Issuu

May 2019

17 Closeup: A Never-Ending Inspiration: An Interview with Anna Getaneh- Model and Entrepreneur EatUp: Choma Grill The restaurant that makes you count the days until you’re back! Page 14 What’sUp: The Mad Vervet Hostel A review of a very unique place in a residential pocket Page 21

04 05 08 09 14 12 Editor’s Letter

Headsup

Thumbsup

May Events Calendar

Followup

Underground Music Scene in Addis

Eatup

Catchup

17 Closeup

Interview with Anna Getaneh

Restaurant Review Choma Grill

International Event Rocking the Daisies

21 24 What’sup

Reelup

Cinema Review

Mad Vervet Hostel

May is here, and the event scene in Addis has never seemed brighter. It is, in fact, marvelous to see the line up of events begging for an eighth day added to the days of the week. Just right around the corner, Gosaye Tesfaye is performing live at Ghion Hotel with “Monkey Business” electronic music party series happening the same night. Well the market is too big for everyone…yet. Maisha: EuroAfrican Music experiment, an event coordinated by the EU delegation to AU along with the upcoming Zodiac series, Zoya electronic music party and the ever-wonderful events at Alliance and the Italian Cultural institute make the month all the more fantastic. With all this, events in town are evolving to deservedly become hubs of societal transformation and growth. Oops, speaking of transformation, the annual Tibeb Be Adebabay, the annual street event hosted by Goethe Institut is also in May. Just stay tuned. The thrill continues! Enjoy our May issue.

Eyob Workineh Editor-in-Chief

Editor in chief: Eyob Workineh eyob@linkupaddis.com Marketing Director: Eyasu Abdella eyasu@linkupaddis.com Project and Social Media Manager: Fikreab Dagne fikrabdagne@gmail.com Creative Director: Benny Yoseph benny@linkupaddis.com Social Media Associates: Venture Addis

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Cover photo: courtesy of Anna Getaneh

01-16 MAY2019 • Paint and Sip Jupiter International Hotel (Bole), 05:00pm

• China Trade Week- Ethiopia 2019 Millennium Hall , 09:00am

• Ghion Open Air Cinema Ghion Hotel, 05:30pm

• FinTex Addis Millenium Hall, 11:00am

• Tibeb Be Adebabay 2019 Meskel Square , 05:00pm

• Cartooning In Africa: Opening of exhibition & workshops IAlliance Ethio-française , 03:00pm

• World Press Freedom Day 2019 African Union HQ , 05:30pm

• AIFF 2019 Workshops International vs local film market Alliance Ethio-française, 06:00pm

• World Press Freedom Day 2019 African Union HQ , 05:30pm

• Monkey Business Electronic party IJuventus Club , 06:00pm

• D5GameJam IceAddis , 07:00pm

• World Press Freedom Day 2019 African Union HQ , 05:30pm

• D5GameJam IceAddis , 07:00pm

• ElectroCozy Baritone Cowgirl Lounge and Grill , 09:00pm

• Movie Nights VillaVerde, 07:30pm

• Combo music night at Diamond Hotel Diamond Hotel Elixir lounge , 10:00pm

• 2019 Europe Day Races Ethiopian Youth Sports Academy , 08:00am

• The Final Watch: Game of Thrones Rainbow Warehouse Rwanda St. , 07:00pm

• Tibeb Be Adebabay Sunday with Mal Eleve National Theatre and Ethio-Cuba Friendship Park, 10:00am

• The Talked about Game Night ‘Quizzards Ramada Addis Hotel, 08:30pm

• Movie Nights in to the road Villa Verde , 07:00pm

• Patriot's Day Polo Tournament 2019 Jan Meda , 11:00am • D5GameJam IceAddis , 07:00pm

5 • Tibeb Be Adebabay The Urban Center, 05:00pm

• Back To School Ethiopia Expo 2019 Dagmawi Menelik II Secondary School Community, 11:00am

• Maisha - Afro-European Musical Experience Ethiopian National Theatre, 06:30pm

• Jubilee Fridays Jubilee Bar & Lounge, 07:00pm

• The Final Watch: Game of Thrones Rainbow Warehouse Rwanda St. , 07:00pm • The Talked about Game Night ‘Quizzards Ramada Addis Hotel, 08:30pm

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17-31 MAY2019 • Jubilee Fridays Jubilee Bar & Lounge, 07:00pm

• The Second EthioKids Expo Officers' Club , 08:00am

• The Final Watch: Game of Thrones Rainbow Warehouse Rwanda St. , 07:00pm

• Zodiac Series 4/4 : Taurus Face of Addis, 02:00pm

• Designers & Artisans Bazaar Golf club, 04:00pm

• The Talked about Game Night ‘Quizzards Ramada Addis Hotel, 08:30pm

• Designers & Artisans Bazaar Golf club, 04:00pm

18 • Movement Vocab Showcase Alliance Ethio-française , 06:00pm

• Full House Masters Edition Villa Verde, 04:00pm

19 • Jubilee Fridays Jubilee Bar & Lounge, 07:00pm

• The Talked about Game Night ‘Quizzards Ramada Addis Hotel, 08:30pm

27 • Jubilee Fridays Jubilee Bar & Lounge, 07:00pm

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Thumbsup Eyasu A. Ashenafi

Restaurant Name: EROS ADDIS Efrem Ogbaye’s (also known as "Effi International") passion for food runs in his family, and he has found a way to bring Habesha cuisine to the 21st Century. Effi realized his enthusiasm for food while growing up in Sweden. He became frustrated by the lack of creativity within the local East African community when it comes to culinary arts. After experimenting with East African spices and European presentation, he found a method to incorporate both elements and create an amazing and innovative dining experience. And, Eros Addis, is where you find all that! Tel: + 251 (0)11 668 4444 Location: Rakan Business Center (3rd Floor) On Google maps? Yes Gallery Name: St. George Gallery St. George Gallery is a short walk from the Sheraton Hotel and offers a stunning range of carvings, paintings, and textiles. The weavers work on site--and if you can, you should pop in to see the looms these artists work on. The looms are simple--and it's a little hard to fathom how these men can produce such beautiful and beautifully made textiles. You'll want to take home the pillows, runners, and a shawl or two. The furniture is stunning, too--but I imagine would be expensive to ship home. Facebook: /stgeorgeartgallery Tel: +251 (0) 11 551 0983 Location: A few meters away from the Sheraton Hotel entrance (roundabout) On Google maps? Yes

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Resort Name: Africa Athletics village – Yaya Village Yaya Village is a high-altitude training center and resort in, located on the road to Sululta, a town just 11 kilometers north of Addis Ababa. The resort was Founded by the 27-time World Record Holder Haile Gebrselassie and former Canadian Cross-Country Champion Joseph Kibur. On-site the 4-star Hotel has a gymnasium, steam room and sauna, physiotherapy and massage facilities, restaurant and bar, a conference room, a children's playground and a 1-kilometer dirt trail. The Hotel is ideally located with a surrounding area open to numerous running trails, including cross-country forest trails, the Entoto foothills and Keninisa Bekele's new all-weather track. Yaya Village sits at 2,700 meters (8,800 feet) and offers comfortable training temperature which attracts both elite and developing runners to the area. Facebook: //Yaya-Africa-AthleticsVillage Tel: +215(0) 93 003 4634 Location: On the road to Sululta, and only 11 kilometers north of Addis Ababa. On Google maps? Yes

played in the event and more are in the line up in the coming months. Asheweyna: Launched in Mid April, Asheweyna is an event that plays exclusively oldies Ethiopian songs. As one of the elements increasingly vanishing from the nightlife scene in Ethiopia, the originality of the music played at this event along with Tella and Areke, strong traditional drinks, is definitely going to make it big among young Ethiopians. Tribes and Vibes: This is another event hosted by the rising star, ARMAGHEDION, who calls the event his passion project. As its name suggests, Tribes and Vibes is predominantly themed by African electronic music, and Deep House and Techno. ARMAGHEDION explains, “(The event) is an exploration of underground sounds from all over the globe with an aim to shine a light on the rhythms and musical

stylings of lesser represented countries and cultures and shift away the focus from Eurocentric dance music to something more inclusive.” Full House: Full House, hosted by Choo Choo promotion, is one of the earliest in underground music scene in Addis Ababa, Full House established its name when it hosted its first edition in 2017 with the South African artists Roque headlining the event. As the momentum for electronic music has picked up, so has the caliber of Full House artists over time and 25 May, 2019 will have the fourth edition of Full House: Master’s Edition bringing with it three international acts; Samuel Dan, Josh butler and Metodi. For those that love and follow electronic music and that indescribable moment of the beat drop, this is not to be missed as these artists are sure to light up the night at Villa Verde.

“[Underground music events] have become great places for those who enjoy mixing business and pleasure and have been able to cater to the needs of many and draw quite a crowd.”

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Photo: www..lomography.com

Photo by: Abenezer Geleta (Ras Studio)

Zodiac Series:ARIES Face of Addis April 13

CatchUp

Photo: hospitalityhedonist.co.za

few isolated events existed, there was no ocking the Daisies is an eco-friendly music festival culture in South Africa. music and lifestyle festival that takes They decided to do it anyway. Step one place in South Africa. With over 10,000 was choosing a date. Spring in the Western people attending the event, the event Cape seemed like a good time, offers one of the best live and they could align it with the entertainment performances “the biggest Namaqualand flowers. Now in the continent. Rocking and the most they needed a venue. the Daisies is arguably, successful event “We started calling our old the biggest and the most not only in terms boarding school mates to see successful event not only of turnout” who had a farm we could use. in terms of turnout but also One guy said yes. It would take financial revenue, raising us four years to pay him the millions of Dollars every year. rental fee we agreed on, but at least we had So, how did it all start? a venue,” says Bright. Next, they needed cash. Bright sold When Brian Little and Craig Bright first his house and Little sold his car. They decided to host a music festival, they knew both borrowed cash from their parents. they’d have a few challenges. They had no “We were so inexperienced we ended up money, no venue and no acts, and while a

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“We were so inexperienced we ended up spending money on all the wrong things,”

Turning Things Around “We owed on the venue, the bands and the equipment,” says Little. “We worked with some very understanding people who basically waited a long time to be paid.” Based on those numbers, the future of Rocking the Daisies seemed uncertain at best, but Bright and Little didn’t let it deter them. “We knew we’d lose cash; we’d made the decision to view it as an investment and lose it well,” says Bright. “We had such great feedback and support, and that motivated us to keep going, despite our losses.” The following year they had 4, 500 people and partnered with Cloof Wine

Estate for the first time. To this day, Rocking the Daisies continues to be held in this beautiful setting. By year three, 10 000 people attended the event. Today the title sponsorship has grown from about USD3000 in year one to over USD245,000. “We’ve learnt so much about perseverance, following your passions and organic growth. We’ve been patient, and we’ve grown this incredible brand as a result,” says Little.

“When Brian Little and Craig Bright first decided to host a music festival, they had no money, no venue and no acts.” Source: www.entrepreneurmag.co.za www.sa-venues.com

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Photo: statravel.com.au

spending money on all the wrong things,” says Little. “We put a full 2kms of fencing up,” recalls Bright. Through contacts they secured new local acts the Parlotones and Goldfish, printed fliers and hoped for the best. All in all, the event cost USD 77,000 to put on. They had about USD 25,000 in cash. After selling everything else they could, and Little moving out of his house and onto a mate’s couch so that he could rent it out, they were still USD28,000 short.

EatUp

Choma Grill Mistre Tekaligne

ocated in Sarbet next to the Heineken HQ, Choma Grill is the newest venture by the Effoi Pizza brand. With its daring slogan “down to the bone”, Choma Grill is bringing contemporary twists to grill classics.

Entering through the gates, we were greeted by the voguish theme interior of the outdoor restaurant. The standard grill house wooden benches and tables were starkly contrasted by the brightly colored graffiti on the walls. Choma Grill takes pride in the fact that all furnishings are either built in-house or bought from a junkyard and refurbished, a true reflection of creativity that combines modern lifestyle with earthy wooden tones. A raised bed kitchen garden that framed the bottom of the walls held a variety of herbs ranging from every day cooking herbs like rosemary and oregano, to medicinal herbs such as Sage, Hibiscus, Damakese and Ariti. This grill restaurant is not only perfect to dig into a great barbecue, but also cozy enough for large gatherings with friends and family outings. After finding a place to sit and getting comfortable, we started our dining " experience with a round of drinks. A few of us ordered the house’s double filter Tella, while the rest who had yet to

Photo by: Abenezer Geleta (Ras Studio)

"...but the star of the show was the grilled chicken"

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acquire taste for this bitter brew settled for its commercial counter-part— good old beer. The Tella was served in a beautiful glass pitcher and cups, continuing the restaurant’s theme of blending traditional values with modern presentation. The Tella was dark and robust. It tasted refreshingly cold and slightly bitter which, I was assured by the more seasoned drinkers, is the measure of a good Tella. The menu at Choma offers a variety of grills, kebabs, barbecue and smoked meat with your choice of side dishes and sauces. Our mouths watering just from looking through the menu and resisting the urge to order every single item, we finally settled on ordering two of the meat combo dish – a combination of four main meats with three sides and three sauces of your choice, good to feed two or three people. While we eagerly waited for our food to be served, Rama Tesfaye, the manager, offered to give us a tour of the restaurant. As Rama took us from one corner of the restaurant to the other, we could see the glints of excitement and pride in his eyes. He started by showing us the simple things that gave the restaurant a vibrant character— the “Junkyard treasures”, as he called them. These were random appliances like fridges, sinks or shelves that were bought from a junkyard in an

Location: Sarbet, Behind the AU, Next to Heineken’s HQ Service /label: Restaurant/Bar Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM Facebook: /choma_grill Instagram: @choma_grill Phone Number: +251 93 001 2528

of fries – an item from their kids menu – as well as a bottle of Debrebirhan Areke for the table. The blackened brisket was hearty, smoky and flavorful. The bite sized chicken popcorn that was crispy breaded and simple to munch on is definitely suitable for kids. Stuffed to the brim and taking sips of the fiery areke, what we thought was going to be a forty-five minute meal ended up being a five-hour extravaganza. However, for those of you who don’t have five hours to spare, the restaurant not only offers takeaway options, but also does delivery for prime meats and chicken, upon request. If you are a fan of briskets, it’s available on Thursdays and Saturdays, but be warned: they only make a limited amount, order before it runs out. Choma Grill has exceeded our expectation. From the ambience and impeccable service to the scrumptious food for a fair price, the restaurant had us counting the days until we were back there before we even left the place.

“Choma Grill takes pride in the fact that all furnishings are either built in-house or bought from a junkyard and refurbished”

"Shifta embodies the spirit of modern art while maintaining a retro feel in a way no other place does" Linkup Addis Ababa May, 2019 I 15

Photo by: Abenezer Geleta (Ras Studio)

area commonly known as “18 Likuanda”, then thoroughly cleaned, revamped and given a place. The rest of the restaurant was then designed keeping these junkyard treasures at the center of its theme, which seems to give the whole place vibrations of whispered history. Rama then walked us past the garden, stopping at each herb to give us a short description, feel the texture and get a whiff of their refreshing fragrance. Following that, he showed us their brick wall kitchen that housed their self-built main grill, smoker and barbecue and the cold-room, which is used to dry age their renowned rib-eye steak that is only available on special occasions or upon early order. The most exciting part of the tour for me however was the repair shop in the back of the restaurant. This was where all the newly bought or broken down appliances and toys from all other Effoi Pizza locations were brought to be maintained, repaired or refurbished. By the time we got back to our table, our meal was being served communal dinning style, on two large wooden trays and comprised a full grilled chicken, beef ribs, kebabs and grilled tibs with handcut fries, roasted vegetables, beans & rice and Kachamburi (an East African tomato salad) for our side dishes, as well as awaze, kochkocha, tzatziki (a south European and Middle Eastern yoghurt based sauce), red chimichurri (an Argentinian and Uruguayan uncooked sauce for grilled meat) and barbecue sauce to complement our dish of choice. The savory aroma of the food was especially tempting; we didn’t even wait for the server to put down the trays before we started digging in. The tender and well-seasoned ribs tasted finger-licking good when paired with the zesty kachamburi. The tibs was cooked to perfection and the kebab was sensational, but the star of the show was the grilled chicken, which was juicy with a smoky flavor and a hint of sweetness from the glaze. The flavor of rice & beans, the sweetness of the cornbread and the crispiness of the fries complemented every meat dish. What tied the whole meal together still were the sauces. The fiery kochkocha, the spicy awaze and the acidic chimichurri enhanced the fatty flavor of the meats, the sweet barbecue sauce and the cooling tzatziki balanced out the heat. By the time we were done with our plates, we indeed had devoured everything down to the bone. Just when we thought we had enough, our gracious host brought over a sample of their Texas-style smoked brisket and a plate of their chicken popcorn with a side

Stuffed to the brim and taking sips of the fiery areke, what we thought was going to be a fortyfive minute meal ended up being a five-hour extravaganza.

Photo by: Abenezer Geleta (Ras Studio)

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CloseUp

Anna Getaneh A Never-Ending Inspiration Selam Tarekegn

nna Getaneh is an internationally renowned international model and humanitarian. One of the most celebrated names in the fashion industry and in humanitarian work, Anna’s career has been one that has inspired many. After her outstanding, successful career as a model, Anna has founded African Mosaic, a fashion design, manufacturing and retail factory which collaborates with designers from Africa, to promote African fashion globally. The humble superstar doesn’t only shine in fashion and entrepreneurship, but also in humanitarian work. Enjoy. We know you have been asked this question so many times, but again, who is Anna Getaneh? Anna Getaneh is a proud Ethiopian, happy mother of two and married to my soul mate Admassu Tadesse. I am passionate about social development, empowering youth and women, and committed to change the perception of Africa in the world and fashion became my vehicle. I have a degree in Business Management and Marketing. I lived most of my life abroad and I’m now so happy to be living in Ethiopia for the past 5 years. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, or doing anything else.

model and designer? It was a whirlwind. I initially thought I would work during school summer break, I ended up working for almost 10 years. I was fortunate to work in seven markets, mainly working for renowned designers at fashion weeks in Fashion capitals including; Paris, Milan, London, New York, Dusseldorf, Madrid and Tokyo. I guess I was in the right place at the right time. During the early 1990s there was a big demand for models of color and that opened a lot of doors for me. I was living in Brussels with my family and moved to Paris. Once I left the modeling industry soon after the birth of my first child, I decided to grow further the African Mosaique initiative into a sustainable fashion company and that was the beginning of my career as a fashion designer and social entrepreneur.

“No man is an island. I am only here, doing all I am doing because of all the wonderful, generous, people”

How did your journey in fashion and modelling start? I don’t have an exciting story to share. I was already living in Brussels and heard that Paris was the capital of fashion so I took the train and knocked on the door of an agency, and started working for Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent within my first month in Paris. So I got really lucky. I had a great

" happy mother of two and married to my soul mate Admassu Tadesse."

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Photo: Courtesy of Anna Getaneh

You have been at the center of the international fashion scene for a long time now. How do you describe your journey as an internationally acclaimed

agent in Paris and within 2 years I was working in 7 markets. I realized very early on that fashion could be a great platform to promote what was important for me – promoting Africa and supporting the youth. So soon after I started The Ethiopian Children’s Fund and African Mosaique. Where do you see yourself in the Ethiopian fashion industry? What role would you like to play? I moved back to Ethiopia with one goal and that is to build a successful fashion label where we Design, Develop and Manufacture Made in Africa fashion and accessories. I knew the journey would not be easy, but it is exciting and every day we are taking a step forward. I came back with 20 years of experience working in the fashion industry as a model, as a producer, promoter and now a designer. I have seen how countries have created strong fashion industries and are able to sustain it. I wanted to bring all that back and see how I can be part of building our Fashion industry and along the way ensure that I support as many designers to build and grow their labels. There is a lot of talent in our country, as there is across the continent, it’s the opportunities that they lack. After all there is no fashion industry without fashion designers, so my focus is

identifying the talent and help unlock it by sharing our space and transferring our knowledge. We launched the African Mosaique Fashion Incubator, as a free parttime program for emerging designers to do exactly that. We are in our third cycle, and I believe we will start seeing some shining stars very soon! There seems to be a controversy about what fashion is, especially in Ethiopia. How do you define fashion? That is changing very quickly. A while back fashion was considered frivolous and not a serious career. Today, starting from government, there is awareness of the huge potential for economic growth if we invest correctly in the fashion/ apparel/ textile industry. After all it is 2.4 trillion-dollar industry፣ and we can easily become a fiber to finish country, learn from the mistakes of the East and lead the next generation of sustainable, transparent design and manufacturing. And, every day close to 100 million Ethiopians wake up and dress up – we need to change the mindset that imported clothing is better than local. Can you image if at least 20% of our wardrobe is locally made, our industry will boom, and I know we will get there. My commitment and focus is on the creativity/innovation aspect of fashion, which can only be driven by designers. Investing in designers means we invest in the future of the industry. What do you see in the fashion industry in Ethiopia? What opportunities do you see in it? The fashion industry is at its very early stages. There is lot of momentum, which is very good. But that is mostly around the glamour of fashion shows and photo shoot. But we need to start from the very bottom and ensure we build strong supply chain, access to proper raw material, access to good design schools, good machinery etc. The opportunities are huge, but we need to ensure government, private sector, designers and academia come together to help build the industry layer by layer. As mentioned above, with a 100 million people there is no reason why we cannot build a sustainable fashion industry and not only supply Ethiopia but the region, continent and beyond. We have the cotton, the leather, the labor. That’s what exciting! You were born in Sweden, and you have lived in various countries around the world. How easy/difficult is it to identify as an Ethiopian?

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“I realized very early on that fashion could be a great platform to promote what was important for me – promoting Africa and supporting the youth.”

“The industry is growing and we need to make sure we are heard, not only locally but internationally.”

I give all credit to my loving parents, who ensured we had a clear sense of identity growing up. My father was a career diplomat my mother a fashion designer and they made sure we learnt about our history and culture, learnt how to read and write Amharic from a very early age. And that is the best gift they could give us. You manage a fashion design company, African Mosaique. What do you do? What is your mission? African Mosaique, is primarily an export fashion company that produces women, men, children and home accessories. My vision is focused on 3 elements: to source, design and develop in Africa. We have built a fully integrated design center in Legetafo, on 9,000 square meters, where we design and develop all African Mosaique products, from textile and leather producers, for our in-house label as well as collaborations and private labels. We also have a multi brand retail space and show area for our events, such as our monthly Pop Up and Festival. An open space manufacturing area where we are focusing on training 25 ladies who will become supervisors and team leaders for future employees. We also have monthly workshop and training for our Fashion Incubator program we launched in 2016, where we provided free part-time training to up to 12 promising designers from across the country to help launch their career, upgrade their skills and develop their collection.

knew about our rich history, our culture. He always said it was up to us to go back and make sure we tell our stories, so this became my journey for the past 20 years. After volunteering at a refugee camp in Moyale I decided to start the Ethiopian Children’s Fund, registered in New York and Ethiopia and focus on rural education. At that time I felt there was more access to education in the cities and once you drive out to rural Ethiopia there were fewer opportunities, especially for girls. So we started the ECF School in Aleltu, 55 km from Addis. A holistic, integrated program where we provide education, healthcare and nutrition to children in need. We celebrated our 20th Anniversary, and today we have students who have graduated from university, some are back teaching at our school and others working at different companies. Over 1,000 students have enrolled in our school, with gender equality, a school clinic, a farm, and 8 clubs actively managed by our students.

“My vision is focused on 3 elements: to source, design and develop in Africa.”

Any individuals or organizations you would like to recognize? No man is an island. I am only here, doing all I am doing because of all the wonderful, generous, people who have been by my side from the beginning, My family, my close friends, volunteers, staff, board, so many to mention.

I have always felt it was duty to give back. Growing up abroad and seeing on TV the suffering in my country, I knew I would come back and do something. I just didn’t know when and how. And ultimately Fashion became my vehicle. I asked my father why there was so much suffering and that is all we hear, no one

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Photo: Courtesy of Anna Getaneh

Apart from your professional career, you have been engaged in humanitarian projects. What inspires you in such projects?

What'sUp

The Mad Vervet Hostel Surafel Solomon ur Beloved city Addis Ababa, dubbed the capital of Africa, has an evergrowing number of hotels. Regardless of this rapid growth in the hotel sector, there are only a handful of hostels scattered throughout the city. The Mad Vervet is a newly opened hostel, that came from the realization that there is a scarcity of options and alternatives when it comes to lodging in Addis Ababa. Nestled in the residential pocket of Hayahulet (22), a short drive from most of the city's attractions, the location is optimal for dropping in and out as you please. But that's not all that makes The Mad vervet, aptly named, I must mention, a one of a kind establishment. Hosting events and activities such as film screenings and networking events, guests can stay in and still experience new things, that is if they want to. When we arrived at the house on a rainy afternoon and were greeted warmly by Beza, the co-founder of the hostel, who gave us a concise tour of the hostel. The building has a shared kitchen and spacious common area with a balcony on the first floor. Above that are two floors which house the guest rooms which offer either shared or private rooms, varying in price.

Outside in the compound, we make our way to the bar. There, we are greeted by Nebiyu, the other co-founder. Right off the bat, the bar has a welcoming, friends and family vibe to it that you don't find elsewhere. Its shack like design fits the overall underlying theme of the place. Offering more than ten different types of shots and five different cocktails, we were spoiled for choice and decided to go with the recommendations of the owners rather than test lady luck. First off, the list of shots was hot vervet, a shot combining a base liquor with hot sauce. Fiery and true to its name, it was just what we needed on the drizzling afternoon. We then had a calmer, sweeter set of cocktails and started talking about everything under the sun. Among the interesting things we discussed with Beza was a weekly networking event called couch surfing. It's an event where expats, diasporas, and locals can meet and mingle. This was interesting because this offers guests the opportunity to meet a wide group of likeminded people that would have been otherwise inaccessible. All without leaving the compound. The drinks keep flowing, conversations sprout everywhere and the wider our table starts to get. Every patron of the bar seems

Location: Around Oasis Hotel Apartment, Hayahulet (On Google Maps) Service /label: Hostel & Bar Opening Hours: Bar: 06:00 PM – 12:00 AM Hostel: 24/7 Facebook: /madvervet Website: madvervet.com Phone Number: + 251 92 357 7808

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Photo: Courtesy of Mad Vervet

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to be extremely friendly and sociable and we are all already making new friends. A round of three wise men goes around, a mixture of three whiskeys, and everyone is getting pumped up again. We find out that there is a "Game of Thrones" screening every Monday evening which explains the movie inspired cocktails and shots such as Lady Sansa, White Walker, Cersies revenge and my favorite, Little Finger. With their Greek restaurant set to open soon, The Mad Vervet is a place you could stay at if you are in town from elsewhere, recommend it to similar people, attend one of the events that they host or just go with friends and enjoy the cocktails in a relaxing environment. What I have found out about my relationship with The Mad Vervet, named after a monkey which I have a lot in common with time really does fly when you're having fun.

With their Greek restaurant set to open soon, The Mad Vervet is a place you could stay at if you are in town from elsewhere.

ReelUp

Kidus Tamiru Endgame is set right after the events of Infinity War as the remaining Avengers assemble for a last desperate attempt at undoing Thanos’ actions. It would be very difficult to write a fulllength article about this movie without a spoiler or two slipping, but I’ll do my best. And on that note, one of the best things about this film is actually related to that. All the promotional teasers, trailers, posters and so on for this only featured the first 15-20minutes of the film. That’s about the first 3% of the entire movie! So even if you followed all the promotion very closely, you’re still in for one hell of a ride when you see it. Just make sure you stay offline and at home until you do, lest some over enthusiastic friends spoil it for you. Now onto the review, for the entire year I was waiting for this film since infinity war, I was pretty sure there’s a big chance it won’t, or can’t, possibly live up to the massive hype. And it probably wouldn’t have, Had the Russos made Infinity war without the sequel figured out. Which they did, and they made the first one as big as they can while still saving some tricks to make this even bigger. Endgame is a rollercoaster ride of a movie. It balances and maneuvers between funny and emotional scenes so flawlessly that it doesn’t feel anywhere near a 3 hour movie. The writing, directing, acting, score and CGI are all on point. It is the perfect possible conclusion to the marvel saga (well at least the original lineup of the MCU). It’s also the longest and definitely most emotional movie in the series. Everybody’s excitement for this film was palpable just going into the cinema. I’ve never heard so much cheering and applause during

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a film. Now normally I hate that, but this time I think it’s fully justified. This doesn’t feel like you’re just watching another movie, it’s more like an experience. How else would you describe saying goodbye to characters you’ve followed for more than 10 years. Speaking of characters, Thanos is even better on this one; he’s scarier and more menacing as the gauntlet wielding mad titan. All the avengers were also great, with some characters getting much needed development and depth. But the only character I had an issue with was Captain Marvel, which seems to have the “Superman” problem. She’s so powerful that they have to think of excuses to keep her out of most scenes. And another downside is I think this movie was so big that the MCU will lose a lot of momentum after this. They partially dug their own grave, especially when DC seems to be finally hitting their stride (Shazam! Side review: It is definitely the best DCEU movie so far, it’s a genuinely funny, well-acted, endearing family movie. If only they released it nowhere near Endgame it would have been much more successful) Anyways I don’t think the phase 5 stage of the MCU will be followed with the same enthusiasm and investment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure we’re all gonna watch the hell out of the movies, just with less urgency. And needless to say, if you’re not familiar with the MCU canon, do not watch this film expecting to see what all the hype is about. Good luck catching up with 22 movies while this is still in cinemas. But for everybody else, DO NOT miss your chance at seeing this on the big screen.

Directed By: Anthony and Joe Russo Runtime: 3hrs Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth 9.5/10

Balè Gariw Directed By: Birhanu Werku Runtime: 1hr30m Starring: Asrat Tadesse, Zerihun Asmamaw, Hiwot Getahun

Balè gariw is a romantic comedy about a guy who starts wearing his father’s police uniform to impress a girl and all the trouble that ensues. This is the second movie I saw in two months with police impersonation as the main plot point (the other one being Weto Ader). Both feature incompetent protagonists that dig themselves deeper and deeper into trouble with their lies. But unlike the other one, this film is actually not bad. It has some funny moments, it stays on course with its plot and the cast don’t take themselves too seriously. It knows what it is, a farfetched comedy that relies on fast dialog and occasional slapstick to get its laughs wherever it can. As for the themes and lessons in the story (It seems every Ethiopian filmmaker has to include an obligatory, not-so-subtle morality lesson in their work to justify its existence), this film is about cowardice, courage and justice. It doesn’t really say much about those things but it mentions them a few times and I thought I would too. And another issue is that the second act of the movie really drags on, it makes it seem a lot longer than it is. It’s obvious they just wanted to add as many scenes as possible to pad the runtime before the end. And the sound can be pretty horrendous at times; the ADR gets so bad it looks like a dubbed foreign film. But overall, these issues didn’t ruin the experience for me. I found it to be a more or less enjoyable film. 7.5/10

Yiwatalin Directed By: Meqdelawit Girma Runtime: 1hr40m Starring: Tariku Birhanu, Alemseged Tesfaye, Mekonen Le’ake

Yiwatalin is about two rival stepbrothers from different backgrounds competing and one upping each other. If that doesn’t sound like much of a plot line to you, you’re right. This film doesn’t pay much attention to such unnecessary things like plot or story. This film can be best summarized as “watch these two comedians try to make you laugh as much as they can”. And in that sense, it’s a success. It had the whole cinema laughing their asses off. If you like any of the actors on the list, you’ll most probably enjoy this as well. But as a film, it’s not much of an achievement. Its central theme is the seemingly inescapable trope of most Ethiopian movies, the contrast of the rich and poor. The characters are bland and cliché (the rich are spoiled and westernized, the poor are wise and patriotic, the women are materialistic gold diggers). The film is just a bunch of loosely connected funny scenes that don’t really work together as a whole. But at least the cast do a great job. The charismatic, over the top performances will probably distract you from any of the numerous shortcomings this movie is filled with. So overall, if you are a fan of the comedic style of the leads, and aren’t already bored of the same characters they play for every movie, then you’ll get your money’s worth with this. 7/10

Linkup Addis Ababa May, 2019 I 25

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Full House The techno music has been alive and well in Addis for a while when the first edition of Full House: The Techno Show took place in January 2017 at the Mosaic Hotel. However, international acts were not common and with this, Choo Choo Promotions pioneered bringing well known artists to tease Addis Ababa with techno’s glacial synthesizer melodies and brisk machine rhythms. Roque, the South African born owner of DeepHouse Police Records. headlined the first edition. With his work licensed in almost all major record labels and experience with working with for a lot of global house music artists, he lit up the night at the Mosaic as the start on the night. By 15 April 2017, the second edition already rolled in, titled Full House: Wanklemut in Addis, with the world renowned producer and DJ from Berlin, Wanklemut as the headliner. The event took place at Villa Verde with over 700 people in attendance. 10 September 2017 brought about the third edition, titled Full: House Full Circle; an embodiment of the values that electronic music culture had

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with Emanuel Satie as headliner at Holon Rooftop on the eve of Ethiopian New Year. As the momentum for electronic music has picked up, so has the caliber of Full House artists over time and 25 May, 2019 will have the fourth edition of Full House: Master’s Edition bringing with it three international acts; Samuel Dan, Josh butler and Metodi. For those that love and follow electronic music and that indescribable moment of the beat drop, this is not to be missed as these artists are sure to light up the night at Villa Verde.