Landing with Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Adeba together with Timbuktu!

I landed early morning on April 24th. It was a good flight, good seat, good food and a good movie. I had also the the pleasure of traveling with Swedish hip-hop star Timbuktu.

I think it is a promising start on my work here in Addis. I was here for the first time in January and did not spend any time digesting my impressions. This time I'll try to reflect on events here to share my experiences and views with all.

The reason for Timbuktus visit in Ethiopia is events produced by Selam and Swedish East African Music Network (SEAMN) sponsored by SIDA will have seminars, workshops, and concerts in Addis Ababa from April 25 to 29. There will be discussions on topics such as musical criticism, censorship, associations, education, and promotion. Workshops at the National Theatre will discuss the mobile studios, rap and DJskills and the new media.
Read more about Selam ...

The reason for my visit in Addis is to work on IT implementation projects and to research the possibilities to set up an offshore "factory" to do film conversion work.

In the Addis newspaper from the 22nd there was reports on the upcoming World Intellectual Property Day 26th of April which has been observed every year since the millenium shift 2000. In Addis Ababa it will be observed and celebrated with events over 5 days from april 23-27th. The theme set by the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office is "Encouraging Creativity".

Another case of serendipity: This was very timely as the violation of IP rights is one of my main concerns in doing film conversion work in Ethiopia.

Seminars will be held on the importance of IP policy and its contribution to socio-economic development, as well as adressing problems encountered, identifying key issues for future plans of action.

To bad I can't participate.

On my arrival I read in the The Daily Monitor (The paper that enlightens) about the unprecedented demonstration on Monday 23 of April in Addis Ababa by hundreds of artists, publishers and producers of Ethiopian music.
The 2-hour demonstration marched under the theme "Encouraging Creativity" against the ineffectiveness of copyright laws and for measures to stop fraudelent activities on their rights and privileges.

The heading for the article is Artists voice anger over "impracticality" of copy right law. The aim was to speak out their grief and concern over illegal copying of their works, demanding laws providing protection of intellectual properties. (I should have arrived one day earlier!)

A law was implemented one year ago but their works continue to be used and abused by selfish and unlawful individuals, leaving the artists "poor and hungry". Setting up of extraordinary courts was proposed to punish those behind illegal copying of works of art.

On wednesday evening I was able to do some illegal copying myself at Timbuktus concert at Sheraton Gas Light Disco-bar. Great show and I also got the opportunity to meet with the Swedish Ambassador who started the concert by presenting Timbuktu for the invited guests.

I'm still learning to blog - but I'll try to add edits from footage I managed to take with my mobile camera. When Timbuktu and his band played his hit song "alla vill till himmelen men ingen vill dö" he told us this was inspired by line from reggae artist Peter Tosh (something like; all want to go to heaven but no one wants to die). The reggae connection with Ethiopia is something I'll tell more about in my next post about Ethiopian film.