Location: The Patterson
The ensemble was founded in 2012 by American violinist Kaethe Hostetter, who first worked in Ethiopian music as a founding member of critically acclaimed Debo Band. Relocating to Addis in 2009, she participated in numerous exploratory and professional projects, immersing further into the culture of her surroundings. In this sense, QWANQWA, the Amharic word for “language,” is a project creating dialogues between cultures. QWANQWA was a featured performance at Roskilde 2016 (Northern Europe’s biggest music festival), and have toured three times in Europe. QWANQWA have released three albums: Volume One (2014), Volume Two (2015), and Volume Three (2020).
Band Members
Misale Legesse | Kebero & Percussion
Anteneh “Bubu” Teklemariam Barago | Bass Krar
Selamnesh Zemene Taye | Vocalist
Kaethe Hostetter | Violin
Endres “Endris” Hassan Ahmed | Masinqo
Location: The Patterson
Location: The Creativity Center
Location: The Patterson
Location: The Patterson