A Tapestry of Melodies

The Music of Ethiopia.  An ambitious and encompassing term that can really only serve as an umbrella for what today is a diverse kaleidoscope of sounds and melodies that offer little commonality for the untrained ear.  This diversity comes from not only the large number of ethnicities within Ethiopia’s borders but increasingly also from the generational changes transforming its society and the geographical dispersion of its burgeoning Diaspora that has lately begun to actively assert its own identity.  The Ethiopian music scene has never been of more complex depth than it is now.  And yet, this may be only the beginning of a much richer picture that is still to come.

A Renaissance on the Horizon

Not too long ago, critics were lamenting what they felt was a lack of creativity in contemporary Ethiopian music.  But they can hardly advance those same arguments today as the scene which was the cause of their heartbreak, seems to now be in the early stages of a renaissance promising to unlock a hidden wealth of talent in Ethiopia’s up and coming artists and just as importantly, an audience that is increasingly appreciative of the fine art when it comes across it.   Swinging Addis of the 1960’s may not be in effect just yet but the capital’s live music scene has shown a marked upgrade in the past 3-5 years.  Club Alize has sprung up as a tailor made venue for exceptional live music joining Coffee House as a destination for aficionados of jazz infused performances by exceptional talent on a regular basis.  While other live music spots may not quite have the custom built cachet, they increasingly host impressive ensembles from two person collaborations to a full complement (reasonably so, anyway) that even incorporates that dying breed of Ethiopian musician, the percussionist.  Lush, synthesized productions can also be found although they are clearly falling out of favor from those who consider themselves discerning listeners. 

The variety and high levels of talent seen on the live scene are also reflected in the work of recording artists in some measure although they still hew more towards synthesized production than the more authentic sounds produced by live instrumentation.  Variety and diversity of talent is another marked feature of the current renaissance.  The jazzy, bluesy duo of Jorg and Munit may be thrilling their audience with whimsical and playfully innocent tunes of long gone sentiment at Coffee House while just up the street, the Mehari Brothers could be rocking the joint at Harlem Jazz with reggae numbers or even soul renditions by resident American artist, K’Alyn.  Head up to Wollo Sefer and Roha to see a hip hop crew do its thing with an art form that is in burgeoning popularity with the Gen-Y crowd.  If the purity of instrumental excellence is more to your taste, Girum Mezmur’s appropriately named Acoustic Renaissance project is sure to hit the spot for you on Thursday nights back at Alize.  Disco too has made a return to Addis in the form of the Right On Band (American) doing regular turns at the Sheraton.  Although many patrons sorely miss the sweet sounds of Teddy Mak and Poppa Smurf at Office Bar, the current act which performs in full psychedelic regalia (complete with faux afros and impossibly high platforms not to mention blindingly reflective outfits) seems to have some of its own fans as well. 

Rich Canvas

To try and summarize the early background of Ethiopian music into one paragraph would be to simply speak of its breadth and variety.  In this respect, it is but a reflection of the intricacies resulting from the large number of ethnicities and languages (numbering close to one hundred) that can be found in Ethiopia.  Mainstream Ethiopian music today is dominated in some sense by secular Amharic music which found its roots in the liturgical chants of Ethiopia’s early Orthodox churches although there also exists the Muslim form of music known as manzuma which was first developed in the northeast and later made its way to the southern areas around Jimma and Harar.  Nevertheless, predominate through much of 20th Century was the music of the highlands of Ethiopia which employed a unique system of modes (qenet) known as Ambassel, Anchi-Hoy, Bati and Tizita.  But the qenet was not the only unique element of Ethiopian music – according to Professor Kay Shelemay of Harvard University, a noted expert on Ethiopian Music, “Ethiopia is the only African country with an indigenous system of musical writing, musical notation.”  According to traditional belief, this system was developed in the 14th century by 2 priests during the reign of King Claudius. 

The musical scales used by the Orthodox Church date back even further to the 6th century and are attributed to the priest Yared who is generally recognized as having developed many of the foundational elements to Ethiopian music especially in the church.  Of course this is but one aspect inherent in the Music of Ethiopia – the diversity of its ethnic makeup is equally reflected in the variety of the various musical sounds and styles from many areas and tribes of the country.  Afan Oromo, Guragigna and Tigrigna are some of the other major styles present and are also increasingly pushing forward on the contemporary scene of late.  Abraham Gebremedhin’s groundbreaking release, Habeney has gained exceptionally wide mainstream success and remains a staple amongst many Ethiopian communities both within and outside of Ethiopia to this day almost 4 years after its release in 2005.  One of 2008’s biggest hits in Addis is Kemer Yusuf’s Nanawe from his Afan Oromo album Nabek. For those swaying to the rhythm of the music produced by artists such as these, the inability to understand the actual lyrics they sing matter little.  They simply mouth the sounds they hear and bring true meaning to that age old cliché of music as the universal language of mankind.

With the continuing influence of modern technology on traditional instrumentation and recording techniques, the many other elements of Ethiopian music are sure to see increasing popularity amongst listeners of every stripe.  One of the best ways to get a sampling of Ethiopian music and some of its rich multicultural background today is to pick up the excellent 2008 release by Abiyou Solomon, In Search of My Roots .  It is an exceptionally enjoyable tour de force of favorite covers of Gurage, Wello, Oromo, Gumuz, Tigray, Konso and Amharic tracks. 

Transformative Years

Notwithstanding its ancient origins, numerous influences have acted on the art form especially during the 20th century including the curious story of the Arba Lijotch – a 40 strong orchestra of Armenian orphans brought to Ethiopia by then Ras Tafari – which is responsible in large measure for the prevalence of horns in it.  In fact, many of the distinct shifts in the art form have been closely tied to seminal periods in the country’s history.  The introduction and strong adoption of Western styles and instrumentation that began with the arrival of the Arba Lijotch to Addis Ababa picked up steam with Emperor Haile Selassie’s continuing efforts to modernize the country and transform it into an African metropolis consistent with its status as the seat of the Organization of African Unity which he also spearheaded. 

As European advisers slowly established greater presence in the capital, the brass band sound that epitomized the Palace Guard’s ensemble spread out to other parts of society as well.  This period of transformation was to reach its peak in the 60’s and 70’s (the so called Golden Era of Ethiopian Music) before it came to an abrupt halt with the Derg’s Revolution in 1974.  The extreme repression and virtually complete subjugation (especially in the earlier years of the Derg) of all art forms as instruments of the Derg’s prodigious propaganda machine put a damper on the creativity of musicians who had not fled the country or were imprisoned at some point in that period.  Although a number of notable artists (such as Neway Debebe, Aster Aweke, Tedros Taddesse and others) were to emerge to prominence in the 80’s, much of the body of work in this period was marked by ‘revolutionary’ tributes.  Subsequent to the fall of the Derg in 1991, Ethiopian music seemed to have trouble finding its footing again – unsure as to whether it should continue to follow the austere and state oriented machinations of the previous 17 years or seek a new beginning that might reclaim its mantle of earlier decades. 

More recently though, it seems like a rejuvenation of the music scene is coming to the fore.  Teddy Afro was one of the earliest artists to announce the new vanguard of standard bearers for Ethiopian music.  Although many believe his transcendent talent stands head and shoulders above the rest, other artists that are making an impact on music include Zeritu, Tibebe Worku, Wayna and others producing unique and diverse works that herald a new era for the art form.  The continuing ‘maturation’ of Diaspora communities that are finally beginning to come to terms with the duality of their cultural development paths has also contributed to the renaissance.  Recent Grammy nominations for R&B songstress Wayna and the mercurial Kenna are evidence of the quality work that is being produced by these artists but there are many more acts which will no doubt achieve recognition of a similar level before too long.  The diversity of sounds they bring is delicious to behold and remarkable for its breadth.  Meklit Hadero, The Aidan Rachel Project and Zedicus are some of the artists that Ethiopian and other listeners will most likely soon be hearing much more about.  But Diasporan artists are doing more than just producing excellent work themselves – increasingly, many of them who used to be staples of the Ethiopian music abroad are moving back home to Ethiopia and contributing in no small measure to the resurgence of top quality live music now present in Addis. 

If there is a dim side to the prospects for Ethiopian music in the coming years and decades, it is firmly rooted in the business aspects thereof.  As an industry, it is still quite immature and it is only recently that serious attention is being paid to copyright issues in Ethiopia.  An audience that is largely ambivalent to the precipitously detrimental effects of unlicensed copying and distribution (especially given the increasingly easy ways to do this) results in untold amounts of lost revenue and the forms of music copyrights and distribution traditionally practiced, leave many artists at a distinct financial disadvantage.  The net effect may be that some amount of talent may not enter the field at all or produce work that is not of the quality that it could be.  Many music purists have complained about the proliferation of synthesized sounds throughout contemporary Ethiopian music but the prohibitive costs of using live musicians for endless recording sessions cannot be practical to all but the most successful artists unless the current business model is changed quite a bit. 

How all of these evolving changes in Ethiopian music will combine to produce perhaps the next great era in it is a result that is yet to be completely defined but which development is already extremely promising. 

Global Appeal

It is no accident that the world at large is paying more and more attention to Ethiopian music these days.  The unique modal systems employed and successful attempts to infuse this sound with Western instruments and methods, perk up many a Western ear when they catch the smoothly soulful sounds of Mulatu Astatke’s Yekermo Sew.  The score for the 2005 movie Broken Flowers was done by him and has no doubt contributed to bringing new listeners on board the train.  So to has Francis Falceto’s enormously successful Ethiopiques series of CDs which invariably receive rave reviews from foreign listeners. 

Forging a future rooted in the past

Even as we begin to speak of the dawn of a new era in Ethiopian music, we are faced with the loss of some of its great pioneers.  Of those standard bearers from the the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s still remaining today, many are in the twilight of their lives.  Our own experiences in developing articles for prior issues of this magazine has resulted in us coming face to face with this realization in the starkest of terms.  It is in no small measure responsible for our commitment to build an repository of information on Ethiopian music at AddisConneXion.com that all who want to know about it can visit as a comprehensive destination for information on the art form, its history and its stars past and present.  In May of 2008, Alliance held a music festival in Addis in honor of Girma Beyene, one of the true giants of Ethiopian music from the Golden Era.  It seems to us that the excitement at a new era in Ethiopian music, would be singularly best served by honoring those from another one whose imprints will indelibly remain on the genre no matter how many eras come and go.

Editor’s Note:  We would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Menelik Wosenachew who passed away just a few days before we went to print with this issue.  Gash Jembere as he was popularly known will no doubt be missed by those who knew him and his memorable works will live on in the hearts and minds of his fans.  A complete profile on Gash Jembere will be available on AddisConnexion.com soon. 

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