February 27, 2006
Shmoozing with Andarge Terefa Yossi Vassa Sisiya Sahon
Ethiopian-born Comic Mines History for Laughs - Forward Feb 24
In the standup act he has been touring America with this month, Ethiopian Israeli comedian Yossi Vassa recounts how he came to accumulate six names: When he left Ethiopia at age 10, he was called Andarge; in Sudan - where his family waited nine months for an Israeli airlift, and where Vassa fell deathly ill - he was given the name Terefa (Amharic for "he who is worthy of life"); in Israel, he was called Yossi, and, from the start, he has had what in America would be a twice-hyphenated name reflecting both his parents' lineages: Vassa Sisiya Sahon. "During roll call," he joked, "my teacher would read from a list of my classmates' names on one sheet, and a list of my names on the other."
Posted by aheavens at February 27, 2006 8:22 AM