Music and Art as Historical Record

Music and art is very popular in Ethiopia. Music in the county of Ethiopia is very diverse because every ethnic group in the area is connected with a specific unique sound. The county had many different types of instruments as well. Traditional string instruments include the Masenqo which was a single-stringed bowed lute. Another string instrument they used frequently used was the Begena, it is a ten string instrument that looks similar to the harp we are familiar with in our county. Other types of instrument include the Washint which is a bamboo flute, the Kebero which is a very large hand drum. The Ethiopian people are very influenced by many types of folk music and ancient Christian related music. The people also listen to their own secular music that is similar to what we have here in the U.S.

               

 Ethiopian art started as early as the 4^th century to the present. The Art can be divided into 2 separate groups: Christian art which was used in church and metal work such as crowns. And arts and crafts such as baskets and jewelry. Ethiopian paintings were done regularly on walls, books and in icons. The Ethiopians would paint their orthodox churches from top to bottom. As I said before metal works was another important art form in this county. They would make crossed out of wood and metal. The crosses were made for either processional services or worn as jewelry such as necklaces. The Ethiopians also created a diverse array of textiles used in the church such as curtains and wrapping in their churches. They also made colorful beautiful baskets which was extremely common in rural Ethiopia. The people used these baskets to store grain, seeds, food and also used as bowls.

      

Facts about Ethiopia

Out of the 54 African counties to choose from, I have decided to focus my studies on the country of Ethiopia. Ethiopia has a population of about 100 million people. Ethiopia is the 2nd most populated Africa nation behind Nigeria. Ethiopia's capital and largest city is Addis Ababa which is located at 9°1′N 38°45′E.  The countries official language is called Amharic. They have a Federal Parliamentary Republic for their government. Their president's name is Malatu Teshome.  Ethiopia has a tropical climate, generally mild weather. The average temperatures range from about 68 to 85 degrees. The seasons are largely define by how much rainfall they get. October to February is fairly dry season. Light rain begins around March and goes until May. Heavy rain begins June to September. Ethiopia averages about 47 inches of rain each year.  Ethiopia has high central plateaus that vary between 4000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. Also has mountain ranges reaching as high as 14,872 feet. Agriculture is the main source of money in the county, about 85% of the jobs/workforce. They grow coffee beans, legumes, oil seeds, cereals, potatoes, sugarcane and vegetables. Ethiopia is the second biggest maize producer in Africa. Ethiopia does export goods to other counties but it is said that about 95% of cross-boarder trading in through unofficial methods.  Most of Ethiopia's health problems are from contagious diseases that stem from poor sanitation and malnutrition. Of the 100 million residents of Ethiopia, over 44 million of them do not have access to clean water. There is a large shortage of trained doctors and nurses to help the sick. The average Ethiopian lives to about 60-62 years of age. Many people in Ethiopia lack the health education needed to stay well. Many organizations such as World Health and the United Nations has launched campaigns to improve the countries health by providing information regarding AID and other contagious diseases. The lack of clean water is a huge source of frustration for these people because you need water to survive so they continue to drink and bathe in dirty water. Without clean water sources, diseases will continue to spread pretty rapidly.