Tsehaytu Beraki

Tsehaytu Beraki was born in 1939, in the small town of Quatit.[1] She had thought that she was born in Eritrea's capital city Asmara, but in fact only moved there as a baby.[2] It was not until she returned to Asmara in 1999, that the full story was told to her by her sister Rishan.[2]

Beraki started playing the krar, a five-stringed harp, when she was about eight years old, eventually playing at weddings and parties.[2] Her inspirations were Tsehaytu Ghergish, Fana Etel, and especially Tsehaytu Zennar, whose songs included Annes Ay keremneye Wala Hankas Yekunye (I need a man as soon as possible, even if he's crippled).[2]

Beraki left school at sixteen, and played the krar as her full-time career.[2] She wrote all of her own music and lyrics, and people would come from as far as Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to record her.[2] From 1964 onwards, her lyrics became more political, and "people were surprised that I dared to sing them".[2]

From March 1977, she became actively involved in the Eritrean independence struggle.[2] She eventually had to leave, moving to Sudan and in 1988, Rotterdam, Netherlands.[1] She returned to Asmara in 1999.[2]

As well as krar, Beraki played kebero and bass-krar.[1]

She created the album Selam on Terp Records in 2004.