Krar Collective - Ethiopian roots rock

This dazzling trio performs traditional Ethiopian songs with influences from rock and jazz.

Temesgen Zeleke’s krar, a six-stringed lyre played by azmari singers and said to have been invented by King David himself, takes on the role of an electric guitar, sometimes echoing vocalist Genet Asefa’s soaring melodies and sometimes backing them with strummed rhythmic riffs.

Meanwhile, Grum Begashaw’s double-headed kebero drum, traditionally used to accompany the services of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, provides a spellbinding back beat.