Asmara Opera House Embarks Celebrating Its Hundredth Service Years, Theatrical Performances Engulf Residents

Asmara Opera House

Asmara Opera House Embarks Celebrating Its Hundredth Service Years, Theatrical Performances Engulf Residents

By Yosief Abraham Z

One of the oldest Opera Houses in Africa—Asmara Opera—embarks celebrating its hundredth years of active services. Built in 1918 and its late enlargements efforts came true in 1938, Asmara Opera House—commonly renowned as Cinema Asmara—is one of the few buildings that compromise many patterns of architectural elements.

With recent initiatives for staging different stage-dramas, the Opera House has counted over two months in gathering residents of the Capital into arts arena. Including to the first ushering drama ‘Mobae’ by Efriem Kahsay (Wedi Kuada), ‘Hanti Niklte,’ ‘TinsaEie’ and ‘Dirsan’ has been staged. Comedians, headed by Ghirmay Yohaness (Sandiyago), are also playing their prominent role in adding vital roles in resurrecting theatrical performances of the country.

Popular among architects for embracing the Romanesque Revival style that annihilate to 11th and 12th century, experts stress Asmara’s Opera House exclusivity in applying similar but partial models from Culzean Castle of Scotland, Gosford Castle from Northern Ireland and Vasa Church from Gothenburg, Sweden. Thus, in 2018, this magnificent building from Asmara, Eritrea, will unfold its triumphing treasures that go from combining the elements of neo-classical to the Romanesque revival regarding architectural designs, unfolded authors contents in drama, opera and musical performances in the art arena.

Registered as one of the prominent buildings that have been registered as Asmara’s treasured heritages by UNESCO on July 8 of 2017, Asmara Opera House epitomizes the Capital city’s as center of international artists confluence. The 1934 Nobel Prize Literature winner, Luigi Pirandello, is, therefore, one of the renowned ivory-tower men of the world who performed an Opera in cinema Asmara. Musical accompanies from the works of Giacomo Maria Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi and of Luigi Pirandello, were also performed during the Italians era.

Recent musical concert by tri-lateral bodies—of the Evangelical Church of Eritrea, Asmara Music School and the Oasis troupe—on 10 November of 2017, was also another additional flavor to celebrate SUKE’s—Swiss Eritrea Supporting Committee-- forty years journey of solidarity and friendship. Last week translated performances from Shakespearean dramas have also opened other aisles. Commission of Sport and Culture, in collaboration with others, has been guiding such performances.

With recently installed Wi-Fi access and café services at its loggia, Cinema Asmara is attracting for the simplicity and attraction of its Corinthian pillars and castle designs on the Beleza street face. With art nouveau paintings of eight dancers on its floors, Asmara Opera House was the kicking-off place for the first international car racing in Eritrea on May 23 of 1937. Since then, drama, car racing, opera and fine espresso have been flavors of Asmara’s cosmopolitans style.

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Yosief Abraham Z is a freelance journalist and Executive Director of HorMid Media and Art Center. You can contact him at josiabraham29@gmail.com

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