Abyssinian Creole is a hip hop group based in Seattle, Washington. The group consists of MCs Gabriel Teodros and Khingz, DJ WD4D, and producer Kitone. The significance behind the name Abyssinian Creole comes from the bridging of “the oldest African nation to the newest African tongue” and references the lyricists’ Ethiopian, Eritrean, Haitian, and Dominican roots.
“At Liyou we understand the importance of individuality and thus we endorse unique tendencies and celebrate imperfections. BeLiyou means distinguishing yourself from the rest, what makes you Liyou?”
“After that I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. While going to school over there I picked up rapping as a hobby. I used to write rhymes and battle kids for fun. My attitude and temper got me kicked out of school in Ethiopia and I went to a Military school in upstate NY. That is where I continued to rhyme and eventually I grew into my passion.”
“This is a platform to celebrate the pool of creativity and talent that emanates from Ethiopia and beyond. We envision that our readers will be as delighted as we are by the wealth of artistic imagination that surrounds each piece profiled by the Shemane team.”
Musically trained in London and schooled in the club scene of mid-’60s New York, Mulatu Astatke stands as the exceptional musical innovator of the Ethiopian groove. Starting in 1969, he created the first bands independent of the military, which had previously dominated the country’s music scene. Having immersed himself in Caribbean music, funk, jazz and Latin grooves during his lengthy stint abroad, Mulatu returned to his native land to give rise to a brand new sound.
“It has been said that Ethiopian-born, singer/songwriter Wayna possesses a voice that is as sweet and pure as it is honest and passionate. This young talent’s love for music started as a child, when she starred in theater productions like “Annie,” and “Damn Yankees” and toured with a children’s musical review company. Wayna went on to hone her vocal talents as a young adult by absorbing the works of her favorite artists, including Minnie Riperton, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, and Donny Hathaway.”
“With one voice and one guitar, Jörg and Munit create an amazingly warm and energetic atmosphere, telling stories with their music and painting pictures about love, life and memories in Amharic, English and sometimes with no words at all”
“Ethiopia await, all Prince and Princess!”—so chants famed reggae artist Buju Banton on his album ‘Til Shiloh, but what Buju didn’t know was that the wait would soon be over; Ethiopia birthed an artist–a true embodiment of the Reggae movement’s romantic longing for Ethiopia. Her name: SHEBA Sahlemariam.
reverbnation.com/shebasahlemariam
“Burntface is a movement… A movement which speaks to those we feel are largely unspoken to. Burntface is not a voice in the darkness; it is what happens when the darkness itself starts to speak. Burntface is a process that begins with the realization of our collective struggle and finds its power in an inconspicuous wink to the millions of people who comprehend that we humans have far more similarities than differences.”
Kenna Zemedkun, was born in Addis Ababa. His family migrated to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he first fell deep in love with American music, specifically U2’s Joshua Tree, an album that would forever shape his sonic aesthetic. For many years he struggled to find himself, working odd jobs and attending college. Until in his late teens he returned to his first love: music.
