QWANQWA Volume 3

by QWANQWA

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1.	Blen 05:45	lyrics	buy track
None
2.	Somali 05:28	info	buy track
3.	Ago 04:49	info	buy track
4.	Sewoch 06:17	info	buy track
5.	Gurage 04:56	info	buy track
6.	Serg	info

about

QWANQWA is a five-piece ensemble based in Addis Ababa, dedicated to furthering Ethiopia’s unique string traditions. Inspired by a shared passion for Ethiopian music, the group brings together some of the most accomplished traditional players in the country; creating a space to explore new sounds and break the rules in a very traditional musical culture.

Since their 2012 debut, QWANQWA has merged the richness and diversity of rooted tradition with a modern, experimental sensibility, inspired improvisation, and a mission to transcend genres and blur boundaries. Their third studio album, Volume 3, will be released internationally on vinyl, CD, and digital platforms on September 11th, 2020, at midnight, just in time for Ethiopian New Years (2013 on the Ethiopian Calendar).

In keeping with the inclusive spirit of QWANQWA’s previous two albums, Volume 3 reaches deep into Ethiopia’s regional traditions and beyond its borders, taking inspiration from the country’s diverse ethnic population and neighbors to the North, West, and East. Recorded in Addis Ababa over the course of a long weekend in February 2017, the album is a snapshot of a dynamic band in evolution.

A long time in the making, QWANQWA Volume 3 features the band’s pre-2018 repertoire and lineup — Endris Hassen on one-string mesenko fiddle, Mesele Asmamaw on vocals and electric krar lyre, Kaethe Hostetter on five string electric violin, Bubu Teklemariam on bass krar, Selamnesh Zemene (vocalist), and Misale Leggesse on the goat-skinned drum called kebero.

credits

released September 11, 2020

Kaethe Hostetter, 5 string electric violin
Mesele Asmamaw, electric lead krar
Bubu Teklemariam, bass krar
Misale Legesse, kebero

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about

QWANQWA Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

QWANQWA

PSYCHADELIC ROOTS FROM ADDIS ABABA
from the sizzling Addis Ababa nightlife scene, this group shines an experimentalism based in the virtuosity of rooted traditions. swirling masinko (one-stringed fiddle), wah-wah violin, bass krar grooves, heavy riffs of goat skin kebero beats, and powerful mellismatic lead African diva vocals, QWANQWA keeps the people rapt in celebratory attention.
... more

qwanqwa.net

shows

May 9

High Dive

Seattle, WA
May 12

WOW Hall

Eugene, OR
May 19

Zebulon

Los Angeles (LA), CA

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