ETHIOPIA • ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH - 'AQWAQWAM

Among the liturgical chanting of the Ethiopian Church a specific genre, called ‘aq^waq^wam , includes the liturgical chants accompanied by sistrums, drums and dance. This “music and dance of heaven” has been revealed to St Yared (6th century) in a vision of heaven and has not changed since then due to the isolation of Ethiopia in the Christian world. As such, it is a faithful reliof very ancient chrisitan rites. These recordings have been collected at feasts and ceremonies in several churches of Addis Ababa.