Temesgen Zeleke
Temesgen Zeleke is a leading exponent of the Ethiopian krar lyre. Born in Addis Ababa, where he studied under Ethiojazz bandleader Mulatu Astake, he now leads the London-based group Krar Collective, who have toured internationally and collaborated with Damon Albarn’s Africa Express project.
The krar (or kirar) is a 5 or 6-string lyre in the family of instruments going back to ancient times. Ethiopia has a rich musical tradition, being one of the first countries to devise a musical notation system in the 6th century. To sing with Nightingales he will perform with the gentle acoustic krar, which has remained essentially unchanged for millennia.
