What does this say?

Factual Questions
1

I was talking to Corey Harris last night at a local bar where he performed. I’ve liked Corey and his music for a while now. Each time he strikes out in a new direction, he throws himself 100% that way. The latest CD released is reggae(Zion Crossroads). Anyway, he gave me a copy of his new CD which has songs he wrote after living in Ethiopia for a while.

Here is the inscription.
It reads “To Mark” and is signed “Ethiopia CH (his initials) 2007” but what are the other symbols?

I can email him and ask, but I would feel dumb. Any help?

2

Looks like Ge’ez. But I can’t translate.

3

no, it’s Amharic, though I don’t know the language to translate it.

4

If you can figure out how to type the Amharic (or just copy & paste each letter), here is an online dictionary.

5

Further information on Amharic here where you can get the actual letters to C&P.

6

Cool! Thanks. I’ll work on this now.

7

Well, I sent the links to my gf and asked her to translate.

:dubious:

8

Interesting. Probably not related, but there is a Zion Crossroads about 15 miles East of Charlottesville VA (which is where Corey Harris is from.)

9

Hmmm. He had VA plates on his van. Is “the real” Zion Crossroads exit 136?

10

I just got Zion Crossroads in a surprise mail from a friend, and am really enjoying it. A reggae album, different from his more blues oriented previous, but, like all he does, it’s with heart and great musicianship.

Vetbridge, I looked at the liner notes to the album & Corey’s MySpace page to see if what he wrote as an inscription was a motif there. Nope, but I did find out that Corey
just won a MacArthur Fellowship Grant! This just makes me smile with big glee! I knew Corey back in the day when he was up and coming, singing on the streets of New Orleans. ( He wasn’t any simple street singer, though, at all, had a degree in Anthropology, had been to Africa to study) Got to spend a great day photographing him for the cover of Living Blues magazine. That was at the beginning of his career. He is a great man, great musician, and committed to teaching the common threads of the African music diaspora to kids.

So, didn’t answer your question at all, but thanks for this thread, causing me to learn of Corey’s award. I just can’t stop smiling over this. He’s earned every bit of it!

11

I wish I had known about the grant, I woulda congratulated him! He is truly a great guy, and a musical genius. I don’t want to betray confidences, but in past visits to Pittsburgh I have had a blast hanging out with him. In fact, two years ago when Corey was in the area, I met my gf at his show. Corey met her last weekend and enjoyed hearing the story.

elelle: Ever meet (the late) Sam Meyers in your work? Any other stories you care to share?

12

Yep, sure is! I guess he found the double meaning in the name Zion Crossroads and ran with it.

Zion Crossroads is the intersection of Interstate 64 and Route 250 going East-West and Route 15 going North-South. For years it just had a few gas stations and local convenience stores, and a diner called the Crescent Inn that I ate at fairly often. Now there’s a truck stop, McDonalds, Burger King, and a few other things. Pretty typical Interstate rest stop type thing. It’s in the 60 miles or so of rural area between Richmond and Charlottesville.

13

At least it didn’t say “Drink more Ovaltine”.