Despite facing numerous challenges in recent years, Ethiopia remains one of Africa’s most musically fascinating countries. After overcoming a dictatorship in 1991, the nation finally ended a thirty-year civil war. These hardships have significantly impacted Ethiopia’s cultural and musical landscape.
Traditional music lays the groundwork for all Ethiopian styles. Despite the disaster-laden reports to have come from Ethiopia in recent years, it is one of Africa’s most musically fascinating countries. The music of Ethiopia is a reflection of all the historical and social episodes, such as the military campaigns that various warlords or chiefs had to launch.
Ethiopia and its folk music and culture have a long step in the history of civilization. It can be said that it is one of the most unique folk music and also culture in the world. Folk music of Ethiopia is consist of many type music instruments with thousands years old which survived through the history. The music and culture of Ethiopia has been influenced by christian-ism, Islam, jewism and also Afros. The music is about war as well as patriotism, songs of victory, and songs that incite support for a certain crusade. The music is also about love, with wonderful melodies and poetic lyrics. The spirituality of Ethiopians is expressed in the form of music.
The first Western imports were brass bands, brought in by the military under Haile Selassie. In 1924 he had a diplomatic tour to Europe but he started his travel with Jerusalem. Because every respected Ethiopian should visit and be pilgrim to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem he met a marching band of young Armenian orphans. He was impressed by this band and made a deal to send them to Ethiopia and to form a military music band. This was the seed of early recording for other early Ethiopian musicians like Tilahoun Gessesse, Neway Debebe, and Ethiopia’s most famous musical artist, Mahmoud Ahmed.
A characteristic of Ethiopian music is the use of a five-note, pentatonic scale with large intervals between some of the notes. Unique character and sound of Ethiopian folk music comes from a pentatonic modal system, with strange and long interval between the notes. For the modern ears nowadays, this will be more strange and tasty when this music played with western instruments.
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The music from highlands of Ethiopia has a modal system called qenet which consist of four main modes: tezeta, bati, ambassel, and anchihoy. It also contain three additional modes: tezeta minor, bati major, and bati minor. Some songs has the same name with it's qenet. For example tizita or tezeta. The meaning of the tizita is nostalgia. This type of folk songs usually compared with the blues in western music.
The Tigrayans to the north have this smooth, circular dance routine culminated with shoulder and neck movement. The Amharas at the center have dance style dominated by upper body and neck movement. The Oromos to the center and south have this jumping style and full body dance routine.
Traditional Ethiopian music instruments include the masingo, a one-stringed violin like instrument that is played with a bow; the krar, a six-stringed lyre, played with fingers or a plectrum; the washint, a flute made from bamboo; and various drums.
There are three types of drums that are used in different occasions: the negarit (kettledrum), played with sticks, the kebero, played with hands, and the atamo, tapped with the fingers or palm.
Perhaps the biggest change in Ethiopian music is that long-dominant Amharic music now competes with neotraditional styles from regions like Tigray, Gonder and Oromo. The Amharic language is the official language of the Republic of Ethiopia. It is also spoken in Eritrea.
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When it comes to Azmari performances, lyrics can be largely improvised or sung with the art of double meaning called Kinie or Semmna Werq.
The traditional music instruments of Ethiopia are diverse and as it is mentioned they have thousands years old, some of them which can be mentioned here are masinko, the krar, the washint, the begena, the kebero, and the tom-tom. The masinko is a single-stringed instrument that is used in many parts of the country specially in the highlands. It is kind of fiddle style instrument which is made by tail of horse. It is widely play by young and old people from amateur to professionals and used in restaurants and bars.
The krar is another famous traditional instrument in Ethiopia. It is kind of lyre with five instruments. It usually decorated with woods, cloths and beads. Another folk instrument is begena which is Ethiopian harp. It is used for spiritual purposes.The washint is wind instrument (bamboo flute) which mostly used in highlands and by shepherds. Originally it is used by Amhara and Tigray people.
The Golden Age of Ethiopian Music
Most Ethiopian records were produced between 1969 and 1978. The main body of Ethiopian records was produced in just one decade, from 1969-1978, when some five hundred singles and just thirty LPs were released. These records represent the golden age of Ethiopian music. These collectors’ items represent the golden age of Ethiopian music, and are now mostly available in the Éthiopiques CD series (Buda Musique).
Premier league names from this period included Tlahoun Gessesse, Bezunesh Bekele, Hirut Bekele, Mahmoud Ahmed, Ali Birra, and Alemayehu Eshete. Try to get your hands on the five Ethiopian Hit Parade LPs, extraordinary compilations which comprise, apart from the stars mentioned, forgotten meteors like Seifu Yohannes, Teshome Meteku, Tebereh Tesfahunegn or Tewolde Redda. Instrumental music also has its key figure in the shape of Mulatu Astatqé, promoter and sole exponent of Ethio-jazz and the king of arrangers through this golden, pre-revolutionary age.
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The Ethiopian Golden Age of Music was an era of Ethiopian music that began around the 1960s to 1970s, until the Derg regime progressively diminished its presence through politically motivated persecutions and retributions against musicians and companies, which left many to self-imposed exile to North America and Europe.
The earliest known introduction of Western music in Ethiopia dates back to 1923 when Kevork Nalbandian was hired by the Ethiopian government to organize the first Ethiopian military marching band, later known as the Ethiopian National Defence Force Band. The band quickly became popular across the country, prompting more bands to form, further expediting the combination of Western-style music with traditional Ethiopian instruments.
With Ethiopia becoming increasingly modern under the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie from 1930 to 1974, media such as radio, television, and records were crucial in communicating Western music to the country. Jazz, blues, and funk records from America were popular due to their wide distribution and radio broadcasting stations limited listeners to only foreign or Ethiopian-Western hybrid music. By 1948, all music production was restricted to being recorded at one government agency-Hager Fikir Theatre.
The roots of Ethiopia’s jazz tradition can be traced back to the 1950s with Nerses Nalbandian. When tasked to compose music for Ethiopia’s National Opera Theatre, Nerses Nalbandian had to figure out how to harmonize local sounds in big band arrangements without destroying the music’s authenticity.
The Emergence of Ethio-Jazz
Ethiopian jazz is a fusion of traditional Ethiopian rhythms and harmonies with the techniques and instruments of Western jazz. Mulatu Astatke later expanded upon these developments by combining the unusual pentatonic scale-based melodies of traditional Ethiopian music with the 12-note harmonies and instrumentation of Western music.
One of the key figures in the development of Ethiopian Jazz was Mulatu Astatke. As a teenager, Mulatu was able to leave Addis Ababa in 1959 to study music at the Trinity College of Music in London. There he received training on how to use Western instruments such as the piano and clarinet. After London, he moved to New York to pursue his passion of jazz and Latin pop. However, Mulatu soon returned to his home country in 1969 to discover the upswing of Addis Ababa's Golden Age of Music.
Mulatu Astatke gave birth to Ethio-Jazz or Ethiojazz, a fascinating combination of modal melodies and diminished harmonies with a funk six-beat groove. Using the five-note pentatonic scale and asymmetrical rhythm from Tizita Qenet and his technical skills from New York, allowed him to create a unique sound he called "Ethio-Jazz". Although Western music was not new to the country, Mulatu met some set-back against his creation as there was still a strong traditional mindset in Ethiopia.
Beginning in 1960, a growing number of people began to feel as though Western traditions were contaminating the national identity of Ethiopians. These groups opposed Mulatu's radical style of music that used his 'signature vibraphone' and conga's which contrasted the traditional Masenqo and Washint of Ethiopia. In the span of 6 years, Amha Records recorded over 103 singles from Ethio-Jazz artists with Mulatu as lead producer. These records are known as Éthiopiques-a collection of discs later discovered and re-released by French producer Francis Falceto in the 1990s.
Ethio-jazz clubs and bands became very popular across the country. The Walias Band was formed in 1960 and was led by Hailu Mergia. Mulatu's first Ethio-Jazz album Afro-Latin Soul 1 & 2 was released in 1966 with his Ethiopian Quartet. His Ethiopian Quartet were actually predominately Puerto Ricans under the small New York Label Worthy. By 1972, he released another album Mulatu of Ethiopia, further establishing the connection between the States and Ethiopia.
In the early 1970s, Ethiopia experienced a golden age of popular music with the rise of Ethio-jazz. At the center of the scene was vocalist Mahmoud Ahmed. His 1975 album Erè Mèla Mèla is a classic album from the golden age of Ethiopian music, and was the first East African release from that era to be embraced by a wide-ranging Western audience.
Mulatu Astatke, a key figure in the development of Ethio-Jazz (image from Wikimedia Commons)
Music Under the Derg Regime
After the coupe of Haile Selassie and the rise of the Derg in 1974, the exciting Addis Ababa city life was put on curfew and most music was censored or limited to patriotic songs. By the mid-1970s, the Derg-led by Mengistu Haile Mariam-overthrew the monarchy of Ethiopia. Under the dictatorship, music that did not uplift the Derg was prohibited and a strict mandatory curfew was placed-consequently diminishing the nightlife and music scene in Ethiopia.
It became more difficult for Ethio-Jazz artists to continue on in Ethiopia, leaving them to flee to the country or stop making music. However, due to Ethio-Jazz being primarily instrumental, many bands could technically continue to make music under the Derg. Authorities allowed Mulatu and his band to continue performing at official ceremonies and The Walias released their first album Tezeta in 1975.
While Mulatu stayed in Ethiopia, The Walias (along with Mahmoud Ahmed) were able to travel to the US in 1981 due to their great popularity. Instead of returning to Ethiopia's oppressive regime, Hailu and three other members decided to stay in Washington D.C. where they continued playing as The Zula Band.
Besides The Walias who were able to tour, many Ethiopian artists stayed within the country since emigration became very difficult. During the next decade, Ethiopian citizens faced many hardships such as the Red Terror (Ethiopia) from 1975 to 1977, and a widespread famine from 1983 to 1985.
The 1983-1985 famine had a devastating impact on all aspects of Ethiopian life, including music.
The main problem in this period was the closure of music recording companies that weakened the album production and distribution. In the past three decades, 25 albums used to be released, the number now less than 10 annually. Sewmehon added the problem of music industry when distribution consisted of analogue formats like cassette tapes, copyright issues was highly prevalent.
Wax and Gold: Artistic Communication
'Wax and Gold'--popularized in 1985 by Neway Debebe-is a traditional Ethiopian double entendre. It is an analogy to literal wax and gold-where the 'wax' is the superficial layer that covers the hidden 'gold' underneath. Through this form of artistic communication, artists were able to escape the heavy censorships emplaced under Mengistu. Thus, artists were able to have multiple meanings in their music. The sound of the music itself did not necessarily change, as artists of the time were heavily influenced by their Ethio-Jazz veterans.
The Modern Ethiopian Music Scene
Ethiopian musicians are still reeling from the effects of the changes since the establishment of democracy. Travel is easier, so musicians and bands are able to play and record overseas. The opportunity to listen to other music is also beginning to have an effect.
Contemporary bands are also influenced in the same direction by the demands of Addis Ababa teenage culture, keen to make up for lost exposure to global youth fashions over the last two decades.
Swinging Addis is thriving once again, with the distinctive ancient-sounding tones of Ethiopia blending with modern jazz interpretations to create a totally unmistakable fusion. This Rough Guide bursts at the seams with everything from golden age Ethio-jazz to contemporary dub fusion. You can now study these genres through our partner site World Music Method.
New Ethiopian talent includes Fikreaddis Nekatibeb and Tigist Bekele. The modern music scene in Addis Ababa is weak. Nightclubs tend to imitate Western trends. However, you will find a recent phenomenon of azmaribets (hole-in-the-wall clubs) that feature players of krar (lyre), masenqo (one-string fiddle), washnit (flute), and kebero (percussion).
A new generation of talented, non-conformist, sarcastic azmaris has emerged. This new wave is known as bolel. Bolel is a mix of azmari traditions and modern urban culture.
Since the 2010s, Ethiopia’s music industry has undergone significant transformation with the rise of digital platforms such as YouTube and Spotify. Contemporary musicians like Teddy Afro, Betty G, and Rophnan have introduced modern interpretations of traditional sounds, blending Ethio-jazz, hip hop, and electronic influences.
New genres of music, popular in western countries, such as EDM, rock and hip hop have been introduced in recent years. Musical acts like Jano Band play a new style of music progressive rock, with a mix of Ethiopian music. Hip hop music started influencing Ethiopian music in the early to mid 2000s and culminated with the creation of Ethiopian hip hop, rhymed in the native Amharic language. The electronic dance music in Ethiopia was not fully developed until mid-2010, although some electronic music employment with hip hop element began in the 2000s. In 2018, a DJ and recording artist named Rophnan introduced the country to his own version of electronic dance music, winning the album of the year award and changing the mainstream music scene further.
Along with the Ethiopian diaspora, western artists such as JID, Billy Woods (Aethiopes), and Yves Tumor (Bekelé Berhanu) have also taken influence from the nations music. Since 2016, the most used record label is Hope Music Entertainment [am], while Minew Shewa Entertainment and Admas Music are used as secondary labels. Hope Music Entertainment, Minew Shewa Entertainment and Dire Tube become the country's online streaming media in recent years.
Teddy Afro, a modern Ethiopian singer.
