We are in an era where Ethiopian music is being redefined: record labels are setting their sights on global music export markets, and artists are fearlessly creating fresh musical styles by fusing Ethiopian scales with international scales.
Leading the charge is Meedo Records, home to a group of young artists. Among them is Jedidya Wondwossen, aka Jemberu Demeke, who recently released his second album, titled እሳቱ ‘ሰ’ (Esatu Se), with a musical style he calls “vocal fusion.” We caught up with Jemberu to delve deeper into his latest musical offering.
Jemberu is enjoying a well-earned rest at home, fresh off a busy week of album releases and weekend gigs that coincided with the national celebration of Adwa Victory Day.
I’m curious about his decision to name his album after the Amharic letters “ሰ” – “Esatu Se”. To provide context, in the Amharic alphabet, the Amharic letters “ሰ” and “ሠ”, although visually different, are pronounced “Se”. However, their names are different: the former is known as “The Flame Seer”, while the latter is known as “The Seer King”. I wonder why he prefers fire.
“A lot of people confuse the two letters, which I find interesting,” Jamru said. “Just as there is confusion between the two visual representations of ‘Se’, I like to confront misunderstandings about my artistic image.” Jemberu describes how he refuses to be limited to a single genre or style; instead, he is committed to exploring his own A multi-faceted character that truly expresses every aspect.
Jemberu Demeke. Image courtesy of the artist.
Jemberu sees the ambiguity of the letters “Esatu Se” as an opportunity to show off his versatility. He says his new album is a testament to character development, addressing themes of identity, miscommunication and the complexities of artistic expression.
“My goal was to show how to adapt my character and musical expression in different contexts,” he explains. For Jemberu, Esatu Se represents just one aspect of his personality and reflects his current artistic journey. “I’m in a phase where I’m full of energy, youthful passion and an absolutely fiery spirit,” he added.
Jemberu grew up in a religious family and looks back on his early lack of exposure to music. During his high school and undergraduate years, his artistic journey began to take root. “I was attracted to hip-hop music and started writing rap songs in English,” Cemru recalls. “I guess you could say I was just reflecting what I was most immersed in: American hip-hop.” However, by the time he entered college, he admitted that his songs “somehow felt hollow; they didn’t feel real.”
Emphasizing the power of language, Jemberu tells the story of the struggle to find one’s voice in an environment dominated by Western influence. How he found comfort and authenticity in embracing his cultural roots. “I realized that rapping in English limited my ability to connect with my audience and vividly express my experiences,” Jemburu explains. “When I joined the university culture club, I began to reflect and delve deeper into my native language.”
The experience was so captivating that it marked the beginning of Jamberu’s exploration of Ethiopian literature, poetry, and musical scales. “We have such a rich heritage to share with the world,” Jemburu laments, “as long as as artists we dare to push the boundaries and dig deeper into what our society has to offer.” As he improves his Amharic songwriting When it came to the technique, Jamru described it as being like coming home, saying: “It felt real, very real.”
ጀምበሩ Jemberu | ልቤ ቆሞ Libe Komo (Official Music Video)
He laughs and admits that at the time he was so focused on writing songs in Amharic that he put English on hold. “I adopted my stage name ጀምበሩ ‘Jemberu,’ which means sunset, and dropped ‘JD’ in favor of my newfound passion for Amharic.” Today, it’s clear that he has embraced his language , which is reflected in his personality and creative output. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s completely divorced from the English language. Rather, it reflects the freedom and ease he now experiences in speaking two languages.
Prior to the release of Esatu Se, a music video for the song “Libe Komo” was also released. One look at the video and you’ll see that Jemberu and his team are not only keen on experimenting with different musical styles, but also with visual aesthetics. “We wanted to make sure it was enjoyable, a little goofy and unique, effectively portraying the character through various elements such as color, movement and movement.” Regarding the sound, Jemberu explains: “The song is a fusion of reggaeton and ‘phonk’ and other genres, and influenced by Ethiopian music.”
Jemberu’s unyielding passion for Ethiopian music serendipitously led to the opportunity to collaborate with the legendary Ethiopian jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke. The original song “I Faram Gami, I Faram” (ዓይፈራም ጋሜ: ዓይፈራም) was produced by Mulatu in New York 50 years ago. Jemberu described how he and his colleague Laeke used Mulatu’s work as a basis to redesign it for their generation. “I think this is the beginning of Tonic Fusion, as we inject our own narrative and connect it to the timeless charm of the past,” he explains.
Despite being young and “passionate”, Jemberu happily invites us to explore his newly released album while also previewing his upcoming project, which features Mulatu Astatke and many other exciting talents.
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