Gebremariam, Awalom
Desdes
Awalom completed 'Desdes' in 2007, not long before he departed Eritrea. Because Awalom left after the recording, he never received any money for cassette and CD sales. But he also didn't get to find out how much of an impact the songs have had locally. His songs appear to focus on love, but Awalom doesn't speak about romantic love per se. Much of the music Awalom heard as he grew up was intertwined with Eritrea's difficult and contentious split from Ethiopia. He spent years waiting for the chance to escape economic and political turmoil at home. Nowadays living in North Carolina, Awalom works in a restaurant and plans to bring his music to Eritrean communities across North America, as well as to other listeners with whom his powerful sounds will deeply resonate.