Quick Facts
Biography
Tigist Shibabaw (1980–January 2008), born in Chagni, Ethiopia, was an Ethiopian singer and one of the original members of the Harlem-based hip hop fusion band Bole2Harlem. She was the sister of singer Gigi.
Early life
Tigist was born and raised in Chagni, a small town in northwestern Ethiopia. She was one of ten siblings, born into a family of coffee farmers that relied on the local river for their harvest. According to her sister, Gigi, their household was always filled with entertainment; the children of the house were often recruited to entertain guests.
Recording career
Tigist immigrated to the United States in 2000 to pursue a music career, joining her older sister Gigi who was already a globally acclaimed musician in her own right. Their father had initially forbidden Gigi from becoming an entertainer.
Death
Tigist died at the age of twenty-eight in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia where she is said to have traveled on a spiritual journey shortly after she finished recording with Bole2Harlem. Details regarding the circumstances surrounding her death never emerged, including the exact date of her death. She was buried in Chagni, Ethiopia, the town where she was born, among family.
Discography
| Artist | Album | Label | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigi | Gigi | Palm Pictures | 2001 |
| Jah Wobble and Bill Laswell | Radioaxiom (A Dub Transmission) | Palm Pictures | 2001 |
| Abyssinia Infinite | Zion Roots | Network Medien | 2003 |
| Mandeng Eletrik | Man:De.Ng Eletrik | Mulatta | 2004 |
| Various artists | African Dreams | Ellipsis Arts | 2004 |
| Gigi | Gold And Wax | Palm Pictures | 2006 |
| Bole 2 Harlem | Volume 1 | Sounds of the Mushroom | 2006 |
| Various artists | Un Automne 2007 | Les Inrockuptibles | 2007 |