Tilahun Gessesse was an Ethiopian singer who was recognized as one of the 20th century’s most popular Ethiopian artists. During his country’s “Golden Age” in the 1960s, he was known for his tenor voice and was dubbed “The Voice.” Tilahun was a well-known vocalist whose works have left an indelible mark on Ethiopian music. Aside from his celebrity, he donated funds for help during the Ethiopian famines of the 1970s and 1980s, earning him a doctoral degree from Addis Ababa University and a lifetime achievement award from the Ethiopian Fine Art and Mass Media Prize Trust. Teddy Afro, who has also had a significant impact on the Ethiopian music business, is often linked to Tilahun’s work. Tilahun Gessesse was born in Addis Ababa on September 27, 1940, to an Amhara father, Gessesse Negusse, and an Oromo mother, Gete Gurmu. Tilahun went to Waliso’s Ras Gobena Elementary School, where his grandfather was a teacher. His enthusiasm in music grew stronger over time, despite his grandfather’s encouragement to focus on his academic pursuits. Shedad, the principal of Ras Gobena School (who was from Sudan), fostered Tilahun’s passion in music and encouraged him to pursue his musical career in Sudan. Despite the fact that Tilahun did not travel to Sudan, he heeded Shedad’s instruction. When Woizero Negatwa Kelkay, Eyoel Yohanes, and other Hager Fikir Theatre musicians came to perform at his school, Tilahun took the chance to talk to Eyoel about his love in music. If he wished to work in the field, he was told to go to Addis Ababa. Tilahun walked out of school and attempted to travel to Addis Ababa to pursue his career, a voyage he embarked on without the permission of his family. Tilahun walked fifteen kilometers and was apprehended in the little village of Tulu Bolo, where he remained with his aunt for the night. He was obliged to return to his grandfather in Waliso the next day. Tilahun chose not to stay at his grandfather’s house in Waliso because of his apparent enthusiasm for music. He only stayed at his grandfather’s residence for one night before continuing his trek to Addis Ababa, this time hiding in the back of a heavy truck.
