Bole2Harlem

Bole2Harlem was a musical collaboration that fused elements of Ethiopian music with American hip hop. Bole2Harlem released one album, Bole2Harlem, Volume 1, in 2006. David "Duke Mushroom" Schommer, a producer, songwriter, and percussionist, founded the group with Ethiopian singers Tigist Shibabaw (the late sister of singer Gigi) and Maki Siraj. The project's name refers to Bole, a neighborhood in Addis Ababa (and the site of Bole International Airport), and Harlem, New York City, where Schommer and Siraj were residents.

History

The project has its roots in L'Orange Bleue, a New York cafe popular with African expatriates and where Schommer, Siraj, and Shibabaw would congregate. Schommer had grown up immersed in Ethiopian culture: his father had helped establish a university in Ethiopia, and consequently the family home was filled with Ethiopian art and stories. Shibabaw and Siraj had made a recording after they met in 2005. Schommer, Shibabaw, and Siraj discussed an "Abesha MC" concept, with Shibabaw representing traditional Ethiopian styles (see Ethiopiques), and Siraj representing new musical trends. Additional collaborators joined after hearing about the project through Schommer's other production activities. Schommer and Siraj also trace the concept to the transit culture of Addis Ababa, where weyalas rapidly call out the destinations of share taxis (for example, "Bole, Bole, Bole, Bole..."). Schommer describes the idea of taking a New York taxicab and suddenly placing it and its passengers in Addis Ababa (thus, "Harlem, Harlem, Harlem, Harlem..."). The album cover art features a minibus similar to the vehicles used as share taxis. Tigist Shibabaw died in early 2008 in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia.

Tigist Shibabaw

Tigist Shibabaw (1980–January 2008), born in Chagni, Ethiopia, was an Ethiopian singer and one of the original members of the Harlem-based hip hop fusion band Bole2Harlem. She was the sister of singer Gigi.

Early life

Tigist was born and raised in Chagni, a small town in northwestern Ethiopia. She was one of ten siblings, born into a family of coffee farmers that relied on the local river for their harvest. According to her sister, Gigi, their household was always filled with entertainment; the children of the house were often recruited to entertain guests.

Recording career

Tigist immigrated to the United States in 2000 to pursue a music career, joining her older sister Gigi who was already a globally acclaimed musician in her own right. Their father had initially forbidden Gigi from becoming an entertainer.

Death

Tigist died at the age of twenty-eight in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia where she is said to have traveled on a spiritual journey shortly after she finished recording with Bole2Harlem. Details regarding the circumstances surrounding her death never emerged, including the exact date of her death. She was buried in Chagni, Ethiopia, the town where she was born, among family.