Aster Aweke remains one of Ethiopia's best loved performers. A native of Gondor,
a small town near Lake Tana, Aweke was raised in the capital city of Addis
Ababa. The daughter of senior civil servant in the Imperial government, Aweke
was determined, by the age of thirteen, to become a musician. By her late
teens, she was singing in Addis Ababa clubs and hotels with such bands as the
Continental Band, Hotel D'Afrique Band, Shebele Band and the Ibex Band (before
they became the internationally-known Roha Band). Launching a solo career,
Aweke was encouraged by musical entrepeneur, Ali Tango, who financed and
released five cassettes and two singles of her music. By 1981, Aweke had
become disillusioned by the country's oppressive political climate and
relocated to the United States. Settling in Washington, D.C., she built a following
with her performances in local Ethiopian restaurants, she then toured Europe
and the U.S. in 1985. Aweke is now successful throughout the world. She is a
voice for her people and perhaps the most famous female singer in Ethiopia.
