Shewalul Mengistu
Shewalul Mengistu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 September 1944 Hararghe, Ethiopia |
| Died | 26 May 1977 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Cause of death | assassinated by being shot |
| Occupation(s) | poet, songwriter, journalist and political activist |
Shewalul Mengistu (Amharic: ሸዋሉል መንግሥቱ, 11 September 1944 – 26 May 1977)[1] was an Ethiopian poet, songwriter, journalist and political activist.[2] She was assassinated in 1977.[3]
Family
[edit]Mengistu was born in Hararghe, Ethiopia,[1] to a middle-class family. Her father was a musician who played the bägäna, a ten-stringed lyre.[3] Mengistu was married at the age of 13 to a commander in the Ethiopian security forces. They had five children and later divorced.[3]
Career
[edit]In 1973, Mengistu was employed by the Ministry of Information in Addis Ababa, where she produced radio and television programmes aimed at women.[3]
Mengistu spoke Amharic and Oromo and wrote the song Erè Mèla Mèla, most known when sung by Mahmoud Ahmed.[4] She also became a political writer, with her works including several poems (one of which was banned from broadcasting and publication) and a pamphlet critical of Ethiopian society.[3]
Death
[edit]She became a member of the Marxist-Leninist party of Mengistu Haile Mariam, who later became dictator. She was assassinated in Addis Ababa in 1977, dying after being shot.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Clerfeuille, Sylvie (2019-12-02). "Shewalul Mengistu". Afrisson (in French). Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "Shewalul Mengistu". ArtistInfo. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Martel-Brisoux, Frédéric. (2013) "Shewalul Mengistu [Jarso v. 1944 - Addis-Abeba 1977] ". Dictionnaire universel des créatrices, Éditions Des femmes (in French). Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ Mahmoud Ahmed - Ere Mela Mela (in French), 1986, retrieved 2025-02-15