Azmari & Tradition

About Azmari & Tradition

This is the deep traditional root of Ethiopian music, carried by the azmari minstrels and the sacred string instruments of the highlands. The single-stringed masinko fiddle, the six-string krar lyre, and the great ten-string begena, the harp of King David, accompany improvised praise, satire, and devotion. Masters like Asnaketch Worku and the begena teacher Alemu Aga preserved a repertoire stretching back centuries, and its modes still underpin all Ethiopian song.

Key Artists