Debo Band

A video mash up by May van Gent of Debo Band performing with our collaborators from Fendika - we called it Fendeboka... This was our big performance at the Busara festival in Zanzibar, the culmination of months and months of hard work. I think you can see the joy and excitement in our performance!

Debo Band (Ethiopia/USA) at Sauti za Busara from May van Gent on Vimeo.

Click here for more videos from the Busara Festival, including the incredible bands we shared the stage with!

Recorded in Ethiopian TV studios in Addis Ababa at 8 AM (that's right, 2 AM Habesha time)... The whole hour-long program is available on youtube.com in five chunks, and includes performances by Debo, and interviews with some of our members!

Or, click here to check out all 5 segments

We were trying to take a group photo of Debo Band with our friends from Fendika Asmari Bet in Addis Ababa, plus other great friends in Addis, and while the photographer was fiddling with the camera, our friends started singing this song. Here you can see and hear some of the love we felt being with these wonderful friends and performers in our home away from home.

From out of the archive, an early show at AS220 in Providence, with Amanuel and Asnakech on vocals. Asnakech Mekonnen passed away on June 16, 2008 and we will miss her always.

One of our earliest shows, opening for the great Tlahoun Gessesse in Watertown, Dec. 6 2006. Featuring our original lineup with Eugene on Sax, Beth on French Horn, Susan on Trombone, Greg on Viola, and Stacey playing melodica before she switched to accordion. Plus Asnakech the way we are glad to remember her.