JIMMA UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCINCE AND HUMANTIES

ALI BIRRA SCHOOL OF MUSIC

N0. NAME OF STUDENTS IDN0.

1. BEDESA BEKELE RU/7378/11

2. BEZALEM HAILU
3. FEYERA DEBELA RU/7537/11
4. GURMU RAGA RU/7103/11
5. HAYOLEM HAYLE RU/7064/11
6. HURUBE JIRATA RU/7099/11
7. NIGATU TILAHUN RU/71O8/11
Question 1

Write about music band in Ethiopia and some of the contributors or musical performance.

1.1 Band means in music, an ensemble of musicians playing chiefly woodwind, brass, and
percussion instruments, in contradistinction to an orchestra, which contains stringed
instruments. Apart from this specific designation, the word band has wide vernacular
application, from generalized usage (as in “dance band” and “jazz band”) to the very
specific (as in “harmonica band,” “brass band,” and “string band”).

Whereas the set of interested peoples be loved music founded in private owner and
government sponsored more of band is located in the city /town such as Finfinne,
DirreDhawa, Bahidar ,Mekele and others Ethiopia regions every place, when we say that
band government march band ,police band ,police orchestra…etc.

Let say suppose Dirre Dhawa ( Afran Qal’oo band) more the famous band in Ethiopia too
hold line many artist based for coming generation like Dr. Ali Birra, Abdii Kophee ,Usmaan
Mussa…etc All in all the meaning of band agroup of musician especially wind and
percussion players rock musician ,Even included types of orchestra originally playing
janissary music. E.g Marching band

However band is the fulfillment by musical instrument with players performing at the stage
in front of peoples. Band is used for to training voluntary musician men’s and singers
coming generation and to promoting to culture of society.

A long-standing popular musical tradition in Ethiopia was that of brass bands, imported
from Jerusalem in the form of forty Armenian orphans (ArbaLijoch) during the reign of
Haile Selassie. Musicians during this period included Ethio Stars, Wallias Band and Roha
Band, though the singer Neway Debebe was most popular.

Ethiopia bands are much more sponsored by foreign owner’s sponsorship because of we
had not potential to accessing musician programme in the lack of fund. Like founded band
in such way Ethio- jazz band At a hotel in Addis Ababa well-known for hosting jazz greats,
thousands of fans lined up on a Saturday night to headband along with what is still a rarity
in Ethiopia’s diverse music scene - a rock band.

Jano band , named after a popular item of traditional clothing, has made a name for itself in
Africa’s second most populous country, as well as abroad, by blending local styles of music
with Western rock and roll.

“We’re trying to make something very, very different,” said Hailu Amerga, one of four
vocalists in the eight-piece, mixed ensemble, that also features a drummer, keyboard
player, guitarist and bassist.
“Rock, it was really far away from our country, and it’s not our tradition,”

Ethiopian music is generally known for its distinctly non-Western scales and
instrumentation, and is a staple of the nightlife in the Ethiopian capital.

Perhaps no style of Ethiopian music is better known outside the country than its unique
kind of jazz, pioneered by musicians such as Mulatu Astatke and Mahmoud Ahmed, and
known worldwide as Ethio-jazz.

The longstanding jazz culture evolved from a brass band movement that was begun by an
Armenian band brought to the country by Haile Selassie, Ethiopia’s last emperor, after he
saw it perform in Jerusalem during a visit in the 1920s.

Ethiopia’s music scene was not always so free.

During the 14-year communist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam, jazz was suppressed and
many musicians fled the country.

Though the musical culture has experienced a rebirth in the years since Mengistu’s 1991
ouster, rock music has not developed much of a following in Ethiopia, said DibekuluTafesse,
another of Jano’s vocalists.

“At first, we were afraid to introduce it,” he said. “Some people are so confused. At the same
time, it’s not our culture.”

Jano was assembled in 2011 by Addis Gessesse, a band manager and concert promoter,
who has since cut ties with the group.

The band’s sound drifted away from the reggae, jazz and pop that dominate Ethiopia’s
music scene as it took on new members. “When we first came together, we didn’t have the
plan to create a rock band. Everybody has their own inspiration,”

When Jano began performing after two years of rehearsals, audiences were sometimes
taken aback by their unconventional style.

“Usually in our country, most bands perform standing still,

Not Jano, which prides itself on its energetic stage presence. “People usually think we are
high..., but we’re not,.

While the guitar riffs in Jano’s songs would not be out of place on an Aerosmith or Guns N’
Roses record, much of the songwriting is distinct to the Horn of Africa.
The vocalists sing in Amharic, Ethiopia’s main language; the keyboardist sometimes
emulates the sound of a masinko, a string instrument used in music across the region; and
the ululating of the female vocalists is typical of Ethiopia’s traditional music.

“The melodies are from here, the musical arrangements, everything is from here,” singer
Haleluya Tekletsadik said.

The rise of Jano comes amid a wave of musical diversification in Ethiopia, said Henock
Temesgen, a bassist who has played with several Ethiopian jazz acts.

1.1.2 Contributors and performers of Ethiopia music band

For several time Ethiopia peoples participated in musical activities know you himself and
did not whatever let we pick some famous musician singers ,arrangers’ composers such as
Tilahu Gessese, Dr, Ali Birra, Narsis Nalbadiyaa, Ashanafi kebede,Tsagaye Debalke and etc
those musician involved the viewer opinions had potential exit for own peoples like
Tsagaye Debalke produced the Goferw music Ashanafi kebede musics the shephered flute
Narsis Nanbledian prepared the different kinds of choirs. Not only these more of
composers ,vocalist through police orchestration band march band looks experience from
others impact foreign citizens . to making relevant with classical too practicing linguistic it
means one singers used five and above language such as Damarre Lagasse ,Hmalmal Abate ,
Ali Birra, Jamica communities in shashamanne like ( sami Go).

Additionally some soldiers are had a rolling to develop Ethiopia music like colonel Ayalew
Abebe cellist with other members by stage of performance at place concert and club night .

Finally the effort of Ethiopian societies too contributes role in musics adoration over ahead
in the historical Ethio-music history. Even though the performance and contributors we
seen in general peoples way of Buzunesh Bekele,Mohammed Ahmed ,Newey
Debebe ,Alemayehu Ishetu, Hirut Bekele, Hallo Dawwee, Yashi Ragasa , Ebbisa Adugna and
Ilfinesh Qano ( in WBO band), Solomon Lulu ( symphony yekatit),Alemayhu
Neknek( yaleshibet hager) and so on.

N.B These assignment doing including the phase of experience ,our modules, Ethiopia
music history website, and our looks and hearing. It’s our reference!