Biruktawit Tasew’s fingers glide over the strings of the begena, producing a deep, hypnotic sound. Along with six fellow musicians, she breaks into a solemn religious melody, holding their audience spellbound.
One of the country’s oldest instruments, the begena was once reserved for the elite — and effectively banned during the Marxist Derg regime between 1974 and 1991.
But it is experiencing a resurgence among Ethiopia’s artistic community.
For the past three years, Biruktawit’s group has visited a nursing home in Addis Ababa every Friday to play for its residents.
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