The begena, also known as በገና in the Amharic language, is a musical instrument from Ethiopia. It has ten strings and is shaped like a box with a lyre. The begena is the only instrument in Ethiopian music that plays the zema, which is the spiritual part of the music.

Etymology and origin

The instrument's name comes from the word bägänä, which means "to buzz, pluck, play." It shares a similar origin with the Hebrew word נגנ (nagan), meaning "to touch or play a stringed instrument."

According to oral tradition, the instrument is connected to the kinnor, a stringed instrument used by the Israelites. It is said that King David played the kinnor to calm King Saul's nerves and help him sleep better. Later, the instrument was brought to Africa by Menelik I. However, its exact origin is still unknown. Local writings from the early 15th century show the instrument existed during that time.

Instrument

The begena is an instrument historically used by noblemen, monks, and people of high status. It is played by both men and women.

The begena is primarily used to accompany meditation and prayer during religious events. It is often played during Lent, and its music can be heard on the radio and in churches. The begena is played with only a singing voice. The singer may write their own words or use texts from the Bible, the Book of Proverbs, or the Book of Qine, a collection of proverbs and love poems. Topics include the meaning of life, death, saints, moral values, prayer, and praise to God. The length of a song depends on the text, the audience, and how long the player continues. While many songs are religious, the begena is not used in Ethiopian Orthodox church services, though it may appear in religious processions outside the church. In 1972, the Yared Music School in Addis Ababa started teaching the begena formally, and in 2004, evening classes were added.

The begena has ten strings, but some musicians use fewer strings. For example, teacher Memhr Sisay Demissae uses all ten strings, while others use five or six. The left hand plucks the strings.

When all ten strings are used, one way to tune the begena is to pair each string to a note in a pentatonic scale. When five strings are used, the first, fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth strings are tuned and plucked. When six strings are used, the left hand plucks strings one, three, four, six, eight, and ten. The pointing finger plucks strings three and four, while the other fingers control one string each. The remaining strings are used for resting fingers after plucking, allowing the strings to vibrate.

The begena can also be played using a system called girf, which involves a small tool made of horn or wood to pluck the ten strings. Megabe Sebhat Alemu Aga plays the begena using both his fingertips and girf.

The begena produces a distinct buzzing sound because of U-shaped pieces of leather placed between each string and the bridge. Each string’s thong is adjusted along the bridge so that the string vibrates against the bridge’s edge when plucked.

Listening

• Alemu Aga, The Harp of King David. Ethiopiques Volume 11, 1994.
• "Éthiopie, les chants de bagana / Ethiopia, bagana songs." International Archives of Popular Music [Ethnographic Museum of Geneva, Switzerland] LXXVI / VDE 1206, 2006.
• Alemu Aga, Seyoum Mengistu, Admassu Fikre, Tafesse Tesfaye. The Begenna of Elders. The Harp of David in Ethiopia. Laika-Records, 2009. / VDE 1206, 2006.