‘Ethiopia Tikedem’ (Ethiopia first)

Ethiopia first was the chorus of the song.

‘Tenesa Teramed’ (Stand up and stride) underlines unity in diversity. It is the name of a patriotic song aired by Radio Voice of Ethiopia in July 1974 or thereabout. This all-inclusive song resonated throughout the country and lifted the spirit of all Ethiopians regardless of their gender, age, ethnic background or creed. Though for a short time, it set us on a course of enthusiastic desire for change without bloodshed. I wish to tell how I got to know and sing ‘Tenesa Teramed’ on one of those of my ‘zemecha’ (a collaboration campaign) days that I will never forget.   ‘Zemecha’ was a philosophy of education for national reconstruction by general mobilization and successful ‘zemecha’ (campaign) for the future advancement and growth of the country.

Without going into detail and immodest about it, I was proud and privileged to take part faithfully in the ‘Ethiopia Tikedem’ ‘zemecha’ to loyally serve and advance my country as the song explained the whole scheme.

At the end of the song, we all applauded in a vivid aura of togetherness, display of joy and determination to push for bloodless change.

The song was unanimously and enthusiastically approved with one brilliant amendment suggested by a highly respected officer of Oromo origin from Wollega province. He commented that the song should reflect ownership thereof by all children of Ethiopia and not only by members of the Air Force who initiated the song first. The amendment was accepted with deafening applause even before the officer could finish his comment. The phrase in the very last of the section of the song which red “says the Air Force” was substituted by the all-inclusive phrase “say your children”. I repeat that it was a brilliant amendment underlining the virtue of inclusiveness of all sectors of the Ethiopian society contrary to the immoral policy of TPLF regime using ethnicity as its weapon to divide and misrule Ethiopia.

It was then decision was made to take the tape immediately to the Provisional Military Coordinating Committee later renamed Derg, The song was aired by Radio Voice of Ethiopia on the same evening of that unforgettable day.

The text of the song and the music were the work of young members of the amateur Music Club of the Air Force. The devoted call for change, by putting Ethiopia first, brought civilians and men in uniform of all ranks together on a band wagon for progress. Interestingly, there is nothing in the text of the song even remotely embracing a specified ideology.

Regardless of the inadvertent mismanagement of the ruling military regime of the time, (novice military personnel incapacitated by incompetence, following the same status quo they only knew through history, to rule by force in order to maintain law and order), the song rather, in contrast, clearly depicts the new dawn and unity for Ethiopian people to front a new transformation with a battle on hand since the Italian aggression.

The song was made up of six sections of four to five lines each separated by one line of repetitive chorus, Ha Hu ‘Ethiopia Tikedem’ sang twice. ‘Ethiopia Tikedem’ means Ethiopia first; ሀ (Ha) and ሁ (Hu) are the sounds of the first and second fonts in the first row of the unique Ethiopian Alphabet.

Ha Hu was the philosophy of mass education ideology evidently demonstrating the need to educate Ethiopians to make ‘Ethiopia Tikedem’ (Ethiopia first) a reality.

Unfortunately, the current TPLF regime is doing the very opposite to the all-inclusive rallying call for change rightly articulated by the song. ‘Tenesa Teramed’ underlines unity in diversity; it advocates the virtue of hard work; it underscores the importance of building dams across our rivers for irrigation neglected without benefit for centuries; it expresses firm resolve to safeguard the territorial integrity of our Motherland, Ethiopia.

 

The call for fundamental change to the way we do things in our world is all universal in our global village. The quest for freedom is steadily enduring.

It is time to stand up in harmony and break the handcuffs in which Ethiopians are held as subordinates by the brutal TPLF regime reinforced by its own walls of armed forces.

TIME FOR CHANGE.

LONG LIVE ETHIOPIA UNITED IN DIVERSITY!