Abatte Barihun

Abatte Barihun was born in 1967 in Addis Ababa

Barihun was born in 1967 in Addis Ababa to a Jewish family. His home stood near the music school of Addis Ababa University and a military base, and he was drawn to the sound of the base's brass band. He got a saxophone, joined the music school and heard jazz records by Charlie Parker and others there.

At 16 he joined the Ethiopian military band and toured Ethiopia and the Eastern Bloc, once playing in North Korea for Kim Il-sung's birthday. This period ended when rebels ambushed the band's bus, and he was wounded by 2 bullets. He then played at hotels in Addis Ababa, at the Ethiopian National Theater and with singer Mahmoud Ahmed.

At 21 he formed his own jazz band and toured Europe 3 times a year. In 1999 he moved to Israel to join his family. At first he worked washing dishes and as a night guard, and cleaning chemicals hurt his fingers and kept him from practicing.

Moshe Bar-Yuda introduced him to musicologist Shlomo Israeli, who paired him with pianist Yitzhak Yedid. The duo, called Ras Deshen, gave its first concert in 2001 at a festival in Tel Aviv. Their album, recorded in 2002 and released in 2004, blends free jazz with traditional Ethiopian modes.