Yetint Amba Music Group recently held a concert entitled “Man Ale Teteki” in Silver Spring, Maryland. Our guest singers were Biruktawit and Getayawkal Girmay from Ethiopia, and Samuel T. Michael from Atlanta.  

We had a wonderful time. People were blessed to hear historic Ethiopian Gospel songs that had touched many in the past, led some of them to Christ and sustained them through difficult times.  We were grateful to God for blessing us with His presence.  Below you will find some of the testimonies we received from people who attended the concert.

The concert is now available on DVD (two-volume) and you may place an order by going to the "Shop" page.

Coments from our audience:

Solomon S. from Baltimore, MD

Very, very sincerely and undiplomatically, I want to let YETINTAMBA know that your January 22nd Concert was the best Concert I attended in decades. 

The organization was flawless, the coordination was excellent, and the venue was magnificent. Moreover, we felt the  presence of God in this Concert, and that is what matters most. Keep up the good work God entrusted to you - connecting the past with the present for the glory of God!

Wongel Samuel from Lancaster, PA

I was one of the many people who attended the concert by Yetint Amba on Friday, January 22nd. I thank God for this wonderful opportunity. The concert from beginning to end was very powerful. I was so blessed by all the songs and the performances. Starting from the church where the concert took place to everything; it was great.  For myself, this was the second time I attended Yetint Amba’s concert. My first one was in summer 2009 in Lancaster, PA. Because of this, I was already introduced to Yetint Amba’s mission and vision and their great performance. When I found out about the concert on the 22nd, I was so happy and was looking forward to be there. But when I was there, it was more than what I expected. I saw God working through this group highly.

I was really blessed with the selection of the songs. It made me realize how lucky we are to worship God with the songs that were composed decades ago. Not only that but also the power that is in these songs and there wonderful messages. Some of these messages are not sang in today’s songs so it was very wonderful to reconnect with these messages through the old songs.

I was also very happy about the guest singers Yetint Amba invited. It was a wonderful selection and contributed to the night’s wonderful performance. One thing I think can be added is that, if at the beginning or ending of the performance, the host introduces all the singers, I believe it will be great. May be all the individuals can go in a row saying something about themselves such as their names and where they are from.  I believe the audience would love this and it will be a great interaction between the audience and the performers.
 
I liked how there was a card passed to the audience to fill out and get updates about Yetint Amba.  I filled my card and I hope to get updates about Yetint Amba and future events. This way, it will help us to think about this ministry, but more importantly to pray for Yetint Amba.  I am looking forward for the next concert and I will keep this group in my prayers.  May God bless you all for all the commitments and prices you pay to serve the almighty God.

Fekadu Wakjira from Alexandria, VA

 “I was very impressed with your level of organization. It was obvious how well prepared you were just by looking how you were setup on the stage. I think, being organized is an essential part of the work.”

Hellen Abiye from PA

The concert on Friday was very amazing.  I had a great time and we were all blessed and touched. I admire how you are organized and talented.  You have a great mission that connect generation to generation. I never heard some of the songs you were singing on the concert, the once I knewreminded us a lot of things.  This group is doing such a great job for the coming generation by preserving historical Ethiopian music.  You all looked great on the stage and we were all blessed and praise God for all things He has done for this mission.

I hope this concert will go all over the world and bless us.  God bless you.  I am glad to see this concert and meet all of you.

God bless you
Thank you

Bethlehem Girmai from Chicago, IL

I heard and watched the "YeTent Amba" concert video, but getting a chance to be in the concert and watching it live was unimaginable. The sacrifice that the group has made by driving 4-6 hours with their kids was not easy, but it paid off.  God bless every one. Being in the concert and listening the songs was amazing. I have noticed that even I, have forgotten some of the old songs which I used to know very well. It was refreshing to remember the songs.  Praise God for having Sami, Getayawekal and Beruktawit. I will support the group in any way possible. God bless you all and your ministry.

Fithe Heramo from Lancaster, PA

The concert with Yetint Amba music group on Friday the twenty-second of January was the right place to be in the city for everyone who loves to worship and glorify God in music.  Actually, I traveled from out of the city and it was worth it.  I got there right when it started and did not have a chance to get the perfect seat, but there were some seats open in random positions and in the front section of the church. Before I came to the concert what intrigued me most was the title of the concert. It was titled in Amharic which is translated as, “who is the next generation?”   Generational gaps are obvious facts both in the world and the church but something planned to minimize this gap is a more needed effort in our time. Yetint Amba’s vision of preserving and passing Ethiopian church music to generations is an admirable and exemplary effort.
 
I am new to Ethiopian Christian concerts as well as many Ethiopian Christians, however, I believe it is one of the many resources we yet to discover to do God’s work. I believe Yetint Amba music group is opening up this new resource for the church to explore and take advantage off.   What impressed me the most in the concert on Friday was that there was a large amount of the older generation represented (by older I mean greater than 45 years old). Such representation is wonderful because it does address the generational gap. It was also nice to see some geographical representation of people other than the DC metropolitan area. However, I believe more work is needed in advertisement to bring more representation from different areas and different age groups.

I am not much of a music critic except just listening to the content and the lyrics. However, at the concert every song that was sung was just perfect both in the message it carried and the composition of the music. I liked how each performance had different theme. My favorite was the theme about the second coming. The songs in the second coming theme also felt like preaching. It was an awaking message.  All in all, each theme was wonderful because it lead the audience to sing to God.  In the Bible Paul advises the people of colossi to encourage each other in such ways which is an example for our life (Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col. 3:16).

In addition, all the performers’ presentation of the music was admirable starting from the dress code to the way they worked together. I liked how all the songs were not performed by all the singers but that there was incorporation which included the men singing by themselves and Briuktawit and Getayawkal singing with the traditional instruments.  Singer Samuel’s and Berni’s solo in between a song were also impressive music.  I also enjoyed the performers’ talks in between the theme songs as it made the concert informative at the same time entertaining.  Finally, I can’t end without saying the lighting was inviting and the sound was not too loud or to low, it was the right amount of volume. The Group did a wonderful job in the concert and I hope to see them perform again soon. May God bless this vision of Yetint Amba music group and may so many be touched in it!

Ethiopian Church Music

Ethiopian Church music has a long history and has gone through significant changes over the generations. There are many songs that touched many lives. In line with our vision of preserving historical Ethiopian Gospel songs and making them accessible to the Christian community, we have uploaded some of our collection on this site. We have also included some of the REMIX that was done by our group. We plan to upload more songs as we get access to them. Please visit this site periodically for new uploads.

Click here to see our Music Video and Audio Archives

Samson' Column

In line with our ultimate goal of preserving historic Ethiopian gospel music, this link is dedicated to providing articles that pertain to the history of these songs as well as their authors.  This page will feature stories of historic choirs, interviews with singers, evolution of church music, and other topics related to Ethiopian gospel music history.  We have gone to great length to present factually accurate perspectives.  We apologize in advance for any historical inconsistencies that might be found based on our sources.  If you have any comments or if you would like to contribute articles to this column, we encourage you to contact us.

Below are Interviews in PDF file:

Interview with Ato Endalkachew and W/o Meseret

Interview with Ato Shewaferaw Kuratu

Interview with W/o Wuhib Zewde

Our Mission

Yetint Amba Music Group was started with a mission to preserve historical  Ethiopian Church music.  Ethiopian Church music has a long history and has gone through significant changes over the generations.  As years and generations pass, it is our fear that songs that blessed many, and are the root of  Christianity in Ethiopia, may be forgotten.  

Unless the current generation passes the heritage to the next one, many songs that once touched many lives would be forgotten and a big part of Christian history would be lost.  The Lord put the vision of preserving these songs in our hearts many years ago and it was only in 2006 that it materialized through our first concert.  The concert blessed many and it became evident to all of us that this was just the beginning and that God has even bigger plans.
After much prayer and counsel with the Lord, we formally started “Yetint Amba Music Group” with a mission of accomplishing the following goals:

■ Conduct worship concerts that are centered around historic Ethiopian  Gospel songs.

■  Prepare CDs, DVDs and documentary videos that will capture these songs and the history surrounding them.

■  Prepare song books with accompanied sheet music.

■ Partner with other ministries and singers that were instrumental in the development of  Ethiopian church music, in preparing workshops for current and upcoming singers and  worship leaders. 

Yetint Amba music group is composed of singers and musicians from various states, who share this vision.  All members of the music group are active participants and servicemen in their respective churches. 

We strongly believe the Lord will use our various concerts, CD's and DVD's to revive and renew many believers.  We invite you to join our efforts.  We are excited about this project and what the Lord has set out to do.  We want to be His faithful vehicles in transmitting His message. Please feel free to contact us either by phone or email with any questions you might have.

PERSONAL PROFILES OF MUSIC GROUP MEMBERS

Yemi and Dr. Bantayehu Sileshi, Directors



“Ethiopian Church music has a long history and has gone through significant changes over the generations.  As years and generations pass, it is our fear that songs that blessed many, and are the root of Christianity in Ethiopia, may be forgotten.  Unless the current generation passes the heritage to the next one, many songs that once touched many lives would be forgotten and a big part of Christian history would be lost.  The Lord put the vision of preserving these songs in our hearts many years ago and it was only in 2006 that it materialized through our first concert.  The concert blessed many and it became evident to all of us that this was just the beginning and that God has even bigger plans.”

“After much prayer and counsel with the Lord, we formally started ‘Yetint Amba Music Group’.  It is composed of singers and musicians from various states, who share this vision.  All members of the music group are active participants and servicemen in their respective churches.  We strongly believe the Lord will use our various concerts, CD's and DVD's to revive and renew many believers.  We invite you to join our efforts.  We are excited about this project and what the Lord has set out to do.  We want to be His faithful vehicles in transmitting His message.”

Yemi and Dr. Bantayehu Sileshi currently reside in Durham, North Carolina with their two children, Kaleb and Abigail Sileshi.  They spent most of their adult life leading and directing gospel choirs at several Ethiopian Evangelical Churches.  They are currently active members of King Park International Church in Durham, North Carolina, where they serve in the worship team. 

Dawit Getachew, Co-Director



“Being raised in a Christian family, I was exposed to Ethiopian Christian songs early in life.  I enjoyed the variety in content and musical style.  Most of all I saw God use these songs mightily to heal and encourage His children.  Now as a musician and song writer, I have developed the passion of preserving these historical Ethiopian Gospel songs, and using them as an instrument to bridge the gap between the past and current generation.”

Dawit Getachew graduated from Yared Music School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with a major in clarinet and minor in piano.  He has authored and released several gospel CDs.  He is currently an active member of Ethiopian Evangelical Church in Lancaster, and serves as a musician and worship leader.

Gedion Tadesse, Music Director



Gedion Tadesse attended the Ethiopian Mekaneyesus Jazz Music School majoring in Piano. Gedion is a member of “All For God and All From God” Ethiopian gospel music band, and has made contributions in the musical development of Ethiopian gospel music through the group. He currently is the musician and is an active member of Gospel Light Church in Washington D.C. He also directs and arranges the music for Yetint Amba Music Group.

Sidissie and Jillcha Wakjira, Vocalist and Media Director



“We joined Yetint Amba Music group because we believed in the vision. The dream of preserving Ethiopian songs was in our hearts for a long time and when we were asked to join the group, we considered it as the way the Lord provided for us in an answer to our dream.  We are grateful for the Lord’s protection and grace as we are “running” in fulfilling the mission of this ministry.”

Sidu and Jillcha currently attend Assemblies of God church in Hickory, NC, where they reside with their children Obediah and Barnabas.

Woynishet Takele and Dawit Assefa, Vocalists



“The mission of this music group is to fill the gap between our parents and our children. As born again Christians, we believe it is our obligation to pass what we know of God’s work to the coming generation. This ministry has a vision of filling the gap between generations, which makes us part of history makers, not just readers. It is with this understanding that we decided to be part of the Yetint Amba Music Group.”

Woyni and Dawit Assefa reside in Chantilly, Virginia with their three children.  They are active members of Grace Covenant Church, in Chantilly, Virginia.

Blain Balcha, Vocalist



“I got saved in 1995 when I was in Ethiopia at Meserak Meserte Kirestos Church.  I joined Yetint Amba Music group to preserve and remind the current and future generation about the most incredible old songs of Ethiopia.  Even as God continues to bless us with so many singers and new songs at this time, we should not leave behind most of the old songs that are encouraging and uplifting to many.  It is for this reason that I continue to be a member, to do God’s work with amazing brothers and sisters.”

Blain Balcha currently resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband Tesfa Kifle.  She is an active member of International Ethiopian Evangelical Church in Washington, DC, where she serves as a member of the worship team, and B choir.

Wosene (Sherry) Tadesse, Vocalist



“I grew up in a Christian family listening to Ethiopian gospel music. Ethiopian gospel music has contributed greatly in shaping my walk with Christ and I am honored to work with such wonderful brothers and sisters in keeping our history alive. I joined Yetint Amba Music Group to support the vision that was given to Bantayehu and Yemisirach Sileshi.”

Sherry grew up attending the Lutheran Church of  Ethiopia with her family. She served singing in a duet together with Mehari Bahta from the early age of 13 at her home church and later also joined AFG Gospel Band as one of 6 vocalists. Sherry currently attends Gospel Light Church in Washington D.C and is a member of the worship team.

Yacob (Berni) Mesfin, Vocalist



"Born in a Christian family who truly love the Lord, I grew up seeing the impact historic Ethiopian Gospel songs have on my life as well as other youth in my generation. These songs train us to speak our challenges and victories, to surrender our lives and follow Him in recluse abandon, and to trust Him whole heartedly. They also challenge us to live Christianity in its pure form. I am grateful to be part of Yetint Amba Music Group."

Bernabas started his music ministry at Genet Church Sunday School choir at an early age. He continues to play an active role in the music ministry and has recently contributed one Music CD to the body of Christ. He currently serves as a musician and worship leader in Greensboro Ethiopian Church & Greensboro Mennonite Fellowship in North Carolina.

Meron (Lily) and Daniel Shiferaw- Vocalist & Camera Man



"God’s love and plan for us is more than what we can imagine.  He showed us His love by sacrificing His son for our salvation.  With this in mind, we came to realize that songs from the old generation have played a significant role in the massage of salvation in Ethiopia and around the world.  This music group, “Yetint Amba”, has a vision of passing old Christian church songs to the new generation and this mission is dear to our heart.  Thus, we decided to be part of this ministry that is poised to impact the current generation and keep record of history."

Meron and Daniel Shiferaw reside in Columbia MD and currently attend Bethel Assembly of God in Savage, Maryland.

Sosina Asrat



"I have always enjoyed listening to historical gospel songs and when I learned about Yetint Amba Music Group and their vision, I joined the group with great enthusiasm."

Sosina Asrat has served as a vocalist in B choir of International Ethiopian Evangelical Church in Washington DC for many years.  She currently resides in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and serves as the liaison of Yetint Amba Music Group in Ethiopia.

Contact us

If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the following address:

• Mailing Address: 2617 Wyntercrest lane, Durham, NC 27713

• Telephone: (443) 474 1921

• Email: bantish@yahoo.com