- published: 27 Jun 2015
- views: 1583603
Teddy Afro (in Amharic: ቴዲ አፍሮ; real name: Tewodros Kassahun, in Amharic: ቴዎድሮስ ካሳሁን, B. 14 July 1976) is a popular Ethiopian singer and critic of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). His opposition to the government has led to legal troubles.
In 2001, Teddy Afro released his second album, Abugida, named after the Abugida syllabary of the Ge'ez language. Several tracks quickly caught the ear of many listeners in Ethiopia - "Halieselassie", a tribute to the late Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I; "Haile, Haile", a single in honor of the Olympic long distance champion Haile Gebrselassie; and "Mona Lisa", a song about the measure of human beauty.
His third album, Yasteseryal, was released in 2005. The release of this album coincided with elevated political tension in Ethiopia surrounding the Ethiopian general election, 2005. His politically- and socially-inspired songs acted as a call for unity and peace and made the 17 years of TPLF-led government in power concerned.[citation needed] Consequently the government banned four songs including "Yasteseryal" from playing on radios and TV (http://www.ethiopianreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10689&p=53228). The most popular song of the album "Yasetseryal" claims that there is no real change in Ethiopia but a new government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fight against the Derg was nothing but an infamous military junta. The album sold more than a million copies within a few months after its release, becoming the biggest selling Ethiopian music album to date.
[Cover of Ozzy Osbourne]
There are no unlockable doors
There are no unwinable wars
There are no unrightable wrongs
Or unsignable songs
There are no unbeatable odds
There are no believable gods
There are no unnameable names
Shall I say it again, yeah
There are no impossible dreams
There are no invisible seams
Each night when the day is through
I don't ask much
I just want you
I just want you
There are no uncriminal crimes
There are no unrhymable rhymes
There are no identical twins or
forgivable sins
There are no incurable ills
There are no unkillable thrills
One thing and you know it's true,
I don't ask much
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I'm sick and tired of bein' sick and tired
I used to go to bed so high and wired, yeah – yeah, yeah, yeah
I think I'll buy myself some plastic water
I guess I should have married Lennon's daughter, yeah – yeah, yeah, yeah
There are no unachievable goals
There are no unsaveable souls
No legitimate kings or queens, do
you know what I mean? Yeah
There are no indisputable truths
And there ain't no fountain of youth
Each night when the day is through,
I don't ask much
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I just want you
I just want you,
Hey, yeah
I just want you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I just want you, hey
I just want you