With her fifth and latest album Netsa (released by British Arc Music), the enchanting Ethiopian singer Minyeshu has undeniably proved her position once more as one of the great pioneers of Ethiopian funk and jazz. The glowing mix of Ethio grooves, beautiful melancholy, jazzy melodies and strong funk evokes comparisons with other great legends of Ethiopian music, such as Aster Aweke and Mulatu Astatke.
Minyeshu grew up in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia and after being discovered at a young age, she joined the prestigious National Theater in Addis Ababa at the age of 17. After leaving Ethiopia some 25 years ago, she continued her career in Western Europe, sharing stages with greats such as Mulatu Astatke, Salif Keita and Youssou N'Dour. BBC radio host Charlie Gillett once described her as 'the Ethiopian answer to Sheryl Crow.'.
Minyeshu has a talent for songwriting - she writes all of her own songs - and with Netsa (meaning ‘free’) she aims to explore matters such as nature, love, unity and empowerment through personal artistic expression, delicately combining the rich and exciting traditional music of the Horn of Africa with western music styles.
Minyeshu will perform her latest album at LantarenVenster on the 25th of February, 2023.
