Music Artists You Should Know: ZENA

Although they debuted in the last few months, Ethiopian jazz duo ZENA brings decades of history to their music, including their latest single, “IT’S YOU (ANTE NEH),” featuring Meron T. The track comes off their upcoming six-track EP, TEMSGEN, out March 20 via Brownswood Recordings.

Brought together by their heritage, Yohan Kebede (keys) and Menelik (bass) hail from London but keep their Ethiopian identity at the forefront of their creative endeavors. Both have already found success, with Kebede finding an audience as part of Kokoroko and Menelik having a firm foot in the English music scene as a producer.

To announce themselves to the world, the two decided to cover “Anchi Bale Game” by Admas, a cult classic of the Ethiopian jazz genre that served as many people’s modern introduction to a space overlooked by most of the world.

While the original is driven by timeless synthesizers, neither belonging to the ‘80s nor the modern day, ZENA’s version serves as a showcase of how much they can do with keys and a bass.

That ability to embrace simplicity proves how self-assured Yohan Kebede and Menelik are when they arrive on the scene. And with Ethiopian jazz becoming more prominent in recent years, their formation couldn’t have come at a better time to push the genre forward.

As for “IT’S YOU (ANTE NEH),” jazz rhythms come through the synthesizers like an ancient artifact being resurrected by modern technology. Of course, those rhythms have never gone anywhere close to being extinct. But when paired alongside Meron T’s velvety vocals, the resulting combination feels revelatory.

However, to say Yohan Kebede and Menelik are limited by their chosen instruments would be an understatement of the century. Any smudge of truth to that theory was already disproven by “MY LOVE YOUR LOVE,” the duo’s second single and third song released thus far.

From the jump, the reverbed drums get you up on your feet before the already comfortable pairing of keys and bass takes over as per usual. While two members spearhead ZENA, thus leaving them with less to work with than your usual jazz ensemble, that free-flowing yet hypnotic spirit of Ethiopian jazz is kept intact.

While the EP has yet to be released, TEMESGEN is already shaping up to be a more than strong formal debut for a group that arrives fully formed. Kebede said it best, explaining that the EP’s title, “means “Thank God”  in Amharic, and for me, I never heard my mother receive good news without saying it aloud. After the first couple gigs we did as ZENA, we saw how people reacted to our music and how it resonated with them.”

For a new band to already consider audience interaction, not to mention get busy right away with stellar singles, there’s no denying they know what they’re doing.

Words: David Sosa

“IT’S YOU (ANTE NEH)” by ZENA is out on streaming services. For more on new music and tickets to potential shows, follow them on Instagram and their Bandcamp.