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.
“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.
Ayoe Angelica is a Danish-Ethiopian singer. Her debut album is titled “I’m Amazed” (2008/2009). In co-operation with producer and composer Mads B. B. Krog, Ayoe delivers an unheard and exciting combination of soulful vocals, acoustic elements and crunchy electronics, complemented with a touch of lo-fi jazz.
Meklit Hadero is an Ethiopian-born singer, musician, and Resident Artist at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco. Drawing inspiration from Jazz instrumentalists, American songwriters, and Ethiopian vocalists, Meklit’s music is at home in multiplicity. Lyrically focused, with a honey voice alternately delicate and vast, she quite literally dances the music alive.
”It is an exciting time to be an artist in Ethiopia. The country is going a self expression out pour and the chosen modem seems to be Art. That is not to say the other modes are not present; on the contrary, the large cities in Ethiopia are seeing a flourish of talents peaking in the areas of stage theatre, movies and poetry. In all of this self expression journey what one finds effortlessly is the bed of the Ethiopian culture that is woven into the every day life of the people. The intricate detail found in some of the Art work presented with Hanatzeb captures the moment the artist and a country collide.”
Helina has shown her fine art at galleries, museums, and festivals, including the Eubie Blake Cultural Center in Baltimore, the World Space Center in Washington, DC, and Casa Frela Gallery in New York City.More
Michael “MIKE-E” Ellison is a Hip-hop and spoken word recording artist, actor, and philanthropist. MIKE-E was born in Ethiopia, where he supports orphan outreach and healthcare programs, while maintaining nationwide recognition with one of the country’s most popular hits “Ethiopia (Everything Will Be Alright).” Stateside, the Detroit-based lyricist is recognized for repeat performances on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, appearing regularly in nationally televised spoken word vignettes for the NFL, and teaming with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to orchestrate and headline the nationwide AfroFlow Tour – a live music concert and groundbreaking cancer awareness initiative.
