THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 30, 1995 TAG: 9506290200
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 169 lines
OLIVER JACOBS JR. wondered what he was getting into.
It was Aug. 27, 1994, and the 24-year-old from Chesapeake was about to fly to Ethiopia, Africa, to become a disc jockey at a nightclub in the country's capital, Addis Ababa.
Jacobs has since made a success of his once-in-a-lifetime situation and adventure. He's back home in Chesapeake for the summer to visit family and friends.
He has absorbed Ethiopia's language, made scores of friends, become a successful house disc jockey at one of the country's most exclusive dance clubs and picked up some valuable lessons about life.
But before that flight last August, Jacobs wasn't sure he was doing the right thing.
``My mom was in tears, my family was in tears, and I'm thinking, `Am I making the right choice?' '' Jacobs said. ``I had some doubts.''
Jacobs had never been out of the country before, let alone to a place as exotic as Ethiopia. He had never met his sponsor in Addis Ababa. And he knew little or nothing about his destination in northeastern Africa.
A 1988 Great Bridge High School graduate, the Portsmouth-born Jacobs attended Old Dominion University, where he met and made fast friends with the university's Ethiopian students.
``One of the students, Mekeda Amha, became like a sister to me,'' Jacobs said. ``She mentioned that her dad had this club in D.C. and owned one in Addis Ababa. She said I should be the house DJ at the club'' in Ethiopia.
Jacobs had played at local clubs, parties and dances ever since he was a student at Great Bridge. He was so adept at disc jockeying that his high school nickname was simply ``DJ O.''
Over the years, Jacobs said, he acquired the necessary electronic equipment, speakers, turntables and a large collection of vinyl records. He'd developed his own musical style, mixing popular music of the day with older classic songs. He blended the two, adding his own effects, including ``scratching'' and ``cutting'' on the turntables.
Jacobs tried to find his niche at ODU. But soon the lure of the turntable brought him back to clubs and parties. Eventually he left school to pursue a career as a DJ.
``I enjoyed the college environment and the learning atmosphere, but as a well-known DJ, I began to work two to three nights a week,'' he said. ``I came to the realization that this is what I loved to do. You have to do what makes you happy.''
At first Jacobs said his parents - his father, Oliver Jacobs Jr., who owns Oliver Jacobs Construction Corp., and his mother, Ida Jacobs who owns Expressions by Ida, a computerized monogram and embroidery service, both in Chesapeake - were leery of his interest in disc jockeying, but they soon came around.
``They saw how dedicated I was and were 150 percent behind me,'' Jacobs said.
Jacobs' Ethiopian friends were behind him, too.
``They all said, `They would love you in Ethiopia,' '' he said.
On urging from Amha, Jacobs traveled to Washington to visit The Ibex Club, known for its Ethiopian cuisine and dancing to African pop music.
``I went there, DJ'ed, and the owners loved me,'' Jacobs said. ``I gave them a tape. They said, `You're the one for the job.' ''
Amha Estah, Mekeda Amha's father, arranged for him to fly to Addis Ababa.
``He did everything a father would do for a son to make my stay a welcome one,'' Jacobs said.
Although Estah established Jacobs in a comfortable bungalow apartment in the city's international district, the club he was to work at was another matter altogether.
``The club was a rubble,'' he said. ``It was totally vacant. It was in the throes of renovation. When I first saw it it looked like garbage.''
While his place of employment was being rebuilt and renovated, Jacobs spent the first three months acclimating himself to his new country.
``I became Ethiopian,'' he said. ``During this time, I enjoyed life. I saw all of the city and did a lot of reading.''
One of his first experiences in Ethiopia prompted Jacobs to take a crash course in Ethiopia's language, Amharic, a Semite language closely related to Hebrew and Arabic.
``I got ripped off by a cab driver, and I swore that before I stepped into another cab, I'd know the language,'' he said.
Jacobs made good on that promise and learned enough of the language to get around the city, speak to people, make friends. He was never cheated by a taxi driver again.
Soon he was comfortable traveling through the city of more than 1.5 million people by himself.
``I could walk in any part of the city at any time of day. It was that safe,'' he said. ``I always tried to travel by myself so I could talk to people one-on-one and earn their respect. I found the people to be very down-to-earth, very generous and very religious.''
By Dec. 1, The Tunnel Club was ready to open its doors.
``They (customers) tore the doors down trying to get in,'' Jacobs said. ``Every night was was like New Year's Eve. It was a rousing success. They loved my DJ style.''
Jacobs said he worked at the club six nights a week. He even went to the club on his day off to fuss over details and to make sure things ran smoothly.
``I stayed busy,'' he said. ``But it didn't seem like a job. It had such a nice family atmosphere.''
Jacobs said the club was attended by the cream of Addis Ababa society, including diplomats, government officials and millionaires. The ages of patrons ranged from 21 to 60. He said the foreigners who attended the club loved the new music and hip-hop sounds he introduced.
In turn, Jacobs was introduced to many interesting and curious facets of Ethiopian life:
There is no set drinking age, and clubs serve alcohol until the last person leaves, usually at dawn.
Even though there are no speed limits in the country, Ethiopia experiences only about 100 traffic deaths a year.
Besides Amharic, the major languages spoken in the city are English and French.
Television, which is controlled by the government, has only one channel, which broadcasts four to five hours a day. Jacobs said he has seen ``The Cosby Show'' and ``A Different World'' on Ethiopian TV.
Jacobs said the country's rich are very rich, the poor are very poor and people in the middle class ``just have jobs.''
Besides indigenous folk music, one of the most popular music styles in the country is American country and western. Early rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues by such artists as Elvis Presley, Brook Benton and Ray Charles are also popular.
Jacobs said he has learned to appreciate the country's cuisine. A staple in the Ethiopian diet is a flat bread, like a large pancake, called injera, which is eaten with fresh greens, vegetables or with duro wat, a peppery chicken stew.
Jacobs said he has eaten some of the best Italian food he's ever experienced in Addis Ababa, and he swears by Miranda, a popular local orange soda - ``The best in the world,'' Jacobs said.
``The foods most of the people eat are very lean and in small portions,'' he added. ``Breakfast there usually consisted of a fresh croissant, fresh orange juice and wonderful coffee. They make great coffee, and they're known for it. Each morning they roast and grind the beans fresh. I can now appreciate a good cup of coffee. Lunch is usually some sort of pasta or fresh seafood like perch, caught right out of the Nile.''
The Ethiopian people, Jacobs said, make the country a great place to live. The crime rate is low, the elderly are revered and cared for, the people are very open, honest and hard working. They enjoy a slower pace of life.
``They still revere the idea of the extended family, that it takes a whole community to raise just one child,'' he explained. ``People, including many different tribes, live together in harmony even though they may not have all the modern conveniences we're used to.
``What people complain about in the states, people over there pray for. I learned a lot from these people, and Americans can learn a lot from them, too. They're very noble and have a lot of dignity. I looked at this trip as a big education in my life. I learned a lot about myself, and how important my family is.''
Jacobs plans to return to Ethiopia in September, where he'll resume his duties as club DJ. In the future he'd like to set up an import-export business and try to bring popular American music performers to the capital.
``I'm looking forward to going back to my new country,'' he said. ``If I could do this over again, I would have done it sooner.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover
Oliver Jacobs Jr.
Photo
Oliver Jacobs Jr., left, pauses for a picture with friends at the
zoo in Addis Ababa.
Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Jacobs relaxes at his sister's home in Great Bridge. He plans to
return to Ethiopia in September.
Photo
Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is a bustling, crowded city in
the African country.
by CNB