Tigist Shibabaw (1980 – January 2008) was an Ethiopian singer and one of the original members of the

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

-based

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

fusion band Bole2Harlem. She was born in Chagni, Ethiopia, like her sister, the singer Gigi.

Early life

Tigist was born and raised in Chagni, a small town in northwestern Ethiopia. She was one of ten siblings, born into a family of coffee farmers who relied on the local river for their harvest.

Career

Tigist immigrated to the United States in 2000 to pursue a career in music, joining her older sister Gigi, who was already a musician. Their father had initially forbidden Gigi from becoming an entertainer. Tigist performed with her sister Gigi on Gigi's debut album; she then became a lead vocalist for Bole2Harlem. The group's co-founder and producer David Schommer described her voice and singing as "a vital part of Bole2Harlem's sound."

Death

Tigist died at the age of twenty-eight in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia, where she is said to have traveled on a pilgrimage shortly after she finished recording with Bole2Harlem circa January 2008. Details regarding the circumstances surrounding her death never emerged, including the exact date of her death; She was buried among family in Chagni, the town where she was born.

Discography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tigist Shibabaw 1980 births 2008 deaths 21st-century Ethiopian women singers Date of birth missing Date of death missing