Ethiopian music refers to music from Ethiopia. It is often linked to a specific type of music that uses a pentatonic scale, which has large gaps between some notes.
Music from the Ethiopian Highlands follows a system of scales called qenet. There are four main qenet modes: tezeta, bati, ambassel, and anchihoy. Three other modes are variations of these: tezeta minor, bati major, and bati minor. Some songs are named after their qenet, such as tizita, which is a song about memories. When played on traditional instruments, these scales are not adjusted to fit the Western tuning system. However, when played on Western instruments like pianos and guitars, they use the Western tuning system.
Music in the Ethiopian Highlands is usually monophonic or heterophonic. In some southern regions, music is polyphonic. For example, edho is a type of polyphonic singing in the Dorze community that uses up to five voices. Majangir uses four voices.
Musical instruments
In the highlands, traditional string instruments include the masenqo (also called masinko), a one-string bowed lute; the krar (also called kirar), a six-string lyre; and the begena, a large ten-string lyre. The dita (a five-string lyre) and musical bows (including a rare three-string version) are stringed instruments found in the southern areas.
The washint is a bamboo flute commonly used in the highlands. Trumpet-like instruments include the ceremonial malakat, used in some regions, and the holdudwa (an animal horn, similar to a shofar), found mainly in the south. Embilta flutes have no finger holes and produce only two tones: the fundamental note and a fourth or fifth interval. These flutes may be made of metal (usually in the north) or bamboo (in the south). The Konso and other groups in the south play fanta, or pan flutes, which have six holes.
In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, liturgical music uses the senasel, a sistrum. Clergy also use a walking stick called mequamia to keep rhythm. Rural churches historically used a dawal, made from stone or wood, to call people to prayer. The Beta Israel use a small gong called a qachel for religious music, though qachel may also refer to a small bell. The toom, a lamellophone, is used by the Nuer, Anuak, Majangir, Surma, and other Nilotic groups. Metal leg rattles are common in the southern regions.
The kebero is a large hand drum used in Orthodox Christian ceremonies. Smaller kebero drums may be used in secular celebrations. The nagarit, played with a curved stick, is often used in secular events like royal functions or announcements, though it also has a religious role among the Beta Israel. The Gurage and other lowland groups commonly play the atamo, a small hand drum sometimes made of clay. In Gambella Region, the Anuak distinguish three types of drums: the anedo (small drum), the odola (medium drum), and the bul (large drum), each associated with specific rhythmic patterns in songs. A special type of drum called tom-tom is used in the southwestern part of the country, in Gambella Region. Drumming is a key feature of fast songs in the southern regions, where groups like the Kenbata, Hadiya, Gedeo, and Sidama perform traditional belly dances similar to those of Middle Eastern or Arabic dancers.
Traditional music and characteristics
Ethiopia has a long and sometimes difficult history. It also has a long and interesting history of arts and culture. Ethiopia and its folk music and culture play an important part in human history. Ethiopian music shows many parts of the country's history and society, such as the military actions taken by leaders in the past. The music includes songs about war, love, and patriotism, as well as songs that celebrate victories or encourage support for a cause. It also includes songs with beautiful melodies and meaningful words. The spiritual beliefs of Ethiopians are often shown through music. These songs and melodies are played using many traditional instruments.
Music in Ethiopia began in the highlands, where a strong tradition of storytelling and writing was developed. In this area, traditional music is played by traveling musicians called azmaris, who are respected in their communities. As this music spread across the country, it adopted features from the different regions it reached, depending on local traditions, culture, and religion. The music and culture of Ethiopia have been influenced by Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other factors. Ethiopia is home to more than 75 different ethnic groups, each with its own unique styles of traditional music.
Characteristics of the traditional music
Music from the highlands of Ethiopia uses a system of musical scales called qenet. This system includes four main scales: tezeta, bati, ambassel, and anchihoy. It also includes three additional scales: tezeta minor, bati major, and bati minor. • Pentatonic Scales: Ethiopian music uses a pentatonic scale system, which has five notes. The spaces between these notes are large, creating a unique sound.
Complex rhythms: Ethiopian music is known for its detailed rhythmic patterns. Like many African musical traditions, it often uses unusual time signatures and syncopation, which means beats are placed in unexpected places.
Vocal styles: Traditional Ethiopian singing includes many vocal techniques. These include melismatic singing (singing many notes on one syllable), ornamentation (adding extra notes or sounds), vocal slides (smooth changes in pitch), and call-and-response patterns (where one singer answers another). Instruments used in Ethiopian music include the masinko, krar, washint, begena, kebero, and tom-tom.
Regional variations: Ethiopia has many different musical styles because it is home to more than 75 ethnic groups. Each group has its own unique traditional music and sounds.
Cultural significance: Music plays an important role in Ethiopian culture. It is often used during religious ceremonies, festivals, and social events. It helps performers express emotions such as joy, sadness, longing, or love. These emotions are shared with the audience, which is an important part of traditional Ethiopian music. Examples include songs that express religious devotion, songs that express grief, and songs that express love or longing.
Traditional dances
Ethiopia has many different tribes and ethnic groups, each with their own music, cultures, and traditions. Some analysts say Ethiopian dances are grouped based on how unique they are, not their purpose. There are more than 150 different dance styles in Ethiopia. The Oromia region is the largest, and its dances vary by location. Two well-known dances are “Shewa Oromo” and “Harar Oromo.” The Shewa Oromo dance includes special costumes and movements. Women wear leather costumes decorated with shells, and men wear fur on their heads and use sticks during the dance. A surprising feature is the quick, sharp neck movements of the women. In the north, Tigrayans perform a smooth, circular dance with shoulder and neck movements. In the center of the country, Amharas focus on upper body and neck movements. Oromos in the center and south perform dances with jumping and full-body motions. The Gurages have a dance that requires coordination of arms, legs, and the body. Peoples in the South Region, such as the Welayita, Kenbata, Sidama, and Dawro, perform popular belly dances. These dances have fast, rhythmic beats. Eskista is a traditional dance from the Amhara ethnic group, performed by men, women, and children. It is known for strong shoulder movements, similar to the shim-shim dance of the Tigrinya people in Eritrea. The dance includes rolling and bouncing shoulders, moving the chest, and twisting the neck. The style of the dance changes based on the performers and the situation, such as war songs, hunting songs, or love songs. The best dancer is often chosen as the leader of the group or the best singer. Eskista allows the dancer to act as a storyteller, using their body to share the traditions and life of their community. The dance, along with music and singing, shows important messages about Ethiopian society.
Religious and secular music
Religious music is important and plays an important role in Ethiopian Orthodox society. The word mezmur refers to Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo music. There is also a wide variety of Islamic music. Protestant music has become more common since the 2000s, when it was widely shared through CDs. In recent years, it has grown further through digital downloads.
Some Ethiopian religious music has ancient Christian roots, dating back to Yared, who lived during the time of Emperor Gebre Meskel (Son of Kaleb of the Aksumite Empire) in the 6th century. Yared is considered the father of Ethiopian-Eritrean traditional music. He created chants called zema, which are used in religious music. Zema is divided into three types of chants: Ge'ez, Ezel, and Araray. Manzuma, which began around 1907, is sung in Amharic and Oromo. It is most commonly heard in areas like Dire Dawa, Harar, and Jimma, where many Ethiopian Muslims live. In the Ethiopian Highlands, traditional non-religious music is performed by traveling musicians called azmaris, who are respected in Ethiopian society.
Role of digital streaming
Since the 2010s, Ethiopia’s music industry has changed a lot because of online services like YouTube and Spotify. Modern musicians such as Teddy Afro, Betty G, and Rophnan have mixed traditional music styles with new sounds, including Ethio-jazz, hip hop, and electronic music. This shift to digital platforms has helped Ethiopian music reach more people worldwide and given artists new ways to connect with audiences living outside Ethiopia.
Popular music
Ethiopia has a rich musical tradition. People enjoy both popular music and traditional songs. Many musicians sing traditional songs, and audiences often listen to both styles. A long tradition in Ethiopia was brass bands, which were brought from Jerusalem by forty Armenian orphans during the time of Haile Selassie. This group arrived in Addis Ababa on September 6, 1924, and became Ethiopia's first official orchestra. By the end of World War II, large orchestras accompanied singers. The most well-known orchestras were the Army Band, Police Band, and Imperial Bodyguard Band.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, popular musicians included Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, Hirut Bekele, Ali Birra, Ayalew Mesfin, Kiros Alemayehu, Muluken Melesse, and Tilahun Gessesse. Folk musicians included Alemu Aga, Kassa Tessema, Ketema Makonnen, Asnaketch Worku, and Mary Armede. Mulatu Astatke, an innovator of Ethio-jazz, was one of the most influential musicians of that time. Amha Records, Kaifa Records, and Philips-Ethiopia were important record labels during this era. Since 1997, Buda Musique's Éthiopiques series has collected many of these songs on compact disc.
During the 1980s, the Derg controlled Ethiopia, and leaving the country became very difficult. Musicians during this time included Ethio Stars, Walias Band, and Roha Band. Neway Debebe was the most popular singer. He helped introduce seminna-werq, a poetic style used in music that allowed singers to criticize the government without being censored. Soldier songs like Zeraf poetry, Fukera, Shilela, and Kererto were the first recorded examples of the Amharic language during the medieval period and remain important in Amhara culture today.
Today, internationally recognized Ethiopian singers include Aster Aweke, Alemayehu Eshete, Gigi, Teddy Afro, Tilahun Gessesse, and Mahmoud Ahmed. Tilahun Gessesse was famous in the 20th century and called "The Voice" for his long, powerful singing style. In 2001, Teddy Afro released his album Abugida and became a well-known singer, nicknamed "Blatenaw" (meaning "The boy"). Gigi, who performed with Western jazz musicians like Bill Laswell and Herbie Hancock, helped bring Ethiopian music to international attention, especially in the United States. Aster Aweke gained recognition for her voice after releasing her 1999 album Hagere and the song "Abebayehosh."
Neway Debebe was very popular among young people in the 1980s and 1990s with songs like "Yetekemt Abeba," "Metekatun Ateye," "Safsaf," and "Gedam." Abatte Barihun demonstrated all four main qenets on his 2005 album Ras Deshen.
Francis Falceto, the producer of Éthiopiques, says modern Ethiopian music often uses synthesizers instead of traditional instruments and group performances. However, Harvard professor Kay Kaufman Shelemay believes there is creativity in today's music scene. She notes that many countries also use electronic music, a point Falceto agrees with.
In the West, bands like Boston's Either/Orchestra, Imperial Tiger Orchestra (Switzerland), and Le Tigre des platanes (France) have created music inspired by Ethiopian styles.
New music genres like EDM, rock, and hip hop have become popular in recent years. Jano Band mixes Ethiopian music with progressive rock. Hip hop began influencing Ethiopian music in the early to mid-2000s, with rappers like Teddy Yo and Lij Michael leading the way. Lij Michael was more commercially successful. Both Jano Band and Lij Michael appeared on Coke Studio Africa in 2017. Electronic dance music in Ethiopia grew in the mid-2010s, with DJ Rophnan introducing his version in 2018 and winning an album of the year award. Western artists like JID, Billy Woods (Aethiopes), and Yves Tumor (Bekelé Berhanu) have also been influenced by Ethiopian music. The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), born in Canada to Ethiopian parents, is now one of the world's top-selling artists.
Since 2016, the most common record label in Ethiopia is Hope Music Entertainment. Minew Shewa Entertainment and Admas Music are also used. Hope Music Entertainment, Minew Shewa Entertainment, and Dire Tube have become online streaming platforms in recent years. Dire Tube often shares older recordings and music videos. The most notable label in the 2000s was Nahom Records Inc., which is still active.
Since the 2020s, labels like Ella Records and Bahgna TV have become more popular.