Travelers we have met along the way have described Addis Ababa as a rather unappealing city without the luxury of tourist attractions. Dirty, crowded, ugly and full of beggars…these were our first impressions also. But our time in Addis took a rather unexpected turn thanks to one of Ethiopia’s prominent gospel singers…Yusef Kassa. As we were standing in the reception area of the Taitu Hotel, a friendly looking man spotted Jason and said, “you look like Jesus.” This is of course not an uncommon observation, so we smiled and agreed. He kept on talking…”I want you in my music video,” he says. “I am a gospel singer here in Ethiopia and I am looking for Jesus…”

Of course one is advised to swallow a healthy dose of skepticism before arriving in Ethiopia, so we were wary of his claims, but we needn’t have feared. That afternoon we were driven around Addis by Yusef, stopping to take illegal photos of the African Union building (where Jase had to show his passport to a cranky security guard), slowing down in roundabouts so I could take snapshots out the window and enjoying views of the endless traffic and rubbish dumps populated by men playing foosball.

We visited his film studio where we met some of Ethiopia’s prominent film-makers and were introduced to his music. We needed no more convincing regarding his authenticity after that point.

In the evening we were taken to Addis’ most famed restaurant, renowned for it’s traditional dancers and quality injera. We were introduced to Yusef’s sister Hirut, who is apparently a well-known journalist in spiritual circles and a lovely person to boot. We were allowed to pay for nothing, and this continued into the next day. What we expected from Addis?? I think not. The city itself did not grow more beautiful and the beggars were no less poor but we were introduced to the life of a rich Ethiopian and we enjoyed it in style!

The filming of the video clip was set 2 hours from Addis, just outside of Nasrit, on a rocky hillside overlooking a valley. We drove, packed into a minivan with a cross strapped to the roof. Randomness on roof racks! When we eventually arrived at the set we were surrounded by children, goats, curious cows and villagers intent on what was happening. I very much enjoyed the image of a goat standing on the cross, its feet slipping on the smooth surface. 

Jase was transformed into a harrowed Jesus by some talented make-up artists after which it was time for a good whipping. The ‘Roman soldier’ looked surprisingly Ethiopian, but you can’t have everything…Jase found his second calling as an actor with his anguished looks. These were not all feigned though – he was actually left with red marks on his back after the makeup was removed. Unfortunately the light faded before he could be nailed to the cross, but rest assured it will happen on our return to Addis 🙂 

So needless to say, this was an unusual adventure, and one we never could have predicted. Our time in Addis went from the normal dirty and frustrating experience to one unparalleled in novelty and hospitality. All I can say is, thank God, Jase didn’t cut his hair 🙂