Meklit

An Ethio-American singer, guitarist, Bay Area resident, TED Senior Fellow, and Chief of Programs at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Meklit writes music steeped in traditional Ethiopian rhythms blended with her singer-songwriter’s poetic core, with floating melodies and dancing grooves that draw on sources as varied as East African music, Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell.

Meklit became a sensation with the release of her 2010 debut On A Day Like This, an enchanting collection featuring her delicately luminous original songs and traditional Amharic melodies. The album received rave reviews and featured coverage on PBS, National Geographic, and NPR, and the singer has been on a meteoric rise ever since, spreading her distinctive brand of magic on numerous international tours, including numerous trips to her native Ethiopia, and criss-crossing the U.S.