Arba Lijoch (meaning "40 children" in Amharic) were a group of 40 Armenian orphans who had escaped the fate of millions of Armenians who were systematically killed and deported by Ottoman Turks.
Crown Prince Ras Tafari, later Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia,
encountered them while visiting the Armenian monastery in Jerusalem. He was so
impressed by their abilities as a marching band that he obtained permission
from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem to adopt and take them to Ethiopia.
They arrived in Addis Ababa in 1924, and Selassie oversaw their continued
education.
Led by Kevork Nalbandian, Arba Lijoch became the Royal Imperial Brass Band.
Nalbandian went on to compose the music for "Ethiopia Hoy", the
Imperial National Anthem from 1930 to 1974.
© Adeyinka Makinde (2025).
Adeyinka Makinde is a writer based in London, England.
Very interesting. Thanks.
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