Tafese Tesfaye - Elders of the Begena: The Harp of David in Ethiopia -

"The Begena is one of those rare musical instruments of the world that has survived for more than 5800 years. What is fascinating about it is not only its age but the fact that both its manufacture and the purpose for which it is being played have never changed during all these years. It is still made of wood and animal products, such as the intestine of the sheep for the strings, the leather that covers the sound box. It is used for praying, for praising God and for meditation, just as it was in the olden days and it has survived until the present day. During the time of the Derg regime, after the overthrow of the emperor Haile Selassie, it was no longer considered important. As for the Begena, which used to be broadcasted through the radio during the fasting season, all this was stopped. At that time I was a teacher at the music school, the only music school in the country, and because I did not get the necessary support to develop it I had to stop, because I was
About this Item

The item format is a vinyl
This specific sale is a new release, shipped direct from the manufacturer
The Artist Name is Tafese Tesfaye,Admassu Fikre,Seyoum Mengistu & Alemu Aga
The Title is Elders of the Begena: The Harp of David in Ethiopia

Condition New

Other Comments
"The Begena is one of those rare musical instruments of the world that has survived for more than 5800 years. What is fascinating about it is not only its age but the fact that both its manufacture and the purpose for which it is being played have never changed during all these years. It is still made of wood and animal products, such as the intestine of the sheep for the strings, the leather that covers the sound box. It is used for praying, for praising God and for meditation, just as it was in the olden days and it has survived until the present day. During the time of the Derg regime, after the overthrow of the emperor Haile Selassie, it was no longer considered important. As for the Begena, which used to be broadcasted through the radio during the fasting season, all this was stopped. At that time I was a teacher at the music school, the only music school in the country, and because I did not get the necessary support to develop it I had to stop, because I was not allowed to teach. And so we could say that it did become a disappearing popular art. But not anymore, especially in the past 15, 16 years it has revived. There are many Begena players, mostly youngsters, of whom I have taught more than 500 students. Still there are some Begena makers, who make the instrument for new students. What is interesting about this instrument is that the music, or the tone that comes out of this instrument, has a special power to make people to concentrate, to keep quiet, to be carried away in thoughts, thinking of what is said. This is a special quality. You don't have to be an Ethiopian, anybody can listen to it, automatically it will make him keep quiet and concentrate." - Alemu Aga (taken from an interview with Pit Budde for WDR Radio, Cologne, 2008)

The Media Condition is New

This is new and unplayed

The Sleeve Condition is New

New unplayed

We Use Stock Images
Because we have over 2 million items for sale we have to use stock images, this listing does not include the actual image of the item for sale. The purchase of this specific item is made with the understanding that the image shown in this listing is a stock image and not the actual item for sale. For example: some of our stock images include stickers, labels, price tags, hyper stickers, obi's, promotional messages, signatures and or writing which may not be available in the actual item.

Vinyl Record disc colour
Stock images can show a black, coloured, or picture disc. Unless a colour or picture is explicitly described in this listing, this purchase is made with the understanding that it could be black or any colour, and or could be a picture disc.
 

Vinyl Record Version
Vinyl discs are released in many editions and variations, such as standard edition, re-issue, demonstration (demo), not for sale, promotional (promo), special edition, limited edition, and many other editions and versions.  The disc you receive could be any of these editions or variations. 
 

The Outer Sleeve
When we describe the sleeve condition in this listing, we are describing the outer sleeve only, specifically, it does not describe the inner sleeve unless explicitly referenced.
 

The Inner Sleeve
Almost all of our vinyl records will include either an original inner sleeve or a plain inner sleeve, or a printed inner sleeve. The images of this inner sleeve as shown on this listing are stock images, not the actual image. Inner sleeves are notorious for being replaced or damaged, such as edge splits. Unless explicitly mentioned in this listing the inner sleeve is not part of this purchase. If you purchase this vinyl record it is with the clear understanding the inner sleeve is not included as part of this sale, and if a sleeve is included it is provided on an as/is condition solely as packaging, as a protector for the record, which may have creases, wear or edge splits.
 

Hairlines
If we reference a hairline(s), it means it is a light line on the disc that looks like a hair. Hairlines are different to scratches or wear. A hairline is lighter and has limited and less impact on the playing quality, whereas wear or a scratch can cause some level of clicks, pops or interference when playing. 
 

Record Grading
Our Records are graded by the worldwide record industry standard called the 'Record Grading 101: Understanding The Goldmine Grading Guide'. Search this term on Google if you have any queries about how sellers and collectors grade vinyl records.
 

Delivery Carrier and Courier Tracking
We use internal tracking codes when shipping goods.  If your item is not delivered within five days of dispatch you are welcome to contact us to track and resolve any delivery issues.
 

Gift Ideas
This is a great gift idea.

Hours of Service
We have many warehouses, some of the warehouses process orders seven days a week, but the Administration Support Staff are located at a head office location, outside of the warehouses, and typically work only Monday to Friday.
 

Location ID 659z

iHaveit SKU ID 1353305538

Unique Reference Number 2793938216