This anthem was in use during the rule of Emperor Haile Selassie I from 1930 to 1974. The music was composed in 1926 by Kevork Nalbandian, an Armenian living in Ethiopia. It was first performed when Haile Selassie I was crowned Emperor on November 2, 1930 and remained the national anthem until the emporer was overthrown by socialist army officers in 1974 and the socialists fully gained control of the government in 1975.
Special thanks to: Dieter Baalss for providing some of the info and the lyrics, and Jan Scotland for providing some more info.