When Our Voices Soar High!

For over ten years, I couldn’t help it but swim in the oceans of tremendous admiration for Eritrean love and beauty. The reason? Well, through time I got pumped up with so much of Eritrean passion, that it dawned on me to fully appreciate Eritrean art. In the last seven years though, I didn’t expect such strong feelings from the Diaspora youth to stir me crazy. But, I found out the Diaspora youth wear their hearts in their sleeves. They don’t feel reluctant to wave the Eritrean flag in the dancing floors.

They are not shy to dance the guayla. They feel they need to sing old Eritrean songs. And they reminisce to bring a smile to their battle hardened parents. They tell me plain out that they love Eritrea! They also tell me about their challenges of being Diaspora-Eritreans. I get to hear things that I never imagined before. They tell me about their challenges of being Eritrean-Diaspora youth. Our Diaspora youth Brothers/Sisters are the off springs of Eritrea’s long and hard won independence. Now, they want to go back home and salute their very Eritrea. “Their mother land,” as they put it! And they are good at their promises. Look at the wave of activities by the youth to date! How did this generation came to life? What does it want? The foundation comes from the love they received earlier on. They suckled enough Eritrean love, now they are burping strong affection for their heritage. They feed us something about Eritrea hat we never thought of and felt before.

Raw love for Eritrea! And they come strong representing Eritrea more than ever. I get jealous sometimes. “Do they love my Eritrea more than I do?” I ask myself. I talk to them and I fall in love with the spikes they create in my soul time and again. They shout Eritrea in their own languages and styles. Wherever they were born! And when they tell me the depth of their songs and feelings, I have no where to run, except to love them in return. Talk to Layne Tadesse [LT], the prince of reggae.

You will be sucked to the depth of passion and patriotism. LT will bring a full house back to Eritrea. He shouts purity. You can’t resist his powers. You will shake to his rhythm and be on line for the love of Eritrea! Ask Sandman Negus what is up with Eritrea? He will blast you with the meaning of the flag and the pain that he never wishes to see in his lifetime. Sandman is a go-hard Eritrean artist that surprises people to envision him born in exile. So he decided to walk head up high. Eritrean, that is! You go and converse with Nef. She will let you know how the world could be changed for the better. And she sings her upbringing values through her hip-hop. “Value,” she will tell you the ultimate precious thing she wishes to protect by shouting. Now know as a “progressive female Hip-Hop artist” she spits. Don’t tell her less of Eritrea, she ain’t gonna take it! Observe Nipsey Hussle, he tells you about life through his lyrics. He screams about the life that we all go through, yet not talk about. In a musical way, he teaches. Whoever will listen is the winner. Because when Nipsey’s song grinds, it is out of the world. You’d be dancing and not focusing on the lyrics. But sober up and listen deeply. Deeper that is! Ask Aracelis Girmay about her poems. She will tell you the truth. The truth that we all shy from telling. But when Aracelis takes the mic, she blast transforms into a power house that astounds the human spirit. And with her head bowed down, she shouts politely.

A huge power of an Eritrean spirit! Ask the Diaspora-Youth what they yearn for. A trip back home, back to Eritrea that will seal their person-hood as “Eritrean” forever. A connection! What do these youth have in common? They are Eritreans! And they know suffering first hand. They may not have experienced it first hand, but they saw their loving parents go through the emotions. We have about 25 of such Diaspora-Youth artists registered. And many more coming. All of them are Eritreans! What is common? They have strong ethics. They don’t fear being who they are. They declare themselves Eritreans out loud! In the open that is! And more brew to celebrate their being as Eritrean. And all declare they are Eritrean! When our voices soar high, our Gallant Brothers/Sisters will be joining us from the high of heights. The bells of Saint Mary will ring; the Mosque will say its prayers, the Cathedral will echo its bells. And the people of Eritrea will sip a nice cup of tea. In peace and harmony.