In This World,
We Remain Today,
Our Future We Hold,
Our Thoughts To Say,

A Member Of This Community,
A Member Of This Tribe,
For Which We Sacrifice,
Our Ego & Pride,
Brothers & Sisters,
Side to Side,

Imperfect In Nature,
The Human Life,
The Journey To Come,
Many Moments In Strife,

To Our Future,
We Lend Our Hopes & Dreams,
With The Prayer,
This Won’t Come Apart At The Seams,

But For Today Is Today,
And Tomorrow Is Tomorrow,
Life Is To Short,
For Regret & Sorrow,

Shine Your Light,
Be Proud,
For all To hear,
Be Loud,

For we all are Hebret Musica,
For we all are Community Music


From The Artist:

I just want to thank all of my friends, teachers, mentors, and family who have helped me make it this far in my journey. I especially want to thank Allyn Johnson for his advice and help making this project come to life. I also want to thank Chris Barrick, Marcus Tenney, and Eliot Seppa for their support and commitment.

About This Album:

Hebret Musica (Community Music) can be described as the marriage of influences spanning across many different backgrounds, ultimately forming a singular voice. The compositions on this record are representative of my experience growing up in a beautiful Ethiopian community that made me who I am. This album is a humble offering to the spirit of the art of music certainly only the beginning.

Abate, meaning “my father,” is a three-part suite that illustrates the story of a man that left Ethiopia in a time where government turmoil made it very difficult for progressive students advocating for economic equality. “New Hope” resolves the tension previously up in order to illustrate the very rare opportunity a poor man from Woreilu, Wollo earned through academic achievement to further his education in the US and save his life. “Ethiopiawinnet” is an ode to the deep commitment to preserving and enabling those to ensure a strong future for his homeland.

The interlude entitled “Fight or Flight” represents the relationship that an individual has to the problems of the community. The idea being that you can either fight the problem or leave them. This leads into “Courage of the Community.” This composition begins with a dark and challenging piano intro that represents problems that face every community, internal and externally. As the community begins to confront its issues, more tension is created through the building of courage to find a resolving solution. Each phrase represents a different phase of the problem.

The composition entitled “Beka,” meaning “enough,” is a slight departure from the rest of the album. The group shifts gears into the realm of modern instrumental Ethiopian music. “Beka” is intended to be a message for the millennial generation of Ethiopians, including those born in the diaspora, must unite and not fall into a divided culture that is rooted in hate and revenge. Finally, “Thoughts” is a resolution for the entire story intended to reflect contemplation of all that has been heard.