Ethiopia Among Best Tourist Destinations

One of the leading publishers of travel guidebook, Rough Guides, recently held an online vote allowing its readers to select their top international destination choices for 2015.

According to the results, Ethiopia ranks number seven on the People's Choice list that also includes the UK, Iceland, Japan, Chile, Turkey and the US. This makes Ethiopia the only African country that made it to the list.

"From the dramatic Great Rift Valley to the lush highlands, the diversity of Ethiopia's landscapes might surprise you," Rough Guides wrote in its announcement. "This is one of the most beautiful countries in Africa, and visitors find themselves entranced by the stunning lakes, sprawling national parks and delicious national cuisine." The publication adds: "We recommended Ethiopia in 2014, and this year you've done the same."

Rough Guides said it is releasing a new e-book on Ethiopia this Spring. Addis Ababa was also featured on The New York Times '52 Places to Go in 2014' list.

Ten-year after exile Nebiat opens art exhibition at Alliance Ethio-Franciase

Nebiat Abebe, former graduate of the School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Ababa University is opening her art exhibition at Alliance Ethio-Franciase on Monday.

Nebiat, who was born in Addis Ababa in the mid 1980's had lived and worked in Antwerp, Belgium for the last ten years. Since her return from exile in Europe she has been working as a full-time artist expressing her life experiences in paintings and drawings.

She has showcased her art exhibitions both here and abroad for the last ten years. While many of her exhibitions are augmented by her childhood memories of her country the rest profoundly falls on her youth which she spent in exile.

Nebiat, who graduated from the only Art and Design School of Addis Ababa University in 1999 had further educations and exposure in Europe to embellish her career as an artist. The exhibition will be opened at 6:30 on Monday February 9 and will stay open for a week.

Fanfare of the Negus conference to be held:

Alliance Ethio-Francaise will hold a conference entitled "Fanfare of the Negus" on Thursday February 12 at 6:00 pm.

In 1924, the first Ethiopian royal brass band was formed with forty-children who were once deprived of their most earnest childhood memories due to genocide and dispossession. Armenian director of the band wrote the first Ethiopian national anthem.

Starting from this symbolic and political episode, Boris Adjemian retraces the unique path of the diaspora Armenian community in Ethiopia. According to many Ethiopian musicians of the time the modern Ethiopian music of these days is believed to be shaped and orchestrated by the Armenian-Ethiopian Nerses Nalbandian.

According to the organizer, the conference will raise those historical accounts and faded memories of the foundation of the current Ethiopian music. Narses is also known to be the composer and writer of the first African Unity anthem heard at the first OAU summit held in Addis Ababa in 1963. The conference will be channeled in English.

Hope with Art and Music of 2015 exhibition to commence tomorrow

The third art exhibition by ART Joy and Love is scheduled to be held on Sunday February 8 at the Addis Ababa University Alle School of Fine Arts and Design.

ART pieces was created by children from AHOPE, Artist for Charity and Sele Enat Mahiber after having participated in the art workshop mentored by Mihret Kebede, Director and founding member of the Netsa Art Village, and her friends. Musical performance of the children will be conducted by Elad Neeman and Monica Manaker.

The Israeli musicians have been mentoring the children to play their wonderful music and choreography at the event. The previous two exhibitions were also organized by the Embassy of Israel, Dany Engelhard (Prof), from Hadassah University Hospital in Israel as well as the Netsa Art Village group to present success stories for orphaned children. The embassy has been involved in this project since 2005 in order to help children grasp hope to their future through music and art.