bèguèna, begena, bagana - one song achieving the sublime

Alemu Aga recording a session for the BBC World on 3 programme (pic courtesy of their website)

More questions than answers

I’ve done some superficial research, specifically looking for information that isn’t immediately available via Google.

Anyone can do that.

This info is open to challenge.

· Many of the songs were sung in Ge’ez – known as ‘classical Ethiopian’ this is a now extinct liturgical language of Ethiopia. Equivalent to Latin in our Western culture

· The beganna (spelt many different ways including bèguèna, begena, bagana) itself is used to support songs sung in this language and also for classical non-church religious music in Amharic (the everyday language).

· Many of the lyrics of the songs are on Biblical themes, also for funeral lamentations, musings on the meaning of life.

· The traditional songs have never been popularised for presentation in public and therefore stay pure and true to their original meaning and sound.

· The traditional songs have been outlawed in the past, but their preservation is now actively encouraged by the present Ethiopian administration

· In 1965 the acknowledged master of the Bagana (as it was spelt then) was AlekaTesema-W-Amanual, Jean Jenkins (see Wikipedia entry) an ethnomusicologist, made a series of field recordings of him and others. This was probably the first time that the instrument was heard outside of Ethiopia. These recordings are available through the British Library or the Royal Museum of Scotland, and seem to be the only ones available

· Other instruments which may accompany the beganna are a double membrane drum known as a kabaro, a sistra [sistrum]

also called tomatsil [tsenatsil]), here's a picture of one

· and a censor with bells

· It’s impossible to convey the atmosphere of spiritual calmness conveyed by this music other than by listening to it.

· Inevitably

here are a couple of Youtubes...