Ethiopia’s music scene usually shines a spotlight on singers and bands, but one figure quietly shaped its soul for decades. Since the early 1980s, Yayehyirad Alamrew’s lyrics graced cherished Amharic songs. Recognition never seemed to drive him; seeing people embrace his words was reward enough. He always felt more ideas were waiting to be written.

For over 30 years, Yayehyirad influenced entertainment and media, writing lyrics that bridged generations while producing advertising campaigns that were embedded into the cultural fabric. Collaborations with icons such as Tilahun Gesesse, Aster Aweke, Tsehaye Yohannes, Kuku Sebsibe, and Tewodros Tadesse resulted in albums that still stir popular sentiment.

His lyrics remain timeless and radiated an artistic portrayal of Ethiopia, revealing his profound love for his country. He chose to spark hope and beauty through storytelling. In one of his rare interviews with local media, he attributed this perspective to his upbringing in the Tor Hailoch, a.k.a. Tolossa neighborhood, where he was the third child in a military family steeped in patriotism. His brother, Zelalem, recalled how that devotion took shape through storytelling.

“I wasn't only his brother but his fan,” he said. “He impressed me with his way of life.”

While music was his starting point, his gifts extended into advertising and branding. Fluent in Amharic, Ge’ez, and Arabic, he fashioned striking taglines, named influential brands, and produced wide-reaching campaigns. He coined the hybrid word "Jazzmaris" for a pioneering jazz group and shaped Enat Bank’s identity with a single proposition. His sister, Hirut, an early promotor and founding shareholder of Enat, remembered how 10 of them struggled to find a word capturing women’s autonomy.

“Knowing his rich linguistic mastery, I called him,” she remembered. “He instantly suggested ‘Enat’ (mother).”

For Hirut, he was more than a brother she reached out for advice. He was a protector she leaned on during difficult times.

A commitment to social causes matched this talent for language. He spearheaded efforts around HIV/AIDS awareness and polio vaccination drives, and created “Shum Chauffeur” for Diageo’s, former bottlers of Meta Beer, for its campaign for responsible drinking, urging people to designate a driver while out partying. Partnering with UNICEF, UNHCR, and USAID, he organised fundraising concerts at Meskel Square, harnessing the power of music to reach massive audiences.

Yayehyirad's presence in the live music scene was no less conspicuous, managing Guramayle Lounge and Royal Palace Club and curating concerts that brought together established legends, emerging talent, and diaspora artists.

In his apartment on Africa Avenue (Bole Road) in the Olympia neighborhood, he amassed a collection of more than 4,000 books, which were kept in pristine condition.