From: ENHOC-DC (fwd@dehai.org)
Date: Mon May 25 2009 - 19:30:20 EDT
18th Eritrean Independence Day - Washington DC. Evening Event Pictures (Sunday)
18th Eritrean Independence Day - Washington DC. Family Picnic Pictures (Part I - Saturday)
18th Eritrean Independence Day - Washington DC. Family Picnic Pictures (Part II - Saturday)
Text and Pictures of Ghenet Ghebru's Award Presentation
The 18th Eritrean Independence Day Celebration in Washington, DC - Report
Memorial Day weekend coincided with Eritrea's Independence Day celebrations and for Eritrean-Americans in the United States and especially for those living in the Washington, DC area, it was a double celebration. In the early morning of 24 May 2009, the rain was coming down hard and for a while it looked like it was going to be soaking wet throughout the day, but it stopped and gave way to a beautiful sunny day. It was Eritrea's 18th Independence Anniversary and Eritreans in the Washington, DC area were determined to celebrate the day in grand style, rain or not. This year, the grand gala was held at the Washington Convention Center in the middle of the city. Thousands showed up dressed in colorful traditional attire. The colorfully decorated ballroom was filled to capacity.
Emmanuel Tecle, welcomed everyone and called for everyone to stand up to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Eritrea's beloved sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives to bring about Eritrea's independence and in defense of its sovereignty. Everyone joined the children's ensemble as they sang Eritrea's National Anthem. Wearing T-shirts in Eritreas national colors, children, some as young as 5 years old performed marvelously to the crowd's delight. Shortly afterwards, the colorful opening ceremony began and a procession made its way from the back of the ballroom to the front. Represented in the procession of Eritrea's nine nationalities, members of Eritrea's Defense Forces, Eritrean farmers and workers and more and amidst them was a beautiful young lady representing Eritrea. The program culminated in a ceremony where they all pledged to defend and protect Eritrea's sovereignty and independence. After this Emmanuel invited Ghirmai Berhe, Chairman of the Washington DC metropolitan area Eritrean National Holidays Organizing Committee (ENHOC-DC), to make the opening remarks.
Ghirmai Berhe welcomed all and thanked the Committee members who helped organize the three day Independence Day celebrations, which included the family picnic on Saturday, 23rd of May 2009 and the Friday night reception at the ECCC. He congratulated the Eritrean community for the admirable conduct displayed and for observing all park rules, and most of all for the excellent clean up work at the end of the picnic. He thanked the many volunteers who worked throughout the year to make the Independence Day events a success. Ghirmai then invited H.E. Ghirmai Ghebremariam, Eritrea's Ambassador to the United States to address the Community.
Ambassador Ghirmai extended his warm greetings and well wishes to all present. He then went on to outline the many challenges Eritrea had faced in the last 18 years and how Eritrea had met those challenges and obstacles head on, managing to preserve not just its sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also its political independence. From the aggressive Ethiopian war of invasion in 1998-2000, to the many politically motivated defamation and vilification campaigns by various quarters and mercenaries in their employ, Eritrea had endured much, but had managed to survive the onslaught and emerge even stronger with the people's unity intact. Ambassador Ghirmai's address was followed by a video of President Isaias' Independence Day address to the nation that was given in Asmara few hours earlier.
Eritrea's history is replete with stories of heroism and selfless acts of her sons and daughters and in the Washington, DC metro area, the story of adey (mother) Ghenet Ghebru (though affectionately the young and old alike call her only by Ghenet), the most beloved member of the Eritrean Community is such an example. Adey Ghenet Ghebru's entire life has been devoted to Eritrea and the people of Eritrea. Her struggle for Eritrea's independence spans decades and has taken her to many places including Greece and other faraway lands, before landing in the United States in the 1980s. Adey Ghenet symbolizes courage, defiance, kindness and selflessness, all the traits that have endeared her to everyone that has crossed her path. A lifelong member of the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) and the EPLF, adey Ghenet has made numerous generous contributions to needy Eritreans in the Diaspora and in Eritrea. Many have called her home their Ghenet (Tigrigna for paradise), and many more have been recipients of her love and encouragement.
The audience gave her a well deserved standing ovation and there was not a single dry eye in the house when she was wheeled to the front of the ballroom as her life history was being narrated. She too was in tears, overwhelmed by it all. Adey Ghenet lost her sight to diabetes about 9 years ago, but she did not loose her sense of humor, or her grace and personality. Those who visit her in the nursing-center where she resides will attest to her unwavering support for the people of Eritrea as they rebuild and develop their beloved nation. It was a moment of great pride for all gathered to be present as Ambassador Ghirmai presented her with an award for her lifelong dedication and hard work.
The rest of the evening was reserved for music and dance and who better to carry the night than Bereket Menghisteab, Eritrea's singer par excellence. Over five decades Bereket had masterfully used his kirar as a weapon to articulate Eritrea's struggle for independence and in the past 18 years for its sovereign existence. Bereket had traveled all the way from Eritrea for the occasion. Amazingly his music was able to grace Independence Day celebrations in the two U.S. coasts in a span of 24 hours. He had played in the Bay Area until 1:00 a.m. and then flew east to Washington, DC in time for his Sunday performance.
Bereket started his evening of singing with his signature song that takes listeners through every district of Eritrea. To listen to this song is to sit on an Eritrean geography class and to graduate with a thorough knowledge of Eritrea's terrain and people. He then took the room by storm when he sang his 1998 song "hzbi eritra" (Eritrean people). The audience started roaring when he uttered the words "kabaKa mladey yeKurAni, yeHebneni: hzbi eritra: nay afriqa awra" (I am proud to be your son Eritreans, you prime Africans.) Everyone who heard the lyrics of this song will attest how fitting tribute to the Eritrean courage, steadfastness, unity the song is is.
Then his kirar was tuned to his 1972-3 song, "Meley"; at that moment it is no exaggeration to say almost every able middle-aged or older person was on the dance floor. The hit songs continued with his 1998 song "Badme" and on and on. In his song "Badme", Bereket laments that the Ethiopian leaders chose an unwise path of war, that war is no joke, those who think "might is right" evntually fall. It might be "David and Goliath" match but without a doubt Eritrea will come out on top.
When he started his 1993 song: "niHna hager", repeating the phrase in Tigrigna, Arabic and English, the audience was again on its feet. Sure enough, he delighted them with an excellent lyrics of Tigrigna parallelism. Where he went on singing:
"nHna hager, nHna mdri"...,Bereket's talent was not limited to Tigrigna; he also sang in Tigre and in Arabic, though if it was not for time, the audience would have loved more songs in those two languages.
We are the nation, we're the land;
We are the ship, we're the sea;
We are the history, we're the memory;
We are the past, we're the present;
We are the root, we're the stem; ...
We are the city, we're the village;
Fly high our flag, stand forever,
wave for freedom, we are your strength.
We are the book, we're the story;
We are the geography, we're the scenery; ...
We are the armor, we're the shield;
We are the thunder, we're the rain;
We are the honey, we're the bee;
We are the life, we're the heartbeat;
We are the masses, we're the people.
We are the morning, we're the noontime;
We are the peace, we're the love;
We are the majesty, we're the glory;
We are the honor, we're the dignity;
A pleasant song at midnight,
full of jubilation,
had climaxed at down of independence.
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