Although Rahel Yohannes is a formidable singer who has performed professionally for more than 20 years, her entrance into the music business was almost by coincidence. As the manager of an Ethiopian restaurant, Rahel would frequently entertain her customers by singing acappella for them. Her patrons began to look forward to her impromptu performances and, one evening, one of these admirers brought the late Ketema Mekonnen,a well-known singer and player of traditional musical instruments, to the restaurant and asked Rahel to join him in a song. She performed the haunting ballad “Tizita,” and a couple of years later released her first album. Since then, she has released nine recordings as a professional singer.
In addition to being an accomplished entertainer, Rahel is an entrepreneur who has owned and operated various nightclubs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Presently, she entertains ever-growing audiences at the Fasika Restaurant and Nightclub in Addis Ababa.
"Menelik", a tribute to the late emperor of Ethiopia, is Rahel’s tenth album.
Tamrat Desta (born 1978) is an Ethiopian singer and vocalist.Desta was born in the small town of Tiqur Wuha near Awassa, Ethiopia. He is the second of three children, all boys. After a few years, his family moved to Shashemene and later back to Awassa, where he finished high school. All three towns are located approximately 250 kilometers south of the capital Addis Ababa.
In 1998, Desta moved to Dire Dawa, situated 515 kilometers east of Addis Ababa, to live with his guardian and work at Cherqa Cherq Yekenet Buden. There, he received basic training in performing with a band and as a vocalist.
In 1999, Desta relocated to Addis Ababa to pursue his music career. He released his first album Anleyaym in 2004, for which he received wide acclaim. Most of the lyrics on this CD were written by Habtamu Bogale, and the melodies of six tracks were composed by Tamrat.
