Krar Collective: An Ethiopian trio in the making

Azmari bet, the local name given to the famous noisy, colorful houses from which sounds and screams of laughter emerge, are sadly seldom attended by local crowds due to their choice in music. However, tourists and foreign residents go to these clubs frequently.
Many of the local young people flock to more modern nightclubs late in the night. Still, many agree that live performance of traditional Ethiopian music is a stunning sight to see.
After the famous people to people musical tour held in the mid-1980s, putting out the idiosyncratic roots of traditional Ethiopian music, many are still struggling to break into the global music industry. Except, of course, for the few who have attempted to fuse local traditional sounds with the global sounds. What many would prefer to call ‘modern Ethiopian music’ is what many people are listening to in the urban areas of the country.
Even those songs and melodies of the traditional type, played in the countryside, are composed in a computerized music studio stuffed with keyboards, saxophones and guitars. Perhaps there might be a single string instrument to be used in order to maintain the intrinsic sound of that particular original area. Locally called traditional bands or cultural bands that play different ethnic-based grooves of Ethiopian music using traditional instruments such as the krar, masinko, washint and kebero are not as popular or loved as modern bands. They are solely found in cultural restaurants and those typically available night shows in town.
Krar Collective, a trio Ethiopian traditional music band based in London, is now gaining worldwide fame. Having been abroad for five years, the three musicians, who collaborated as one in many of their stage performances, have started impinging on the general audience of Ethiopian music abroad. Their debut album, entitled Ethiopia Super Krar, recorded by Riverboat Records in 2012, has now been playing in many European countries following their successive tours in the continent. Sticking to one of the most likable Ethiopian traditional string instruments of krar to name themselves they signify it by putting out in the cover of their official album. Their album is dedicated to the late renowned krar composer and traditional vocalist, the late Asnakech Worku, best known for her classic and spine-tingling song, ‘Endeyerusalem’ also included in the album.
According to various historical literature, krar is an ancient heritage of the country that is believed to have been descended from the Hebrew lyre (kinor) King David, and of course related to the ancient Greek Kithara. Widely used in songs of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, krar has been dubbed the most important traditional music that can be used in the place of any string instruments to compose music. Temesgen Zeleke, bandleader, told The Reporter that they appeared to be pertinacious in any way they could promote the traditional Ethiopian music along with its immense cultural heritages and traditional values.
“We are aiming at scaling our music in the global market, taking maximum care for its intrinsic values,” he says. Sebastian Merrick, the manager, points out that Ethiopian traditional music is unique among many of the African sounds, as the traditions and culture appear to be dissimilar in terms of diversity with the people. He believes that these talented young musicians would foster the authentic traditional values the country has to administer on the global stage.

Working with the band so closely for the last four years, he witnessed that the character and the discipline the musicians have is an asset for making the most out of. “I found them vibrant and creative when managing the different parts of their lengthy presentations on stage. They are three but they are many playing the many parts of those nations and nationalities in the country,” he says. Grum Begashaw, drummer, adds his own views on the words of his manager, stating that their dedication and communication every time and everywhere on the show has yielded unfailing ovations from the standing audiences who are, of course, usually yelling out for an encore. “ While showing together with other African counterparts in a special event called Africa Express in London last year, many were anxious to see us and stay more with us on the stage because of the diversified songs and plays we brought to them,” says Grum. Genet Assefa, the vocalist views the differences and the challenges between playing modern music and the traditional kind, running back over the previous experiences she had with modern bands that played Ethiopian pop and the like. “I have to play more tribal songs together with a slight demonstration that imitates the real culture along with changing the costumes and the materials to be used on stage. Since I’m collaborating with them, it would not be a problem that much,” she says.
Musically speaking, these are people who genuinely play music that demands tremendous energy and a harmonized form to move for their artistry through repeated jumping on the stage floor without terminating the instrument they play. Despite the light sounds the instruments produce, unlike modern instruments known for their hard and sonorous sounds, these Ethiopian traditional songs need more physical involvement of the entire body keeping the right track of the rhythm according to various musical instructors and choreographers. And they viewed this way that the noisier it is, the more profound it is. The one issue those musical experts are unequivocal about the traditional music is the primacy of live performance it delivers while playing on stage. People tend to think a piece of music is the way it is because that’s the way the musicians wanted to express their feelings. Likewise, these are the musicians who could bring their own expressions which they experienced and learned throughout their lives. “Why wouldn’t it be?” replies the manager when asked about their success in taking up a significant part in the history of Ethiopian music. Reviewed by the UK based Financial Times and featured by several entertainment outlets including the French art magazine of Songlines, this Ethiopian trio has gained praise and promotion worldwide. Comparing with the trio rock bands in the West known as the White Stripes, the manager accepts the limited member of the bands while the members would hope that there might be some to join them in the future, but they are still going strong to pursue their musical career, sparkling and engrossing indeed.