Abraham Afewerki
| Abraham Afewerki | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Abraham Afewerki |
| Born |
30 January 1966 Asmara, Eritrea |
| Died |
7 October 2006 (aged 40) Massawa, Eritrea |
| Genres | Eritrean music |
| Years active | 1979–2006 |
| Labels | Virgin Records, Negarit Productions |
| Website |
www |
Abraham Afewerki (1966–2006) was an Eritrean singer, songwriter and music producer. Noted for his unique Tigrinya-based compositions and lyrics, he was one of the most recognized figures among Eritrean musicians and celebrities.
Biography
Abraham was born in Asmara, Eritrea. From an early age Abraham was fascinated with musical instruments and by age nine had learned to play a musical instrument independently. Due to the Eritrean War of Independence, Abraham, with his family, fled to Sudan and soon after to Italy, where he further pursued his dream to be a professional musician. While studying in Rome, Abraham continued to expand his musical skills by working with internationally known musical celebrities in live performances as well as recordings.
Abraham’s first CD, Kozli Gaba was released in 1991, which was produced and distributed by Virgin Records in Europe. The album was the first by an Eritrean artist that was produced by an International recording company and made available to the global audience. Abraham’s music, in due course, was covered by a number of International media outlets.
During the following 15 years, Abraham released two more albums which further propelled his popularity among Eritreans. His songs were popular because his lyrics expressed strong and poetic images of Eritrea’s culture. His socially conscious words were evocative and his fans often described his music as inspiring. Abraham is also credited with being one of Eritrea’s master live entertainers.
In his newest CD titled Semai ("Sky" in Tigrinya), Abraham collaborates with several Eritrean musicians, the result of which was an exquisite sound. Abraham continued to blend his music with jazz, R&B, and Reggae rhythms at the same time maintaining his music’s originality and authenticity.
In 2006, Abraham drowned while swimming in Massawa during the filming of his next music video.
Abraham was described as an Eritrean musical tour-de-force. Held in high regard by his fellow Eritrean artists, his work garnered appreciation and admiration from his peers. His musical influence also crossed borders to Eritrea's neighboring countries where his music is reproduced by other musicians singing in a different language other than his native Tigrinya.
Albums
He released the following albums in Eritrea:
- "Wegahta"(Sunrise) - 1991
- "Tesfa'iya snqey"(Hope is my supply/kit) - 1994
- "MsTir fQri"(Secret of Love) - 1998
- "Hadera" (Promise) - 2000
- "Semai" (Sky - The Sky is My Limit ) - 2006
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