Engidazer Nega, 'the Mother of Ethiopian Comedy'

By Fitsum Getachew

"Once I was so desperate with my daughter seriously ill, and took her to Ras Desta Hospital. I was crying full of sadness. And when I arrived in the lobby of the hospital, every one began laughing, caring little about my predicament, having recognized me. They were saying 'that funny lady who comes on ETV screens is here' and continued to giggle. But I was desperate, crying, seeking immediate medical attention to my ailing baby. And when the doctor came and realized in what situation I was, he tried to calm me, promising to cure my girl. He then said, 'I will take good care of your daughter, but later you will make me laugh!" .

Artist Engidazer Nega, talking about some of the curious incidents she encountered in her day to day life, outside the stage.

Engidazer has remarked that many people believe that artists, specially comedians do not have a life of their own, full of problems and anxieties, just as other ordinary individuals. They think they are always playing some comic part in a script, and being a celebrity could cause various embarrassing situations. Engidazer was one of such persons who could not live her private life the way she preferred. Anywhere she went, she had to camouflage herself by covering her face and wearing dark eyeglasses. Even so, she hardly escaped the pointed attention of enthusiastic fans.

The day every one was enjoying the holiday of Eid Alfetir (November 13th, 2004) has left me (and millions others) with a truly sad memory, something that can hardly be forgotten for a while. Watching the evening ETV news as many others do, the anchor was about to finish the local news, when she stopped to say 'Obituary'. I jumped from my seat fearing the death of some important personality. My presentiment was unfortunately not betrayed. The anchor went: 'for a long period of time, she has been serving as teacher, journalist and comedian, engaged in ETV,.... and before the name was disclosed, my heartbeat literally went to the roof, as if someone that I was very close to, like a kin, would soon be announced dead! The suspense was really electrifying and tense, until the newscaster pronounced the name: Comedian Engidazer Nega has passed away! I was literally shocked and what immediately struck my mind was the question: what on earth happened to her?!! And I think that same emotion must have pervaded the mind of every one in the entire nation that sad evening.

Artist Engidazer Nega was for all those who knew her very well, a part of their family. And I bet every one who had watched some hour of ETV, or even any of the entertainment programs that ETV every now and then produced, knew her very well and admired her quick wit and talent. In short, she was indeed the personification 'par excellence' of Ethiopian comedy, as if she was born for it. She knew how to inject life to any script adding her own flavour to it. In fact, her colleagues say, she seldom needed to memorize and be limited to a script as she impersonated the part in a natural and genuine manner. And yet, it had taken her more than ten years to fully realize and appreciate such glowing talent and produce it to the consumption of the large audience, mainly through ETV. She was such a warm personality that every one felt at ease with her. Redundant reunions had their own taste if she somehow intervened with a gag. In wedding parties, she entertained every one with her famous traditional dance. Every where she went, people felt her marked presence, brilliant personality, and gay mood.

My first personal face to face with Engidazer was, I remember, when I was trying to take the lift up the various floors of ETV building. At the fifth floor, every one in the lift was evacuating while she had to remain all alone, as she had yet to reach her destination. When I got in, I heard from her a big sigh of relief (after saying 'good day'). I thought she was playacting! What was going on? I responded to her greetings warmly (as we have known each other in the compound of ETV, shortly extending a greeting and a smile, while being checked by the guards at the gate). But that afternoon, going up the lift, she thanked me for being with her. Amazed, I asked her what was wrong. 'Don't tell me that you are afraid of mounting on a lift all alone! She did not think nor hesitate a moment before answering: "I am terrorized by lifts", she exclaimed! "I hate them and if I were left alone, I would have stepped out forthwith", she added. I almost laughed, amused (with Engidazer everything she says seems directed to entertain, and people often fail to appreciate her real worries and anxieties). And when she reached her destination, she left with a grateful smile. That episode has always remained in my mind, and when I first came to know that she was seeking treatment because she had hurt herself falling from a roof, I thought, what a destiny! What a predicament! The person who suffered from vertigo could not spare herself from falling, and only the love for her profession, the love for her fans would have convinced her to do what she would otherwise loathe to do! That is how destiny pulls us by our sleeves, I thought! That is how we are indissolubly tied to our destinies!

And Artist Engidazer had to die due to 'complications' that came by following such accident on the job and the subsequent knee injury. An injury that never healed completely as it needed a complicated surgery, not practicable here in Ethiopia. In the advanced societies, Engidazer would have been entitled to a huge sum of money in compensation from her employer or insurance, and she would probably have not ended up the way she did.

Artists in Ethiopia earn really very little and whenever they get sick or get retired and hence do not have any regular, reliable income, they end up needing assistance. They don't have savings that would enable them face life's routine expenses, let alone medical expenses for overseas treatment. Their sad lot may often be brought to the attention of the public via the media or some active member or colleague although their popularity and admiration do not get converted into tangible support, and money. However, this does not mean that millions others do not find themselves in the same plight. In Ethiopia, if someone reaches a stage where they need some sophisticated treatment, it almost always implies one's destiny is fixed, and that is death. As artists' plight is often focussed at, it somehow reaches the public's or fans' ears and becomes a worry. And that is why we often hear of their sickness, treatment and eventual death, in great detail.

There is a sort of tradition in this country that consists of trying to raise funds to assist artists in emergency and agony due to accidents, illnesses and financial constraints to afford adequate treatment. Fans are hence called to contribute. Plays are staged, concerts are held or games are played with ticket incomes intended for such purposes. This has been going on now for years, specially concerning artists, and people are inevitably getting wary of them. The fundamental problems are never addressed and emergencies continue to crop up every now and then. Engidazer's lot is not any different from others who preceded her. At times, sufficient funds are raised and the treatment is carried out successfully; (It appears that Artist Wogayehu Deghinetu might be more fortunate, undergoing surgery in India). At others, failure becomes inevitable. We know in the past that a few philanthropists such as Tycoon Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi have helped certain notable personalities (artists, journalists and sportsmen) receive expensive overseas treatment, but unfortunately Engidazer was not blessed with such 'fortune'. The committee that had been organized to raise funds for her treatment had more or less failed and disbanded as it could not meet the conditions and deadlines. When this was stated at the funerals of Engidazer, many peoples' sadness and anger became even more bitter.

What is more, it was said that the very agency for which she practically sacrificed her life was not willing or ready to help her more actively in trying to have her treated. We know that certain officials have often been offered treatment abroad (through either the sponsorship or good offices of their authorities). But evidently Engidazer was not in the focus of such attention. And I bet if people were asked to give an opinion on this matter, they would have no doubts in their choice of some one like her benefiting from such a privilege rather than any illustrious government official!

At times, you cannot help thinking that not only where you work, what you earn and where you live matters, but also whom you work with and whom you know or are associated with! If Engidazer had lived or worked in another country, perhaps somewhere in Europe or America, she would probably have 'survived' or overcome such accident. She might even have avoided the accident in the first place! In economic terms, we know that artists in this country have nothing in common with those from other countries. Artistically, they may be better qualified, more talented and appreciated here. They may receive more love and popularity, but income wise, they are among the poorest, even by Ethiopian standards. In stark terms, we have to admit that Engidazer had to die because she did not have the money to pay for her treatment. Although the immediate cause was reported to be 'complications' following a treatment for dental pain, it is now clear that the destiny of Engidazer was fixed when she first fell from the roof where she was acting and being filmed!

Many people have questioned the responsibilities of the doctors who prescribed the drugs she took for the dental pain. It was alleged that these drugs had a fatal side effect on the liver and kidneys of Engidazer! There are many cases in Ethiopia in which we observe people dying of apparently not so severe diseases because of many unidentified incidents and 'complications'. Not being doctors, not being aware of what normally happens in a medical establishment, we laymen and women just accept whatever 'verdict' is offered to us. Doctors certainly are not gods, nor can they be wizards. In the majority of cases, while we are in dire need of their magical hands, we would like to believe that they do their best to spare our lives. Nevertheless, even when we find out that people who should not have died, or did not seem risking imminent death, die away suddenly, (although we may feel psychologically obliged to raise suspicions and doubts), we cannot afford to go any further. We often hear of cases mounted and compensations paid in certain societies when certain professional responsibilities have been ascertained. But here we are in a very distant reality from that. People may find their premature death due to wrong diagnosis and consequent therapies, wrong medicines, wrong doses, undeclared or unknown allergies and other conditions etc. In certain cases, it could be the very nature of the illness, the specific condition of the patient, the negligence of family who should have informed doctors of what problems the patient may exactly have. Especially in emergencies, such information can be key in trying to save one's life. But in certain cases doctors' errors or negligence should be admitted and disclosed. IN Engidazer's case, what has been disclosed is that her death was provoked by 'complications' that affected her already troubled liver and kidneys. The extent of her doctors' responsibilities remain hence unidentified. What we do know is that she has tragically, prematurely passed away, and we will never see her again in a new comedy!

Every one may remember the case of their relative or friend who under similar situations have lost their life, or missed such assistance as to avoid death in extremis. What should be done to avoid such scenario really remains a challenge. In the legal world, there is a code of responsibility as provided in the Civil Code. Doctors as well as other professionals are required to abide by certain standards, certain rules, moral, ethical as well as legal and professional. But in the end, implementation has lacked and nothing conclusive has ever been achieved. Sterile discussions in various public fora have been conducted. Radio programs or talk shows have raised it. And yet inexplicable deaths still occur in numbers. Negligence? Insufficient professional knowledge? Inadequate resources? Ethical problems? We don't know. (How many of us have found that a certain doctor or clinic diagnoses our illness in a way and another one affirms the contrary! Public hospitals could be overburdened by patients and cases, operating under impossible circumstances. Private hospitals and clinics are in many ways motivated by the 'profit approach', and prescriptions risk to be weighed against how much is intended to be earned. And if someone finds themselves having to pay so much for so many kinds of drugs and/or therapies, many times of little relevance to the ailment, little wonder!)

Now, we see that such issues are raised even in the advanced societies, but similar cases are being reported now more often than they used to be, some time back. Has medicine made a regression in our country, or is it because people are now bold enough to inquire, question, challenge and declare the causes of their relatives' or friends' deaths? Certainly, the issue is that it is becoming widespread and who ever is in a position to take the necessary measures should not take any more time to face it. Strict professional qualification rules crave for application. Medicine cannot be left in the hands of unscrupulous traders! And the mandate of the Ministry of Health is here unequivocal!

Artist Engidazer Nega's obituary says, she was born in Debremarkos, (Gojjam), some 58 years ago. She was first trained as a teacher (she worked for eleven years in Gondar) before joining ETV as journalist. For eighteen years, she presented entertainment programs, produced plays and wrote poems beside engaging in full time comedy. Her talent had driven her to the calling. For years, she has maintained extreme popularity in presenting a variety of comedies, plays and dramas, often in tandem with Artists Limeneh, Alebachew, Asress, Kibebew and others. She acted with the veterans as well as with beginners, never snubbing any one. She was a modest, exemplary professional that managed to conquer the love of her viewers. Most of the characters she played have become part of the popular costume. That is why her death leaves a huge gap in the hearts of people. If we add Engidazer's loss to the recent death of Munaye Menberu, a dramatic stage artist, and Tesfaye Kassa, a truly gifted comedian, we can feel how deprived we are being of our key artists. Will there be others good enough to replace them? That is something that we will find out in the near future. In the meantime, we mourn the untimely death of Artist Engidazer Nega. Certainly, the memory of her fresh and popular comedies will remain in our hearts, and this will eventually remain a huge consolation for her family, friends and admirers.