One of the popular songs in Teddy Afro's latest album is for the Muhamasheen ("Marginalized Ones") who are a distinct ethnic community in Yemen at the very bottom of the social hierarchy. They face extreme discrimination, live in deep poverty in urban slums, & work menial jobs.
When 120 Million people tune in, you don't call it a coincidence, you call it impact. To those scrambling to discredit what happened, step back & feel the shame.🤫
Hats off to everyone who made this moment matter🫡
@teddyafromuzika we love you, you are a kind-hearted human being
Ethiopia’s election next month will be a sham. Many of Abiy Ahmed’s rivals are either in exile or in jail. Opposition parties have been co-opted, cowed or banned https://t.co/1DBbWGAlqA
He built his name on genocidal anti-Amhara songs.He profited by twisting Teddy’s song into an Oromo vs Amhara to make money.
In Shashemene(Wollega 2.0)where pregnant Christians &Amharas were slaughtered.Once again,he used his concert to incite Oromo youths.
Bottom has no floor
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Teddy Afro, Ethiopia’s most influential contemporary musician, released an album that blew up with over 100 million YouTube views within a week. The music carries a heavy truth: a sense of collective loss.
Abiy Ahmed’s regime has intensified its harassment and abuse of Ethiopia’s patriotic singer, Teddy Afro, following the release of his latest album, ETORIKA. The album has gained unprecedented global attention, reaching more than 100 million listeners in just one week.
In response, Abiy’s repressive security apparatus has unleashed a campaign of intimidation. More than 100 young people in Addis Ababa have been arrested simply for listening to Teddy Afro’s music and subjected to false terrorism charges. Prominent associates of the singer, including his assistant and close friend have also been violently abducted from their homes without due process.
The regime’s security forces have further escalated their assault by illegally breaking into Teddy Afro’s studios, destroying musical instruments, ransacking the premises, and seizing documents and creative works protected by law. These actions represent yet another example of the regime’s contempt for justice, freedom of expression, and the rule of law.
Yet despite these blatant acts of repression, Teddy Afro’s music continues to go viral. His message of peace, unity, dignity, and hope for Ethiopia and beyond continues to spread, inspire, and mobilize people. That is precisely what terrifies Abiy Ahmed and his criminal, war-mongering, and corrupt regime.
Unable to silence the music or extinguish its message, the regime is now attempting to fabricate false charges against Teddy Afro and members of his band. Abiy’s state-controlled media and paid social media operatives are spreading propaganda in an effort to confuse Ethiopians and mislead the international community.
But Ethiopians and the world know who Abiy Ahmed is. They know his lies and deceit, and what he is capable of. They will not be deceived by his latest theatrics. The people’s patience has reached its limit. His days in power are numbered, and justice will prevail. @Pontifex@hrw@amnesty@antonioguterres@volker_turk@SecRubio@kajakallas@JozefSikela@EU_Commission@BBCWorld@dw_amharic@AJEnglish@SABCNews@UNESCO@WIPO
I’ve been going through @addisstandard’s page over the past few days to see whether they would report on the harassment of @teddyafromuzika, the arrest of his close associates, and even the detention of individuals for simply listening to his music. This story has grown beyond a national issue and has begun attracting international media attention, yet there has not been a single report from them.
Addis Standard has rightly covered the arrest and disappearance of their managing editor, Million Beyene, as well as the broader closure of civic space in Ethiopia. However, it is a glaring omission that, one week into what has become one of the biggest national sagas in the country, they have still not published anything on the harassment of Teddy Afro or those targeted for engaging with his music.
It’s difficult to ignore the perception that editorial bias may be playing a role. The founder of Addis Standard, @TsedaleLemma, is known for her Oromo nationalist views, which do not align with Teddy Afro’s pro-Ethiopia stance. But those differences should not influence editorial decisions, especially on an issue of this scale and public interest.
This is also one of the reasons I’ve been translating reports from Ethiopian media outlets like @MeseretMedia, @251Media, and @zehabesha, while encouraging them to publish in English alongside their Amharic reports. It’s critical that Addis Standard is not left as the sole source of Ethiopian news for the international community.
#RuleofLawViolated👉🏾#Ethiopia‼️@AbiyAhmedAli👉🏾Armed men in Fed Police uniforms raiding a private studio w/o a warrant is not “law enforcement”👉🏾it’s an assault on the rule of law. No artist, no citizen, should face this level of intimidation 4 creating art. #TeddyAfro#EtoRika