Krar Collective

Hailing from London via Addis Ababa, Krar Collective are a trio whose unique and powerful take on Ethiopian music has made them rising stars in the world music community. The musical keystone of the group is the krar, a traditional Ethiopian lyre with six strings. In Krar Collective, the krar is played by Temesgen Zeleke, a multi-instrumentalist who was mentored by the legendary vibraphonist Mulatu Astatke. Zeleke plays an amplified version of a traditional krar, accompanied by percussionist Robel Taye, who uses double-headed kebero drums, and vocalist Genet Assefa. Zeleke described the band to journalist Ant Stone as "Ethiopian traditional music with a rocky edge. Someone called us 'the White Stripes of Ethiopia' 'cause we just have drums and six strings." Zeleke, an Ethiopian expatriate living in the London community of Tottenham, met his bandmates through the Genna Ethiopian Arts and Theatre, a nonprofit cultural group devoted to presenting African music and arts in the United Kingdom. After several years of playing in and around London, Krar Collective's reputation spread through word-of-mouth reports of their joyous live shows, and the group stole the show at the 2010 WOMAD Festival in Charlton Park, the 2011 WOMEX Festival in Copenhagen, and the 2012 Roundhouse Rising Festival in London. In 2011, Krar Collective signed with the respected world music label Riverboat Records, and entered the studio with producer Colin Bass to record their first album. The finished product, Ethiopia Super Krar, was issued in the summer of 2012.