[2017] ETHIOPIA

                         & PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR

9177 OU25 - Ethiopia -- Dance Culture

I'm sure there was plenty of other culture, but while staying there I saw a fair amount of Ethiopian dancing. This was presented as a cabaret by the Hilton hotel in its main restaurant. It was also run for locals in a club.  I suspect the two companies were in fact one. But it was fascinating since it was very energetic, with both men and women shaking their shoulders vigorously and in the case of the latter making some very impressive movements of the breasts as a result. Most poignantly, though, was the ululating of the women.  I have never heard a sound so evocative. At the Hilton, along with the visiting businessmen, I saw the performance in the form of a cabaret while I was having my meal. 

I subsequently went to the local bar with my friends from the British Council.  I was even persuaded to join in the dancing, and swayed my body well enough -- but I doubt that I would ever make a great Ethiopian dancer.

The most impressive experience, though, came on the night of the anniversary of the end of the war.  I was invited to join the party which was attending a command performance given for the president. 

I should say that I had had my own -- rather negative -- part in this.  For several days, when I had gone downstairs in our building – the Council of Ministers building -  I had discovered that the soldiers had, as I thought, brought in their girlfriends who were dancing to music.  This music was playing throughout the building on the PA system. I managed to persuade them to cut it out, since it was interrupted my teaching of the ministers.  When I went down later I discovered the dancers still dancing, but very quietly. It was only later that I realised these were the national dance companies preparing for the command performance which was being held in the theatre next door!

When I got to the command performance, I discovered it was only for the ‘family’.  Thus there were only about 50 or so of us. The point was that this performance was in the Council of Ministers chamber, which must usually have held at least 1,000 people - in two tiers - all focused on the stage. It was weird. There I was, in this vast emptiness, sitting with the president and just a few members of the government family!

Having said that, the dancers were superb.  The programme was compilation of contributions from all three national Ethiopian dance companies.   

I had never been a great one for country dancing, but this was absolutely marvellous. It lasted something like three hours, but I was enthralled all the time.  They had so many different regional dances and each one was spectacular in its own way.  It was a wonderful performance. I suppose, also, it was a great privilege that something like 150 dancers were performing for just 50 of us.

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