The ten-string begena lyre was the only melodic instrument used in the prayers and sacred church repertoire of the Amhara, long the politically and culturally dominant people of Ethiopia. With its mythical origins, it was always an instrument of kings and nobles, and to play it was to enter into direct contact and dialogue with God and the Virgin Mary — a special, noble instrument akin to prayer itself, a means for the Amhara to commune with the divine. Partly for that reason it never spread widely among the general populace, and this strand of Ethiopian music has remained little known until now — yet the groove here carries a remarkable intensity, and there's a comforting presence to it that somehow recalls the traditional Ainu music of Hokkaido. The uniquely Ethiopian melodic tones drawn from the begena's ten strings, the expansive, flowing singing that shares something with traditional folk music the world over, and the whispered voices that alternate with it as if answering the instrument's low register — together they make you feel as though you can hear the very breath of the people who live rooted in that land. Quietly, deeply, thoroughly captivating. Recommended!!! (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)