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Berhana: Tiny Desk Concert

By Bobby Carter
Published February 7, 2024 at 5:15 AM EST

Months before he released Amén (The Nomad's Dream), Atlanta singer Berhana shared his Tiny Desk vision with me: He wanted to pay homage to his roots with Ethiopian jazz pianist Kibrom Birhane. Draped in a traditional Ethiopian scarf at the Tiny Desk, Berhana and members of the Ethio Cali band showcase their authentic take on East African rhythms.

So much of the genre-fluid Amén is about personal growth and finding home. His first trip to Ethiopia was the driving force behind the new project, but the storytelling prowess is carried over from 2019's HAN. Before closing his set with "Going Home," he expressed his gratitude for the moment. "It's because we live within this confined amount of time, that we're able to find meaning," he says. "I've been trying to accept that a little bit more and be grateful for the little moments like this that I get to share with you guys right now."

SET LIST

  • "Gone (Abebe Bikila)"
  • "Break Bread"
  • "Someday"
  • "Golden"
  • "Honeycomb"
  • "Don't Go"
  • "Going Home"

MUSICIANS

  • Berhana: lead vocals
  • Kahlil Cummings: percussion
  • David Shimon Goodwin: bass
  • Randal Fisher: saxophone
  • Evan Christopher Greer: drums, vocals
  • Nadav Peled: guitar
  • Glenn Kelly Holdaway: trumpet
  • Kibrom Birhane: piano, krar
  • Josef Lamercier: vocals
  • Xenia Karungu: vocals
  • Tasan Thompson: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producer: Bobby Carter
  • Director: Joshua Bryant
  • Audio Technical Director: Josh Rogosin
  • Editor: Maia Stern
  • Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Mitra I. Arthur, Zayrha Rodriguez
  • Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
  • Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
  • Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Hazel Cills, Kara Frame
  • Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
  • VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
  • Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Bobby Carter
Bobby Carter is a leader on the Tiny Desk Concerts team for NPR Music. He's brought an ever growing roster of big names and emerging artists through NPR's HQ to squeeze behind the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen and record standout performances, including Usher, Mac Miller, Noname, Anderson.Paak and H.E.R.

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