Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Aster Aweke

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Aster Aweke
(Ethiopia)

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Aster Aweke is one of the most popular Ethiopian artists of a younger generation. In the past 30 years or so, singers like Mahmoud Ahmed and bands like the Roha band and the Wallis Band performed in Ethiopian night clubs, sport stadiums and sold hundreds of thousands of cassettes, but little of this was known to the West. Ethiopian music is quite different from music of other African countries, with bluesy and soul influences, the use of the piano and a distinct horn section. Nowadays, the keyboard is widely in use, but, surprisingly, this hardly devaluates the power of the melodies and haunting rhythms.

Based in New York since the early 1980s, Aster Aweke adds her talent and expressive voice and partly thanks to the British World Music pioneering "Triple Earth" label, her talent was also recognised outside of the Ethiopian community.

Musicians on Hagere:
Henock Temesgen: bass, backing vocals
Abegasu K. Shiota: keyboards, backing vocals
Kevin Salem: guitar
Fasil Wuhib: bass, backing vocals
Grant Stewart: saxophone
Evan Dobbins: trombone
John Sneider: trumpet

Born: Around 1960, in Gondar
Style: Ethiopian soul

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Fikir	2007	Kabu Records
Aster's Ballads	2004	Kabu Records 003-2
Sugar	2002	Kabu Records 002-2
Hagere	1999	Kabu Records 001-2
Live in London	1997	Barkhanns BARKCD 102
Ebo	1993	Barkhanns 2222-2
Kabu	1991	Triple Earth Terra 110	Also on Columbia CK 47846
Aster	1989	Triple Earth Terra 107	Also on CBS