He was a poet, lyricist, and playwright who wrote over two-hundred songs, dozen plays, and hundreds of poems in the Amharic language.

Gibreab received primary education in the traditional schools of the area, learning to read and write through the church.

Everything I saw was thrilling and attractive…It might surprise you if I tell you that when I first saw the mounted statue of Menelik, I almost ran away thinking that the horse would descend upon me and squash me like a fly!

"[4] While in Addis Ababa, Gibreab stayed near St. George's Cathedral, continuing to learn music (although in a way that was not, perhaps, traditional): He was begging for food, as was the custom for young students at the time, when a waitress offered him a meal.

During the five-year occupation by Italy, Gibreab served with his uncle, Dagazmach Zalaka Dasta in Gojjam, in the Kola Dega Damot region.

In 1945, Gibreab returned to Addis Ababa to find a city much changed from his previous visit 12 years prior.

His work lives on, because, even today, those same lyrics are performed by the famous Kebur Zabagna artists and are appreciated and enjoyed by many Ethiopians.

During the play, the higher official who was sitting in front Brigadier-General Mengistu Neway ብርጋዴል ጀነራል መንግስቱ ነዋይ was touched and crying throughout the show.

After that Brigadier-General Mengistu Neway ብርጋዴል ጀነራል መንግስቱ ነዋይ went on to commit a coup d'état on the king Haile Selassie.

The failed coup d'état cost him his life and Gibreab Teferi and the Kebur Zabagna team received a six-month prison time, including the famous Tilahun Gessesse and a forced resignation from the royal Army.

To this day, most argue that Gibreab's play caused the coup d'état to happen; but, according to the investigation by the king Mengistu Neway, ብርጋዴል ጀነራል መንግስቱ ነዋይ and his comrades were planning this for a while and Gibreab wasn't considered a part of that, but the timing and the play itself became the straw that broke the camel's back.

To this day, Gibreab's colleagues respect him, because, as an artist, instead of trying to please his bosses or the king, he chose to be a voice for the poor and the voiceless.

He was an accomplished musician, playing the clarinet and the traditional krar, a stringed instrument similar to a lyre, as well as possessing a strong tenor voice.

Gibreab learned modern music in the Kebur Zabagna from the Armenian instructor Kevork Nalbandian, and become very good at playing clarinet.

[3] When Gibreab was put in prison because he was suspected of involvement in the Coup d'état, he wrote lyrics depicting the king as his lover to show how much he still loved his country.

ፍቅራችን ይቀመጥ ድሮ እንደነበረ ጠላሁሽ ሳልልሽ ገሸሽ አትበይ አረ መሮሽም እንደሆን የፍቅራችን ኮሽም እንዳሻሽ አድርጊኝ ፈጽሞ አልጠላሽም (2)

ጥፋት ሳላጠፋ እንዲያው ከምትሸሺ ያለፈውን ፍቅር እባክሽ አስታውሺ ስታደርጊ እያየሁ ፍቅራችንን ውድም ባንቺ ላይ ነው እንጂ በጊዜው አልፈርድም (2)

Gibreab Teferi continued to write plays, poems, and songs throughout all the years that he was employed in the hospitality industry.