Keeping the Fendika Vision Alive -

Donate to Rebuild Fendika Cultural Center

In October 2024, the beloved Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa was demolished.

Over three decades, the Center had become a globally recognized music venue presenting traditional Ethiopian music and dance, EthioJazz, and international programs all year round on a daily basis.

But Fendika is much more than just a music venue; it is an incubator for Ethiopian talents in music, dance, and visual art and a meeting place for local and international artists and audiences as well as for the local community. Fendika has a story that lives in the hearts of many – it’s a place of collective memory and cultural archives.

Now, after many months of struggle and negotiation, Melaku has finally received permission to rebuild Fendika on its original land.

The rebuilding permit comes with strict conditions: Construction must begin soon, and the new building must be at least ten stories high.

We are raising the first $200,000 needed to begin rebuilding Fendika and to secure its future.

Fendika’s Journey

In the early 1990s, Fendika was a one-room Azmari Bet (traditional Ethiopian music house), one of the 17 such places in the Kazanchis neighborhood. While 16 of them disappeared due to the city’s development by the early 2000's, Melaku Belay fought to keep this place alive. A rising dance artist on the global stage at the time, Melaku had a big vision for the small place. He saw Fendika's potential to be an Ethiopian-run center of global cultural exchange, a place where Ethiopian artists can gain societal respect and financial sustainability. His vision has become a reality through round-the-clock hard work by himself and the Fendika staff, his courage to try new practices such as offering Azmari musicians regular salaries; the steadfast support by audiences, and generous individual and organizational funders from around the world.

While Fendika grew out of one person's vision, Melaku is hardly just one person – he is dancer, choreographer, music arranger, social entrepreneur, dance researcher and author, changemaker… Above all, his boundless love for people across every class and culture has been felt by everyone who has met him. Throughout the ups and downs of his storied career, Melaku has never lost faith in the healing and transformative power of music, dance, and visual art. Fendika offered a safe haven where locals and internationals find healing from the isolation during the COVID shutdown, civil conflicts and personal hardships.

Melaku’s dedicated work has earned international recognition, including the Dutch Prince Claus Award, TED Fellowship, and honors from France, Italy, the African and the European Union.

Local and international communities came together over and over again to prevent the original home of Fendika from being taken or destroyed. Longtime supporters of Fendika can recall the 2014 "Save Fendika" Indiegogo campaign and 2024 "Save Fendika" GoFundMe campaign. These galvanizing campaigns attest to Fendika’s local impact and global reach.

In October 2024, the machines of Addis Ababa’s urban development finally destroyed the old Fendika compound. Those of us who knew the old Fendika grieved the loss of a sanctuary. Thankfully, the partnership initiated by Hyatt Regency Hotel allowed Fendika@Hyatt to be a temporary home for Fendika and has become yet another hotspot for music lovers in Addis Ababa since December 2024.

Melaku’s Vision

A brand new building was never Melaku's intent. But faced by the government’s requirement to build, Melaku is determined to infuse Ethiopian culture, history and spirit into the new Fendika Cultural Center. He envisions performance spaces for music and dance, artist studios and rehearsal rooms, an art gallery, a library, a recording studio, a restaurant/bar, and affordable hotel rooms and spaces for artists in residence. The new Fendika will again become a sanctuary for Ethiopian artists and art lovers, and a vital cultural home for future generations.

Join us

We are Melaku’s friends and collaborators from all over the world. We have seen and experienced how generously he shares his energy and resources.

Whether you are a long-time supporter of Fendika, or a new friend, please join this international movement to rebuild Fendika, to bring Melaku's vision of a multidisciplinary cultural center to life, to revive a precious home for Ethiopian artists, and to relight this jewel of Ethiopian culture in Kazanchis, Addis Ababa.

This first fundraising phase will allow construction to begin as soon as possible. Funds will support initial foundation work including structural materials and the cost of labor for the first phase of construction.

Beginning the work now is critical to secure the long-term future of the project, while larger investment partnerships continue to be developed.

Fendika needs you more than ever. Please donate, whatever amount you can, and share this campaign widely. Thank you!