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Encyclopedia ID 187

Masenqo and the azmari

Also known as Masinko · masenqo · one-string fiddle

Masenqo and the azmari: photograph by Flickr user meg and rahul
Photo: Flickr user meg and rahul, CC BY 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons

Bow a single string while sliding a finger to follow a melody path, matching Ethiopian pentatonic modes, then add short improvised rhymes between phrases.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Ethiopia.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of Africa: Nile and the Horn.

Sources

Related entries

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