Eritrea

Bereket Mengisteab was born in 1938 in the small village of Hazega, located about eighteen miles north of the Eritrean capital of Asmara. He spent the first two decades of his life farming there. During these years in Hazega, Bereket taught himself the krar (a five or six stringed lyre) & honed his musical skills, participating in all of the musical rituals that punctuate rural life.

After spending a few years in Asmara (which was part of Ethiopia at the time), Bereket moved to Addis Ababa in 1961. It was in Addis that Bereket made his stage debut, as a member of the Haile Selassie Theater Orchestra. During the previous year he spent in Asmara he never performed outside of his circle of friends. Bereket stayed with the Haile Selassie Theater Orchestra for a little over a decade, performing with the group throughout Ethiopia, in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal (at the 1966 Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres), & in Mexico (at the 1968 Summer Olympics). During these years he also made his first recordings, nine singles for the Philips label.

He plays Tigrigna music. Tigrigna music, mainly performed in Tigray Province in Ethiopia & Eritrea. It is quite distinct, both rhythmically & melodically from Ethiopian music like in the last post. Bereket plays the krar. Since the late 50s, many Eritrean musicians have encouraged the spread of the electric krar, which is now widely used. Bereket excels at the instrument, playing a wild, wailing wah-wahed style. Besides being a great krar artist, he is a phenomenal singer.

Bereket Mengisteab – Lebäy cassette, Toteel Music Vol. 5, 1984.

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Side A –

Lebäy (My Heart or My Emotions)
Nefas nay Bäräkha (Wind of the Desert)

Wäzzamu (Handsome)

Täkkalit Shanbeqo (Wicked Flute)

Side B –

Zebbä Mästära (Comb of Ebony)

Hewwekh Zeb’i (Restless Hyena)

Färäsu (His Horse)

Deqdeq S’elmat (Utter Darkness)

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Eritrea's got pop music. It’s true. The Lula Band play some saccharine Afro-pop. Don’t know anything about them other than the singer was Yonathan Habte. The band is now broken up & Yonathan is living in Ethiopia, working on his music career.

 Lula Band – Not for Sale, 2003. 

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Tracklist –

Abey Kon T’hul

Tsegay Beraki Wuletki

Saba Sabina

Zhibir

Terife N

Nsamama

Ab Zim Zim Bereka

Milkti Gual Hewan

Kab Sinetey Diyu

Tchekinkiley Bhaki Bhaki

Alem

Enjoy popcorn lovers,

NØ