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HEART STRINGS


HEART STRINGS

Perched on a concrete curb in 4kilo, a one-man orchestra strapped to his shoulders, this street musician seems determined to prove that romance does not need a luxury venue, just an instrument, a loyal speaker, and enough confidence to serenade an entire city block. Somewhere in the crowd, a passerby is either falling in love or desperately trying to figure out how one man managed to combine a mic, a traditional string instrument (Kirar) with  stubbornness into a full band. Love may be complicated, but this gentleman's message is simple: if you cannot sweep someone off their feet, at least play enough instruments to distract them from noticing.

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In-Picture

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

At the entrance of Ambassador Theatre on Taitu Street, a book vendor has laid out a collection for passersby seeking stories that unfold through words rather than screens. Once perceived as rivals, with cinema often accused of drawing audiences away from books, the two industries now find themselves confronting a common adversary. Platforms such as TikTok shrink attention spans and reshape habits, both reading and moviegoing have steadily lost ground. Bound by a shared struggle, these once-compe...


In-Picture

HIDDEN PIONEER

Along Pushkin Avenue near Kera Abattoir, a mural on the backside of Worke's Promise building quietly stands as one of Addis Ababa's early examples of public art shaping urban spaces. Long before murals and beautification projects became a defining feature of the city's landscape, this hidden canvas carried a vision of transforming ordinary walls into spaces of storytelling. The artwork depicts a girl with open arms, surrounded by children reaching toward the sunrise, while an ancient warrior sta...


In-Picture

DIGITAL BULLDOZER

The former headquarters of the National Bank of Ethiopia, now serving as a Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) branch on Churchill Avenue, recently drew public attention online, but not for the right reasons. Few backed the bank's decision when it started constructing a new small ground-plus-one guard post that began obstructing the view of the building for commuters waiting at the nearby traffic light. Their disappointment quickly spread across social media platforms, particularly Facebook, promp...