Bedele Brewery cancels Teddy Afro’s Journey of Love Concer

Bedele Brewery cancels Teddy Afro’s “Journey of Love” Concert Update 1: Press Release sent to DireTube Bedele Special decides not to pursue the sponsorship concert tour | “On 20 December 2013, we announced a sponsorship agreement between the Bedele Special brand and the Ethiopian artist Teddy Afro. We regret that we will disappoint those who were looking forward to the concert tour; however we have decided not to pursue the sponsorship of the concert tour.” Nebat Sukker, HEINEKEN Breweries S.C. Press Office ABOUT HEINEKEN in ETHIOPIA HEINEKEN has a long history with Africa. Already in 1900 HEINEKEN was exporting beer to various African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone). The first brewery in DRC was established in 1923. For many years the business expanded across the continent and in 2011, the acquisition of Harar and Bedele Breweries Ethiopia was made. In 2012, the construction of a new greenfield brewery was announced, which will be operational in 2014.The Ethiopian beer market is growing. The market practically doubled over the last 5 years and the per capita consumption is still relatively low compared to other East African markets. The main drivers for growth are a large population, a fast growing economy and rising incomes. HEINEKEN Ethiopia’s key brands are Bedele Special, Bedele Regular, Harar, Hakim Stout and Sofi Malt. ———– Awramba Times Released the Following earlier! Awramba Times (Addis Ababa) – Confidential sources close to Awramba Times disclosed that Bedele brewery, Heineken NV’s subsidiary in Ethiopia has cancelled Teddy Afro’s nationwide “Journey of Love”  Concert. Oromo Activists called on Bedele brewery to stop sponsoring Tewodros Kassahun’s nationwide tour that was scheduled across different cities of Ethiopia? Two weeks ago, Ethiopian singer Tewodros Kassahun (aka Teddy Afro) told the local  Enqu magazine that he considered emperor Minelik’s imperial expansion a “holy war”.  This remark deeply offended thousands of Oromos as an ethnically-motivated “remark” against Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group. Oromo activists all over the world had campaigned beer drinkers in Ethiopia to ditch Bedele products and also pressure regional officers to withdraw the sponsorship. Source: AwrambaTimes