Tegene Afework (

Amharic Amharic is an Ethio-Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amhara people, and also serves as a lingua franca for all other metropolitan populati ...

: ተገኔ አፈወርቅ; 16 August 1978 – 27 September 2022), known professionally as Madingo Afework (

: ማዲንጎ አፈወርቅ), was an Ethiopian singer. Born in

Gondar Gondar, also spelled Gonder (Amharic: ጎንደር, ''Gonder'' or ''Gondär''; formerly , ''Gʷandar'' or ''Gʷender''), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on ...

, he moved to military barracks nearby in the region where he was given his name "Madingo" by soldiers. There, Madingo joined the military band Zema Leras. Afework was widely known for his albums ''Siyame Atahulat'' (1999), ''Ayderegim'' (2005) and ''Swedlat'' (2015).

Life and career

Afework was born in

Azezo Azezo (Amharic: አዘዞ) is a town in northern Ethiopia south of the city of Gondar. History The town of Azezo was established around the same time Gondar was settled in the 16th century (between 1632 and 1687). Azezo was occupied by the It ...

town in

, Ethiopia on 16 August 1978 from his mother Hagernesh Wassie and Afework Mengistu. His family then moved to

Debre Tabor Debre Tabor (, lit. "Mount Tabor") is a town and woreda in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, about 100 kilometers southeast of Gondar and 50 kilometers east of Lake Tana, this historic town has a lat ...

to enroll him into primary education. During his childhood, he was influenced by several famous singers at the time, notably Elias Tebabel, Muluken Melesse, Meles Edeshe and Ephrem Tamiru, and many fans admired that Madingo had a capability to imitate these artists' songs. At the age of 10, Afework moved to a nearby garrison where soldiers nicknamed him "Madingo". At the garrison, he was enticed to join the military band, Zema Lastas. Madingo released his debut album called ''Siyame Atahulat'' in 1999. In 2005, he released widely acclaimed album ''Ayderegim''. After years long, Madingo came back with another album titled ''Swedlat'' in 2015.

Death

On 27 September 2022, Madingo died after being hospitalized at a clinic near his home from an unspecified illness. It was stated that he drove to hospital where he was given some painkillers before he died at the scene.

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Abiy Ahmed Abiy Ahmed Ali (; ; born 15 August 1976) is an Ethiopian politician who is the current Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 2018 and the leader of the Prosperity Party since 2019. He rose through the ranks of government via the Information Networ ...

expressed his condolences over his death, saying "I am deeply saddened by the death of artist Madingo Afework. He contributed enormously to his country thiopiain his life." Madingo's death was announced in the Ethiopian Press Agency. According to sources, his friend named EPD expressed grief to his death and condolences towards his family, friends, and close relatives. On 28 September, Embassy of Russia expressed condolences over his death, stating "He was not only a talented artist, but also a true patriot of his country. His work helped to strengthen the spirit of soldiers who were defending Ethiopia from its adversaries." On 28 September, police investigation was launched over his cause of death. According to state media, he was driving to a private clinic in Lemi Kura sub-city of Addis Ababa around 7:30 am (local time). He encountered a physician to complain about his breathing problem. He died at 9:30 am where the police believed the physician gave him a

painkiller An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

. The police also announced that they would investigate the death circumstance surrounding a medical error. A funeral service took place on 29 September in Addis Ababa. The farewell ceremony was conducted at Friendship Square accompanied by the country's public figures, government officials, families and fans.

Mayor of Addis Ababa The Mayor of Addis Ababa () is head of the executive branch of Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 c ...

Adanech Abebe Adanech Abiebie (Amharic: አዳነች አቤቤ, ) is an Ethiopians, Ethiopian politician who is serving as the thirty-second mayor of Addis Ababa since 2021. She has been serving as a deputy mayor from 2020 until 2021. She previously was the ...

paid tribute to him after his death. His body was laid to rest at the Holy Trinity Cathedral with high profile government officials, public figures, and residents attending the funeral.

Discography

References

{{Reflist 1978 births 2022 deaths 21st-century Ethiopian male singers People from Azezo People from Gondar