Written by Mina Yirga - Horizon Ethiopia Staff Writer
Friday, 08 February 2008
The emergence of ‘Zema’ (a Ge’ez word which means melody) is
attributed to Saint Yared who lived during the reign of King Gebre-Meskel, 476-571 AD. The Diggua, Saint Yared’s poem collection dedicated
to the holy men and angles, is the oldest source of information on the Ethiopian sacred music. According to oral tradition, at age 27, St.
Yared, who grew up and was educated in the Orthodox church, composed his music in three different musical codes; Ge’ez (for fast and days
of mourning), Izel( for Ordinary day), Araray (for great festivals). He also introduced liturgy and shibsheba (church dance). It appears that
formal secularization of Ethiopian music began with the development of the Amharic language as a court dialect while Ge’ez remained the
ecclesiastic language.
Azmari got its derivative meaning from the Ge’ez word: Mezemer/to sing. Traditionally, many
Azamries are clergy drop-outs who use their musical training in the church to make a living by providing entertainment in a secular setting
especially in the imperial courts. Traditinoally, failure to complete church training was viewed very harshly by the society and the Azmaries
were treated as outcasts and were often marginalized by society. Nevertheless, the royal class did contribute to the flourishing of the Azmaries
by providing them with the venue and a wealthy audience. Their church background elucidates why many Azmaries begin their songs by first
uttering melodic words of praises to God. Despite Azmaries profession being looked down upon, their music has nevertheless been the core of
Ethiopian music throughout centuries, giving voice to the emotions of individuals and reverberating the woes of society. Accompanied by their
‘Masinko’ ( a kind of lyre made from goat skin, a horse tail and wood) Azmaries sing at different festivals, in nightclubs usually
known as ‘Mesheta’/Azmari bate, weddings and more.
Good Azmaries present their songs in a witty manner
often utilizing words and phrases with double or hidden meanings (Kinae). These types of songs are popular in a society which prefers innuendos
over openly discussing such taboo subjects as sex, politics etc. Azmaries are adept at pleasing their audience since their primary income is
from tips (Gursha) received from the audience. Apart from improvising their own musical verse, Azamries will sing lines or prose thrown
out to them from the audience usually resulting in loud applause and ululations (elelta).
Azmaries also use their songs and
their platform to make political statements or criticize the ruling elite with their free verse sometimes leading to being snubbed by the
crowd. Such Azmaries used to be called ‘Ye Azmari Kelbata’. Nevertheless, double meaning of the poetry (Kinae) somehow helps the
Azmaries to escape from heavy punishments.
The emergence of ‘Zema’ (a Ge’ez word which means melody) is
attributed to Saint Yared who lived during the reign of King Gebre-Meskel, 476-571 AD. The Diggua, Saint Yared’s poem collection dedicated
to the holy men and angles, is the oldest source of information on the Ethiopian sacred music. According to oral tradition, at age 27, St.
Yared, who grew up and was educated in the Orthodox church, composed his music in three different musical codes; Ge’ez (for fast and days
of mourning), Izel( for Ordinary day), Araray (for great festivals). He also introduced liturgy and shibsheba (church dance). It appears that
formal secularization of Ethiopian music began with the development of the Amharic language as a court dialect while Ge’ez remained the
ecclesiastic language. 
