The nine major ethnic groups of Eritrea—Afar, Bilen, Hedareb, Kunama, Nara, Rashaida, Saho, Tigre and Tigrinya—celebrate autonomous music-making expressed through a rich heritage of vocalists, instrumentalists and activities within the country and throughout the international diaspora.
Modern popular stars include Wad Asheikh, Saeed salih, Fatima Ibrahim, Teklé Tesfa-Ezighe, Tekle Kiflemariam Wedi Tukul, Tesfai Mehari (Fihira), Osman Abderrehim, Abrar Osman, Abraham Afwerki, Yemane Ghebremichael, Alamin Abdeletif, Atewebrhan Segid, and Tsehaytu Beraki.
[citation needed] Modern Eritrean popular music can be traced back to the late 1960s, when the MaHber Theatre Asmara began to produce stars like Osman Abderrehim, Alamin Abdeletif, Yemane Ghebremichael (commonly known as Yemane Baria), Jabber, Ateweberhan Seghid, Yonus Ibrahim, Tsehaytu Beraki, Tewolde Redda, Teberh Tesfahiwet and Tukabo Weldemariam.
This can also involve jumping and bending one's knees, as well as going down to the floor to sit in a squatting position while bobbing those shoulders and moving the head sideways to the strong drum beats.
Traditional dances practiced by Eritrea's other Afro-Asiatic communities include those by the Saho, which involve jumping on each leg in rhythm with the beat.
For example, Dawit Shilan playing Atewebrhan Segid's 1970s jazz not only brought these classic song back to life, but showed his mastery of performance skills, particularly on the krar.
Piano bars have thus provided a platform for jazz and blues artists - and to a lesser extent the local dance music known as Guayla.
Hotels such as Sunshine, Savana, Bologna cub and Ayele family have been hosting contemporary favourites such as Yohannes Tikabo,[6] Tesfay Mengesha and Kahsai Haile regularly.
Gaeda is a communal music experience where a singer plays songs accompanied by friends beating drums, clapping and singing along.