Oh Ethiopia, the land of Habasha. No doubt, one of the most breathtaking countries I've been lucky enough to visit. The people, the weather, the food and of course the music will make your trip to Abyssinia unforgettable!
Ethiopia, situated in the Horn of Africa, is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. Cool right?
Rich in archaeological finding and historical buildings making it full of beautiful heritage.
It is also considered as an icon of liberty, as it was never colonized and maintained it's independence during the scramble of Africa.
Did I mention my favorite fact? IT HAS ITS OWN CALENDAR! Of course that makes it as unique as ever! The rest of the world celebrated the beginning of the third millennium in the year 2000. Ethiopia on the other hand has celebrate both the 2000 Ethiopian new year and the first year of the third millennium in 2008! WHAT!
Here comes my favorite part of the post, the food and the music. -sparkling eyes-
The music of Ethiopia is extremely diverse with each of the countries ethic groups being associated with unique sounds. Some forms of traditional music are strongly influenced by folk music from elsewhere in the horn of Africa.
They have different traditional musical instruments.
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| Kirar |
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| Washint |
-Chordophones
Traditional string instruments include a one string bowed lute, the Kirar, a six sting lyre and more.
-Aerophones
The Washint is a bamboo flute. Trumpet-like instruments include the ceremonial Malakat and the Eskita Traditional Dance the Holdudwa (Animal horn) and the Embilita, flutes that have no finger holes and produce only two tones. Yup, two tones.
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| Nagarit |
-Membranophones
The Kebero is a large hand drum. The Nagarit is played with a curved stick and the Gurage and certain other populations play the Atamo, a small hand drum made of Clay.
Ethiopia is a musically traditional country. Of course, Popular music is played, recorded and listened to, but most musicians also sing traditional music and most audiences choose to listen to both popular and traditional styles.
Oh my god, their traditional dance! I got goosebumps just remembering watching them do their multiple traditional dances from different regions in Ethiopia, a show that is a mixture of history, beauty and resilience.
And now, the moment we've all been waiting for..Are you ready? THE FOOD!
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| Dish of mix stews and Injera base |
Ethiopia with it's rich, spicy stews and diversity of flavors, Ethiopian food surely qualifies as one of the world's best cuisines.
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| Injera |
Ethiopian food is best known for its sour dough, spongy flatbread called Injera, made of teff flour, that's naturally vegan and gluten-free. Stews and sauses are commonly poured on top of the Injera which then serves as the "spoon" to my ready to chew mouth and my very demanding tummy!
OK. I just realized how hungry I am!
To put the cherry on top, Ethiopia is also the country coffee originated from.
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| Bunna (Coffee Ceremony) |
The coffee ceremony is an integral part of social and cultural life in Ethiopia.
An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony is considered a mark of friendship or respect and is an excellent example of Ethiopian hospitality. Performing the ceremony is almost obligatory in the presence of a visitor, whatever time of the day it is!
| Jebena,Cini and Mubkhar |
The brewing process may be different than any other you've seen before. first green unroasted coffee beans are roasted on a flat pan over a tiny charcoal stove, then the beautiful smell of the beans is mixed with the aroma of frankincense and myrrh that is always burned during the ceremony in a pottery pot called Mubkhar. When the coffee beans turn black and the aromatic oil is coaxed out of them, they are passed around the room for people to smell and waft the smoke towards them to get the full aroma of the beautifully brewed coffee beans.
The coffee beans is then grinned usually in a wooden mortar and pestle. Then the coffee grounds are put into a pot made of pottery called Jebena till it comes to boil and then it's served in tiny cups called Cini. Life in a cini!
