There is perhaps
no woman more
cherished in
modern Ethiopian
history than
Asnakech Worku.
As a musician,
actress, dancer and
cultural icon,
Asnakech inspired
and challenged
society for
decades, until her
death in 2011.
From her
beginnings as
Ethiopia’s first
theater actress in
1952 to her climb to become one of the most famous actresses at
the National Theater to her days as a club owner-turned-master
musician, Asnakech’s inimitable confidence and charm made her a
household name. She earned endless accolades across the
artistic spectrum.
She made seminal recordings of unforgettable original
compositions, as well as legendary renditions of traditional songs,
that became national staples. With a singular sense of style,
glamour and sex appeal that sometimes stunned mainstream
society, Asnakech wore clothes no one else wore and said things
no one else said. Staid notions of how women should dress and
behave didn’t apply to her. Battling a mentality that until the early
1950s had men wearing dresses to play female roles in the
theater, Asnakech became a national treasure on her own terms.
Her family wasn’t pleased with Asnakech becoming an azmari—an
itinerant praise musician who sings, often in bars, for tips—and
didn’t bother her, especially after Emperor Haile Selassie I began
to emphasize theater and music in society, officially legitimizing
her career. Asnakech became an internationally-celebrated
performer of Ethiopia’s ancient harp, the krar, making her one of
the most visible female musicians of the 20th century. All this while
leaving controversy, broken hearts and a changed cultural
landscape in her wake.
In 1975, keyboardist and bandleader Hailu Mergia got a call from
the owner of Misratch Music Shop to do a recording with
Asnakech and he went for it. This recording is a nearly-forgotten
artifact of the remarkable icon’s singular legacy, remastered and
available outside Ethiopia for the first time. It also provides a rare
glimpse into Mergia’s work as a arranger-sideman in the Addis
Ababa music scene.
This trio recording featuring Mergia on organ and Temare Harege
on drums using only brushes is starkly minimal but deeply
evocative. The minimalist arrangements ensure the focus is on
Asnakech’s incisive—and occasionally romantic—lyrics and her
virtuosic krar performance.
| A1 | Jinyew | 6:09 |
| A2 | Tch Belew | 4:32 |
| A3 | Awkew Beneber | 4:21 |
| B1 | Baynelay Yidal | 7:02 |
| B2 | Mingizem Yene New | 7:42 |
| C1 | Tew Begize Giba | 6:13 |
| C2 | Sak Bleh Askegn | 5:33 |
| C3 | Abyotegnaw Jegna | 5:41 |
| D1 | Kand Yerega Deg New | 6:06 |
| D2 | Mech Alkugn Lela Sew | 6:21 |
