Towards the end of September, Ethiopian Orthodox churches from all over the DMV gather in their respective locations to celebrate the annual holiday called Meskel, which translates to “cross” in the native language Amharic. This celebration that honors the finding of the cross of Jesus, takes place in wherever the community decides it can take up space. In the case of Hyattsville, Maryland, thousands gathered at a local Kmart parking lot, showcasing that no matter where this tradition travels, it will somehow find a safe place to land. The evening of the celebration culminates to a large bonfire, surrounded by the beating of drums and chanting of hymns. They have the space all to themselves with police safe guarding the premise.

There is a wide age range of those who are involved in the activities of the church, from generations that were born in the states to those that were born back home. Father Samuel Tesfaye Alemu, a priest that attended the Meskel celebration explains that “the young generation…they are fighting…to come up with two [cultures]”. Inevitably, a culture that travels far is bound to have its unique adjustments.  

Nonetheless, for many, the church has been a central hub not only for worship, but a place where people can feel like they are back home again. This not only applies to those that have immigrated, but even those that were born in the US can feel the inherent sense of family as tea and bread is served throughout the congregation after a Sunday service. Tamrat Eyob has been going to Debre Meheret St. Michael’s Cathedral in DC for 23 years and says “it really does remind you of home, the way people are here…it’s so great”.

After the influx in Ethiopian immigration in the 70s, DC ended up with the largest population of Ethiopians in the U.S. They not only brought themselves, but also everything that meant home to them. We see this in the many establishments of restaurants throughout the DMV, their Orthodox churches, and Ethiopian artists making a name with their music within the states.

As much as songs can transport one to the altar, it can also take one to the stage of some of the most loved artists in Ethiopia.

Last month, one of Ethiopia’s well known artists, Abdu Kiar performed his first of many shows in DC, beginning the start of his US tour. The large crowd, packed themselves into DC’s Karma Club venue, singing along to the songs that most have heard since their childhood. Kiar left an indelible imprint on that night, as Helen Leka, a concert goer says that “Abdu Kiar’s concert was phenomenal, I really enjoyed how dynamic his performance was”. 

Within recent years, African music has taken an interesting rise as genres like Afrobeats from Nigeria, High Life from Ghana, and Amapiano from South Africa claim space amongst Western listeners. Event organizer Emmanuel Getahun says that Ethiopian music isn’t quite there yet due mostly to the Amharic barrier, however concerts like the one that Kiar performed show how much the community wants to hear the music: “ a lot of people were excited about it…and we had a really good amount of tickets sold” says Getahun. 

Although there’s evidence that there is a demand for Ethiopian music here in DC, Kiar’s manager, Wondem has observed in his years of managing Ethiopian artists, that there are some unique obstacles that Ethiopian music goes through to get to the ears of foreign listeners: “...you’re not competing with other Habesha artists, the competition is against American artists…” Wondem says “When it comes to Habesha music, you have to look for it…when it comes to American music…they are heavily promoted, heavily marketed…”. It takes more effort for Ethiopian sounds to reach the ears of those who may not have ever heard the genre before, but it hasn’t stopped other artists from making a name for themselves in the states. Others such as new and upcoming artist Rophnan performed in DC during his “My Generation” US tour, and the legendary Mulatu Astatke, also considered the father of Ethio-Jazz, performed for two nights this past June.  

As much as music has evidently brought individuals together, even more so do the flavors and ingredients that make up Ethiopian food.

Dukem Restaurant has been a staple and an introduction to Ethiopian cuisine in DC for nearly 30 years, and exposed many to the restaurants across the DMV that harbor Ethiopia’s unique flavors. Customers of different ethnicities, and even regulars, find themselves coming back such as Darrel Rose who says the reason he keeps coming back is “...the flavors, you know, the seasonings…they’re just kinda unmatched”. Kim Patell, says that she’s been to Dukem before, and that the flavors remind her of her Indian roots: “...a lot of the spices and lentils are similar to Indian food…a lot of the people in my life are vegetarian so it makes it easy because there’s a lot of options for that”.