Ada Kassaye - Yamral [2009] [ethiopia]

         Born 34 years ago in Adama, an Ethiopian city also known as Nazret, Ada Kassaye came to Oakland 15 years back to join her mother and several of her brothers and sisters. She first attracted attention in Northern California’s large Ethiopian community through her effusive dancing at cultural events and is now hoping to follow in the footsteps of such Ethiopian singers as Aster Aweke and Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw, both of whom lived in the Bay Area prior to finding international fame.

Ada Kassaye - Yamral 

           Many of the songs on “Yamral” reflect Kassaye’s homesickness for Ethiopia. She has been back twice since moving to California and hopes to return soon in the wake of her CD release. Family members in Ethiopia, she says, “called me and told me, ‘I heard you on the radio today.’”

“I’m happy,” she adds. “The door is open for me.”

Ada Kassaye - 01 - Agebagn (5:15)
Ada Kassaye - 02 - Ya Gobez (5:05)
Ada Kassaye - 03 - Hagere (5:39)
Ada Kassaye - 04 - Yamral (4:37)
Ada Kassaye - 05 - Baschalegn (4:26)
Ada Kassaye - 06 - Adama (4:24)
Ada Kassaye - 07 - Berena gebere (4:50)
Ada Kassaye - 08 - Min yishalegnal (5:00)
Ada Kassaye - 09 - Enate (5:23)
Ada Kassaye - 10 - Yemesgen (4:29)
Ada Kassaye - 11 - Madi shishay (5:30)
Ada Kassaye - 12 - Lemeles (3:02)