Man Playing A Masenqo in Ethiopia
Channel: Miez Production
Date: 08/06/2016

Horse hair, rawhide and wood. These three things predominately make the beautiful one stringed lute that is the Masenqo. Tuned with the protruding wooden peg at the top, this instrument is played with a bow much like a cello or violin. Its simple construction lends for smooth harmony with the powerful Amharic voice.

The mesenqo (also spelled mesenko, mesenqo, mesenko, mesinko, or mesinqo) is a single-stringed bowed lute commonly found in the musical traditions of Ethiopia and Eritrea.[1] As with the krar, this instrument is used by Ethiopian minstrels called azmaris ("singer" in Amharic) .[2] Although it functions in a purely accompaniment capacity in songs, the masenqo requires considerable virtuosity,[1] as azmaris accompany themselves while singing.