Sounds of the Horn

Krar strings, brass from the seventies, and the wedding songs that still fill a hall in one bar.

1. 01

   Ethio-jazz nights

   Addis Ababa · 18 tracks · 1h 12m

   Horn sections and organ lines recorded in one take, warm enough to hear the room.

2. 02

   Asmara guitars

   Asmara · 14 tracks · 58m

   Guaila rhythms and krar melodies from the cassettes that crossed the sea in suitcases.

3. 03

   Somali wedding hall

   Mogadishu · 20 tracks · 1h 24m

   Dhaanto and buraanbur, drums, clapping, and a singer who knows everyone's name.

• Much of this catalogue survives only because families kept their tapes.
• Lyrics move between Amharic, Tigrinya and Somali inside a single song.