Etenesh Wassie

Eténèsh was born in Gonder and started to sing in Addis Abeba in azmaribet. These azmaribet are like cabarets where singers, accompanied by massinko (kind of monochord violin) and kebero (percussion) players, carry on the Azmari tradition as they perform audacious vocal improvisations, rich in double-meaning: the famous sémmena-wèrq, national intellectual sport!

So it is early on that the singer realized she had an “extra ordinary” voice. She was rapidly invited to perform on stage and in studios by several Ethiopian musicians, and then gradually pursued a solo career in azmaribet. Francis Falceto (director of the collection “Etiopics”) fell for her charms and natural charisma when he first heard her unusual voice. He invited her to go on tours throughout Europe between 2000 and 2005.

Although she wasn’t brought up within an Azmari family, she has found her place in that culture. It is likely to be one of the reasons why Francis Falceto asked the four members of The Tigre des Platanes to work with her. Indeed, he knows her open mindedness and her capacity to rise to the challenge of working on Ethiopian musics roughly arranged.