Alemu Aga is an Ethiopian musician, singer, and master of 'begena'. This multi-secular ten-stringed lyre has a special place for the Orthodox Christian Ahmaras, who live in the capital Addis Ababa.

This is an unusual one by any stretch of even the most vivid imagination but bear with me. This music has roots as ancient as the depths of its magic. Noise levels are low on this one. There’s a quiet ...