Left: Ayalew Mesfin [Photo by Hannah Brooks]. Right: Hailu Mergia [Photo courtesy of the artist] For many people outside of the Habesha community, their first experience with Ethiopian music came from ...

We need to be upfront with you. The Reader is free. Producing it isn’t. And without your support, we can't continue. So we need you to chip in, even if it’s just a few bucks. The average donation is ...

As we move from one place to another, we carry with us not just our belongings, but also our cultures, backgrounds and heritages. On Thursday, Ethiopian American singer, songwriter and composer Meklit ...

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. An error has occurred. Please try again ...

Jamaican ska pioneers The Skatalites formed in 1964. Credited with developing the sound that evolved into Rocksteady and reggae, theirs soon become the staple music of the island. The band’s original ...

Singer-songwriter Berhana had a lot of influences to pull from for his debut album HAN, out now. Born as Amain Berhane in Atlanta to Ethiopian parents, the singer merged his interests and global ...

Kay Kaufman Shelemay received fellowships and grants for the research and publication process for this book from the National Endowment for the Humanities; the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial ...

Fifteen first-graders encircled one of their classmates on a colorful rug in a Maryland classroom, trilling a children’s song in a language unfamiliar to most of them. Ro-za ro-zeenuh, ro-za shuko-ree ...