When Ethiopians talk about the golden age of their popular music, one name comes up before almost any other. Tilahun Gessesse, known simply as “The Voice”, sang with a tenor that many still regard as the finest Ethiopian pop voice of the 1960s. His songs about love, country and longing were the soundtrack of a generation.
Early life
Tilahun was born on 27 September 1940 in Waliso, south-west of Addis Ababa, to Gessesse Negusse and Gete Gurmu. As a young man he was drawn to the capital, where theatre and music offered a path to a different life. He began his career at the Hager Fikir Theatre, one of the city’s oldest performing arts institutions.
The Imperial Bodyguard Band
After a few years at Hager Fikir, he joined the Imperial Bodyguard Band, one of the prestigious state-sponsored orchestras of Emperor Haile Selassie’s era. There he became a leading star singer, performing for large audiences and recording songs that were played across the country.
Trouble in 1960
His time with the band coincided with political danger. In December 1960, members of the Imperial Bodyguard attempted a coup against the emperor. Tilahun came into conflict with the government in the aftermath, a reminder that even popular singers were not far from the politics of the palace.
The voice
Tilahun’s tenor was admired for its power, clarity and emotional control. He could hold long, ornamented notes in the traditional Ethiopian style and still sound modern over the brass and electric guitars of the era’s big bands. That combination made him the model many later singers tried to follow.
A golden age
The 1960s and early 1970s were a remarkable time for music in Addis Ababa. Big bands, nightclubs and a growing record industry produced a sound later made famous abroad by the Éthiopiques reissue series. Tilahun was one of the defining voices of that period.
Famine relief
During the devastating famines of the 1970s and 1980s, Tilahun used his popularity to raise money for aid. His willingness to lend his name and voice to relief efforts deepened the affection Ethiopians already felt for him.
Honours
Addis Ababa University awarded him an honorary doctorate, and he received a lifetime achievement award from the Ethiopian Fine Art and Mass Media Prize Trust. Such honours reflected his status as a national figure rather than simply an entertainer.
His death
Tilahun died from diabetes on 19 April 2009, shortly after returning from the United States. His death prompted national mourning, with huge crowds gathering in Addis Ababa to pay their respects.
Legacy
Younger Ethiopian singers still perform his songs, and his recordings are treasured by the diaspora as well as at home. For many listeners, his voice is inseparable from memories of family, radio and a hopeful era in the country’s history.
A voice that stayed
Nicknames usually fade. “The Voice” did not, because each new generation that heard Tilahun’s recordings agreed with the first. Few singers in Africa have earned a title so simple and kept it so long.
