Tigist Shibabaw

Tigist Shibabaw was an Ethiopian singer and one of the original members of the Harlem-based hip hop fusion band Bole2Harlem. She was born in Chagni, Ethiopia, like her sister, the singer Gigi.

WWW bole2harlem.com/index.htm

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 who relied on the local river for their harvest.

Career

Tigist immigrated to the United States in 2000 to pursue a career in music, joining her older sister Gigi, who was already a musician. Their father had initially forbidden Gigi from becoming an entertainer.
Tigist performed with her sister Gigi on Gigi's debut album; she then became a lead vocalist for Bole2Harlem. The group's co-founder and producer David Schommer described her voice and singing as "a vital part of Bole2Harlem's sound."

Death

Tigist died at the age of twenty-eight in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia, where she is said to have traveled on a pilgrimage shortly after she finished recording with Bole2Harlem circa January 2008. Details regarding the circumstances surrounding her death never emerged, including the exact date of her death; She was buried among family in Chagni, the town where she was born.