Ethiopian Jewish music

[Judith Cohen <judithc...>]

hi, I couldn't seem to find the "music" part of the messages headed "Falasha" 
music. The first recording I know of , of Beta Israel music, was on a Folkways 
LP. Then in the 70s Kay Shelemay did intensive on-the-spot research with them, 
and published two books: first a version of her very technical dissertation, 
and then a lovely short book called "A Song of Longing", which I highly 
recommend (nothing wrong with the first one either, but they're two veru 
different approaches). Kay did her work with the men's music, the liturgical 
and para-liturgical traditions: women are barely mentioned. A couple of women - 
very young women - sing , as I remember, at least one improvised song about how 
they left Ethiopia without family, on an Ocora LP recorded in Israel in the 
80s.  I've done a little fieldwork with the small community in Montreal, on 
song, dance and instruments. I don't know about any studies which have focused 
on Beta Israel WOMEN.
There's also a childrens Beta Israel choir in Israel, or was at some point, and 
they may have issued a recoridng. I'm out of town, so haven't access to my 
files. Judith

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