Sometimes referred to as ?Ethiopia?s Aretha Franklin?, Aster Aweke (Amharic: ???? ???) is an Ethiopian singer who lives in the United States. Aweke was born in 1961 in Gondar, Ethiopia and was raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Her father was a senior civil servant in the Imperial government.By the age of 13 she was determined to become a musician, and started her career at Hager Fikir Theatre in Addis Ababa.By her late teens, she was singing in Addis Ababa clubs and hotels with such bands as the Continental Band, Hotel D'Afrique Band, Shebele Band, and the Ibex Band before they became the internationally known Roha Band.Aweke's distinct style has been influenced by other Ethiopian singers such as Bizunesh Bekele.Launching a solo career, she was encouraged by musical entrepreneur Ali Tango, who financed and released five cassettes and two singles of her music. By 1981, she had become disillusioned by Ethiopia's oppressive political climate following

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