Meklit Hadero

Ethiopian-born singer/songwriter Meklit Hadero is a jazz-, folk-, and soul-influenced artist who sings in English and Amharic. Born in Addis Ababa, Hadero fled with her parents (both doctors) to the United States in hopes of escaping the years of violence that followed Ethiopia's 1974 revolution. Raised in Iowa and Brooklyn, Hadero sang in choirs growing up and was introduced to the music of jazz vocalist Billie Holiday as an adolescent. Although she earned a degree in political science from Yale, she continued to sing and eventually settled into the vibrant arts scene in San Francisco, where she took vocal and guitar lessons. Finding a home at the local Red Poppy Art House, Hadero began to perform and develop her own sound, and teamed up with like-minded guitarist Todd Brown in the jazz-, roots-, and African music-influenced band Nefasha Ayer. Hadero released her debut solo album, On a Day Like This..., in 2010. This was followed by a full-band collaboration with singer and songwriter Quinn Deveaux, issued as Meklit & Quinn in 2012. In 2013, Hadero re-entered the studio with her quartet and a large cast of guest musicians. She emerged with We Are Alive. It was released by Six Degrees in the spring of 2014.