Gezahegn Mussie Tekleselassie [ገዛኸኝ ሙሴ ተክለስላሴ] was born in Hagereselam, Sidama County, former South Region, in 1960. He earned his BA in English Language and Literature from Addis Ababa University in 1986. Then he worked as a Public Relations Officer for the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission. Later on he worked at World Vision Ethiopia as Christian Witness and Church Relations Coordinator of South Region.
Gezahegn began his ministry as a solo singer at his congregation, the Mekane Yesus Church in Mekanisa (sub-city of Addis Ababa) in 1986. He sang likewise at spiritual conferences and worship services of other denominations. Gezahegn has been nicknamed “the singer who doesn’t need a songbook” since he memorizes the words at the time of composition. The lyrics of his songs are scripture soaked. Most of the time, he plays his guitar by fingerpicking.
In 2001, Gezahegn became an independent teacher, preacher and writer on the topic of praise and worship. Six years later, he earned a MA in Biblical and Theological Studies at Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology. Since 2019, he sings and preaches on public roads in Addis Ababa. Gezahegn mixes messages of peace and ethnic reconciliation to his evangelistic songs. All his recorded songs are in Amharic, but he also composed some songs in Sidama language.
Rev Gezahegn Mussie teaches in the B.A. program in Worship and Music offered by the Mekane Yesus School of Music and Media (Addis Ababa) and the Mahlet Institute of Worship and Music.
Albums
(1) Yäzälaläm šämaye [የዘላለም ሸማዬ, My everlasting garment]. Cassette recorded by Yemisrach Dimts, Addis Ababa, 1993.
(2) Ǝgziʼabǝher bäzufan lay näw! [እግዚአብሔር በዙፋኑ ላይ ነው! God is still on His throne! (Hbk 7:19)]. Cassette released by Tinsae Song Shop, Addis Ababa, 1995.
(3) Ləbe siyasəbəh räka [ልቤ ሲያስብህ ረካ, My heart gets satisfied as I think of You]. Cassette recorded by Getayawkal Girmay, Addis Ababa, 1997.
(4) Fäwəsat Itəyop̣əyan [ፈውሳት ኢትዮጵያን, Healing Ethiopia]. CD recorded by Jan Kebede and AFG Band, Addis Ababa, 2000.
(5) Yäzämänat nafəqote [የዘመናት ናፍቆቴ, (Jesus,) my desire for ages]. CD recorded by Dawit Getachew and distributed by Gezahegn Mussie, Addis Ababa, 2014.
Songs in hymn books
[Any?]
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Audio
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Video
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Interviews
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Further reading
Gezahegn Mussie. “Zimare tilant zimare zare [Songs of Yesterday; Songs of Today]”, Birhan 51 (2004 [1996 A.M.]): 1-5.
—. Amharic translation of Bob Sorge, Exploring Worship. Addis Ababa, 2007. [View online]
—.Worship Leaders and Choirs Training Material. Addis Ababa, 2023. [View online]