Ethiopian singer Minyeshu to launch album in Holland

“The production process of Daa Dee (Baby Steps) went on for about six months and this was mainly because my producer Eric van de Lest and I wanted to solely work on the basic tracks,” Minyeshu told Music In Africa.

“After all the basic tracks were completed, we invited other musicians to come to the studio and we had so much fun adding flavour to the already existing tracks. This made the album’s sound better and different.”

The 13-track Daa Dee, recorded with the help of 17 musicians, was released on 26 October by ARC Music and is currently No 6 on World Music Charts Europe. 

Minyeshu said the music in Daa Dee was deep-rooted in Ethiopian tradition. “I consider myself a missionary of Ethiopian music. I always use a lot of traditional tribal Ethiopian musical elements and styles, which I then mix with instruments and styles from around the world,” she said.

Ethiopia is arguably East Africa's best example that has successfully evolved traditional music into the contemporary music scene, with many musicians fusing jazz, hip hop and electro.

"Our music is still very conservative, although there is a wave of younger artists slowly creating more unique sounds away from the traditional Ethiopian sound,” Minyeshu said.

“I always have the urge to break out of that and experiment. I love traditional music but I have to keep on moving and reinvent myself all the time. It is a sort of a mental game that keeps me healthy and sharp.”

The singer said she was already gearing up for a concert in Ethiopia and was looking forward to playing the new album to a home crowd.

“We are actually working on a special concert at the Ethiopian National Theatre in Addis Ababa. I feel very excited about that because that’s the place where I discovered and learnt Ethiopian traditional music,” she said.

Asked to comment about the recent election of Sahle-Work Zewde as Ethiopia's first female president, Minyeshu said: “This is the first time in my life that I feel really positive about the political development in Ethiopia. At this moment, about half of the government officials are women. This is a big jump and I believe Ethiopia has a lot to offer to the world."