Meklit performs at the Patricia Reser Canter for the Performain Arts

Meklit is an Ethio-American vocalist,composer and cultural activist, making music that sways between cultures andcontinents. She is known for her electric stage presence and innovative, deeplypersonal Ethio-Jazz songs.

“Thereis a raw beauty about Ethiopian vocalist and songwriter Meklit. Her voraciousmusical appetite is always evident, and she manages to honor her heritage whileremaining fiercely original.” – JAZZ TIMES

Herperformances have taken her around the world, from Addis Ababa – where she is afull blown star – to San Francisco, NYC, Chicago, Nairobi, Cairo, Montreal,London, Zurich, Rome, Helsinki and many more. Meklit’s latest album “When thePeople Move, the Music Moves Too” was named amongst the best records of theyear by Bandcamp and The Sunday Times UK, climbing to the top of the iTunes,NACC, and European World Charts. Meklit is Chief of Program at Yerba BuenaCenter for the Arts in San Francisco. She is a National Geographic Explorer, aTED Senior Fellow, and a former Artist-in-Residence at Harvard University.

“…ifyou have any doubts that the musical styles of East Africa and the Bay Area canbe melded with equal parts grit and grace, she’ll knock them right out of youwith vocals, horns and percussion — such exhilarating, heartbeat-propellingpercussion — by the time the first chorus comes around.” – NPR

Meklit has collaborated with thelikes of Kronos Quartet, Andrew Bird, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and musicallegend Pee Wee Ellis. Meklit is co-founder, co-producer and host of Movement, anew podcast series and live show telling stories of global migration throughmusic.