#meklithadero

[nyfacurrent]

Conversations | Meklit Hadero

“So many people are hungry for ways to support the vision of a deeply diverse and inclusive nation. You are part of that. Sing it out!”

Meklit Hadero is an Ethiopian-American singer, songwriter, composer, and cultural activist making music that sways between cultures and continents. Her innovative take on Ethio-Jazz has taken her around the world, from her home base of San Francisco to her home city of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia (where she is a household name). Hadero has founded and led many creative and cultural initiatives, from musical collaborations to performance series. She is a National Geographic Explorer, a TED Senior Fellow, former co-director of the Red Poppy Art House, and has served as an artist in residence at New York University and Harvard University. Learn more about Hadero and the multiple hats she wears (while you listen to the artist’s music) below.

NYFA: Can you tell us about your artistic practice and your new role at Yerba Buena Center for the Art (YBCA)?

Meklit Hadero: I’m an Ethiopian-American singer-songwriter, composer, and cultural activist. I make music deeply inspired by Ethio-Jazz, bringing Ethiopian pentatonic scales and 6/8 rhythms together with Jazz improvisation and a singer-songwriter’s storytelling and strum. I think of it as migration music. As a cultural activist, I work with projects and organizations that harness the power of the arts to help us ask questions about who we are and where we want to go collectively as a society. Currently, I’m YBCA’s new Chief of Program, serving as a central artistic voice for San Francisco’s flagship arts institutions focused on social change.

NYFA: How do you find opportunities to show your work and collaborate?

MH: The strange thing about art is that you do what you want to do by doing what you want to do. I started by having tiny shows, the vast majority of which were free, as part of community arts organizing systems like the Mission Arts and Performance Project in San Francisco. Through those, I built an audience who came to my performances when I graduated to larger venues. Only later did I start working with booking agents. It’s all about momentum. In terms of collaboration, I ask the question: “can we do something greater together than we are capable of doing on our own?” If the answer is yes, we can move forward.

NYFA: What advice do you have for immigrant artists that are trying to push their career forward?

MH: Learn to produce your own shows. Don’t wait for gatekeepers to say yes. Harness the strength of your community to gain opportunities. If you can rent and then sell out a 100-person venue, you can show bookers that you belong in a larger space and that you’ll be a partner in making events successful. Also, find a framework and a way to tell your story. So many people are hungry for ways to support the vision of a deeply diverse and inclusive nation. You are part of that. Sing it out!

NYFA: Do you have any upcoming projects that you want to share?

MH: I’m working on a podcast called Movement, telling stories of global migration through music. It’s in development now. Look out for it, or rather, listen out for it later this year!

- Interview Conducted by Alicia Ehni, Program Officer

This post is part of the ConEdison Immigrant Artist Program Newsletter #126. Subscribe to this free monthly e-mail for artist’s features, opportunities, and events. Learn more about NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program.

Images from top to bottom: Meklit, Art Direction by Wangechi Mutu, Photo by Ibra Acke, Editing by Meklit; Meklit by Saul Metnick for Bulleit Burbon

[alisonsye]

Meklit Hadero by Ibra Acke. Taken from an abandoned Southbank leaflet #mostlyuninvited #mostlyuninvited798 #alisonsye632 #artfromlondonbins #meklithadero #ibraacke #southbankcentre

[chroniquedesmascareignes]

Lundi le 10 décembre à la capsule Musique du Monde, Paolo Tumba nous présente Meklit une artiste international unique en son genre, invitée par TED Talk, fondatrice du "Nile Project.org". J'ai eu la chance de la rencontrer au festival International Nuits d'Afrique l'été dernier, elle est tout simplement extraordinaire 🙂 Rendez-vous au 102,3FM de 13h00 à 13h30 (Heure de l'est). Écoutez nos émissions en rediffusion : www.chroniquedesmascareignes.podbean.com #Musique #monde #ethiopia #meklit #meklithadero #authentic #musicality #roots #ethiopia #africa (at Montreal, Quebec) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrNrN4nlN6Z/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=qshohf5y7i1b

[stelladoyleworld-blog]

#meklithadero #meklit #killeditlastnight #saturdaynightfun ❤️❤️❤️ (at The Virgil)

[chinamoses]

• “ Doing what you say you are going to do consistently and over time is like a currency. You can save it, you can cash it in, you can borrow against it. You grow rich with the trust of other people. It is a form of wealth.” • @meklitmusic #meklithadero

[julietpang]

Singer-songwriter @meklitmusic shares beyond her 'sonic lineages' and the uncanny impossibility of silence in our everyday. That, which if we listen we realise we are immersed in, this oasis of music. I find myself deeply identifying with her spirit and heart in songwriting. That freedom and joy in co-creativity. Are you listening? #meklithadero #tedtalks #singersongwriter

[diannebrennan]

#meklithadero #yerbabuenagardens (at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts)

[labeautifulmess-blog]

MEDIA: Kristin Guiter, (202) 288-5624 / kguiter@arlingtonva.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIDEOS:   Soleil Soleil video Meklit Hadero                   TV Interview of Meklit Hadero on PBS Arts Quick Hits    

MEKLIT HADERO Mesmerizing Ethiopian-American Vocalist (& TED Global Fellow) SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 / 8pm “[Meklit] sings of fragility, hope and self-empowerment… [with a] sensuous, gentle sound. She is stunning.”      – San Francisco Chronicle

ARLINGTON, VA—Blending traditional Ethiopian songs infused with jazz and an Afro-beat punch, vocalist Meklit Hadero has been featured widely on NPR, PBS and National Geographic. A “TED” Global Fellow, she is also the founder of the Arba Minch Collective of Ethiopian artists in Diaspora who collaborate with both traditional and contemporary artists in their homeland. The unique talents of the Ethiopian-born, U.S.-raised artist will be showcased when she returns to perform at Artisphere on Saturday, January 18 at 8 p.m.

“You may not have heard Meklit Hadero’s music before, but once you do, it’ll be tough to forget. Hadero’s sound is a unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco art scene and visceral poetry; it paints pictures in your head as you listen.”                                - NPR’s Tell Me More

Meklit’s music influences range wide—from the jazz and soul favorites she grew up on; to the hip-hop and art-rock she loves; to folk traditions from the Americas and her forebears’ East African home. Emerging from her adopted hometown of San Francisco, Meklit erupted to national notice with the 2010 release of “On a Day Like this…” on Porto Franco Records. Hailed by Filter magazine for “[combining] New York jazz with West Coast folk and African flourishes, all bound together by Hadero’s beguiling voice,” her full-length debut brought Meklit’s music to a whole new audience. It also announced the arrival, as the San Francisco Chronicle has put it, of “an artistic giant in the early stages.”

The journey that brought Meklit to the Artisphere stage included many stops. Born in Ethiopia in the early 1980s, she grew up in Iowa, New York and Florida. After studying political science at Yale, she moved to San Francisco and became immersed in the city’s thriving arts scene.

  Named a TED Global Fellow in 2009, Meklit has served as an artist-in-residence at New York University, the De Young Museum, and the Red Poppy Art House. Meklit has also completed musical commissions for the San Francisco Foundation and for theatrical productions staged by Brava! For Women in the Arts.

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  ABOUT ARTISPHERE   Artisphere connects artists and audiences through an eclectic mix of fresh, thought-provoking arts programming. We’re your spot for insight into the creative process and to engage in artistic adventures—from contemporary visual art, live music and theatre to new media, film and dance. Come explore, experience and engage—collide with art. Artisphere is located at 1101 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia, two blocks from the Rosslyn Metro (blue/orange) and within walking distance of Georgetown. Admission to Artisphere and all its visual art galleries is free; there is a cost for ticketed events. Artisphere is pleased to offer its patrons free parking evenings after 5:00 p.m. and all day on weekends. For more information about Artisphere, visit www.artisphere.com.

  Artisphere is managed by Arlington Economic Development and supported in part by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District, corporations, foundations and individuals.

  Address/Contact Artisphere 1101 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: (703) 875-1100 TTY: (703) 228-1855 Please note that Artisphere’s Spectrum Theatre is directly adjacent to Artisphere’s main building and is located at 1611 N. Kent Street.

Admission and Tickets Admission to Artisphere and its galleries is always free; there is a cost for ticketed events. Tickets for all events, unless otherwise noted, are available for advance purchase online through tickets.artisphere.com. Tickets are also available for purchase through the Box Office Call Center at (888) 841-2787.

Hours* Wednesday-Friday: 4:00 –11:00 p.m. Saturday: Noon – 11:00 p.m. Sunday: Noon – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Tuesday: Closed *Open later pending programmed event

Online Follow Artisphere on Facebook and Twitter. View Artisphere's YouTube page.

Free Parking Free parking with validation on evenings (after 5pm) and all day on weekends. For events at Artisphere (1101 Wilson) use the N. Kent Street garage entrance; validate at Artisphere’s Front Desk. For events at Artisphere’s Spectrum Theatre (adjacent to Artisphere and located at 1611 N. Kent) use the Arlington Ridge Road garage entrance. No validation needed for Spectrum Theatre events.

Metro Two blocks from Rosslyn Metro (blue/orange).

DC Circulator The Dupont-Georgetown-Rosslyn line drops two blocks away.

Accessibility Artisphere is wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices are available for seated events. Sign-language interpreters available; two weeks advance notice requested. The hearing impaired can learn about our upcoming programs by phone by dialing 711 (a national relay service) and requesting our calendar number (703) 875-1136. To access general information about Artisphere or to request a sign-language interpreter, request (703) 875-1100. The information will be provided by text.

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[heryizzle30-blog]

Amazing show. #meklithadero Thursday night well spent with @saucysal ☺ #artpower #IndieSoulJazz (at The Loft At UCSD)

[visualpillow]

Meklit Hadero

Leaving Soon