Music and text: Bahru Kegne. Additional music and text arrangements: Abebe Melesse and Yilma Gebreab. Released and licenced in agreement with Bahru’s children Teshager, Meseret and Negat. Artwork and layout: Emma Fischer. Interviews: Emma Fischer, Getatchew Debalke, Zerihun Engidashet and Henok Ashager. Translation lyrics: Prof. Dr. Hailu Habtu. Translation interviews: Zerihun Engidashet and Simeneh Betreyohannes. Bahru Kegne photos: family collection. Youtube stills, Ethiopia photos: Emma Fischer.
In memory of Bahru Kegne (1929-2000), Ethiopia’s greatest azmari. The cassette years 1988-1996.
Bahru Kegne was a legendary azmari, who was even a private court-player under Haile Selassie, then the ‘free newspaper’ in the communist days and recording some amazing ‘modern’ cassettes in the last years of his life. Deep, hypnotic, trance-like music, and unlike things published