Kiraren Bikagnew - Musique

Kiraren Bikagnew by Fantahun Shewankochew

Fantahun Shewankochew

Biographie de l'artiste pour Fantahun Shewankochew

Fantahun Shewankochew Is A Toronto-Based Musician Vocalist Song Writer Instrumentalist Arranger And Composer . Born In Addis Ababa Ethiopia Fantahun Hails From A Country With A Diverse Mix Of Rich Culture Tradition And Music. Affectionately Called “Fantish” By His Friends And Fans Fantahun Discovered His Talent For Music At A Very Young Age When He Participated In School Performances As A Singer Often Imitating Famous Ethiopian Vocalists Like Muluken Melese And His Idol The Late Tilahun Gessesse Undoubtedly The Most Revered Most Popular And Most Iconic Figure Who Dominated Ethiopia’s Modern Music For Almost Half-A-Century. To Develop His Talent Fantahun Joined The Yared School Of Music In Addis Ababa Where He Studied For Four Years And Graduated In The Early 80’s With A Diploma In Trumpet And The Ethiopian Traditional Instrument Called Kirar Krar Kiraar A Harp-Like Five-Or Six-String Lyre Played Using The Fingers Or In Combination With A Plectrum Pick . His Stint In The School Not Only Provided Him With The Necessary Academic Credential And A Better Understanding Of What Underlies His Music But Also Created The Historic Opportunity Of Producing The Amharic Hit Song “Kiraren Biqagnew” His Signature Song That Introduced Him To The Public. Fresh From School He Was Hired By The Renowned Ethiopian National Theatre As A Trumpet Player And Worked As A Vocalist On The Side With The Mahiran Band That He Co-Founded. He Released His First Album - Kiraren In 1986 With The Mahiran Band. He Released Three More Albums “Min Yelelesh Ale” “Shegnichesh Semeles” And “BeYikirta”. Besides His Artistic And Administrative Responsibilities At The Ethiopian National Theatre Where He Worked For Over 20 Years In Various Capacities Including Coordinator Of The Music Department Fantahun Formed One More Music Band –the Medina Band Collaborated With Famous Musicians And Also Went On International Music Tours In Africa North America South America Europe China And The Middle East. While On Tour In Paris France Fantahun Collaborated With The Famous And Now US-Based Ejigayehu Shibabaw A.K.A. Gigi. And Released The “Ethiopian Love Songs” Album. His Tour With A Group Of Musicians That Included Four German Instrumentalists Jochen Engel Patrick Langer Jörg Pfeil And Michael Ehret And Four Ethiopian Vocalists Abonesh Adnew Tigist Bekele Wondwossen Kassa And Binyam Kindya Organized Under A Band Called “Sounds Of Saba” Offered Fantahun The Opportunity To Fulfil His Dream Of Introducing Ethiopian Music To The Rest Of The World And Also To Participate In The Group’s 1998 “Tizita” Album In Which He Participated As A Vocalist Kirar Player And Percussionist. Representing Ethiopia With The Cultural Orchestra Of The ENT Fantahun Has Participated At Some Of The Biggest International Musical Events Including The Ravera Festival In Italy And The Houston International Festival In Texas USA. Fantahun Made Toronto His New Home In 2011 And He Has Since Collaborated With Fellow Ethiopian And Other Canadian Musicians And Performed At Such Venues As The Glenn Gould Studio The Harbour Front Centre The Gladstone Hotel And The Luminato Festival. No Less Important Is His Contribution To The Ethiopian Community In Toronto. In The Same Year He Arrived In Toronto For Example He Got Himself Busy Serving As Artistic Director Of A Spiritual Concert & Drama Organized By Fellow Artists In Collaboration With The Choir Of The Toronto Membere Birhan Saint Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Cathedral To Raise Fund For The Construction Of The Church’s New Cathedral. The Show Was A Complete Sell-Out And A Phenomenal Success. Regarding His Plans In Music Fantahun Has A Keen Interest To Introduce Ethiopian Traditional Music Which He Says Has Gained More And More Popularity In Many European Countries But Not So Much Here In Canada. In Addition To His Many Personal Projects In The Pipeline He Plans To Introduce To Canadians Ethiopia’s Distinct Modal System That Is Pentatonic Called Qenet Of Which There Are Four Main Modes Tezeta Bati Ambassel And Anchihoye And Other Additional Modes Which Are Basically Variants Of The Four Modes.