These are images from Roof Top parties in New York City organized by The Mic Goes Global.  The Mic Goes Global(Bridging the Cultural Gap Through Music) is the brainchild of Ethiopian-born Sirak Getachew (D.J. Sirak) & his freind Bintou of Staka Productions . 

Tirunesh Dibaba wins the 3000-Meter Run of the 100th Millrose Games on Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, at Madison Square Garden in New York.  Held annually since 1908, the Millrose Games is the nation’s longest running invitational track meet and Madison Square Garden’s longest running sporting event. Just a week earlier in Boston, Dibaba had shattered the world record in the women’s 5,000 meters.  According to Jere Longman of the New York Times, “She wore diamond earrings and strode so elegantly and lightly in pursuit of a world record that her feet could not be heard on the banked track at the Reggie Lewis Center.” Dibaba put on a solo effort in the 5,000 that was nothing short of awesome. Known in some circles as “the baby-faced destroyer,” Dibaba destroyed her own world and Ethiopian record, running 14:27.42 to crush her own record of 14:32.93 set in 2005.

Photos courtesy of D.J. Sirak 

The Mic Goes Global (Bridging the Cultural Gap Through Music) is the brainchild of Ethiopian-born Sirak Getachew (D.J. Sirak) & his freind Bintou of Staka Productions . 

Arriving from Addis Ababa to the graffiti-filled streets of Da Bronx, he was introduced to the hip-hop phenomenon at an early age.

“I remember arriving at New York’s JFK airport at the age of nine and settling in a Bronx neighborhood. Being the only Ethiopian on the block and at school, it was hard to keep my own culture alive”, he says. “As time went on, however, hip-hop became my means of bridging the cultural gap between myself and my new community.”

In the short time since the program began, it has gained recoginition from various media organizations including, MTV, The Source, The Village Voice, Tadias Magazine and local TV stations. 

The Mic Goes Global team is  currently working on releasing a DVD/CD compilation of artists featured in its events.

“Hip-hop has helped me fuse my past and my heritage with my present in an artistic and socially meaningful way. Its time to get global!” – D.J. Sirak 

Photos courtesy of D.J. Sirak.

On January 12, 2007, the Museum of Science and Industry featured Jomo Furniture at its Designs for Life Exibition, an interactive exhibit that explores the creative and technical field of industrial design and the achievements of African-American designers. The exhibit opened as part of the Museum’s annual Black Creativity celebration—a six-week program that highlights the achievements and heritage of African Americans. Learn More about the Exibition.

This was a wonderful winter party with an international theme, which included among other delicacies, sosaties (South Africa), fajitas (Mexico), injera (Ethiopia) and mojitos (Cuba).  The party was hosted by Tara Shaw. Photos courtesy of Tara Shaw.

This was a great party…definitely for the ages! Warm thanks to Gideon, Nemo & Menna.  Enjoy the pictures courtesy of Gideon and Nicole. Feel free to comment.

These are images from the Addis heights Dinner Party. Photographs courtesy of Gideon Belete.

Drawings by  Isis Nabuts. Photos courtesy of Lin Strong.