The World Is But a Place of Survival: Begena Songs from Ethiopia is the latest compilation offering from the London-based record label Death Is Not The End. The label, founded by Luke Owen, is dedicated to uncovering and reissuing a diverse array of archival music and field recordings.
Death is Not the End’s eclectic catalogue features everything from early gospel, global folk music and other audio curiosities. This new release spans all three of those genre descriptions. The compilation delves into the deeply spiritual and rarely heard music of the begena, a large ten-stringed lyre intrinsic to the Amharic heritage of Ethiopia.
Revered as a divine instrument, the begena is traditionally associated with King David and was brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I, holding a unique and sacred place within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church. Its resonant, buzzing tones, created by small leather pieces placed on the bridge, are exclusively dedicated to a spiritual repertoire, particularly during times of reflection like Lent. The instrument’s very construction is symbolic, with its ten strings representing the Ten Commandments.
Recorded by Stéphanie Weisser in Addis Ababa between 2002 and 2005, these tracks offer a raw and intimate connection to a pious tradition. The collection showcases the profound emotional and religious power of the begena, an instrument believed by its players to facilitate a direct line to the divine. The World Is But a Place of Survival is a vital document, preserving and illuminating a sacred musical practice.
The World Is But a Place of Survival – Begena Songs from Ethiopia (July 3rd, 2025) Death Is Not The End.
Digital/Vinyl (+ Ltd Edition with booklet)/Cassette: https://deathisnot.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-but-a-place-of-survival-begena-songs-from-ethiopia