Sound like something you should know more than you know offhand? There's no shame in that. The African continent offers such a multiverse of riches that you could study the musics of one town — much less one country — for god knows how long. So, better late than never: and if you'd like to learn about what Ethiopian jazz is all about, why not start with Kibrom Birhane?
Granted, Birhane — who lives in Pasadena, California, these days — is simply a modern practitioner, weaving the chants he heard as a boy into the jazz idiom. Still, his newest album, Here and There, which dropped June 24, offers a looking-glass into this confluence of forms.
In conversation, the sweet and soft-spoken keyboardist and vocalist shouts out the artists who made him who he is today: not only Ethiopian jazz progenitors Mulatu Astatke and Hailu Mergia, but American titans Herbie Hancock and Thelonious Monk.
"I started flashing back to my childhood memories and incorporating them with modern jazz," Birhane tells GRAMMY.com of Here and There. He cites "Enate," a song for his mother,and the ode to the biggest marketplace in Africa, "Merkato," as key tracks: "I added Ethiopian scales and melodies to a still-funky African and Western rhythm."
Read on for an interview with Birhane about his roots in Ethiopian orthodox Christianity, how he combined the two seemingly disparate styles and what's next for his career as a braider of styles.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
I'm fascinated by religions from all over the world. How would you explain the 1,000+ -year-old Ethiopian orthodox chanting you incorporated on Here and There?
I was lucky enough that when I was a young boy, I went to a boarding school. It was a Catholic monastery, but mainly, we were trained in Ethiopian traditional [music]. Saint Yared, before Bach, had his own way of note-writing and melodies — all those melodies have been there since back in the day.
I got into that when I was 12. I used to be a deacon. We used to learn from the teacher (a priest), he sings and we respond. It's a call-and-response method of teaching. By 17 years of age I left the monastery.
You hear this chanting [Kidasse] when you wake up in the morning, from different churches. As young students, we're into learning that chanting. Because I went to the monastery, that was my main [influence] — but still, I follow Christianity.
How did you begin writing jazz that made use of this influence?
Starting from my childhood I used to play the krar, an Ethiopian traditional instrument. I went to music school studying American jazz standards in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Then, after graduating, I became a teacher at the same school. I was trying to create my own sound and write my own music. Once I started writing my own music, I was able to perform them with different bands. After I won a scholarship and came to the US for further study in music, I kept thinking What if I combine jazz music with that inspiration?
I started flashing back to my childhood memories and incorporating them with modern jazz. It was natural to me, many of my musician friends and other people loved it.
When it came to American jazz, who was your first love?
I would say Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock. For the progressive side of it, Herbie is my main inspiration, but I used to listen to Thelonious Monk a lot.
What about Monk speaks to you?
I've listened to so many piano players that sound the same. But when he plays it, it's different. You can tell, Oh, he's Monk! His playing, his voicing and the way he writes his melodies are so beautiful.
And what about Herbie inspires you?
I love his tunes, chord voicing, and everything. I also love how he progressed through time from the swing era to Head Hunters. Through time, he added so much flavor to jazz — his way [with] keyboards, synthesizers and piano. He's an all-around musician, and that's why I love Herbie so much.
Tell me about your first major release, Circles. What were you trying to communicate with it?
Circles is a meditative tune which incorporates Ethiopian scales.
It's a record where I put a lot of my heart to it. I wrote the song, made a demo at home. I met a lot of musician friends here in Los Angeles so we got into the studio, with no rehearsal, we did a live sound-checking, recorded direct to two inch tape under the direction of engineer/producer, Kamal de Iruretagoyena Humphrey at Flying Carpet Studios.
What are your favorite meditative records?
I would say Coltrane's A Love Supreme. That's the best record. And I love Pharoah Sanders a lot.
Give me a little background on Here and There.
On this record, I tried to paint a picture of my story growing up in Ethiopia and my story here in the U.S. That's why the record is called Here and There. I tried to bring the scales, the moods, and the memories of Ethiopia. I added Ethiopian scales and melodies to a still-funky African and Western rhythm.
Some of them have really uptempo rhythms. When I write songs, I try to be specific. For instance, I wrote "Enate" for my mom. She is the wisest and the most grateful person I ever know. I am the ninth of 10 children — and to be able to raise us all right, she gave up her dreams and lived a sacrificial life.
That's why the song is very special to me. You can hear her speaking to me through the phone at the end of the tune. There is a song about the situation in Ethiopia; there is a song about the biggest marketplace in Africa ["Merkato"].
Sadly, I don't think the average white American could name a single Ethiopian artist — but one could spend a lifetime investigating this subject. What's the first thing someone should know about this musical world?
I think, now, there are a lot of bands around the world who play Ethiopian jazz. If you've heard of Mulatu Astatke, he's the man who created the Ethiopian jazz genre.
Now, when I play in different areas, I can say confidently that a lot of people are into Ethiopian jazz music. In Europe, there are plenty of bands. Even here — in L.A., Texas, San Francisco, and New York — I think it's there.
Ethiopia has never been colonized, so it kept its traditional music alive. Most of the people here are aware of West African music, but not East African music. So, I guess Ethiopian music is coming into the scene — especially Ethiopian jazz.
But if they don't know, I would recommend Mulatu Astatke and Hailu Mergia.
What's next for you? What are you working on?
Now, I'm recording a new album. I already wrote so many new songs, especially during the pandemic, but I'm going to play some shows. That's the first thing I'm going to do — to play this album live for people. Then, I'm going to start on my way to record.
My biggest goal is to record with an orchestra. That's the next step. That's a dream come true — hopefully.