Abate Berihun

Abate Berihun is an Ethiopian-Israeli jazz saxophonist, vocalist and composer. A prolific musical artist, he is one of Israel’s most prominent Ethiopian musicians. Originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Berihun got ahold of a saxophone at an early age and enrolled himself in the Addis Ababa University Music School. It was here that he was first exposed to the Western jazz tradition and the albums of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, two of his most important musical influences. At the age of 16, Berihun joined the Ethiopian Military Band. This period in his life came to an abrupt halt six years later, when the band’s bus was ambushed by EPRDF forces, rebelling against Mengistu’s Marxist dictatorship. Most of the band members were killed in the prolonged attack, and Berihun was wounded by two bullets. Berihun continued playing in the Ethiopian National Theater and toured internationally with Mahmoud Ahmed and Mulatu Astatke. At the age of 21 he established his own jazz band, with which he toured Europe three times a year. His last European tour ended merely three weeks before his move to Israel. Berihun joined his family in Israel in 1999. He has faced some cultural and financial adversity pursuing his musical career in Israel due to the pressures and struggles associated with the general acculturation process. His dream – being a musician in Israel – has proven difficult to realize. Facing a language barrier and the burden of alimony, Berihun worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant through the day and as a night security guard. His fingers were burned by dishwashing detergents, hindering his practice with his saxophones. After being discovered by Moshe Bar-Yuda (then head of the TOMER NGO) however, Berihun’s professional experience began to change. Bar-Yuda brought Berihun together with musicologist Shlomo Israeli, who was deeply touched by Berihun’s playing. Israeli then paired Berihun with jazz pianist Yitzhak Yedid, a musical collaboration that gave rise to the Ras Deshen Ensemble. The ensemble takes its name from the Ras Dashen mountain in Ethiopia and blends free jazz with musical modes of the Ethiopian highlands. In 2003, Berihun’s established the Kuluma band, together with Itamar Borochov (trumpet), Alon Yoffe (drums and vocals), Uri Naveh (West African percussion), Sangit Dotan Segal (Afro-Cuban percussion and vocals), Orr Bareket (bass guitar) and David Adda (keyboards and vocals). The group released their debut album Mother Tongue, in December 2005. Both the album and their concerts, mixing Ethiopian music with Cuban influences, gained critical acclaim. He later established another project, SHABATE, an ensemble that blends Ethiopian jazz grooves with traditional Jewish soul. SHABATE recorded a album and toured throughout Israel and the world. Following this project, Berihun has led two other successful ensembles: Tezeta (“nostalgia” in Amharic), which was established with the aim of serving as a stage for the renewal of Israeli-Ethiopian musical culture. Tezeta ensemble incorporates ancient and unique Ethiopian instruments such as the krar, the single-string masenko and the kebero percussion instruments. The second group is Tesfa band (“hope” in Amharic) led by Berihun, which features a group of young Israeli musicians. Berihun is also known for his collaborations with artists such as Ariel Zilber, Ehud Banai, Yossi Fine, Kutiman, Anat Fort, Omri Mor, Shay Zelman and many others. Berihun’s latest project is ADDIS KEN – አዲስ ቀን (“New Day” in Amharic). This quartet co-led by pianist Roy Mor presents original compositions, Ethiopian-Jewish soul music and songs inspired by Jewish prayers. The result is a thrilling encounter between ancient Ethiopian traditions and the spirit of a modern jazz ensemble, employing musical adventurousness, rich harmonies, and heartfelt blues.