Born Yèwèbdar Guèbrou on 12 December 1923 in Addis Ababa, into a literary family, Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou in no way belongs to an azmari, or troubadour, heritage but was initially part of Ethiopian high society, a mix of imperial nobility, distinguished civil servants, courtesans and opportunists - a hotbed of power and intrigue, intelligence and glamour. Like her father before her, she was educated in Switzerland where she first learned piano and violin. She returned to Ethiopia in 1933 but in May 1936 Mussolini’s troops occupied Addis Ababa and in early 1937, the young Yèwèbdar and …
read more