Tsehaytu Beraki

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Tsehaytu Beraki
Background information
Born	(1939-09-01)1 September 1939 Quatit, Italian East Africa (now Eritrea)
Died	24 May 2018(2018-05-24) (aged 78) Rotterdam, Netherlands
Instrument(s)	Vocals, kebero, krar

Tsehaytu Beraki (Tigrinya: ጽሃይቱ በራኺ; 1 September 1939 – 24 May 2018) was an Eritrean musician, poet and political activist, known for her singing and playing of the krar (a five-string harp).^{[1][better source needed]}

Early life[edit]

Tsehaytu Beraki was born in 1939, in the small town of Quatit.^[1] She had thought that she was born in Eritrea's capital city Asmara, but in fact only moved there as a baby.^{[2][better source needed]} It was not until she returned to Asmara in 1999, that the full story was told to her by her sister Rishan.^{[2][better source needed]}

Career[edit]

Beraki started playing the krar, a five-stringed harp, when she was about eight years old, eventually playing at weddings and parties.^[2] Her inspirations were Tsehaytu Ghergish, Fana Etel, and especially Tsehaytu Zennar, whose songs included Annes Ay keremneye Wala Hankas Yekunye (I need a man as soon as possible, even if he's crippled).^[2]

Beraki left school at sixteen, and played the krar as her full-time career.^[2] She wrote all of her own music and lyrics, and people would come from as far as Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to record her.^[2] From 1964 onwards, her lyrics became more political, and "people were surprised that I dared to sing them".^[2]

From March 1977, she became actively involved in the Eritrean independence struggle.^[2] She eventually had to leave, moving to Sudan and in 1988, Rotterdam, Netherlands.^[1] She returned to Asmara in 1999.^[2]

As well as krar, Beraki played kebero and bass-krar.^[1]

She created the album Selam on Terp Records in 2004.

References[edit]

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