During the 1990’s Daniel toured internationally & recorded with two icons of Ethiopian music, Ms. Aster Aweke & Mr. Mahmoud Ahmed. Saxophonist Girma Woldemichael was on many of the shows. Girma grew up playing in Addis Ababa Ethiopia during the “golden age” of popular music there. Both living in Toronto Canada, they’ve teamed up to present Daniel’s original compositions alongside genre classics in The Barnes & Woldemichael EthioJazz Quartet. "My Ethiopian perspective” is how I think of composing for this group. I put my Ethiopian spin on it's style, musical content and narrative themes.
Together they carry on the genre's fusion of Ethiopian music with that of both North and South America, The Caribbean, Arabia and more.
Barnes & Woldemichael have performed in Toronto for The Aga Khan Museum, The Ashkenaz Festival, Jewish Music Week in Toronto, The Kensington Market Jazz & Habari Africa Music Festivals, Bikila Awards & the P2P Charity.
Hirut Cafe in Toronto's little Ethiopia is homebase for the group. This photo by Gloria Blizzard.
Band website is coming!
