Held in an actual opera house, as the Cinema Asmara used to be called in its days of glory back in the 1920s, the concert was very impressive and attentively followed by a large audience, including numerous expatriates.

With its arc-shaped three-floor balconies and the fresco on the ceiling, Cinema Asmara in itself resembles the western opera houses we only get to see on television. That combined with the beautiful music, delivered a lovely weekend package.

The concert program consisted of three pieces of classical music and another three pieces with vocal performances by Barnabas Mebrahtu, Eritrea’s own baritone and epitome of opera music.

Before performing an eight-piece Schumann’s Dichterliebe (Love of the Poet), Barnabas shared with the audience a free Tigrigna translation of the composer’s words.

He also surprised the audience towards the end of the concert when he announced that he would sing Neguse, a historical ballad narrating the tragic death of a legendary hero, Neguse according to a musical arrangement by Tamara Knel.

And indeed, accompanied by pianist Manuela Micelli, cellist Gianantonio Rossi and flautist Federica Pinna, Barnabas delivered a stunning performance.

Although it had been previously presented as a musical drama, this was the first time for it to be composed and sung as an opera.

In December last year, Mr. Tesfaberhan Fessehaye, a fellow citizen I met in a similar concert at the Cinema Asmara had expressed his hopes that one day Eritreans would develop their own cultural and oral traditions in such a way as to present it to local and international audiences.

Well, his dream has now started coming true.

Indeed, as spectacular as it was Saturday’s event marked also a breaking ground for other similar reproductions of Eritrea’s unexplored music tradition.

The event, which was sponsored by Lufthansa Airlines and the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, was great acclaimed by the audience.