Alemayehu Eshete

Ethiopian singer
Born: June 1941, Jimma, Ethiopia
Died: 2nd September 2021 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Alemayehu Eshete Andarge was born to father Andarge Eshete, one of the few official taxi drivers in Addis Ababa, and mother Belaynesh Yusuf, who was from the Wollo province. His parents separated when he was six months old and he spent most his early life with his mother in Dessie, Wollo province. At three, he returned to Addis Ababa for school at the Christian Training Institute, where his talent for singing was first recognized in his singing of hymns. Later on, his talents gained him the title of "Ethiopian Elvis."
He began his professional career in the early 1960s, when he was discovered by Colonel Redda Demeke. Redda invited Alemayehu to the Police Orchestra. He made his first hit with "Seul" in 1961. As the 60s ended, Eshete had become a major figure in the Swinging Addis scene, helping pioneer Ethiopian pop music on vinyl thanks to his songs being the first issued by the pivotal Amha label. Alongside Girma Beyene, he founded the Alem-Girma Band and continued to release a prolific amount of records throughout the 70s, mostly on the Philips and Amha labels. Eshete continued to produce recordings throughout the 80s and 90s, and received a wider audience when his work was compiled on the Ethiopiques series. Through the 2000s and 2010s he toured Europe and the U.S.
At midnight on September 2, 2021, Alemayehu Eshete died from heart disease. His funeral at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa was attended by tens of thousands of fans.