Commentary
Sibrit Dazzles American Audiences
By Sophia Tesfamariam
Aug 22, 2005, 15:15

The Eritrean-American Community in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area hosted an evening of entertainment, "Eritrean Showcase- A taste of Eritrea", on Saturday, 20 August 2005 at the Washington Marriott, in the heart of Washington, DC. Americans from all walks of life including journalists, members of Congress, State Department, lawyers, teachers, and other Friends of Eritrea were treated to a night of exceptional performances by the award winning, Sibrit Cultural and Folkloric Troupe in a traditional cultural setting. Mr. Yemane Gebreab, Head of Political Affairs at the People's Front for Democracy and Justice and Mr. Tsehaye Fassil Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Eritrea in Washington, D.C. were also present.

Eritrean artifacts, colorful woven baskets, handmade rugs, and pictorial exhibitions adorned the walls and floors of the spacious ballroom. Beautiful authentic men's and women's clothing and embroidery designs hung on mannequins all around the entrance adding to the colorful display of traditional Eritrean cultural wear. Clay water pots, woven milk containers, handcrafted wooden and metallic wares, hand painted pictures on sheep and goat skins, clay coffee pots and cooking pans, cooking and other instruments, providing information about and depicting the uniqueness and beauty of each of Eritrea's nine ethnic groups. There was also a wonderful display of hand made, authentic Eritrean jewelry of beads, shells, silver and gold, and information on Eritrean, history, culture, modern and historic architecture, tourism and much more.

The scrumptious buffet of hot and mildly spiced Eritean food included chicken, beef and vegetable stews provided food for all. There was himbasha, traditional bread, popcorn, chick peas, nuts, candy and other finger foods served with coffee. The guests also got a chance to taste ga'At, solidified and buttered porridge eaten mostly for breakfast and a special dish served to visiting relatives and guests upon the birth of a child.  There was Kicha fitfit, pieces of flat bread mixed with berbere (hot pepper paste) and seasoned butter in a traditional cooking pot, Sahli which added to the beauty and authenticity of the presentation. The delighted guests ate and drank while making their rounds and sipping on traditional coffee which was served throughout the event as well as sewa traditional homebrewed drink, and mies, a much sweeter homemade honey wine. Also on the menu was imported Asmara Beer, a smooth rich full flavored beer and Areque, sweet liquor similar to Ouzo and the crowd favorite.

On behalf of the Eritrean American Community in Washington, DC, Mr. Solomon Teklu, welcomed all the invited guests and Friends of Eritrea to an unforgettable evening of culture and diversity. Mr. Tesehaye Fassil also briefly addressed the audience and welcomed and thanked them for participating in the special cultural event. He introduced Mr. Yemane Gebreab and invited him to speak to the audience about Eritrea.

Mr. Yemane thanked everyone for coming and congratulated and thanked the organizers of the event for a job well done. He told the audience that the Eritrean American community was "strong, substantial, tight nit and highly organized", but lamented that it was an "inward looking" community, which must forge closer ties and links with the wider American society. He said there should be more of these events in the future to promote such ties. Mr. Yemane also praised Eritrean women who he said were instrumental in making Eritrean Festivals, Cultural shows etc. successful. He told the audience that Eritrea had a rich culture and this event was a chance for Eritrean Americans to share a little bit of their heritage with their American friends and colleagues. Mr. Yemane said that Eritrea was a small country with a unified, diverse society with a population evenly divided between Christians and Moslems. He said it was the Government of Eritrea's (GoE) policy to promote equality and provide equitable development throughout Eritrea.

Mr. Yemane said, today as in during Eritrea's struggle for independence, there was  firm support for the empowerment of women who he said,  played "a decisive role" in attaining Eritrea's independence, and who play a vital role in development efforts in Eritrea today. In closing, Mr. Yemane said the GoE was focused on giving the best education and opportunity to young Eritreans who now constitute more than half of Eritrea's population of about 4 million. He invited all to share in the Eritrean experience through events in the United States and he also invited all to Eritrea where he said they would be "most welcome".

Ms. Algetta Belay, member of the Eritrean American Community, introduced Sibrit, the visiting Eritrean Folkloric Cultural Troupe and gave a brief overview of their varied performances. Renowned for their luminous costumes, technical polish, creative panache, expressive performances and seemingly inexhaustible energy, Sibrit is undoubtedly one of Eritrea's greatest cultural treasures and on the lead in preserving Eritrea's rich and diverse artistic legacy. The audience was treated to a spectacular performance depicting the Afar, Bilen, Hidareb, Kunama, Nara, Rashaida, Saho, Tigre and Tigrinya ethnic groups. The ensemble played to a full house of delighted Americans and other Friends of Eritrea.

The spectacular costumes, dances, and song performances on the program, demonstrating Eritrea's diversity, treated the audience to a wide range of performing styles. The dances included several forms of movements such as leaping, prancing, mock attacks, singing, yelling etc. as well as the arching of their backs, moving in smooth slow motion, and other acrobatic styles.  The musical instruments were just as varied and the sounds and rhythms. All in all, the audience was enchanted by this exhibition of Eritrean culture and tradition, so much so that in the end, they joined the Troupe for a bit of dancing of their own. They all expressed their appreciation of Eritrea's culture and vowed to participate in other Eritrean American activities in the future, some even talked about going to Eritrea, and some who had already been there, said they were ready to go back.

Sibrit was not only performing, but most importantly, was educating Eritrean Americans and Americans about Eritrea's rich culture which all agreed must be cherished and preserved. The ensemble have been performing and choreographing for cultural festivals in Eritrea and abroad, winning many awards and acclaim in a relatively short period of time. In June, Sibrit represented Eritrea at the Aichi Expo 2005 in Japan as part of the 2005 World Exhibitions. The troupe has performed in Canada and Western United States as part of their multi state tour, and will continue with more performances in US cities before heading back to Eritrea.