was Empress Taitu who urged Menelik II to declare war against Italy after discovering the discrepancies between the Italian and Amharic versions of the Wuchale Treaty—a treaty whose article 17 (in Amharic) recognized the sovereignty of Ethiopia and declared its relationship with Italy as a diplomatic partnership, while the Italian version made Ethiopia a protectorate.

However, my sanguine interpretation of the song as an effort to remind Ethiopia of the importance of unity by highlighting significant contributions made by women and prominent Oromo/Gurage military strategists in the Battle of Adwa was not how it was received in Ethiopia. As I read the vitriolic exchanges happening in the comment section on youtube (I know, I know, never read the comments) and perused the blogosphere, I was immediately struck by the way in which Tikur Sew was being cast as an attempt to re-assert Amhara hegemony. For those less familiar with Ethiopian history, for centuries, political power was concentrated in the hands of those most closely associated with an Amhara identity.

Some of the comments (like ones comparing Menelik II to Hitler) are not worth discussing because everyone knows that if a heated online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will inevitably compare someone to Hitler.

It appears that some of the most vocal condemnations of Teddy Afro’s song were rooted in an Oromo nationalist narrative associated with the OLF (Oromo Liberation Front). Let me be clear: on the one hand, it is entirely accurate to assert that violent conquest played an important role in the expansion and consolidation of Menelik II’s rule and that Oromo people have not received their due recognition by historians for their contributions to Ethiopian history. On the other hand, some of the talking points presented as historical facts and used to rail against Tikur Sew are either not supported by historical evidence or have very little to do with the content of the song itself.

Dejazmach Balcha Aba Nefso, Oromo military leader who fought in Battle of Adwa and died in the 2nd Italian invasion (1936)

For instance, some commentators claimed that between 1868 and 1900, Menelik II’s army killed half of the Oromo population (amounting to 5 million). It appears that even Al-Jazeera repeated this figure in an article that contains several other inaccuracies that I won’t address here. While Ethiopia did not undertake its first official census until the 1960s, most estimates of Ethiopia’s total population in the 19th century fall somewhere around 9 million—making the 5 million number highly questionable.

Then there was the controversy over a local media outlet (Enqu) that used an an incendiary quote falsely attributed to Teddy Afro as its headline for an electronically circulated article: “For me, Menelik’s unification campaign was a Holy War.” Teddy Afro denied making the statement. The editors subsequently told their email subscribers that it was a “technical” error and distributed a different modified version. How a “technical” error can result in a fabricated quote remains unclear.

Minister of War Habte-Giyorgis Dinagde during Battle of Adwa (Gurage/Oromo)

Other commentators argued that Menelik II, like all Amhara rulers of the “Abysinnian state,” colonized the Oromo and some went so far as to claim that Oromo would have been better off if the Italians had won the battle. First, we have the historical example of Italy’s second invasion and subsequent occupation (1936-1941) to remind us that the Italians were capable of violent atrocities (mustard gas, beheadings, summary executions) that spared neither Oromo nor Amhara. Secondly, presenting Amhara rulers as a colonizing force seems to be based on the notion that a homogenous Amhara political elite is responsible for creating the “Abysinnian state” in the first place. Yet, ethnic identity and its relationship to political power are far more complex. For centuries, Oromiffa speakers migrated and settled in northern Ethiopia (traditionally associated with “Abyssinia”) and often married with Tigrayans, Amharas and Afars. Hence the idea that an ethnically homogenous “Amhara” group ruled the “Abyssinian” state is mere fiction—though perhaps a politically useful fiction (for Amhara nationalists) as ethnicity increasingly becomes the basis of political organization in Ethiopia. One could also argue that what is generally thought of as “Amhara” culture has been consistently shaped by centuries of Oromo migration, integration and political participation. Menelik II himself has both Oromo and (by some accounts) Gurage ancestry. The mother of Emperor Haile Selassie I, Menelik II’s successor, was paternally Oromo and maternally Gurage, while his father Ras Makonen Woldemikael’s was born of an Oromo father and Amhara mother. Based on his parentage, the last Emperor of Ethiopia was more Oromo than he was Amhara. In any case, the idea that ethnicity functions today in Ethiopia as it always has can be discounted by a number of historical examples. In many ways, the controversy over Tikur Sew has more to do with contemporary ethnic politics—and the role that ethnicity plays in present-day Ethiopian society than it does with the actual content of Teddy Afro’s song or the historical event it commemorates.

All that said, there is no doubt in my mind that Teddy Afro’s Tikur Sew is an oversimplification—and indeed a glorification—of a complex set of historical circumstances that highlights Menelik II’s efforts to defend Ethiopian sovereignty and does not address the violence meted out to those who resisted his efforts to incorporate the southern regions into his kingdom. Yet when is it realistic to expect nuance and complexity from pop stars?

You can read my translation of the lyrics below.

***Lyrics in Amharic and English with explanatory notes***

ኑ አድዋ ላይ እንክተት

Come to Adwa ready to fight/defend

ያ ይጥቁር ንጉስ አለና

That Black King is there and

የወኔው እሳት ነደደ

The spirit/zeal burned

ለአፍሪካ ልጆች ድል ቀና

Victory brought luck to the children of Africa

ባልቻ ኣባቱ ነፍሶ

Balcha, his father is Nefso (Balcha was a general of Oromo-Gurage origins who also fought in the second Italian invasion)

መድፋን ጣለው ተኩሶ

He threw the artillery after firing

ባየይ ዓይኔ ብረቱ

If I hadn’t seen it with my naked eye (implied: I wouldn’t have believed it)

ያውቃል ስለ እውነቱ

He knows about the truth (the previous lines are repeated)

ጥንድ አርጎ ሰራው የኔን ልብ

He made my heart two

ጊዮርጊስ ፈረሱ ቆም ሳይ

When I saw St. George’s horse standing (this reference to St. George should be understood to mean that St. George, the patron saint of Ethiopia played a decisive role in the victory. The story is that Menelik II prayed to St. George before going to Adwa and vowed to build a church in his honor should he be victorious. That is the origins of Kidist Giorgis Cathedral in Addis Ababa, which was erected as promised during Menelik II’s reign. Also Priests marched into battle carrying the Ark of the Covenant – hence the victory is seen as not only of great political importance but is of great spiritual significance.

ድል ቀናኝ ሳልል ዋይ

Victory came to my side without saying “way” (way being a vocalization like “oh” uttered as a lamentation)

አባቴ ወኔውን ተኮሰው

My father (referring to Menelik II) fired the spirit

ምንሊክ ጥቁር ሰው

Menelik, black man (again previous lines repeat)

ዳኛው ያሉት አባመላ

The judge (meaning Menelik?) who called Abamala (a leuitenant of Menelik’s)

ፊት ሀብቴ ዲነግዴ

Fit Habte Dinagde (short for Fitawrari Habte Giorgis Dinagde, Minister of War under Menelik II and of Gurage-Oromo origins)

ሰልፉን በጦር አሰመረው

The military parade drew a straight line

ፊት ሆኖ በዘዴ

He stood up front strategically

ሳልል ዋይ

without saying “way” (previous lines repeat)

ወደ አድዋ ሲሔድ ምንሊክ ኑ ካለ

When Menelik went to Adwa and said come

አይቀርም በማርያም ስለማለ

He did not remain behind since he swore by Mary

አረ አይቀርም በማርያም ስለማለ

Era (a vocalization that adds emphasis like “wow”) He did not remain behind since he swore by Mary

ታዲያ ልጁስ ሲጠራው ምን አለ ?

So what? when the child called, what was said?

ወይ

Yes!

ወይ ሳልለው ብቀር ያኔ እኔን አልሆንም ነበር እኔ

If I had not said yes at that time, I would not have become who I am

እኔን አልሆንም ነበር እኔ

I would not have become who I am

ምንሊክ ጥቁር ሰው

Menelik, Black man

ኢጆሌ ቢያኮ ጀጀባዳ መሌ – Oromifa

ጀዴቶ ከሌ ያገሬ ኮበሌ – Oromifa

ዱበት ኢነዲምኑ አልከነተኤ ጉያ – Oromifa

ዲናፍ ኢላኑ ኢትዮጵያ – Oromifa

ባልቻ ኣባቱ ነፍሶ

Balcha, his father was Nefso

መድፋን ጣለው ተኩሶ

He threw the artillery after firing

ፋኖው አባ ራስ አሉላ

Warrior Father Ras Alula (another general in the war from Tigray province)

ሳንጃ ጎራዴው ቀላ

Dagger (sanja), sword (gorade is a traditional curved sabre), became red (implied: with blood)

አዛዥ የጦሩ ባሻ

Chief commander of the army

ድል ነው ካለ መንገሻ

If Mengesha (a commander from Tigray) says, it is victory

ጊዮርጊስ ፈረሱ ቆም ሳይ

When I saw St. George’s horse standing

ድል ቀናን ሳልል ዋይ

Victory came to me without saying “way”

አባቴ ወኔውን ተኮሰው

My father fired the spirit

ምንሊክ ጥቁር ሰው

Menelik, Black man

የቀፎ ንብ ሲቆጣ ስሜቱ

When bees of the hive felt angry

ከፊት ሆና መራችው ንግስቱ

The queen (referring to Empress Taitu, Menelik II consort and closest adviser) standing up front led them

ወይ አለና ሰትጠራው ጣይቱ

Yes they said, when Taitu called

ወይ ሳልላት ብቀር ያኔ እኔን አልሆንም ነበር እኔ

If, at that time I had not said yes, I wouldn’t have become who I am

እኔን አልሆንም ነበር እኔ

I would not have become who I am

ምንሊክ ጥቁር ሰው

Menelik, Black man

( The proverb that appears at the end of “Tikur Sew” translates: “In order to define yourself now, you have to look at your past.”)

Rachael Hill is a PhD candidate at Stanford University interested in the history of health and medicine in Africa. Her current research focuses on  the history of scientific research on Ethiopian medicinal plants and efforts to integrate traditional healing with biomedicine in 20th century Ethiopia.