Bitsat Seyoum

For 20 years, Seyoum ran a successful nightclub in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, named Bitsat (her name translates as 'gift of god' in the Amharic language) where she regularly performed.

Seyoum’s other speciality at her Addis Ababa club was performing a uniquely Ethiopian style of improvised poetry called 'wax and gold', in which the words have two meanings – a superficial meaning, the 'wax', and a hidden meaning, the 'gold'. Popular with lovers sending secret messages to each other or used for fooling censors, its double entendres and wordplay are much loved in Ethiopia. It was a style that required the listener to be well versed in Amharic and familiar with the cultural references.

Having visited Australia as a guest of the Ethiopian community in 2007, when she was invited to perform for the Coptic millennium celebrations, Seyoum sought refuge there after encountering a problem with the government back home. She went on to create a successful career for herself abroad and has performed at numerous festivals, among them Emerge Festival alongside other Ethiopian greats.