Krar

Krar (Geʽez: ክራር) is a five-or-six stringed bowl-shaped lyre from Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The Krar, along with Masenqo and the Washint, is one of the most widespread musical instruments in Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea.

[1] In Amhara society, the krar was viewed as an instrument inspired by the Devil and was therefore inferior, whereas the Begena was for praising God and seen as sacred.

The krar was used to adulate feminine beauty, create sexual arousal, and eulogize carnal love.

The instrument's tone depends on the musician's playing technique: bowing, strumming, or plucking.

An Ethiopian musician performing in 2013
A krar player from Ethiopia