This week’s Hot New Local Single comes to us courtesy of Abinnet Berhanu’s Ahndenet, featuring singer Genet Abate. Berhanu and Abate are both Ethiopian and the music reflects that rich heritage. The song is titled Yinegera, which in English is “Let It Be Heard.” It’s about unrequited love,or as Berhanu explains, “The story of the song lies in an unexpressed love for someone who comes into your life and passes by you routinely until one day they disappear and your day is no longer shining like before. You realize they are missing and you are not sure how to deal with a missing opportunity to express how you feel.”
It’s fun to watch Berhanu and his ensemble perform and thanks to the context he provides for the music, it’s always a learning experience. The umbrella of Ethiopian culture is actually a wealth of different cultures. Berhanu says that Yinegara emphasizes traditional parts of the Gurage (Goo-rah-gay) style. Here’s what he has to say about it:
“Gurage involves an iconic swinging drum groove, horns that take the place of a traditional instrument called the toorumba and an incredibly intense dancing style that switches up from verse to chorus. When we perform this song anywhere there are Ethiopians in the crowd, someone inevitably comes up front and makes it happen. This is definitely the crossroads of growing up on Mohammed Ahmed’s Goo-rah-gay music and traditional Ethiopian cultural music groups like Hisb Le Hisb (People to People).”
The group includes Abinnet Berhanu on drums, Genet Abate on vocals, Pete Wittman on tenor sax, Bryan Murray on alto sax, Jeff Bailey on bass guitar, Joe Strachan on Fender Rhodes and organ. The composition is by Mohemmed Nurhusen & lyrics by Dawit Nigatu. The arrangement was conceived by Abinnet Berhanu.
You can catch them Saturday, November 8th at Berlin.
Listen to the single here:
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