by Claire Lavagnino | The African Tribune | Monday 21, 2007

We are stories of stories in history.

These lines were uttered by Ethiopian-Italian author Gabriella Ghermandi during her recent visit at UCLA to illustrate how “Through my story you can see how history can pass through people’s lives.”

The author’s first U.S. tour began in April in Wisconsin, included stops in Los Angeles and San Diego, and concluded in May in Colorado. Ghermandi performed her work, All’ombra dei rami sfacciati carichi di fiori rosso vermiglio (In the Shadow of the Shameless Branches Laden with Bright Red Flowers), in its original Italian version. It recounts the story of a young girl and her family during the late 1970s regime change in Ethiopia. Through Ethiopian songs and expressions, the artist radiates the emotions and communal experiences of her protagonist. Learning to ride a bicycle becomes a collective event and one of conscious appreciation of Ethiopian culture, just like gathering with family and friends to watch television. The work also depicts the influence of Italian colonialism on Ethiopian society. Ghermandi based her performance on the Ethiopian tradition of qene, a style of speech that creates double meaning of words and images, where one meaning remains on the surface while the other exists on a much deeper level.