Desdes

Not long before he left his war-torn home in the East African country of Eritrea, Awalom Gebremariam completed his debut album Desdes in 2007 – though he never saw what kind of
local impact the music had back at home.

He arrived in the United States after several years in an Ethiopian refugee camp, and now resides in North Carolina. In this stunning 11-track release, Gebremariam shares his outside journey and story so far.

The album features traditional folk instruments, including the one-stringed wata and five-stringed krar in what Awesome Tapes From Africa’s Brian Shimkovitz has described as “legit modern sounds culled from relatively ancient means.”