Minyeshu

Born in the city of Dire Dawa, Minyeshu later moved to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. There, she joined The Ethiopian National Theatre, a treasure trove of like-minded souls eager to express their deep-rooted Ethiopian traditions via the form of dance, song and music. It was there that she discovered the talented composer Mulatu Astatke – the father of Ethio-jazz. Completing her studies, she moved to Belgium, and later the Netherlands, to shape her career as a singer, dancer, producer, actor and choreographer. Her incentive: to meld worldwide musical instruments with her Ethiopian culture and share this gem with the world.

This endeavour saw her touring for festivals including Amsterdam Roots Festival, International Music Meeting Festival Nijmegen and Festival Mundial Tilburg. She had also been a regular on the African music festival circuit, sharing stages with the likes of Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Salif Keita and Angélique Kidjo. With five striking albums to her name, she was becoming the lapidarist of her own musical journey. The last, Da Dee, described as “One of the best African records of the year” (Lust for Life magazine).