Week

End

Standing on the shoulders of giants? That doesn’t faze ZENA. The duo follows in the footsteps of the iconic Ethio-jazz musicians—while making the sound their own—with confidence and composure. Yohan Kebede, who plays the keys for Kokoroko, and bassist Menelik bring their Amharic heritage to bear in their illustrious instrumental pieces, performing a contemporary take on the work of Mulatu Astatke (who played at the Week-End Fest in 2021) or Hailu Mergia. In order to achieve this, they draw on the vast repertoire of sounds that the London jazz scene has developed over the last decade: grainy, soulful and synthetic, bridging the gap between jazz, folk music and beat-making.