An Open Letter to Jacky Gosse: Keep Your Head Up!

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After a long day of work, I lie on my bed and search for a song on Youtube. I come across the singer whose voice I’ve come to like after his single ‘Sela Beyilign’. He starts to sing and suddenly I notice my heart getting so heavy inside me. My eyes are watery and with every lyric that comes out of his mouth, a new tear drop is born.

The singer sings of his ‘beautiful country’ that he just doesn’t know how to help. He sees his brothers and sisters suffering in a foreign land but doesn’t know what to do. And so, he says, he does the only thing he can do – sing for it. And it is a heartfelt song. I feel broken.

His words resonate with my reality as he reminds his country that those of us that live off of her shores, don’t stay away because we want to. He tells her, our flesh is abroad but our soul is with you. Again, tears roll down my cheek – this time in twins and triplets.

I imagine an Ethiopia with a different reality, one that we’ve always been dreaming of. And I ask what it takes to make that dream come true. The idea of one nation, a nation of hope and love, has run through all generations and lives with us still today. I hear it in the voice of the singer burning with love for his country and people.  I noticed it in every Ethiopian that took to the streets in protest against Saudi’s actions. I’ve heard it being told in every Ethiopian story from kings and soldiers to civilians. It’s the fabric from which Ethiopia is made of…the idea of oneness!

With a heavy heart, I want to tell this singer to not give up hope…and so, like him, I take the only measure I can – my writing.

Dear Jacky,

Thank you for your heartfelt, genuine words and music. But know that there is no mountain faith can’t move or any new day hope won’t bring. Even when the odds are against us, have faith that the day will come when nations will see our brightest day in the horizon.

So dear Jacky, sing, sing with the same genuineness.  Sing not only of your pain but of your hope. Sing of your faith that Ethiopia shall raise its hands to the lord and that when the day comes, he will listen to our cry. Remind us that when cried for our brothers and sisters in Saudi, we didn’t question whether they were Amhara, Tigre, Oromo….being Ethiopian was enough!

Sing of the truth we’ve disregarded, Jacky, that we are one! That our destiny is intertwined! That your fall is our fall, and our rise, your rise!

Among the many voices, yours stood out to touch our hearts, now use this same beautiful voice to preach the gospel of love, faith, and hope. Tell Ethiopia the time is near when her children will have both their flesh and soul in her courtyard, if they can only love. Remind us to always remember what happened to us in Saudi and how, when we came together as one, the only thing that mattered was being an Ethiopian!

Keep your head up, brother! And God bless you and your beautiful voice!

Emebet Sabela