Ethiopian band QWANQWA, ቋንቋ in Amharic, will perform live on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at 7 PM, as part of the Crossroads Cultural Connections concert series. A potluck dinner will begin at 6 PM, with plates, bowls, silverware, napkins, and serving utensils provided. All concerts are family-friendly and open to people of all ages.
Beaming in from the sizzling Addis Ababa nightlife scene, this group shines an experimentalism based in the virtuosity of rooted traditions. With swirling masinko (one-stringed fiddle), wah-wah violin, bass krar grooves, the heavy riffs of goat skin kebero beats, and powerful mellismatic lead African diva vocals, QWANQWA keeps the people rapt in celebratory attention.
QWANQWA uncovers lesser-known traditional sounds from East African regions of Ethiopia and beyond—a trance-like chant of the Eritrean tribe of Blen, a psychedelic Somalian cover, an extended Amhara wedding medley, and a Mahmoud Ahmed sing-a-long. With Selamnesh Zemene, the Azmari diva powerhouse, at the helm, QWANQWA is a conversation of virtuosos through tight arrangements and extended experimental moments. The live show ranges from intimate to wild, from whispery conversations to full-blown rock shows, and it is hard to believe these psychedelic sounds are coming from traditional harps, one-string fiddles, and violins. Driven and powerful, QWANQWA proves we are living during another Golden Age of Ethiopian music. A $25–35 donation is suggested, and 100% of donations go to the performers.
The venue and art cooperative are located at 309 N. Bishop Hill Street and also contain and have for sale the works of local and regional artists, who work in a variety of mediums. It is open Friday through Sunday, 11 AM until 4 PM.
