Global Impact Musician Weekly Snapshot No. 11
Global Impact Musician, Eyuel Getaneh Reta
Can you think of a time when you had a wake-up call? A moment that asked you to rise, act, and do something differently? For GIM student Eyuel Getaneh Reta, the intensity of that call became the inspiration for his new composition, Chebelew.
Eyuel is an Ethiopian trombonist, composer, and arranger dedicated to bringing Ethiopian musical traditions to wider audiences. His original composition, Chebelew, takes its name from an Amharic word meaning “march forward” a call to rise, act, and do something extraordinary.
Premiering on Friday, June 12th, Chebelew brings together trombone, violin, guitar, and the masenqo, a traditional Ethiopian one-string instrument played with a bow. The piece draws from ancient Ethiopian work songs once sung by farmers, shepherds, and communities working together.
Global Impact Musicians rehearse Eyuel’s composition, Chebelew. The masenqo is pictured second from the left.
In Eyuel’s Words: A Quick Q&A
What inspired this composition?
“I always felt that Ethiopian traditional music deserved a bigger stage. Every time I heard the ancient work songs of our people, I felt something unfinished, like a story the world never got to hear.”
How does your Ethiopian background shape the piece?
“My Ethiopian background is both an influence in this piece and the foundation. The scales, the spirit, the feeling all come from growing up surrounded by this living tradition.”
What should listeners on June 12th pay attention to?
“Listen for the masenqo. It carries the oldest voice in the piece. When it speaks, everything else steps back and gives it space.”
What do you hope audiences remember?
“I want them to remember that Ethiopian musical tradition has been alive for over a thousand years, carried not on paper but in the hands, the breath, and the soul of our people. And that it is not finished. It is just getting started.”
Eyuel Getaneh Reta performing on trombone.
A Living Tradition, Still Becoming
Eyuel hopes audiences leave with a sense of discovery, curiosity, and possibility. He invites listeners to hear a tradition carried for generations and imagine where it can go next. You are warmly invited to join us for the June 12th concert at 6:00 PM EAT at KOFISI, with a livestream link to be shared soon for those joining from afar.
