Join us for amazing music, poetry and theatre, as we recreate the experience of an Azmari Bet, a traditional club that you can find hidden away in the back streets of Addis Ababa, where musicians entertain and amuse and customers come just to drink, eat, dance, chill and get away from the hustle and bustle of life! At the heart of the Azmari Bet is the Azmari minstrel. Whether playing the one-stringed masinko fiddle, the 5-stringed krar lyre, singing songs – often made up on the spot to praise or make fun of customers – dancing, or reciting poetry, these are consummate performers who have learnt what it is to entertain. Their livelihood depends on it: the more they make people laugh and have fun, the more money they will earn!
We have the honour of being joined by Lemn Sissay MBE, a poet, playwright and broadcaster. He has read poetry all over the world and was awarded an MBE for services to literature. He is the Chancellor of The University of Manchester and was the first poet commissioned to write for the London Olympics. He is a regular contributor to radio and TV and a prolific speaker, inspiring audiences on a daily basis across the globe.
In partnership with Lovegrass Ethiopia
