Ethiopia has a long and rich history, and its arts and culture are equally fascinating. The music of Ethiopia reflects historical and social events, including military campaigns, patriotism, love, and spirituality. This vibrant musical landscape has been influenced by Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, among other factors.
Music in the country can be traced back to the Ethiopian highlands, where a strong oral-literary tradition was born. In this area, traditional music is played mostly by itinerant musicians called azmaris, who are highly respected in their society. As this form of music spread across the country, it adopted aspects of local customs, culture, and religion.
Ethiopian music incorporates a wide variety of instruments and vocal techniques. Traditional Ethiopian singing includes melismatic, ornamentation, vocal slides, and call-and-response structures.
Traditional Ethiopian Instruments
Here are some of the traditional instruments used in Ethiopian music:
- Washint: A bamboo flute common in the highlands.
- Malakat: A ceremonial trumpet-like instrument.
- Holdudwa: An animal horn, similar to a shofar, found mainly in the south.
- Embilta: Flutes without finger holes, producing only two tones.
- Fanta: Pan flutes played by the Konso and other people in the south.
- Senasel: A sistrum used in Ethiopian Orthodox Church liturgical music.
- Mequamia: A walking stick used by the clergy to maintain rhythm.
- Kebero: A large hand drum used in Orthodox Christian liturgy.
- Nagarit: A drum played with a curved stick, often in secular contexts.
- Atamo: A small hand drum, sometimes made of clay, played by the Gurage and other lowland populations.
- Anedo, Odola, Bul: Different sizes of drums used by the Anuak in the Gambela Region, each with specific rhythmic patterns.
Ethiopian liturgical chant, known as Zema, is a form of Christian liturgical chant practiced by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The tradition began after the sixth century and is traditionally attributed to Saint Yared, who is credited with inventing the musical tradition of Ethiopian liturgical chants.
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According to Ethiopian Christian tradition, St. Yared was divinely inspired to create three forms of chanting: ararai, ezil, and geeze. Each chant is associated with an aspect of the Holy Trinity.
Students of Ethiopian liturgical chants study the Geʽez language and begin practicing singing at a young age. They memorize passages of the Bible, including the Psalms of David. Further education takes place in liturgical dance schools, where they train in singing, dancing, and traditional instruments.
Ethiopian Church music remains tightly bounded within the communities and rarely attracts attention by outsiders. Since the mid-1970s, large-scale emigration of Ethiopians has created a diaspora in the United States. The emigrants brought their secular and liturgical music traditions with them.
The Emergence of Protestant Music
While no one can say exactly when mezmur emerged in Ethiopia, according to Alemayehu Fanta, a deacon and teacher of Ethiopian traditional instruments at the country's oldest music school Yared, Saint Yared who lived in the sixth century was the first documented case of a sacred musical tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Ethiopia's system of musical notation.
There are different accounts that attempt to trace the genesis of gospel music in Ethiopia. Addisu Worku, one of the early mezmur singers who used to sing on Misrach Voice Radio and in the Mulu Wongel church that began in Addis Ababa, is said to be among the pioneers of Amharic gospel music in the late 1960s. However, since the Mulu Wongel church didn't have foreign support, it's members often faced persecution.
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Two choirs, the Mulu Wongel Choir and the Tsion Choir, continued to develop and sing uniquely Ethiopian songs across the county. Later, in the early 1970s, the Meserete Kristos Church Choir was established. Some members from the Mulu Wongel and Tsion Choirs joined this newly established choir and Meserete Kristos continued developing gospel songs in Ethiopian languages. The Mulu Wongel and Meserete Kristos choirs are regarded as two of the earliest gospel performers in Ethiopia.
Solo vocalists soon developed out of these and other church choirs. Addisu Worku, Dereje Kebede, Tesfaye Gabisso, Eyerusalem Teshome, Tamerate Haile, Tadesse Eshete, Gizachew Worku, Dr. Tewodros Tadesse, popularly known as Teddy Tadesse, has been a gospel singer for the past 10 years as well as a member of the Baptist church.
Millions of Ethiopians have in recent years converted to Protestantism, many of them coming from an Orthodox background and attracted by its comparatively less rigid and hierarchical structure. Partly as a result of this, modern gospel music in Ethiopia has experienced a shift in perceptions.
Religious groups are not allowed to own broadcast media houses. However, there are few satellite TV channels that broadcast religious sermons and music. Africa TV caters for an Islamic audience, while El Shaddai TV targets protestant churches.
Contemporary Ethiopian Gospel Music
One of the best-known gospel artists in Ethiopia at the moment is Sofia Shibabaw, the sister of popular singer Gigi Shibabaw. Loved by many for her extraordinary voice, to date Sofia has released two albums: Sema Belew (tell Him to hear) and Fikir Kemeqabir Belay (love beyond the grave). She has also collaborated with many Christian artists on their own albums.
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Another popular gospel act is Zema for Christ, a band founded in 2007 by four young Christians who attended the Mekane Yesus School of Jazz Music. Dagimawi Tilahun, popularly known as Dagi, is another popluar Ethiopian gospel artist whose music inspires many. Dawit Getachew meanwhile infuses elements of jazz into his gospel songs.
Outside of Ethiopia's Christian music scene, manzuma is the name given to a poetic chant often associated with Muslim artists. Currently the best-known manzuma performer and poet in Ethiopia is Mohammed Awwal Hamza.
Kaleab Mengistu @ Kingdom Sound Worship Night 2024 '' Eyemarkegn '' Original Song By Aster Abebe
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.
A long-standing popular musical tradition in Ethiopia was that of brass bands, imported from Jerusalem in the form of forty Armenian orphans (Arba Lijoch) during the reign of Haile Selassie. This band, which arrived in Addis Ababa on 6 September 1924, became the first official orchestra of Ethiopia.
During the 1980s, the Derg controlled Ethiopia, and emigration became almost impossible. Musicians during this period included Ethio Stars, Walias Band and Roha Band, though the singer Neway Debebe was most popular. He helped to popularize the use of seminna-werq (wax and gold, a poetic form of double entendre) in music.
Through her performing with prominent Western jazz musicians such as Bill Laswell and Herbie Hancock, Gigi has brought Ethiopian music to popular attention, especially in the United States, where she now lives.
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.
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.
