If you’ve never listened to Ethiopian music before, you’re in for a treat! Ethiopia has a huge musical culture, with styles spanning traditional music, song and dance from the country’s 80-plus culture groups; achingly beautiful liturgical song of the Orthodox Church dating back to the 6th century; and popular music from retro jazz grooves to the cheesiest pop singers and the hippest underground scenes. But what sets them apart is a unique musical system – a set of distinctive pentatonic (five-note) scales that makes Ethiopian music absolutely unmistakable. Here are ten must-hear artists to kick-start your journey into the wonderful world of Ethiopian music.
…and to read the full list, including Mahmoud Ahmed (pictured above), head over to the original article at the Selamta website.
Photo: Mahmoud Ahmed performing with Badume´s Band at TFF.Rudolstadt 2010, by Schorle. Used under licence CC BY-SA 2.0.