Meklit Hadero Reimagines Ethiopian Folk Songs: Live in Studio

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

San Francisco-based, Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero and her band join us live in the studio to play from her new album, “A Piece of Infinity.” The album reimagines folk songs from across Ethiopia, blending her signature Ethio-jazz style with R&B, synth and other genres. We’ll talk about the stories the album tells and bask in her rich, expressive vocals. Guests: Meklit Hadero, Ethio-Jazz singer and composer Sam Bevan, upright bass Colin Douglas, drums Howard Wiley, tenor saxophone Kibrom Berhane, keyboard and krar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for KQED Podcasts comes from San Francisco International Airport. SFO passengers can park with ease and secure the best rates by booking online. They can choose dates and times all in advance. More at flysfo.com slash parking.
0:18.3	Support for KQED podcasts comes from Star One Credit Union. Give your savings account the love it deserves. When you keep your money with Star 1, you keep more of your money. Star 1 credit union in your best interest.
0:34.1	From KQED. Welcome to Forum.
0:38.8	I'm Alexis Madrigal.
0:43.8	If the show sounds a bit different today, that's because we're not in our normal studio.
0:46.4	We're not in one of the other recording studios.
0:52.0	No, we're in the commons, the KQED event space, because we wanted our guest today to be able to bring the band.
0:53.9	McLeod Hadero is a singer, composer, a Bay Area organizer of musicians and ideas.
1:00.1	And she joins us here this morning at KQD.
1:02.0	Welcome.
1:02.6	Thank you.
1:03.0	Thank you.
1:03.3	Good to be here.
1:04.3	You want to start us off with some music.
1:06.3	Yes, I do.
1:07.2	What better way to start off than with music.
1:10.0	Here we go.
1:10.5	This is ambassal. Myrazaimbaugh Myra Zambha Deno I'm a day no, I agree with a girl, I get a girl, I'm basel,a a good one of my
2:04.6	to zoom
2:06.6	a wound
2:09.6	I'm a
2:12.6	home to hear ya
	...

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