Ethiopian music is a term that can mean any music of Ethiopian origin, however, often it is applied to a genre, a distinctmodal system that ispentatonic, with characteristically long intervals between some notes.

The music of theEthiopian Highlands uses a fundamental modal system calledqenet, of which there are four main modes:tezeta,bati,ambassel, andanchihoy.^[1] Three additional modes are variations on the above: tezeta minor, bati major, and bati minor.^[2][3][4] Some songs take the name of their qenet, such astizita, a song of reminiscence.^[1] When played on traditional instruments, these modes are generally nottempered (that is, the pitches may deviate slightly from the Western-tempered tuning system), but when played on Western instruments such as pianos and guitars, they are played using the Western-tempered tuning system.

Music in the Ethiopian highlands is generallymonophonic orheterophonic.^[1] In certain southern areas, some music ispolyphonic.Dorze polyphonic singing (edho) may employ up to five parts;Majangir, four parts.^[1]

In the highlands, traditionalstring instruments include themasenqo (also known asmasinko), a one-stringbowedlute; thekrar (also known askirar), a six-stringlyre; and thebegena, a large ten-string lyre.^[5]Thedita (a five-string lyre)^[6] andmusical bows (including an unusual three-string variant) are among the chordophones found in thesouth.^[5]

Thewashint is abambooflute that is common in the highlands.^[5]Trumpet-like instruments include the ceremonialmalakat used in some regions, and theholdudwa (animal horn; compareshofar) found mainly in the south.^[5]Embilta flutes have no finger holes, and produce only two tones, thefundamental and a fourth or fifthinterval.^[5] These may be metal (generally found in the north) or bamboo (in the south).^[5] TheKonso and other people in the south playfanta, orpan flutes. It has 6 holes.

In theEthiopian Orthodox Church,liturgical music employs the senasel (asistrum).^[5] Additionally, the clergy will usewalking stick, calledmequamia,^[7] to maintain rhythm.^[5] Rural churches historically used adawal to call the faithful to prayer. They are made from stone slabs or pieces of wood.^[5] TheBeta Israel use a smallgong called aqachel as liturgical accompaniment, thoughqachel may also refer to a smallbell.^[5] Thetoom, alamellophone, is used among theNuer,Anuak,Majangir,Surma, and otherNilotic groups.^[5] Metal leg rattles are common throughout the south.^[5]

Thekebero is a largehand drum used in the Orthodox Christian liturgy.^[5] Smaller kebero drums may be used in secular celebrations.^[5] Thenagarit, played with a curved stick, is usually found in a secular context such as royal functions or the announcement of proclamations, though it has a liturgical function among the Beta Israel.^[5] TheGurage and certain other populations in the lowlands commonly play theatamo, a small hand drum sometimes made of clay.^[5] InGambela Region, theAnuak specify three different kinds of drums: theanedo (small drum), theodola (medium drum), and thebul (big drum), with different rhythmic patterns attached to certain song genres.^[8] There is a special kind of drum referred to as tom-tom that is used in the southwestern part of the country, in Gambella Region. The beating of drums in general is very characteristic of the fast songs played in the south of the country, where you have the Kenbata,Hadiya,Gedeo,Sidama, and others performing their colorful, traditional belly dances that are reminiscent of the Middle Eastern or Arabic dancers.^[9]

Ethiopia has a long and at times tormented history. It has an equally long and fascinating history of arts and culture. Ethiopia and its folk music and culture have a long step in the history ofcivilization. The music of Ethiopia is a reflection of all the historical and social episodes, such as the military campaigns that various warlords or chiefs had to launch. The music is about war as well as patriotism, songs of victory, and songs that incite support for a certain crusade.^[10] The music is also about love, with wonderful melodies and poetic lyrics. The spirituality of Ethiopians is expressed in the form of music. All these types of tunes and melodies are prepared and performed using various traditional instruments.^[11]

Music in the country can be traced back to the Ethiopian highlands, where the strong oral-literary custom was born. In this area, traditional music is played by mostly itinerant musicians called azmaris, who are regarded with respect in their society. As this form of music slowly spread across the country, it appropriated aspects of the regions it infiltrated, depending on the local customs, culture, and religion. The music and culture of Ethiopia has been influenced by Christianity,Islam, and Judaism among other factors.Ethiopia has a diverse number of ethnic groups, more than 75 ethnic groups with each ethnic group having diverse traditional music and sounds.

Music from the highlands of Ethiopia has a modal system called qenet which consists of four main modes; tezeta, bati, ambassel, and anchihoy. It also consists of three additional modes; tezeta minor, bati major, and bati minor.^[12]•Pentatonic Scales: Ethiopian music has a pentatonic modal system with long intervals between notes contributing to the distinctive nature of the music.^[11]

Complex rhythms: Ethiopian music is known for its intricate rhythmic patterns, as with the case for many African music, often featuring irregular meters and syncopation.

Vocal styles: Traditional Ethiopian singing includes a variety of vocal techniques, such as melismatic, ornamentation, vocal slides, and call-and-response structures. In terms of instruments, Ethiopian music incorporates a wide variety of instruments. These instruments include the masinko, the krar, the washint, the begena, the kebero, and the tom-tom.

Regional variations: Different regions of Ethiopia have their distinct musical styles since it has more than 75 ethnic groups with each ethnic group having diverse traditional music and sounds.

Cultural significance: Music holds deep cultural and social significance in Ethiopia, often accompanying religious ceremonies, cultural festivals, and social gatherings. Stimulating and expressing emotion in the performers, and imparting it to the listeners. This is a key trait of the Ethiopian traditional music. The emotion may be religious exaltation, as in the creation chant and a sacred song; grief, as in the laments; longing or passion, as in the love song.^[13]

The varioustribes and ethnic groups of Ethiopia have their distinct music, cultures, and traditions. According to some analysts, Ethiopian dances are not divided according to their function but rather according to their uniqueness and individuality. Therefore, there are over 150 unique dance movements across Ethiopia.Oromia region is the largest and their dance styles are different depending on place. Some of the famous dances are “ShewaOromo” and “Harar Oromo”. Especially, Shewa Oromo dance has unique costumes as well as steps. Women wear leather-made wild two-piece costumes decorated with shells. Men wear fur skin like a lion’s mane on the head and use sticks for dance. What is most surprising is women’s very fast and sharp neck motion. For example, theTigrayans to the north have a smooth, circular dance routine characterized by shoulder and neck movements. TheAmharas at the center of the country have a dance style dominated by upper body and neck movements. The Oromos at the center and south have a jumping style and full-bodied dance routine. TheGurages have an acrobatic dance that requires high levels of arm, leg, and body coordination. TheWelayita, Kenbata,Sidama,Dawro, and others among the peoples of the South Region have very attractive belly dances that are hugely popular throughout the nation. The beats are quite rhythmic and fast.Eskista is a traditional Ethiopian cultural dance from theAmhara ethnic group performed by men, women, and children. It's known for its unique emphasis on intense shoulder movement which it shares with the shim-shim dance of theTigrinya people in neighboringEritrea. The dance is characterized by rolling and bouncing the shoulders, jilting the chest, and thrusting the neck in various directions. Motives and characteristics of the dance often vary according to the performers and the context, for example, war songs, hunting songs, shepherd songs, love songs, and work songs. The best dancer is typically appointed as the leader of the group and/or the best singer. Eskista dance brings the dancer into a role as a storyteller, who then expresses with his or her body the cultural traditions and life of the community. The dance, as well as the music and singing, serve as symbolic messages of Ethiopian society as a whole.^[14]

Religious music is very important and plays significant role toEthiopian Orthodox society. The termmezmur is instinctively denotes an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo music. There are also wide range ofIslamic music.Protestant music also plays a dominant role since booming its distribution via CDs in 2000s, and recently it evolves from digital downloads.

Some Ethiopian religious music has an ancientChristian element, traced toYared, who lived during the reign of Emperor Gebre Meskel (Son ofKaleb of Aksumite Empire) in the 6th century. Yared was considered the father of Ethiopian-Eritrean traditional music as well as he composed chant orZema and the use inliturgical music.Zema is divided into three chant modes: Ge'ez, Ezel and Araray.^[15]Manzuma, which developed around 1907, is sung inAmharic andOromo most notably inDire Dawa,Harar andJimma where Ethiopian Muslims reside.^[16] In theEthiopian Highlands, traditional secular music is played by mostly itinerant musicians calledazmaris, who are regarded with respect in Ethiopian society.^{[citation needed]}

Since the 2010s, Ethiopia’s music industry has undergone significant transformation with the rise of digital platforms such as YouTube and Spotify. Contemporary musicians like Teddy Afro, Betty G, and Rophnan have introduced modern interpretations of traditional sounds, blending Ethio-jazz, hip hop, and electronic influences. This digital shift has expanded Ethiopian music’s global reach and provided new opportunities for artists to engage with diaspora audiences.^[17][18]

This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Ethiopia is a musically traditional country.Popular music is played, recorded and listened to, but most musicians also sing traditional songs, and most audiences choose to listen to both popular and traditional styles. A long-standing popular musical tradition in Ethiopia was that ofbrass bands, imported fromJerusalem in the form of fortyArmenian orphans (Arba Lijoch) during the reign ofHaile Selassie. This band, which arrived in Addis Ababa on 6 September 1924, became the first official orchestra of Ethiopia. By the end ofWorld War II, large orchestras accompanied singers; the most prominent orchestras were theArmy Band,Police Band, andImperial Bodyguard Band.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, Ethiopian popular musicians includedMahmoud Ahmed,Alemayehu Eshete,Hirut Bekele,Ali Birra,Ayalew Mesfin,Kiros Alemayehu,Muluken Melesse andTilahun Gessesse, while popular folk musicians includedAlemu Aga,Kassa Tessema,Ketema Makonnen,Asnaketch Worku, andMary Armede. Perhaps the most influential musician of the period, however, wasEthio-jazz innovatorMulatu Astatke.Amha Records,Kaifa Records, andPhilips-Ethiopia were prominent Ethiopian record labels during this era. Since 1997, Buda Musique'sÉthiopiques series has compiled many of these singles and albums on compact disc.

During the 1980s, theDerg controlled Ethiopia, and emigration became almost impossible. Musicians during this period includedEthio Stars,Walias Band andRoha Band, though the singerNeway Debebe was most popular. He helped to popularize the use ofseminna-werq (wax and gold, a poetic form of double entendre) in music (previously only used inqiné, or poetry) that often enabled singers to criticize the government without upsetting the censors. Soldier songs such as Zeraf poetry, Fukera, Shilela, and Kererto were the first recorded instances of theAmharic language during the medieval period and remain an important part of Amhara culture to this day.

The most prominent internationally acclaimed Ethiopian singers areAster Aweke,Alemayehu Eshete,Gigi,Teddy Afro, Tilahun Gessesse and Mahmoud Ahmed. Tilahun Gessesse was popular through 20th-century and nicknamed "The Voice" due to his prolongtenor vocal. In 2001, Teddy Afro debut his albumAbugida and quickly become famous singer in his generation, nicknamed "Blatenaw" (English: The boy). Some commentators also compare Teddy Afro with Tilahun Gessesse by musical style and patriotic sentiments. Through her performing with prominent Westernjazz musicians such asBill Laswell (who is also her husband) andHerbie Hancock, Gigi has brought Ethiopian music to popular attention, especially in the United States, where she now lives. Through her 1999 albumHagere and "Abebayehosh", Aster Aweke is renowned for her voice that attracted broader audience.

Another noteworthy singer isNeway Debebe, who was very popular among the youth of the 1980s and early 1990s with such songs as "Yetekemt Abeba," "Metekatun Ateye," "Safsaf," and "Gedam" – among others.Abatte Barihun has exemplified all four mainqenets on his 2005 albumRas Deshen.^[3]

Éthiopiques producerFrancis Falceto criticizes contemporary Ethiopian music for eschewing traditional instruments and ensemble playing in favor ofone-man bands usingsynthesizers.^[19] Harvard University professor Kay Kaufman Shelemay, on the other hand, maintains that there is genuine creativity in the contemporary music scene.^[20] She further points out that Ethiopian music is not alone in shifting to electronically produced music, a point that Falceto acknowledges.^[19][20]

In the West, several bands were also created in recent years to play music inspired by theÉthiopiques series and other examples of Ethiopian music of the '60s and '70s. They includeBoston'sEither/Orchestra,^[21]Imperial Tiger Orchestra (Switzerland),^[22] andLe Tigre des platanes (France).^[23]

New genres of music, popular in western countries, such as EDM,rock andhip hop have been introduced in recent years. Musical acts likeJano Band play a new style of musicprogressive rock, with a mix of Ethiopian music.^[24] Hip hop music started influencing Ethiopian music in the early to mid 2000s and culminated with the creation of Ethiopian hip hop, rhymed in the nativeAmharic language. The earliest and most influential rappers of the hip hop wereTeddy Yo andLij Michael, with the latter being more commercially successful.^[25] The success of bothJano Band and Lij Michael led to their inclusion in the 2017 edition of Coke Studio Africa.^[24]The electronic dance music in Ethiopia was not fully developed until mid-2010, although some electronic music employment withhip hop element began in the 2000s. In 2018, aDJ andrecording artist namedRophnan introduced the country to his own version ofelectronic dance music, winning the album of the year award and changing the mainstream music scene further.^[26] Along with the Ethiopian diaspora, western artists such asJID,Billy Woods (Aethiopes), andYves Tumor (Bekelé Berhanu) have also taken influence from the nations music. Global superstarthe Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), born in Canada to Ethiopian parents from theAmhara ethnicity, would later go on to be one of theworld's best-selling music artists.

Since 2016, the most usedrecord label isHope Music Entertainment [am], while Minew Shewa Entertainment and Admas Music are used as secondary labels. Hope Music Entertainment, Minew Shewa Entertainment and Dire Tube become the country's onlinestreaming media in recent years.^[27] Dire Tube typically recovers older recordings and music videos. The most notable label throughout the 2000s isNahom Records Inc. [am], which is still active.

Since 2020s, labels like Ella Records^[28] and Bahgna TV^[29] become more popular.

• Music and politics in Ethiopia
• Qene

• Tamrat Taddesse,"A short Note on the Ethiopian Church Music",Annales d'Ethiopie, 13 (1985), pp. 137–143

• Music of Ethiopia

• CS1 errors: missing periodical
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019
• Articles needing additional references from January 2019
• All articles needing additional references