Robert Long

Music Seminar
MUS 6630
5/03/2009
Pentay: The Music and Culture

Throughout
have unmasked
Within

the years, musicologist

the origins of American

Ethiopia

and sacred music enthusiast

Protestant

sacred music.

in this large culture, we see many people that are coming

together

to create music that personally

views and their personal

journey of learning
subcultures

relationship

are they using for

to the surface within

will be the culture of Protestant

Ethiopia.

descent

later find out to be Amharic.

this experience,

new music come from?

this experience

Through

the United

and she was singing

I currently

ask myself

what was she singing?

this research,

of Ethiopian

an older

through song.

in what I would
after

Where did this

I hope to shed light on

and answer some of these questions.

will cover the background

I remember

During the time for testimony,

lady decided that she was going to give her testimony

She was of Ethiopian

America.

cultural bond that brings all of us closer

church as a child.

remembering

the

We must seek to answer these

The culture that will be brought

this research
attending

Throughout

one can not ignore the

What literature

and what are its origins?

and find another

together.

their religious

that reside and have become a part of mainstream

their worship
questions

reflects

with God.

this vast history,

How do these cultures worship?

~

of Protestant

This research

culture within Ethiopia

States and the origins of Protestantism

among the

and

2
Ethiopian

population.

Most importantly,

worship music of this culture,

are currently

this research will cover the

its origins, and the advancements

being made with this music within Ethiopia

that

and the

United States.
Ethiopia

is a country

has many ethnicities

and beliefs.

within its population

The two dominant

Oromo and the Amara.

and Amrigna

has had significant

time period, many Ethiopians

and immigrated
of Ethiopian
California,

are represented

of Ethiopian

sought refuge from political

oppression

There are high concentrations

and New York,

in Los Angeles,
New York.

Evangelical

Within many of

Churches,

Ethiopian

and ethnic stores.

there is a multitude

religion

representative

of diversity

seems to be the ultimate

groups of people.

connection,

was established

the development

of a music notation

of the population
is split between

within

the country of

connection

Christianity,

This led to the development

Christianity

are the

During this

you will find Ethiopian

Although

three percent

cultures

growth since the 1980's.

or their descendants

Washington,D.C.,

restaurants,

332 CEo

languages

It

(Amharic) being the dominant

to the United States.

immigrants

these cities,

religious

that have diverse

Within the United States, the population

immigrants

Ethiopia,

of Africa.

ethnic groups within Ethiopia

Over nine different

in Ethiopia with Oromigna

languages.

located in the northeast

between the

being the major

as the state religion

around

of a sacred music tradition

system.

Currently,

of the population

Orthodox

and

about sixty-

is Christian.

and Protestant

populations.

3
Around

fifty-one percent

and about ten percent

Orthodox

are part of the Orthodox

represent

Orthodox

Tewahedo

official.

traditions

Orthodox

who was said to have baptized

It was developed

while embracing

to preserve

the full Gospel.

as far
a royal

Orthodox

the country's

Orthodox

This is a reformed

of the Tewahedo Church and it seeks out to bring together

and Protestant

influenced

Christians

the monarchy

acceptance

more than twenty-two

economic,

of 1974.

represented

is dominated

This is primarily

--

Church which translates

a Lutheran

the Full Gospel Church.

Meserete

the Foundation,"

denomination.

It is the actual
Kristos

Pentay or P'ent'ay
describe

Ethiopian

Orthodox

Church.

there are

within Protestant

"Word of Life."

The Mulu Wongel Church is

Pentecostal

or Holiness
to "Christ

in

denomination.

is a slang term used among Ethiopians

Christians

Next

to "Place of Jesus."

Church, which translates

is a Mennonite

for

by four major denominations.

The first is the Kale Heywet Church which-means

is-the Me-.k-aR-e-Y'eSus

life

removed

This allowed
Although

the

Church

and cultural

This revolution

among all Christians.

denominations

Protestantism

denomination.

The Orthodox

thus making church state separate.

more religious

Ethiopian,

In Ethiopia.

all aspects of the political,

of Ethiopia until the revolution

~

The

The first sect would be the

The second sect is the more liberal Ethiopian

Tehadeso Church.

faith

tradition.

Church, which traces its origins

back to Philip the Evangelist

version

the newer protestant

Church is split into two sects.

Ethiopian

or Catholic

who are not members

This label was first considered

to

if the Ethiopian
derogatory

but then

4
became an accepted
Pentecostal
1900's.
already

label for Evangelical/Pentecostal

missionaries

Baptist,

carne to Ethiopia

Presbyterian,

established.

Lutheran,

Anna-Lissa

Christians.

in the middle

of the

and Mennonite

missions

and Sanfrid Mattson

Finnish Foreign Mission were the first to establish

mlsslon

in Ethiopia

in 1951.

traced from multiple

Pentecostalism

beginnings.

Abeba university

students,

revival meetings

at teacher

training

one can observe that the missions

emergence

of this new religion.

different

movements

Abeba University
Gospel Believers'

with the government

denomination.

m.iLi t arrts .

burnings.

were not the primary

The most influential

source of the
of these

among students of Addis

to form the "Full
to register

in 1972, Pentay fall victim to persecution

---------

and Islamic

----~-

this victimiz~~brutal

from the family for conversion,

In many ways it is difficult

and

to trace the

of many of these churches because many of the protestant

congregations

would secretly meet and have services that were unknown

to the government
congregation
persecution

in Addis

Through this movement,

the---artfi.G.dox
Tewahedo Church,

killings, being expelled

beginnings

centers.

This church was not allowed

In rural Ethiopia

church/house

can be

thus making it illegal to be a part of this

Beginning

by the government,

within Ethiopia

These students decided

Church."

a long running

among high school students, and

was the prayer meetings

in 1965.

of the Free

There were prayer meetings

a movement

were

to escape persecution

and jail.

is known as "ghost" churches.

and bringing

This kind of

As a way of battling

unity among all Pentays,

the Evangelical

5
Church Fellowship
encompasses
Ethiopia.

of Ethiopia

about twenty-two

For Ethiopians

the Azusa Street Revival

Ethiopian
embedded

denominations

of Pentecostalism
led by Charles

As a way to understand
dissemination

protestant

who had immigrated

origins of and influences

of Ethiopian

Protestant

can be traced back from

creation,

Seymour.

and the

music, we must

in rituals and life cycle events.

have both sacred

to the United States,

as a whole.

cultures, music is a very important

within

Parham and William

the origins,

music and music culture

Ethiopians

This organization

(ECFE) was created.

first understand

Ethiopian

music is

Similar to other African

aspect of their daily lives.

(zema) and secular

(zefen) music.

The

origins of all Ethiopian music can be traced back to early Ethiopian

~

Christian

music.

seperates

the Ethiopian

isolation,
Ethiopia.

Ethiopia

is located near a Rift Valley that

Highlands

there are two distinct

Within the Highlands,

heterophonic.

The melodic

ornamentation.

use hocketing,
the Highlands

highest

music is monophonic

polyphony

melodies,

and the Lowlands,

and there is a higher importance

Ironically,

styles of vocal music within

To construct

overlapping

Due to this forced

or

lines tend to be adorned with melismatic

In the Lowlands,

way to construct music.

and Lowlands.

(edho) is the most popular

these polyphonic-textures,
and alternating

melody

phrases.

is more important

of text over melody

they

In both

than rhythm

in vocal music.

even though they will say that rhythm isn't of the

importance,

rhythms that they do use are highly complex

the opinion of western civilizations.

Being a hierarchal

in

society,

6
there are three classifications
hierarchy

is the lalibela.

leprosy.

They improvise

of musicians.

The lowest of this

This is a caste of singers that carry

songs of praise

for food and money.

the hierarchy

are the azmari, who are male professional

The musicians

sing and accompany

musicians

a multitude
dabtara.

of venues.

These

but currently

perform

At the very top of this hierarchy

are the

musicians
Orthodox

associated

tradition,

specialize

with the Orthodox

they are professionally

These musicians

in either mastery

Ethiopians

that are used.

These musicians

churches.

trained

Within the

in schools for

master music theory and

of the hymnary

or mastery

of liturgical

instruments

in there

There are five basic types of chordophones

The most popular used is the masenqo which is a one

stringed bowed lute.

six and 10 stringed

They also use the krar and the begana which are
lyres.

They also use the dita and musical

which are five and ~stringed

aerophones

that are used.

lyres.

bows

There are four different

The washint us a bamboo flute.

is a three to four meter metal trumpet.

native

The

The holdudwa

is an

animal horn that similar to the animals that are used in Jewish
rituals.

The embilta is a flute without

two tones

(the fundamental

very important

at

Church but these

use a wide range of native

sacred and secular music.

malakat

church musicians.

are also being trained in Protestant

fifteen to twenty years.

dance.

court musicians

These are non-ordained

were typically

musicians.

on the lute.

were historically

themselves

Next on

finger holes and produces

and the fifth above) .

in liturgical

Idiophones

rituals of the Ethiopian

Orthodox

are

7
church.

They use a senasel which is a sistrum made of bronze or

silver.

They use a maqwamiya

which is a prayer

in the air and struck on the ground to reinforce

The dawal is a resonant
call to prayer.

staff that is waved

important

slab of stone or wood that is sounded as a

Because

there isn't a large importance

for rhythm

within their music, they don't use many membranophones.

The main one

that they use is a kabaro, which is a large kettledrum

striking

Ethiopian

sacred music orgins begins with the creation

Orthodox

Church music for the liturgy.

sacred music for liturgy is referred

means "pleasing

sound,"

the creator

The collection

He was the descendant

zema

St. Yared also is

music system and notation.

born in the month of April around

of

The main contributer

of zema is Saint Yared.

of the Ethiopian

of the

to as zema. In translation,

"song," or "melody."

for the full collection

Aksum.

played by

it with the hands.

Ethiopian

rhythms.

Yared was

505 A.D. in the ancient

of many religious

scholars

city of
and priest.

Yared studies the bible for years and becomes a failure to his
studies.

Yared has a religious

in a more intense

epiphany

that results

in him studying

fashion and he masters

his biblical

studies.

on in his life, he has a second religious

write sacred music.
divine songs/scale

According

epiphany

that leads him to

to legend, his zema is based on three

modes called the kegnit.

His zema is broken down

into three main parts named Ge'ez, Izil, and Ararary.

scalar modes represent
Father.

the Holy Trinity.

Izil represents

Later

the Son.

Ararary

These three

Ge'ez represents
represents

the

the Holy

8
Spirit. Being inspired by the divine kegnit, he composes

zema from

548 to 568 A.D.

for

different

The zema are compiled

part of the liturgy.

chants for holidays

contains

chants for important

Zimare contains

information
holidays,

In addition

chants for

on chant procedures.
daily prayers,

Mewasit

to large contribution

oral tradition.
before Western

name.

seven note notation

to the

system came into existence.

These notes are the starting pitches

and ascension

of appropriate

of Jesus

Difat- Jesus came to this world

Zu- Jesus thought of us
Kurt- decided to save Adam
Yezet- Jesus was caught and beaten by the
Jews
Kinat- Judah has given up Jesus to the
Jews
Jesus was beaten

Hidet- Jesus was taken to Hanna and

Pilatos

The

Each note has a

The scalar note names are as follows:

Deret- resurrection

Chiret-

Up until

system was created years

system is based on pentatonicism.

chants for the liturgy.

contains

history, music was passed down through an

The ten note notation

ten note notation

Meraf

and praise.

liturgy, Yared devises a way to notate the chants.

this point in Ethiopian

distinct

Tsome Digua contains

chants to be sung after offerings.

chants for the dead.

Orthdox

The first is the Digua which contains

and Sundays.

Lent and praise and contains

into five volumes

9
Rikrik- the prophesy
on Friday
The malash

is the returning

of David was realized

tone in which all songs begin and end.

In the secular realm, azmari use a slightly

modal in nature.

This system is called the qenet.

broken down into four categories.

Anchihoy,

and Ambasel.

holds pentatonic

different

The categories

As the system mentioned

melodies

system that is

The qenet is
are Tezeta, Bati,

above, each category

that are characteristic

only to that

category.
When trying to find material
conducted

several email interviews.

informative
following

for this report, I personally

One of the interviews

and opened up many research

is an excerpt

avenues

for me.

was very

The

from the email interview:

"I am glad for your interest on Mezmur (Ethiopian

evangelical Christian's songs). Well, I am trying
what I observed for the last 25 years in this
religion. I think the time goes about 40 years. per
some preachers saying that they have been preaching
on this sector. In Ethiopian, Ethiopian Orthodox
church has a great influence in the culture,
community, government and school systems. As a
result, if you see the history of Ethiopia goes more
than 3000 years which is also the history of
Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Before the modern
education system started, Ethiopian orthodox
teaching system was in effect till this day in some
rural parts of Ethiopia. As the same time 'Saint
Yared' the original composer of Ethiopian music
composed his music some thousands years ago (you can
search by the name "Kidus Yared" or "Saint Yared")
based on this, the Ethiopian song rhythms are also
the same in a church. Of course the western church
songs are also having some influence in a church
since mid 1900. But know when people understand the
true Jesus on their heart, they start writing their
own songs and compose based on the original 5
rhythms of Ethiopian songs. If you visit one of

10
evangelical churches in Nashville Tennessee, you
will see this type of worship. The drum bits are
based on the original 5 rhythms of Ethiopian songs."
Kefyalew Teshome
Rama Voice/ Wonderful Counselor
Mr. Teshome draws light on a new term and defines
first sentence.

Mezmur is an Ethiopian

What can be deduced

Ethiopian

Evangelical

from this definition

version of gospel hymnody.

of Yared.

in the Ethiopian

"Ethiopian

when he mentions

community.

rhythmic

I personally

the "original

Church.

song rhythms,"
zema.

he

He also

through so

their own songs and compositions

He also mentions

able to hear drum bits based on the "original

mezmur performances.

is the

Next he communicates

many words that people are writing

within

Orthodox

to the rhythmic aspects of the Orthodox

the importance

song.

What he also brings to light is

will also deduce that when he mentions

mentions

Christian

is that mezmur

that its origins all begin with the Ethiopian

is referring

it within the

that you will be

5 rhythms" within

am not certain but I believe

5 rhythms,"

aspects of the secular qenet.

he is referring

What we can collect

that

to the
from all

of this is that there are ethnic groups that are creating their own
gospel hymnody.

They may not be known to the general population

the United States but they absolutely

light not only the significance
but signifies

the importance

not be Americans

are there.

and how acculturation

One can deduce that this hymnody

This brings to

of hymnody to Protestant

of gospel hymnody

of

Ethiopia,

to Protestants

who may

has spread this importance.

is happening

in many other

11
Protestant

cultures

current development

that haven't been brought

of gospel hymnody

to light such as the

among Korean Protestants

in

rural areas of the United States.

Mezmur

is relatively

past fifty years because

-

disseminate

~-

new music

new but it has developed

of the advancement

is a heavy usage of pentatonic

the origins of Ethiopian

Call and response

very similar to African

American

by western

liberal view of the use of different

of the people

will use some of the instruments

westernization
instruments

gospel music. Mezmur

feeling.

Pentays believe

This view allows for a

in the

and groups that perform

mezmur

native to Ethiopia.

As

you hear more usage of western

along with their native instruments.

of mezmur can be traced back to the different

denominations

in Ethiopia.

A prominent

creation of this music was Addisu Worku.

this music through performances
also distributed

figure in the

It is said that he spread

in church and over public radio.

the music with the use of cassette tapes.

church that is reported to have performed

Church.

is used in choir

styles and instruments

becomes more dominant,

The origins
Protestant

There

music as the contemporary

that music should be for God and him alone.

The majority

of mezmur are

that can be traced back to

mezmur tends to have a compound metrical

church.

to

of other African musics.

melodies

music.

that hasn't been as influenced

of technology

iil'"--g-en.exal.
The characteristics

very similar to the characteristics

arrangements

greatly over the

The significance

He

The first

mezmur was the Mulu Wongel

of this music being developed

within an

------------~--------------------~----------~------------------------------------------------~

12
original

church in Ethiopia

churches

received

is due to the fact that many of these

little outside

music that they were bringing

initially.

and gospel song in the language

Wongel Church introduced
know as mezmur.

Amharic

-----------

history,

and the

Instead of learning hymns

of various missionaries,

the Mulu

gospel songs that would later be

------------

Kritos Church.

to the body of mezmur hymnody.

the Mulu

This church added more

Later on through the

many vocal groups began to create and perform mezmur.

Ethiopia,
United

from missionaries

The music is said to have spread-from

Wongel Cnurctlto-the-Meserete
repertoire

influence

the Mekane Yesus Choirs became

locally

States, the Bethel Singers perform

Evangelical

there many different

in Ethiopia,

for congregations
professional

for local Ethiopian

pastors,

composers,

and their own personal

listening.

Many

such as Dawit "DannyU Wolde, are pushing

of mezmur with a more modern/contemporary

Bethel Music Ministries

producing

instrumental

services.

Performers

and

as well as the United States, creating mezmur

performers,

the development

"secular"

In the

Church groups.

Currently,
performers

famous.

In

are creating professional

sound.

choirs and

mezmur as a part of their praise and worship

who in the present

are converting

to Christianity

would be considered
and adding to mezmur

hymnody.
A performing
creating
Aligaz,

group that represents

new mezmur

for

a newer sound and approach

is Bethel Music Ministry.

created the ministry

while he attended

Its founder, Fikru

MidArnerica Nazarene

13
University

in 1992.

The main goal for creating

this group was to

"enrich the praise and worship music of Ethiopian

America

and the rest of the world."

churches

Their headquarters

Kansas and the choir of thirty or more has traveled

states
mission

(and Rome, Italy) performing

priorities

their music.

in North

is located in

to many different

Some of their

are to:

1.Assist local churches in preparing

worship music for revival and
conference services
2.Provide music to Evangelists
their crusades
3.Create Amharic

in

musical manuscripts

4.Develop resources to train worship

and choir leaders
-~

Looking

at these mission

initiatives

statements,

are pretty similar

gospel hymn composers

you can see that their

to the initiatives

and evangelist

of many of the

in the late nineteenth

century,

such as Ira Sankey and Dwight L. Moody. The Bethel Music Ministry
a non-profit,

tax-exempt

New advancements
Ethiopia.

Contemporary

companies

to produce and distribute

demand.

westernization

located

Recent developments

within the Ethiopian

Ethiopian

in the United States.

in Kansas.

are being made dually in the United States and

Many private production

being created
increasing

corporation

is

Christian

and private

labels are

new music to keep up with the

and a deeper

sense of

culture have created a demand for

Music

(CECM) among Ethiopian

youth

14

A pioneer
"Danny" Wolde.

in Contemporary

Ethiopian

Christian

Wolde was born in Ethiopia

took an interest in music at an early age.

the Mekane Yesus Sunday School Choir.
Music School in Addis Abba.
premier Mulu Wongel Choir.

studios.

An interesting

at Yared Music School.

participated

musical

his studies at Berklee

has produced

artist for Mezmur

91

Church during his childhood.

training

An excerpt

the Yared

fact to bring to light is that he

had very close ties with the Orthodox

Much of his beginning

He

he sang with the

He currently

as a pioneer

family.

Wolde began singing with

Later he attended

Wolde continued

several albums and is working

recording

to a Christian

During this period,

College of Music in Boston in 1997.

Music is Dawit

occurred when he was training

from an interview

in brings this information

that he

forward:

"The one great thing about attending Yared was the formal music
education that I partly received, and the idea of getting used to
that-academia music environment, which paved the way for the
challenges that were to come. Had I not gone to Yared, I would have
probably not been accepted at Berklee as it was a prerequisite to
attend a minimum of two years in formal music education.
There are also other things that stand out about Yared. For instance,
the invaluable lessons I received from the Yeneta (A title within the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church hierarchy for individuals with a deep
understanding of the church music as well as the theology) provided
aspects of music whose depth and significance played a larger role in
my understanding of the rich and timeless musical traditions of the
Ethiopian Coptic Church. The other thing was the Classical Music
traditions of Europe that were an integral part of the Yared
curriculum."
Dawit "Danny" Wolde
In conclusion,

mezmur is Ethiopia's

answer to gospel hymnody.

Its origin can be traced back from the development

of Ethiopian music

15
and Orthodox
current,

liturgy.

The development

happened dually

is performed

in Ethiopia

of mezmur,

in the United States at Ethiopian

Contemporary

Evangelical

of the development

Christian

Music.

Churches.

there is a push for

music that is giving rise to the development

Ethiopian

and

Mezmur

and the United States.

Very similar to the gospel hymnody of America,

new Christian

historically

of

All of the characteristics

of this music are very similar to development

of

Protestant

Music around the world which adds even more truth to the

statement;

"we are all very much alike."

Brief History of Mezmur

Christianity introduced
in
332CE

St. Yared creates

zema
and mUStCnotation
548-st8 AD

Ethiopian Protestant
Choirs
and Soloist

Contemporary Ethiopian
Christian Music
1990-present

Page 1

Protestantism introduced
to Ethiopia
mezmun first created ?
1900

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