BY JUDITH LUNGEN

From the aristocratic life of Haile Selassie’s regime to a cloistered nun, this is the story of Emahoy Tsege Maryam Gebru

Yewubar (Amharic meaning ‘most beautiful one‘) Gebru was born in Addis Ababa on December 12, 1923 to a wealthy, aristocratic Ethiopian family.  Her father, Kentiba Gebru was the mayor of Gondar and Vice President of Ethiopia’s first parliament. Yewubar’s mother was from the family of Emperor Haile Selassie’s second wife.

At the age of five, along with her older sister, Yewubar was sent to study in Switzerland. It’s claimed they were the first two Ethiopian girls educated in Europe.

While studying in Switzerland, Yewubar was introduced to Western Music. She even studied the violin. And after attending her first live concert, she was thunderstruck by the beauty and  power of the piano. She immediately taught herself some basics before moving on to regular piano lessons.

Feeling alienated and suffering years of separation from her beloved mother and father, Yewubar said, “Loneliness grew up with me like a childhood friend.”

Later in her life she would compose several pieces to express the deep loneliness of her soul. Her music was described as having a sense of melancholy.

“Homesickness,” One  “Mother’s Love” Two  and “The Song of the Sea” Three are three compositions embedded with the sadness of her heart, the longing for her family.

Return to Addis Ababa and the Italian Invasion

In 1934, at the age of 11 Yewubar and her sister left Switzerland and returned to Addis Ababa. However, two years later tragedy would strike all of Ethiopia. In 1936, Benito Mussolini invaded her country and unfortunately the Italians at times were exceptionally ruthless.

Three of Yewubar’s brothers were executed and she along with other family members were forced into exile. For the next three years she lived in an Italian detention camp on the island of Asinara.

The experience of war and personal loss is the theme of her composition, “Ballad of the Spirits.” Four

After five years of occupation, the Italians eventually left Ethiopia. Yewuar returned home to Addis Ababa with the rest of her family.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thecommonalityofhumanity/2023/08/a-hidden-gem-in-jerusalem-the-story-of-an-eastern-ethiopian-orthodox-nun/