Abatte Barihun
Encyclopedia
Abatte Barihun is an Israel
i jazz
saxophonist and composer
. His sound is reminiscent of John Coltrane
's, who has highly influenced Barihun.
, the capital city
of Ethiopia
. His house resided next to the music school
of Addis Ababa University
, as well as a nearby military base
. Young Barihun fell for the march
sound of the saxophones and other wind instrument
s emerging from the neighbouring military brass band
. He got a saxophone and joined the music school, where he was exposed to Western
Jazz albums of Charlie Parker
and others.
By the age of 16, Barihun joined the Ethiopian Military band
, with which he toured through Ethiopia and the Eastern Bloc
. Mengistu Haile Mariam
once sent him to play at Kim Il-sung
's birthday in North Korea
. This period in his life came to an abrupt end six years later, when the band's bus was ambush
ed by EPRDF forces, rebelling against Mengistu's Marxist dictatorship. Most band members were killed in the prolonged attack, and Barihun was wound
ed by two bullet
s.
For eight years Barihun kept playing every night at the Hilton
and Sheraton
hotels of Addis Ababa. He also played in the Ethiopian National Theater and toured with Mahmoud Ahmed
. At the age of 21 he established his own Jazz band, with which he toured Europe
three times a year. His last European tour ended merely three weeks before his aliyah
to Israel.
and the burden of alimony
, Barihun worked as a dishwasher
in a restaurant
through the day and as a night security guard
. His fingers were burned
by dishwashing detergents, hindering his practice with his saxophones. He was discovered by Moshe Bar-Yuda, then head of the TOMER
NGO, and formerly (1957) one of the first Israeli emissaries
to Beta Israel
communities. Bar Yuda brought Barihun together with musicologist Shlomo Israeli, who was deeply touched by Barihun's playing. Israeli paired Barihun with jazz pianist Yitzhak Yedid
, a successful match that gave rise to the "Ras Deshen Ensemble".
mountain, the highest mountain in Ethiopia. Ras Dashen belongs to the rugged Semien Mountains
, where Ethiopian Jews defended themselves against persecutions
by the Christian
Emperors of Ethiopia
through the 14th-17th Centuries
. Ras Deshen's premiere concert took place in September 2001 on a Festival
in Tel Aviv
. On September 2002 the duo recorded its self-titular maiden album
, which was released on 2004. The album was hailed by music critics and was rated among the two best Israeli jazz albums of the year.
The album contains eight pieces which blend free jazz
with four musical mode
s used in the Ethiopian Highlands
, comprising the unique qenet modal system. Three of these modes - Bati, Tezeta and Ambassel - originate from the Wollo
region in the Ethiopian Highlands, where most of the Jewish community has concentrated. The fourth mode, Anchi Hoye, is used in religious music
.
, as well as in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
. It is also used in wedding music
, as well as in courting songs, love song
s and even battle songs. Two tracks in the album are composed in this mode: Anchi Hoye and Nafkote.
Anchi Hoye, the opening track, was composed by Barihun, reflecting his deep feelings for his beloved. Barihun's tenor saxophone
opens with a style referencing both John Coltrane
and Lester Young
. Four minutes into the song comes a piano solo
by Yedid, which was described as "so reminiscent of Keith Jarrett
that his solo could be dropped seamlessly into the grooves of The Köln Concert
".
Nafkote, the sixth track, is a traditional longing
song. Here Barihun first sings
in Amharic, a feat he has not practiced back in Ethiopia. Yedid's piano traces the rhythm
for about two minutes, then starts improvising on the scale
. About a minute later Barihun improvises on top of Yedid's piano for about two minutes, then concludes with the traditional song.
is a market town
in the southern part of Wollo, in the Oromia Zone
, between the Ethiopian highlands
and the Great Rift Valley
. The musical mode named after it is used in praise song
s for rulers
and sages
, as well as in yearning songs for a beloved. Two tracks in the album are composed in this mode: Bati and Birtukane.
Bati is a traditional song, telling of a man longing for his beloved woman, and going after her to Bati. The western
listener may be familiar with this song from Ethiopiques
Volume 15, which opens with a pounding performance of this song. Barihun and Yedid formulate a contemplative arrangement
for this composition, which preserves its original mode. The piano silently accompanies Barihun's sobbing soprano sax, then his singing. Towards the fifth minute Yedid interprets the piece on his piano, to which Barihun joins for a penetrating duet
. The composition ends with Barihun's singing, sealed with a sigh.
Birtukane, "my orange", is a traditional longing song to the family and loved ones who are far away. Krar
player Fentahon Malessa accompanies Barihun's improvisations on the saxophone, in an instrumental variation of Assafe Abatte's melody, in Bati-minor mode.
, a bittersweet longing for the past. Tezeta mode is used to express dreams, wishes and yearnings. Ethiopian Jews used this mode to express their yearning to Jerusalem and the Land of Israel
. After coming
to Israel, this mode has been used to express nostalgia to Ethiopia. Some love and wedding songs were also composed in this mode, that originates from the Wollo region. Barihun & Yedid excel at performing the two pieces composed in this mode: Yehar Shererit and Fikir.
Yehar Shererit, "Spider web
", is a traditional song describing the difficult life of the spider
, endlessly weaving its artistic silky
web. Its melody, composed by singer Hirut Bekele in Tezeta-minor mode, is served in an instrumental arrangement. The dramatic element of the composition is steadily built, from the opening piano tap to the tenor groans at the fourth minute. The first peak of the duet leads to a brief piano session, after which the saxophone clears its path to a touching exhibition of creativity to the end of the composition. Multiple brilliant instants are packed into these seven short minutes, illustrating that the mutual inspiration between Barihun and Yedid yields their most fascinating moments. Music critic T.K. Holmes has remarked that Abbate's tenor "has a palpable R&B
/gospel
tinge, with an occasional gutbucket growl added for good measure, working in tandem with Yedid’s playful boogie-woogie
chaos".
Fikir, "Love", was composed by Tilahun Gessesse
in Tezeta-minor mode. It utters the wonder of love that is beyond words. Yedid first accompanies Barihun's tenor for about 3.5 minutes, followed by Barihun's chant. A piano solo then follows, over which the saxophone swirls into a rich expression of love. An additional cycle of singing then seals the composition. Downtown Music Gallery has commented on this tune that Barihun "reaches even deeper into the his heart and soul and sings this touching piece sublime spirit".
is a mountain fortress
ruled by the Jantirar
, and a woreda
named after it in Wollo
region. Ambassel district raised many musicians and music lovers. Ambassel mode is used for singing historical and traditional tales and for children's song
s. Its popularity throughout Ethiopia grew as Empress Menen Asfaw
, the daughter of Jantirar Asfaw, became consort of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Ambassel, the seventh piece in the album, is a traditional tune upon which the singer improvises stories of his emotions, or historical tales. Here Fentahon Malessa's Krar
accompanies player Barihun's improvisations on the saxophone, leaving the listener to imagine the musical tales that could have been embroidered by Barihun, Yedid and Malessa together.
sung on Shacharit
of Yom Kippur
and other Jewish holiday
s. Its name Behatito Kadus Kadus - "You alone are holy holy" in Ge'ez - reflects the persistent belief of Ethiopian Jews
in the unity of God, in face of the surrounding belief in the trinity
. The prayer, in the sacred language
Ge'ez, has different versions for Shalosh regalim and for the High Holy Days
. Traditionally it is sung by six Kessim
repeatedly answering one of them ("Behatito" - "Kadus Kadus!"). In the album Barihun sings it as a personal ode, while preserving the original melody which is surprisingly reminiscent of the Blues
. At the third minute Yedid vamps like Fats Waller
, as Barihun's tenor Sax "grooves between Ethiopia and the Mississippi Delta". The New Orleansian tinge and piercing theme have made it popular among the Israel
i and Western
audience alike.
chant
s, consolidated into a suite
. The duo is joined by singer Esther Keinan-Ofri, drummer
Tegen Zenba, Contrabassist
Ora Boazsson-Chorev and dancer Tezeta. Composed by Barihun, Yedid and Keinan-Ofri, it blends Israeli, Arabic and Western
elements with the corresponding Kessim chants.
), Alon Yoffe (drums
and vocals
), Uri Naveh (West African
Percussion
), Sangit Dotan Segal (Afro-Cuban
Percussion and Vocals), Orr Bareket (Bass Guitar
) and David Adda (Keyboards
and Vocals). On December 2005 they released their debut album, "Mother Tongue" ("שפת אם"). Both the album and their concerts, mixing Ethiopian music with Cuban
influences, gained critical acclaim.
has supported Barihun and added him to his concerts since they met. Barihun participated in Zilber's 2005 album Anabel, writing and composing its titular song Anabel. He joined the East West Ensemble to their concert "The Hidden Spirituals" ("מוסיקה מעולמות עליונים"), released as a 2006 album titled "Kabbalah Music - The Hidden Spirituals". Barihun sings the chant Behatito Kadus Kadus on a different arrangement, escorted by the ensemble.
Barihun plays with Nadav Haber's quartet
on their highly acclaimed Addis Mist concert, starting 2006. Haber describes his meeting with Barihun as an important step in his musical development: "Abbate taught me what the saxophone can do in Ethiopian music, and only after I met him I became an Ethiopian saxophonist myself. The inspiration he gave me made me start practicing twice as much".
On May 2007 Barihun played on Melbourne Jazz Festival
with Australia
n pianist Aaron Choulai, on a concert termed "the most unique showcase of the entire festival". Their three gigs through the festival, including compositions from Ras Deshen's repertoire, drew high attention.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
saxophonist and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. His sound is reminiscent of John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
's, who has highly influenced Barihun.
Early life and career (1967–1999)
Barihun was born in Addis AbabaAddis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, the capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. His house resided next to the music school
Music school
The term music school refers to an educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of music.Different terms refer to this concept such as school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department or conservatory.Music instruction can be provided...
of Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa University is a university in Ethiopia. It was originally named "University College of Addis Ababa" at its founding, then renamed for the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I in 1962, receiving its current name in 1975.Although the university has six of its seven campuses within...
, as well as a nearby military base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
. Young Barihun fell for the march
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
sound of the saxophones and other wind instrument
Wind instrument
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator , in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. The pitch of the vibration is determined by the length of the tube and by manual modifications of...
s emerging from the neighbouring military brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
. He got a saxophone and joined the music school, where he was exposed to Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
Jazz albums of Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
and others.
By the age of 16, Barihun joined the Ethiopian Military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
, with which he toured through Ethiopia and the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
. Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam is a politician who was formerly the most prominent officer of the Derg, the Communist military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991...
once sent him to play at Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
's birthday in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. This period in his life came to an abrupt end six years later, when the band's bus was ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
ed by EPRDF forces, rebelling against Mengistu's Marxist dictatorship. Most band members were killed in the prolonged attack, and Barihun was wound
Wound
A wound is a type of injury in which skin is torn, cut or punctured , or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion . In pathology, it specifically refers to a sharp injury which damages the dermis of the skin.-Open:...
ed by two bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
s.
For eight years Barihun kept playing every night at the Hilton
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
and Sheraton
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
hotels of Addis Ababa. He also played in the Ethiopian National Theater and toured with Mahmoud Ahmed
Mahmoud Ahmed
Mahmoud Ahmed is an Ethiopian singer of Gurage ancestry.-Biography:Born in Addis Ababa, Mahmoud shined shoes in that city before becoming a handyman at the Arizona Club, where he first sang professionally in the early 1960s...
. At the age of 21 he established his own Jazz band, with which he toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
three times a year. His last European tour ended merely three weeks before his aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Israel.
Home coming
Barihun joined his family in Israel on 1999, leaving behind his ex-wife and their son Nahum. His dream - being a musician in Israel - has proven difficult to realize. Facing a language barrierLanguage barrier
Language barrier is a figurative phrase used primarily to indicate the difficulties faced when people who have no language in common attempt to communicate with each other...
and the burden of alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
, Barihun worked as a dishwasher
Dishwashing
Dish-washing is the process of cleaning cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery and other items. This is either achieved by hand in a sink or using dishwasher and may take place in a kitchen, utility room, scullery or elsewhere...
in a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
through the day and as a night security guard
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
. His fingers were burned
Chemical burn
A chemical burn occurs when living tissue is exposed to a corrosive substance such as a strong acid or base. Chemical burns follow standard burn classification and may cause extensive tissue damage. The main types of irritant and/or corrosive products are: acids, bases, oxidizers, solvents,...
by dishwashing detergents, hindering his practice with his saxophones. He was discovered by Moshe Bar-Yuda, then head of the TOMER
TÖMER
Turkish and Foreign Languages Research and Application Center of Ankara University, TÖMER, was founded in 1984 by Mehmet Hengirmen for the purposes of teaching the Turkish language to foreigners; such language and culture institutions as the British Council, Goethe Institut, Cervantes and Alliance...
NGO, and formerly (1957) one of the first Israeli emissaries
Shaliach
A shaliaḥ in Halakha is a Jewish legal emissary or agent. Accordingly, a shaliaḥ performs an act of legal significance for the benefit of the sender, as opposed to him or herself...
to Beta Israel
Beta Israel
Beta Israel Israel, Ge'ez: ቤተ እስራኤል - Bēta 'Isrā'ēl, modern Bēte 'Isrā'ēl, EAE: "Betä Ǝsraʾel", "Community of Israel" also known as Ethiopian Jews , are the names of Jewish communities which lived in the area of Aksumite and Ethiopian Empires , nowadays divided between Amhara and Tigray...
communities. Bar Yuda brought Barihun together with musicologist Shlomo Israeli, who was deeply touched by Barihun's playing. Israeli paired Barihun with jazz pianist Yitzhak Yedid
Yitzhak Yedid
Yitzhak Yedid is an Israeli Australian composer of classical music and jazz pianist.-Biography:Yitzhak Yedid was born on September 29, 1971 in Jerusalem, Israel. His family immigrated from Syria. He studied at the Rubin Academy of Music and the New England Conservatory in Boston with Ran Blake...
, a successful match that gave rise to the "Ras Deshen Ensemble".
Ras Deshen
Barihun and Yedid's ensemble is named after the Amharic name of Ras DashenRas Dashen
Ras Dashen is the highest mountain in Ethiopia. Part of Semien Mountains National Park, it reaches an elevation of 4,550 metres...
mountain, the highest mountain in Ethiopia. Ras Dashen belongs to the rugged Semien Mountains
Semien Mountains
The Semien Mountains lie in northern Ethiopia, north east of Gondar. They are a World Heritage Site and include the Semien Mountains National Park. The mountains consist of plateaux separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles...
, where Ethiopian Jews defended themselves against persecutions
Persecution of Jews
Persecution of Jews has occurred on numerous occasions and at widely different geographical locations. As well as being a major component in Jewish history, it has significantly affected the general history and social development of the countries and societies in which the persecuted Jews...
by the Christian
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the predominant Oriental Orthodox Christian church in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Church was administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All...
Emperors of Ethiopia
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
through the 14th-17th Centuries
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
. Ras Deshen's premiere concert took place in September 2001 on a Festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. On September 2002 the duo recorded its self-titular maiden album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, which was released on 2004. The album was hailed by music critics and was rated among the two best Israeli jazz albums of the year.
The album contains eight pieces which blend free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
with four musical mode
Musical mode
In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
s used in the Ethiopian Highlands
Ethiopian Highlands
The Ethiopian Highlands are a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia, Eritrea , and northern Somalia in the Horn of Africa...
, comprising the unique qenet modal system. Three of these modes - Bati, Tezeta and Ambassel - originate from the Wollo
Wollo
Wollo was a historical region and province in the northeastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Dessie. The province was named after the Wollo Oromo, who settled in this part of Ethiopia in the 17th century...
region in the Ethiopian Highlands, where most of the Jewish community has concentrated. The fourth mode, Anchi Hoye, is used in religious music
Religious music
Religious music is music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence.A lot of music has been composed to complement religion, and many composers have derived inspiration from their own religion. Many forms of traditional music have been adapted to fit religions'...
.
Anchi Hoye
Anchi Hoye mode is used for prayers in the Masgid, which is the Jewish Ethiopian SynagogueSynagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, as well as in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the predominant Oriental Orthodox Christian church in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Church was administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All...
. It is also used in wedding music
Wedding music
Wedding music applies music played at wedding celebrations, including the ceremony and any festivities before or after the event. The music can be performed live by musicians and/or vocalists or use pre-recorded songs, depending on the format of the event, traditions associated with the...
, as well as in courting songs, love song
Love song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
s and even battle songs. Two tracks in the album are composed in this mode: Anchi Hoye and Nafkote.
Anchi Hoye, the opening track, was composed by Barihun, reflecting his deep feelings for his beloved. Barihun's tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
opens with a style referencing both John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
and Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
. Four minutes into the song comes a piano solo
Piano solo
The piano is often used to provide harmonic accompaniment to a voice or other instrument. However, solo parts for the piano are common in many musical styles...
by Yedid, which was described as "so reminiscent of Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer who performs both jazz and classical music.Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey, moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in jazz, jazz fusion, and classical music; as...
that his solo could be dropped seamlessly into the grooves of The Köln Concert
The Köln Concert
The Köln Concert is a recording by the pianist Keith Jarrett of solo piano improvisations performed at the Cologne Opera House in Cologne on January 24, 1975 before a live audience...
".
Nafkote, the sixth track, is a traditional longing
Saudade
Saudade ) is a unique Galician-Portuguese word that has no immediate translation in English. Saudade describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. It often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never return...
song. Here Barihun first sings
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
in Amharic, a feat he has not practiced back in Ethiopia. Yedid's piano traces the rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
for about two minutes, then starts improvising on the scale
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
. About a minute later Barihun improvises on top of Yedid's piano for about two minutes, then concludes with the traditional song.
Bati
BatiBati, Ethiopia
Bati is a town in north-central Ethiopia. Located in the Oromia Zone of the Amhara Region , east of Dessie this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1502 metres above sea level. It is the largest town in Bati woreda....
is a market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in the southern part of Wollo, in the Oromia Zone
Oromia Zone
Oromia is one of 10 Zones in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Oromia is named for the Oromo people, who settled along the edge of the Ethiopian highlands that form this Zone. Oromia is bordered on the southwest by Semien Shewa, on the northwest by Debub Wollo, and on the east by the Afar Region...
, between the Ethiopian highlands
Ethiopian Highlands
The Ethiopian Highlands are a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia, Eritrea , and northern Somalia in the Horn of Africa...
and the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
. The musical mode named after it is used in praise song
Praise song
Contemporary worship music is a loosely defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It has developed over the past sixty years and is stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are frequently referred to as "praise songs" or "worship songs" and are typically led by a "worship...
s for rulers
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
and sages
Wise old man
The wise old man is an archetype as described by Carl Jung, as well as a classic literary figure, and may be seen as a stock character...
, as well as in yearning songs for a beloved. Two tracks in the album are composed in this mode: Bati and Birtukane.
Bati is a traditional song, telling of a man longing for his beloved woman, and going after her to Bati. The western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
listener may be familiar with this song from Ethiopiques
Ethiopiques
Ethiopiques is a series of compact discs featuring Ethiopian and Eritrean singers and musicians. Many of the Ethiopiques CDs compile various singles and albums that Amha Records, Kaifa Records, and Philips-Ethiopia released during the 1960s and 1970s in Ethiopia...
Volume 15, which opens with a pounding performance of this song. Barihun and Yedid formulate a contemplative arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
for this composition, which preserves its original mode. The piano silently accompanies Barihun's sobbing soprano sax, then his singing. Towards the fifth minute Yedid interprets the piece on his piano, to which Barihun joins for a penetrating duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
. The composition ends with Barihun's singing, sealed with a sigh.
Birtukane, "my orange", is a traditional longing song to the family and loved ones who are far away. Krar
Krar
The krar or kraar is a five- or six-stringed bowl-shaped lyre from Eritrea and Ethiopia. The instrument is tuned to a pentatonic scale. A modern krar may be amplified, much in the same way as an electric guitar or violin....
player Fentahon Malessa accompanies Barihun's improvisations on the saxophone, in an instrumental variation of Assafe Abatte's melody, in Bati-minor mode.
Tezeta
Tezeta literally means nostalgiaNostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
, a bittersweet longing for the past. Tezeta mode is used to express dreams, wishes and yearnings. Ethiopian Jews used this mode to express their yearning to Jerusalem and the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
. After coming
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Israel, this mode has been used to express nostalgia to Ethiopia. Some love and wedding songs were also composed in this mode, that originates from the Wollo region. Barihun & Yedid excel at performing the two pieces composed in this mode: Yehar Shererit and Fikir.
Yehar Shererit, "Spider web
Spider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....
", is a traditional song describing the difficult life of the spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
, endlessly weaving its artistic silky
Spider silk
Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons for protection for their offspring...
web. Its melody, composed by singer Hirut Bekele in Tezeta-minor mode, is served in an instrumental arrangement. The dramatic element of the composition is steadily built, from the opening piano tap to the tenor groans at the fourth minute. The first peak of the duet leads to a brief piano session, after which the saxophone clears its path to a touching exhibition of creativity to the end of the composition. Multiple brilliant instants are packed into these seven short minutes, illustrating that the mutual inspiration between Barihun and Yedid yields their most fascinating moments. Music critic T.K. Holmes has remarked that Abbate's tenor "has a palpable R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
/gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
tinge, with an occasional gutbucket growl added for good measure, working in tandem with Yedid’s playful boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
chaos".
Fikir, "Love", was composed by Tilahun Gessesse
Tilahun Gessesse
Tilahun Gessesse was an Ethiopian singer regarded as one of the most popular of his country's "Golden Age" in the 1960s....
in Tezeta-minor mode. It utters the wonder of love that is beyond words. Yedid first accompanies Barihun's tenor for about 3.5 minutes, followed by Barihun's chant. A piano solo then follows, over which the saxophone swirls into a rich expression of love. An additional cycle of singing then seals the composition. Downtown Music Gallery has commented on this tune that Barihun "reaches even deeper into the his heart and soul and sings this touching piece sublime spirit".
Ambassel
AmbasselAmbassel
Ambassel is one of the 105 woredas of the Amhara Region in Ethiopia, and an amba, or mountain fortress, located in the woreda; the woreda is named for this feature...
is a mountain fortress
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
ruled by the Jantirar
Jantirar
Jantirar is a title of the Ethiopian Empire. It is borne historically by the head of the family holding the mountain fortress of Amba Sel in Ethiopia, similar to Wagshum, the heridary ruler of the province of Wag, and unlike other aristocratic titles like Meridazmach or Ras...
, and a woreda
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
named after it in Wollo
Wollo
Wollo was a historical region and province in the northeastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Dessie. The province was named after the Wollo Oromo, who settled in this part of Ethiopia in the 17th century...
region. Ambassel district raised many musicians and music lovers. Ambassel mode is used for singing historical and traditional tales and for children's song
Children's song
Children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that young children invent and share among themselves, or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home, or education...
s. Its popularity throughout Ethiopia grew as Empress Menen Asfaw
Menen Asfaw
Empress Menen Asfaw was the wife and consort of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Empress Menen was the daughter of Asfaw, Jantirar of Ambassel...
, the daughter of Jantirar Asfaw, became consort of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Ambassel, the seventh piece in the album, is a traditional tune upon which the singer improvises stories of his emotions, or historical tales. Here Fentahon Malessa's Krar
Krar
The krar or kraar is a five- or six-stringed bowl-shaped lyre from Eritrea and Ethiopia. The instrument is tuned to a pentatonic scale. A modern krar may be amplified, much in the same way as an electric guitar or violin....
accompanies player Barihun's improvisations on the saxophone, leaving the listener to imagine the musical tales that could have been embroidered by Barihun, Yedid and Malessa together.
Behatito Kadus Kadus
The ending song of the album is an adaptation of a prayerJewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
sung on Shacharit
Shacharit
Shacharit is the the daily morning Tefillah of the Jewish people, one of the three times there is prayer each day.Shacharit is said to have been established by the patriarch Abraham when he prayed in the morning...
of Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
and other Jewish holiday
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
s. Its name Behatito Kadus Kadus - "You alone are holy holy" in Ge'ez - reflects the persistent belief of Ethiopian Jews
Beta Israel
Beta Israel Israel, Ge'ez: ቤተ እስራኤል - Bēta 'Isrā'ēl, modern Bēte 'Isrā'ēl, EAE: "Betä Ǝsraʾel", "Community of Israel" also known as Ethiopian Jews , are the names of Jewish communities which lived in the area of Aksumite and Ethiopian Empires , nowadays divided between Amhara and Tigray...
in the unity of God, in face of the surrounding belief in the trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
. The prayer, in the sacred language
Sacred language
A sacred language, "holy language" , or liturgical language, is a language that is cultivated for religious reasons by people who speak another language in their daily life.-Concept:...
Ge'ez, has different versions for Shalosh regalim and for the High Holy Days
High Holy Days
The High Holidays or High Holy Days, in Judaism, more properly known as the Yamim Noraim , may mean:#strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur ;...
. Traditionally it is sung by six Kessim
Kessim
Kahen or in the popular name Qss is the spiritual leader of Beta Israel , similar to a Kohen or Rabbi. Their duty is to maintain and preserve the traditions and customs of the people...
repeatedly answering one of them ("Behatito" - "Kadus Kadus!"). In the album Barihun sings it as a personal ode, while preserving the original melody which is surprisingly reminiscent of the Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
. At the third minute Yedid vamps like Fats Waller
Fats Waller
Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
, as Barihun's tenor Sax "grooves between Ethiopia and the Mississippi Delta". The New Orleansian tinge and piercing theme have made it popular among the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i and Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
audience alike.
Psalms
On December 2005 Ras Deshen launched a new concert titled "Psalms" ("מזמורי תהלים"). It consists of nine pieces based on KessimKessim
Kahen or in the popular name Qss is the spiritual leader of Beta Israel , similar to a Kohen or Rabbi. Their duty is to maintain and preserve the traditions and customs of the people...
chant
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
s, consolidated into a suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
. The duo is joined by singer Esther Keinan-Ofri, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Tegen Zenba, Contrabassist
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
Ora Boazsson-Chorev and dancer Tezeta. Composed by Barihun, Yedid and Keinan-Ofri, it blends Israeli, Arabic and Western
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
elements with the corresponding Kessim chants.
Kuluma
On December 2003 Barihun established the Kuluma band, together with Itamar Borochov (TrumpetTrumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
), Alon Yoffe (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Uri Naveh (West African
Music of West Africa
West Africa stretches from the Sahara Desert to the Atlantic Ocean. The region's musical heritage includes a variety of popular music styles, especially from the countries of Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Sierra Leone and Nigeria...
Percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
), Sangit Dotan Segal (Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cuban
The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
Percussion and Vocals), Orr Bareket (Bass Guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and David Adda (Keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and Vocals). On December 2005 they released their debut album, "Mother Tongue" ("שפת אם"). Both the album and their concerts, mixing Ethiopian music with Cuban
Music of Cuba
The Caribbean island of Cuba has developed a wide range of creolized musical styles, based on its cultural origins in Europe and Africa. Since the 19th century its music has been hugely popular and influential throughout the world...
influences, gained critical acclaim.
Other collaborations
Ariel ZilberAriel Zilber
Ariel Zilber is an Israeli singer-songwriter and composer. He is considered one of the most prominent musicians and singer-songwriters in Israeli music, known for his highly literate lyrics and for his simple yet profound style.Zilber became a Baal Tshuva following the 2005 disengagement from...
has supported Barihun and added him to his concerts since they met. Barihun participated in Zilber's 2005 album Anabel, writing and composing its titular song Anabel. He joined the East West Ensemble to their concert "The Hidden Spirituals" ("מוסיקה מעולמות עליונים"), released as a 2006 album titled "Kabbalah Music - The Hidden Spirituals". Barihun sings the chant Behatito Kadus Kadus on a different arrangement, escorted by the ensemble.
Barihun plays with Nadav Haber's quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
on their highly acclaimed Addis Mist concert, starting 2006. Haber describes his meeting with Barihun as an important step in his musical development: "Abbate taught me what the saxophone can do in Ethiopian music, and only after I met him I became an Ethiopian saxophonist myself. The inspiration he gave me made me start practicing twice as much".
On May 2007 Barihun played on Melbourne Jazz Festival
Melbourne Jazz Festival
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is an annual jazz music festival held in Melbourne, Australia from 4 - 13 June 2011.-History:The Melbourne International Jazz Festival was first held in 1998....
with Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pianist Aaron Choulai, on a concert termed "the most unique showcase of the entire festival". Their three gigs through the festival, including compositions from Ras Deshen's repertoire, drew high attention.
External links
- Shabate's Website
- Ben Shalev, The Cancer of Ethiopian Music, HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, May 15, 2006 - of Ras Deshen's visit to Addis AbabaAddis AbabaAddis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
(Hebrew)