Berhana: Tiny Desk Concert

Bobby Carter | February 14, 2024 Months before he released Amén (The Nomad’s Dream), Atlanta singer Berhana shared his Tiny Desk vision with me: He wanted to pay homage to his roots with Ethiopian jazz pianist Kibrom Birhane and members of the Ethio Cali band to showcase their authentic take on East African rhythms. Draped in a traditional Ethiopian scarf at the Tiny Desk, he incorporates those elements to a T. So much of the genre-fluid Amén is about personal growth and finding home. His first trip to Ethiopia was the driving force behind the new project, but the storytelling prowess is carried over from 2019’s HAN. Before closing his set with “Going Home,“ he expressed his gratitude for the moment. “It’s because we live within this confined amount of time, that we’re able to find meaning,“ he says. “I’ve been trying to accept that a little bit more and be grateful for the little moments like this that I get to share with you guys right now.“ SET LIST “Gone (Abebe Bikila)“ “Break Bread“ “Someday“ “Golden“ “Honeycomb“ “Don’t Go“ “Going Home“ MUSICIANS Berhana: lead vocals Kahlil Cummings: percussion David Shimon Goodwin: bass Randal Fisher: saxophone Evan Christopher Greer: drums, vocals Nadav Peled: guitar Glenn Kelly Holdaway: trumpet Kibrom Birhane: piano, krar Josef Lamercier: vocals Xenia Karungu: vocals Tasan Thompson: vocals TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Bobby Carter Director: Joshua Bryant Audio Technical Director: Josh Rogosin Editor: Maia Stern Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Mitra I. Arthur, Zayrha Rodriguez Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Hazel Cills, Kara Frame Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann #tinydesk #nprmusic #berhana