February 2019
ADDIS ABABA
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Closeup: A fascinating interview with the founder and executive manager of Design Week Addis Ababa, Metasebia Yoseph EatUp: Delmela making sure its customers leave with a “Full Stomach” Page 14
What’sUp: What the heck is Kuriftu doing in Semera? Page 21
04 05 08 09 14 12 Editor’s Letter
Headsup
Thumbsup
February Events Calendar
Followup
Event Review Meklit Hadero: Endee
Eatup
Catchup
17 Closeup
Interview With Metasebia Yoseph
Restaurant Review Delmelà
International Event FESPACO Pan African Film Festival
21 24 What’sup
Reelup
Cinema Review
Kuriftu- Afar
Here we go for February 2019. It is already the 2nd month of 2019. As we dive into the new year in full force, let’s pause and reflect on what the event landscape in Addis looks like and what it takes to take it to the heights we all want to elevate it to. Like the many other industries in our nation, event organizing is young as an organized industry. With all its potentials and promises, it needs our dedicated and systematic effort to realize its full capacity. The past 8 months LinkUp has been striving with a vision to fill the missing link between events and event goers and to bridge the information gap in the industry, we would like to now call all other stakeholders to fill in the gaps we are yet to fill. The field is wide; the opportunities too many. Let’s open our eyes wide. Let’s unite and elevate the event industry, which sustains livelihood of hundreds of thousands Ethiopians, young and old. February is exciting. Design Week Addis Ababa is happening this month, and as usual, it is expected to take its audience through a journey of design and creativity in a week-long thrill. We have covered DWAA 2019 in our CloseUp column, with an exclusive interview with Metasebia Yoseph, the founder and executive manager of the event. There is a lot more in the pages. We wish you a joyful time with our February issue.
Eyob Workineh Editor-in-Chief
Editor in chief: Eyob Workineh eyob@linkupaddis.com Marketing Director: Eyasu Abdella eyasu@linkupaddis.com Creative Director: Benny Yoseph benny@linkupaddis.com
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Cover Image Designed By Gashaye Amare
01-16 FEBRUARY2018 • Ethio Jazz & Golden age pop Eliana Hotel , 06:00pm
• Poetic Saturdays - አድዋ Fendika Cultural Center, 02:00pm
• Goethe Monthly Book Review National Archive and Library of Ethiopia, 02:00pm
• Live Music Bake & Brew, 06:00pm
• BOOK REVIEW: Pedagogy of the Oppressed Jupiter International Hotel, 3:30pm
• Habesha Gena Expo Millenium Hall, 09:00am
• Hello Addis Elegance Night a Luxury Collection Hotel Sheraton Addis, 10:00pm
• Ethiopia: 100 Beautiful People 100 Beautiful Lives Fendika Cultural Center, 05:00pm
1 • The Talked about Game Night ‘Quizzards Ramada Addis Hotel, 08:30pm
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• Trio Kazanchis+2: concert Ethiopian Traditional Impro Punk Alliance Ethio-Française, 08:00pm
• Tribes N Vibes Esco Bar & Restaurant, 09:00pm • Bob Marley Birthday Bash Celebration Bon Addis Bar & Restaurant, 09:00pm
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• Goethe Addis Facebook Book Club! Goethe-Institut Addis Abeba, 09:30am
• Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc.
• Zoya party ( electronic music) Greek Club, 10:00pm
8 • Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc. • The Talked about Game Night ‘Quizzards Ramada Addis Hotel, 08:30pm
9 • Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc.
10 • Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc.
11 • Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc.
12 • Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc.
• Wolfgang Tillman (Fragile- ተሰባሪ) Exhibition opening Goethe-Institut Addis Abeba, 06:00pm
• Unusual djs, Zodiac Series: Aquarius Face Of Addisa, 02:00pm
• Responsible Leadership Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa, 05:00pm
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17-28 FEBRUARY2018 • Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc.
• Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc.
• Design Week Addis Ababa Several locations during the week including Kana Studio Hall, Hyatt Regency, Laphto mall etc. • The Talked about Game Night ‘Quizzards Ramada Addis Hotel, 08:30pm
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18 • Afro/BMT Celebration PARTY Fana Bole 17/18 Hall, 08:00pm
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• JAM DOWN ADDIS Face of Addis, 06:00pm
22 • The Talked about Game Night ‘Quizzards Ramada Addis Hotel, 08:30pm
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• Ethio Health Exhibition & Congress (on going) Millennium Hall, 09:00am
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Thumbsup Eyasu A. Ashenafi
Sport Name: Ethiopia Skate
Entertainment Name: Gast Mall
Ethiopia Skate was formed in 2013 at the Sarbet parking lot in Addis Ababa. They work to empower youth in Ethiopia by providing access to skateboard materials and by creating skate spots. The community consists of over 150 skateboarders in Ethiopia’s capital and other small towns across the country. In April 2016, they teamed up with Make Life Skate Life and a team of over 60 volunteer skatepark builders and skateboarders from around the world to construct Ethiopia’s first and the only free-of-charge public skatepark, Addis Skatepark. More recently, in November 2017 they built Ethiopia's second free of charge community skatepark, HawassaSkatepark.
The newly launched Gast Entertainment complex has a lot to offer. Exclusively dedicated to entertainment, health and well-being, the complex includes highly equipped Gym, cinema, children’s play centers. In addition to Addis Ababa’s first Mirror Maze it has several other pioneering facilities. Gast is a place you must visit.
Website: http://www.ethiopiaskate.org Facebook: /EthiopiaSkate Location: Behind Laphto Mall Tel: +215(0) 929010359 On Google maps? Yes Restaurant Name: Shifta Shifta kitchen is a carry out spot specializing in Caribbean and Veggie dishes. With its cozy arrangement and art on the wall, Shifta makes a wonderful venue to visit. Their food, tasty and fresh, offered with a great service, is also wonderful. Facebook: /shiftafoodboutique Tel: +215(0) 911866686 Location: Located about 100 meters behind Sheger building, Edna mall area On Google maps? Yes
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Facebook: /GastEntertainmall Tel: + 251 (0) 930113377/88/99 Location: CMC opposite to St. Michael church On Google maps? Yes Market Name: NGO Bazaar at IEC NGO Bazaar is a monthly bazaar held from 9am-12pm, on the last Saturday of each month (except during the rainy season) on the sprawling grounds and rooms of the Evangelical Church. Among others, you can find: Wicker furniture, honey and jams, hand book selections, plenty of jewelry options, colourful pillows, quilt great for kids’ rooms, traditional finely woven baskets etc. Facebook: /iecinaddis Tel: +251 (0) 11 371 3611 Location: Sarbet opposite Kings Hotel On Google maps? Yes
FollowUp
Meklit Hadero: Endee Time flies when you're happy Brook Negash he Ethiopian music scene has seen several great artists that have been able to break through international barriers to perform on the global stage. Mahmoud Ahmed, who inspired the great Ethiopiques series, is one of them, Mulatu Astatke, the father of Ethio-Jazz, is another. There is also Aster Awoke, who has inspired three generations of musicians and music lovers. And there’s Meklit Hadero - the one who has sung for them all and continues to do so much else. Meklit has been a constant fascination since she first made her appearance. From her widely acclaimed TED talk, in which she underlined the natural world as the single most important teacher, to her lively performances and beautiful voice, her fame both in Ethiopia and globally has been doing nothing but grow. It is with this backdrop that Meklit performed in Addis for the first time in two years. Meklit’s performance was one of the most anticipated events of January. And the host of this event was Alliance Ethio-Francaise. Alliance which has always situated itself at the center of the art and cultural scene in Addis, once again proved it is worthy of its reputation. Though the performance was scheduled to start at 8:00pm, a lot of
people reached quite early, and the reason was no secret. The cold, January evening started getting warmer as more and more people started filling the open-air, amphi style venue. One could hear loud, excited voices of music lovers who couldn’t wait until Meklit came on the stage. With a the diverse mix of spectators, one could easily see her unifying power across ages, culture and linguistic groups. The event started at 7:45 pm and if the audience was too excited to see Meklit on the stage, She satisfied every single bit of the anticipation and made the night a memorable one. She kicked off her performance with her unique dramatic entry to the stage and took the audience on a journey. She was engaging, contemporary but still connected to her core values, and strikingly graceful on the stage. She performed Kemekem, I am Gonna Sing for Them All, Abbay Mado and so many more of her best hits. Along with her band, she brought in Ethiopian talents Jorga Mesfin and Haddinqo on Masinko, who were a gem on an already marvelous artistic evening. If there was anything disappointing about Meklit’s performance that night, it is only that it was too short. But then, as the proverb goes, time flies when you are happy.
"With a the diverse mix of spectators, one could easily see her unifying power across ages, culture and linguistic groups.”
"Meklit’s performance was one of the most anticipated events of January."
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Photo by: Abenezer Geleta (Ras Studio)
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She was engaging, contemporary but still connected to her core values, and strikingly graceful on the stage.
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Photo: www..lomography.com
Photo by: Abenezer Geleta (Ras Studio)
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CatchUp
The Longest
Film Festival Ruth Bogale
in the Continent
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he 2019 Pan African Film Festival become a “locus classicus” of artistic and of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) will cultural legitimation; a place of encounter mark the 50th anniversary of the between filmmakers and their audiences; founding of the festival, the an inspiring lighthouse for most important film and cinephilia in Africa; a space for "one of the cultural event on the African the reinvention of the world largest and most according to a principle of continent. established film proximity irreducible to the The 26th edition of the festivals on the play of geopolitics. Indeed, festival from February 23 to FESPACO is nothing short of continent." March 2, 2019 will include a unique laboratory of ideas, short and feature length films, where the cultural, the political, documentaries and TV series by African the economic and the social find unique filmmakers of African origin. modes of mutual articulation and partake Since 1969 the year FESPACO in the production of thought and affects happened, Burkina Faso has celebrated about the place of Africa in the world, the African film and culture by hosting one ways she sees herself and wishes to project of the largest and most established film herself. festivals on the continent. Every year, In an effort to evaluate this major thousands of filmmakers, industry insiders institution, celebrate its uncommon and festival-goers flock to the country’s journey and critically examine the capital Ouagadougou to watch the feature festival’s successes and limitations, length films and shorts being screened, proposals are now being accepted to create and to be involved in the atmosphere of the discussions promoting retrospection, largest Film Festival on the continent. stocktaking and future visions by Over the years, the festival has, examining, inter alia, the evolving in addition to being a genuinely identities of the festival, its role in shaping indispensable biennial exhibition space, the destiny of African cinema, its standing
“The first time I went to FESPACO was in 1985 and that was through my colleague at Howard University.” Haile Gerima
Photo: www.lomography.com
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
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“Every year, thousands of filmmakers, industry insiders and festival-goers flock to the country’s capital Ouagadougou to watch the feature length films and shorts being screened.”
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The 25 th edition of the Pan African Festival, 2017. Alain Gomis, winner of the golden stallion.
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Photo: www.fespaco.bf
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relative to the global sphere of film festivals, and indeed, its place in the emerging field of film festival studies. Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima won the Golden Stallion of Yennega, FESPACO’s top award, in 2009. “The first time I went to FESPACO was in 1985 and that was through my colleague at Howard University,” said Haile Gerima, who was on the jury at the 1983 edition of FESPACO.
EatUp
Delmelà Ephratha Kibru
F
rom the ground floor of Ambassador Hotel stands “Delmelá” – a restaurant characterized by repurposed windows and simple furniture with a delicate aesthetic, Delmelá is beautiful, unique name that translates to ‘full stomach’ in Silt’egna (The Semitic language of the Silt’e people). The place oozes sophistication. The smells of freshly baked goods and the sounds of smooth blues and jazz seep through my senses while I decided what to order. ‘Simplicity made to perfection’ was the motto of this cozy little joint and I couldn’t wait to test the bold claim. After a consultation with the friendly waiter, I settled for the Fried Chicken and Waffle from Delmelá’s Sunday Special Brunch section as the focus of my attention. It was an American Staple and just like its nation of origin, it was a unification of different cultures, in this case borrowing from Dutch cuisine and Soul Food. The Tika Tika, Power Bowl, and Cado Bowl (all rice dishes) would also accompany the Chicken and Waffles. While I waited for the food to arrive, Melat Teshome, the lively owner of Delmelá, proceeded to enlighten me a bit more about the lovely hub she created. A
pleasant, affable woman, she had moved back to Ethiopia from the United States 2 years ago, slowly building up her expertise. “My family works with coffee,” she says. “I was exposed to the industry early on and this engagement led to my desire to provide people with not just generally better coffee, but good coffee.” And she has succeeded. Delmelá’s Café Latte was one of the best cups of coffee I have had in a while. Not only was the bean good, the way the drink was made also attested to its quality. And I had no doubt Melat’s experience with coffee cupping played a role in that. The food then arrived and I was thoroughly impressed by the presentation. Everything looked impeccable. The Fried Chicken and Waffle was just begging to get devoured and the rice bowls were no different. The Fried Chicken and Waffle was bathed in thick gravy made from mayonnaise and barbeque sauce, with a cup of maple syrup just waiting for my eventual saccharine craving. I cut up a morsel and took the first bite. The tender chicken went hand in hand with the airy waffles. The gravy was powerful, with the smoky yet sweet barbeque sauce feeding
" just like its nation of origin, it was a unification of different cultures"
Photos by: Ruth E. Adamu
Fried Chicken and Waffle
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Location: Bole, Ground floor of Ambassador Hotel across Millennium Hall Service /label: Cafe-restaurant Opening Hours: 7 Days a week 07:00 AM - 10:00 PM Facebook: /delmel Phone Number: + 251 91 120 8169
Photos by: Ruth E. Adamu
the tanginess of the mayonnaise. The maple syrup also added sugar into the mix and solidified the dish’s taste as a wild ride. I happened to thoroughly enjoy the mix of all the contrasting flavors in the dish but I could see how someone with a far more conservative palate would disagree. Nonetheless, both the waffles and the chicken were excellently made. Next up was the Cado Bowl. A primarily avocado and beet combo, this rice bowl was awash with color. I took a bite and immediately noticed the house sauce. It was warm, thick, and creamy with a dash of salty goodness. It was a perfect match with the beet, avocado, and rice. The sesame seeds and tortilla crumbs on top also gave the dish a pleasant crunch. The Power Bowl was a celebration of chickpea. It was soft and yielding, falling apart in a supple manner as quickly as I put it in my mouth. The piquancy of the curry played with the crispy pita bread, finally calming when the neutral rice entered the picture. It was a terrific meal. I finally finished with the Tika Tika. From afar, it was more of the same but after the first few bites, I could see an analogy to yin and yang with the curry-yogurt combination. One amped up the palate of the dish while the other mellowed it out. I was thoroughly satisfied. As I looked over my options for dessert, I noticed there was quite a lot of waffles. “I initially wanted a coffee shop but then I realized I needed something that went well with coffee,” says Melat. “And I might not be a great baker but I can make good waffles. Back in the states, waffles were really big so I thought, why not bring that here?” But with one problem solved, another seemed to pop up. Most Ethiopians aren’t really that big on stand-alone desserts. We usually want one after a meal we would consider a main course. So Melat came up with a nifty solution - rice bowls. “They aren’t really hard to make and everyone feels satisfied after a good rice dish. It also helps that the menu is composed of a lot of my favorite foods. The fact that I enjoyed eating them meant that I loved making them,” she remarks. I eventually had the Strawberry Shortcake, the special for the day. It was light and sweet, with the whipped cream center going hand in hand with the fluffy sponge cake. It was nothing too fancy yet was a splendid dessert nonetheless. In the end, Delmelá delivers on everything it promises to provide. With a gorgeous, aesthetic and superb meals, the slightly high priced menu is quickly forgiven. It really was ‘simplicity made to perfection’.
"A primarily avocado and beet combo, this rice bowl was awash with color."
"It was nothing too fancy yet was a splendid dessert nonetheless."
"And I might not be a great baker but I can make good waffles."
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CloseUp
Design Week Addis Ababa 2019 Selam Tarekegn
ince its launch in 2015, Design Week has evolved to be one of the most anticipated events in Addis Ababa showcasing and coordinating local and international artists, designers, workshops, galleries, showrooms, cultural institutions, hotels and so much more. The weeklong event, which takes its audience across venues in the city, attracts thousands of people from all walks of life and has the power to engage them in an ecstatic journey of art design. Linkup spoke to Metasebia Yoseph, founder and manager of Design Week Addis Ababa. Tell us about your background. My background is multi-disciplinary. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Art History, and then put that into practice by working as a digital archivist at the Ethnographic Museum at the Institute of Ethiopian Studies in Sidist Kilo, as well as working as a curatorial consultant in Washington, DC for the DC Arts Center and the Embassy of
Finland. I received my Masters in Communication, Culture, & Technology, and put that into practice by working as a Marketing, Communications, and PR consultant in Ethiopia, and starting the Design Week Addis Ababa festival. I have also written a coffee table book on the Ethiopian coffee ceremony called “A Culture of Coffee”. How did you come up to organize Design Week Addis Ababa? What was your vision for it? I was familiar with the Design Week festivals that take place around the world and really appreciated the way it brought together different stakeholders and audiences from a variety of industries together under the umbrella of design and creativity. When I first moved back to Addis in 2013, I was surprised by the disconnect between the creative industries and the public sphere, between creative entrepreneurs and commercial
“I hope people consider it as “fancy” because it is well executed. However, keeping design and the Design Week programming accessible is very important to us.”
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Photo courtesy of Design Week
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and government spheres. And more importantly that design and design thinking were not at the center of our development strategy. I was hoping to create a collaborative platform that brought all of these things together for the better. Did you think it would reach such a level of prominence? I knew that Ethiopians are immensely creative so once a platform was available to celebrate and promote this, it could serve as a catalyst. There are also Design Week events in other countries. Is your event a simple copy of those events or does it have its own unique features? Each Design Week is unique to its host country, it reflects local creativity and design solutions but also offers an opportunity for international participants and exhibitors. We are also recognized members of the World Design Weeks, which gives us access to a network of international design communities. What are the unique features of Design Week Addis Ababa, making it different from other ordinary events happening in Addis?
Photo courtesy of Design Week
It’s one of the first events of its kind, providing a mash-up of different art forms, topics, creators, and innovators. We showcase innovations across seven themes: Technology, Industrial Design & Interiors, Fashion & Textiles, Art & Multimedia, Visual Communication (Graphic Design), Food & Gastronomy, and Architecture & Urban Planning, so essentially our world through a creative lens.
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Have you had international recognitions as a result of DWAA? If yes, what are those? Yes, after our first inaugural DWAA in December 2015, we were invited to Dubai to showcase Ethiopian design in Downtown Design during Dubai Design Week. We have also participated in Design Connections, hosted by the British Council during the London Design Festival. We have also consulted for other international organizations and companies, providing insights on Ethiopia’s creative industries and art scene.
“we host international design professionals and facilitate collaborative projects through our Design Lab program.”
Some people consider Design Week as a fancy event, just for a limited group of elites. Is it of any value to the general public? Well, I hope people consider it as “fancy” because it is well executed. However, keeping design and the Design Week programming accessible is very important to us; this is why we don’t charge entrance for any of the public events. The value that it offers is access – to ideas, creativity, and inspiration. Because the core belief behind DWAA is that design has the power to dramatically impact the lives of everyday Ethiopians, and that is a key takeaway I want for anyone that attends. You only organize DWAA every two years, why is that? Is it because of the challenges, or is it because you love the excitement? We tried to make it annual, but have yet to secure the right partner to work with us on an annual basis. So we shifted the strategy to bi-annual, so that we could have an “on year” and an “off year”. During the on year we host DWAA in Addis Ababa and during the off year we participate in a Design Week
“Design Week Addis Ababa (DWAA) is engaging in more design consultations and collaborations with different brands.”
or event related to the creative industries abroad, and this allows us to serve as ambassadors for Ethiopian innovation and design, which is in our mission statement. Who can take part in Design Week (as an exhibitor/ performer and as a visitor)? Anyone who applies and is selected can participate, but all are welcome to enjoy.a
What are the criteria to showcase one’s product/ service on Design Week? You must apply during our Open Call for submissions via our online application form. Our Organizing Committee selects the final participants, who will pay a small registration fee to cover their exhibition and marketing tools. What plans do you have for Design Week?
Fascinating presentations and talks by innovators from a variety of industries, a curated shopping experience at our Design + Farmers Market, interactive exhibits, and stimulating events. How did your audience grow from the first DWAA event to the last one? What do you expect this year? Our event attendance has grown roughly 3.5 % after each edition. We expect several hundred attendees per event. What are the locations that will be showcased on the event? We will have satellite events taking place all over Addis, including the Hyatt Regency, Mura Craft Meat shop, the Laphto Complex, the Alliance Ethio-Française, Ambiance, Blue Space, the Rainbow Headquarters & Showroom, and Kana Studio.
Design Week Addis Ababa (DWAA) is engaging in more design consultations and collaborations with different brands, as well as one-off events and workshops where we host international design professionals and facilitate collaborative projects through our Design Lab program. We are also developing a space to support the local creative community.
“It’s one of the first events of its kind, providing a mash-up of different art forms, topics, creators, and innovators.”
Who would you like to thank in connection with organizing DWAA? We have an amazing group of partners who are helping to make DWAA 2019 a success, including strategic partnerships with Tourism Ethiopia, Kana Television, Flawless Events, ETTA, Zeleman Communications, Advertising & Productions, the Hyatt Regency, and Heineken. As well as programming partnerships with the Alliance Française, The Village, High Altitude Kitchen, Rainbow Bed, Foam & Beyond, Laphto Complex, Mezo Productions, Numek Advertising and Link Up Addis.
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Photo courtesy of Design Week
What unique features should we expect from the event this year?
What'sUp
Kuriftu Afar
Eyob Workineh
ospitality is a booming sector in Ethiopia. International hospitality brands are making Ethiopia their prime destination, and new local and international brands are springing up all over the nation. At the center of this boom is Kuriftu. They have opened yet another hotel with their trademark of unsurpassable quality and branding. What’s more, they don’t seem to stop this unprecedented journey anytime soon. They have even recently even opened a brand new four-star level Kuriftu Resort and Spa in Semera, Afar.
“Wait, what!? Are they crazy?” This is true. It is open, and it is up and bouncing. When the Linkup team got an invitation to an exclusive pre-launch visit to Kuriftu Resort and Spa: Afar, expectations were not very high, and it was with a fair level of doubt that the team flew to the north eastern hot city Semera. Established less than 15 years ago as a capital city of the Afar Regional State, Semera is an exclusively administrative town with a population of less than 10,000 people. The weather is so hot that it can more frequently than not be hostile. So why the hell is Kuriftu in Semera?
Well, it is because they are smart. They know what they are doing. And, most importantly, they care. Living here in Addis or anywhere except Afar, you might think Semera is far. It is not as far as you imagined. It took a 50-minute flight from Addis to Semera and a minute and a half drive from the Semera Airport to the brand new Kuriftu, which makes it a 51 and a half minute travel from Addis to almost the farthest possible destination you can imagine. What makes Kuriftu Afar special is not just the distance. With a comfortable expanse of space, Kuriftu has built something marvelous. As one goes into the lobby one would feel the difference in the use of space. With simple but luxurious furniture and a generous use of space in the lobby, restaurants, bars, conference halls and hallways, the hotel is a true escape from the creepy, narrow and sometimes dark hotels in Addis where the concept of personal space is always at risk. As we were ushered to our rooms, the kind, motivated hospitality of the attendants followed us from our first entry to the lobby to our assigned rooms and up to the restaurant until midnight when we had to resort to our bedrooms once again, not out of choice but out necessity to rest
Location: Semera, Afar
Service /label: Hotel, Resort Star Level: 4 Opening Hours: 24/7 Breakfast: 07:00 AM - 10:00 AM Special Offers: Ground Tennis Court, Indoor Swimming Pool & Fully Equipped Spa Phone Number: + 251 91 814 1306
"With a comfortable expanse of space, Kuriftu has built something marvelous."
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Photo by: Abenezer Geleta (Ras Studio)
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Photo by: Abenezer Geleta (Ras Studio)
for the night. This is not to mean that the rooms are of any lesser quality. More than 60 fully furnished bedrooms with facilities that more than beat the hot weather and four presidential suites make your stay at Kuriftu a real pleasure. “Opening Kuriftu in Semera is a strategic move by our company,” says Firesibhat, manager of Kuriftu Afar. “We hope to tap into the rich tourism potential Afar has,” he adds. With Erta’ale, one of the very few active volcanic scenes in the world, rich archeological sites that have produced some of the rarest archeological findings including Lucy, the Danakil, Africa’s lowest depression and extremely rich social and cultural dynamics, Afar attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, and Semera is the gateway. In a seemingly abandoned city with little urban culture, Kuriftu is an oasis. Add this to Kuriftu’s near perfect attention to customer satisfaction, and you find the answer to what the hell Kuriftu is doing down there.
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So why the hell is Kuriftu in Semera? Well, it is because they are smart. They know what they are doing. And, most importantly, they care.
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ReelUp
Kidus Tamiru
Cinema Glass Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan Runtime: 129 min Starring: Bruce Willis, James McAvoy, Samuel Jackson Glass is a comic book themed story about three exceptional characters, one who believes he’s a super hero, another who believes he’s a villain, and the third, mastermind of it all. This film is the final chapter in a trilogy, with the superman David, the genius Elijah from Unbreakable and the Dissociative Identity Disorder afflicted Kevin from Split. And as such, this story relies heavily on the previous films to be enjoyed or even understood. But even then, “enjoyed” is a strong word. This is quite a disappointing culmination to a long story. Considering the first two were original and interesting when they came out, Glass is a disappointment. I do not recommend this to anybody who’s under the impression that this is a superhero film in the vein of the MCU or DCEU. This is more of a meta-comic book film that’s more character study than action sequence. Although the film is boring and drags on a bit too long, the saving grace is the acting. James McAvoy’s chameleon-like switches from one character to another right before your eyes are astounding. Overall, unless you’re a huge fan of Split and Unbreakable (especially the latter), you have absolutely no reason to watch this movie. 6/10
The Upside Directed By: Neil Burger Runtime: 126 min Starring: Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart The Upside is a story about an ex-convict who develops an unlikely friendship with a quadriplegic billionaire after getting hired as his caretaker. This film is a remake of the French film The Untouchables from 201 and as far as remakes go, it’s a complete failure. It’s too similar, in some cases a bit too much, down to the wardrobe and adds nothing to the original. It’s obvious this film was made strictly for people who’ve never seen the first one. Even though the acting is very good (Kevin Hart toned it down for once), the actors lack the charisma and likeability of the original. Butpeople who haven’t seen the French film will definitely enjoy this. It’s a heartwarming story about friendship and it’s very funny at times. Even though the story is quite clichéd, it won’t matter. The writing and well-cast actors will keep you entertained throughout. So if you’re in for a lighthearted comedy and hate watching movies with subtitles, I recommend this. But if you don’t mind subtitles (or speak French), then screw this and watch the original. 7/10
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Tefetari Produced By: Tadios mekonen, Esrom Tekle, Nebiyo Endris, Hana Merha-tsadik Starring: Debebe Eshetu, Girum Ermias, Hana Merha-tsadikd Tefetari is a crime thriller about a wealthy screenwriter who becomes a prime suspect in a series of murders and the investigation that follows. This film strives to be your typical “Hollywood-style” detective story with an intelligent, psychopathic villain and obsessive detectives chasing him, and it that regard, it succeeds. It’s clear the direction, cinematography and even the acting are aiming for that mark. But unfortunately the film has no basis in Ethiopian life or reality. The main character is an unreliable narrator who can’t tell the difference between reality and his stories which is a plus for the film. But the same can be said of the screenwriter of this film. He has genuinely forgotten he was making a film in an Ethiopian context and it ended up quite ridiculous. Two-way mirrored interrogation rooms with cameras, a charismatic, all-knowing villain that plays Beethoven on his grand piano, intelligent Sherlock-like style investigations … I probably had you had two-way mirror. All in all, The unrealistic and exaggerated “Hollywood” style acting made this film very pretentious and even funny when it’s not supposed to be. It's reminiscent of a badly made Se7en told mostly from the serial killer’s perspective. So understandably, the protagonist is also quite unlikeable. Not because he’s a serial killer but because his seemingly unending pseudo-philosophical monologues and Girum’s “cool” guy performance get really old really fast. The other actor playing the lead detective takes himself so seriously it’s actually comedic. Debebe and Hana (“the other cops”) play their roles with at least a certain bit of self-awareness and it’s a lot better to watch. But as for the good things about this film, I really appreciate the courage and leap to make something different and “new”. It doesn’t fall back on any of the overused tropes of Ethiopian cinema like comedy, too many subplots or the obligatory romance. And that’s a really good step towards creative filmmaking and I hope others use this as inspiration (even in how not to do some things). But unfortunately, “unusual” alone is not enough to make a film watchable, let alone good. So if you’re really bored of the formulaic Ethiopian films regularly available, then check this out. But you’ve been warned. 6/10
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Code for the Future - TOP 10 76 female developers participated in iceaddis’ and UNESCO’s Code for the future project. Here are the top 10 teams who made it to the final stage. Adrash: We are like Uber for logistics. We move goods with our tracks and deliver it to you. A mobile app solution to tackle the increasingly hectic traffic jam in Ethiopia by calculating smart route using artificial intelligence. We democratizing the price for you calculating the cost of moving your goods right from your mobile phone.
AfroStyle: Afrostyle is e-commerce platform provides a complete business solution to artists in the creative industry. We help to sell products for designers, painters and website developers.
BDMS: Is a web based application, that allows blood banks to manage the blood donation management process easily while notifying the blood donor be part of the whole process from donation until the blood is given to someone. We believe this will create a sense of motivation on individuals to donate blood and help to create a good culture of blood donation in a society.
26 I Linkup Addis Ababa February, 2019
Hewan: A complete menstrual cycle management for women. The mobile app also includes detailed pregnancy followup besides physician check up (at home), postnatal tracking problem for mothers - all in Ethiopian languages.
iMed: iMed is a one-stop online platform to search and locate your prescribed medicine in Ethiopian pharmacy. GPS integrated locator and continuously updated data, you don’t have to walk all over addis to find the prescribed medicine.
Keze: Keze is a step into the future. It's an Active Ankle Foot Orthosis that supports movement for disabled people. It is smartly designed to be aesthetic, functional and highly affordable.
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Medistry: Secured and comprehensive patient management systems for clinics and mid size hospitals.
Nyala: We integrate a complete medical recording in organizations HR system. Our system directly links with insurance and company owned clinics. Managers can make informed decisions about medical expenses, sick leaves and more.
SmartSharing: In our everyday lives we encounter people asking for help using various methods. Of these people the ones that easily catch our eyes are people with medical conditions who use mainly minibuses to collect donations. SmartSharing is trying to ease this process by creating a platform for people to donate any amount of money easily to the charity/ cause of their choice. I plan my platform to be the go-to place for people who want to contribute to good causes.
Upgradify: We are all about self improvement. Our platform will have all the necessary tools to achieve one’s personal goal. Our platform acts as a guide and will have a section for people to interact with themselves. We believe this will answer the fundamental question people face when starting this journey, “where can i start to achieve my goals?”. And also we will also help users spend their time wisely. As we have added available volunteer works, internship programs and competitions available here in Addis
For more info: www.codeforthefuture.net
28 I Linkup Addis Ababa February, 2019