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Ethiopian Millennium Celebration

Ethiopian Millennium Celebration

Ethiopia, which follows the Julian calendar celebrates with ritual song, and dance. Alemu Aga, who is from the capital, Addis Ababa, and has been hailed worldwide as a master of the begena, starts off the concert; he is also recognised as the greatest virtuoso interpreter of Ethiopian religious song. Together with members of the Debre Mihret Kidist Kidane Mihret (Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Belgium) he will perform psalms in accordance with an age-old ceremony. He accompanies  himself on the begena, a stringed instrument sometimes mistakenly referred to as "David's harp".

The second part of the concert is presented by members of the Ethiopian National Ensemble, specially selected for the occasion. The 14-strong company performs music and dance from different regions of this vast country. This features typical instruments such as the krar or lyre and the masengo or fiddle, as well as the flute and a variety of percussion instruments.