Melsew was interviewed by Bereket of the Music Mayday Ethiopia team.
B: When did you start your music career?
M: As a kid, I didn’t picture what I would be in the future. As I grew up, I was thinking about being a doctor or a pilot. These professions appeared to be epitomes of my dream for the mere reason that the society gives them high value. After I completed high school, I started considering engaging in music and one day I woke up and realized that I should go to music school. Then I joined Yared Music School where I spent four years studying Viola as a major and Piano as a minor and in the year 2001, I graduated and got an advanced diploma. And two years later, I was inspired to see my friends write lyrics and melodies. Then I started doing my own album. I wrote all the lyrics and the melodies are my own as well.
B: What effect does music have on your life?
M: It is part of my life and my profession as well. Before starting my music career, I was very much fond of literature. At present, I am at the gate to enter totally in to the music life. So I guess I am not at the right point to soundly express its effect on my life. However, I can tell you that I am getting to know professionals and celebrities in the field, which is an advantage for me to entertain new perspectives.
B: How do you think music influences social transformation?
M: Music has the power to win over peoples’ attention. So, like literature, painting and other forms of arts, music plays a major role in introducing new ways of thinking which in a way creates the ground for changes in attitude, and this in turn could be an asset to deal with the dynamics of globalization.
B: What strong issue does your album raise?
M: There is one piece by which I addressed poverty. I can’t see any reason for us to blame nature and external influence for all the problems we are encountering. I believe we should take the responsibility for our own problems, which generate from maladministration and lack of hard work. We need to convince ourselves that the solution is in our hands. This song raises important messages on the issue.
B: What do you think of Music Mayday and its goal?
M: I think this organization is the first of its kind in our country actively operating to develop youth culture by applying popular forms of arts. I strongly believe the establishment of this organization avails the platform for the youth here and from abroad to come together through art and make the difference. I also learned that it has established a one year old Book Reading and Discussion Club participating the youth in particular. This, I believe, is a great campaign to bring about attitudinal change heading towards success and prosperity among the youth.
B: In what way do you want to affiliate yourself with the organization?
M: Here I think we share the same dream, which is contributing to eradicate poverty from Ethiopia. The organization applies art as a material to curb the problem. So, I want to contribute my share to this effort.
« return.