Kamuzu Kassa () is an Ethiopian record producer and songwriter. Kamuzu started his career in 2006 composing spiritual songs, and in 2010 started writing Ethiopian popular music.

Early life

Kamuzu was born in

Beklo Segno Beklo Segno or Baqulo Sagno (Geʽez: በቅሎ ሰኞ) is a town in Wolayita Zone, South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia. The town is an administrative center of Bayra Koysha district of Wolayita Zone, Ethiopia. Beklo Segno is located about 32 ...

, Wolayita, Ethiopia, and raised in

Wolaita Sodo Sodo () or officially Wolaita Sodo (, ) is a city in south Ethiopia. The city is a political and administrative center of the Wolaita Zone and South Ethiopia Regional State. It has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation between above ...

. He was born to a

Protestant Christian Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes justification of sinners through faith alone, the teaching that salvation comes by unmerited divine grace, the priesthood of all believers, and the Bible as the sole infallible sourc ...

family and his father was a

health professional A health professional, healthcare professional (HCP), or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated as HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a Nursing, nur ...

and the mother a

housewife A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which may include Parenting, caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; Sew ...

. Kamuzu's passion for music grew in the church choir, and slowly spread to the outside. Kamuzu attended Bele

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

in the town of

Bele (Wolaita) Bale Hawassa ( Wolaytta: Bale Hawaassa) or in short Bale is a city in Wolayita Zone of South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia. The city is one of seven city administrations in Wolaita Zone. It is administrative capital of Kindo Koysha district ...

, and attended secondary school in

Sodo Sodo () or officially Wolaita Sodo (, ) is a city in south Ethiopia. The city is a political and administrative center of the Wolaita Zone and South Ethiopia Regional State. It has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation between abov ...

Career

Kamuzu composed music for local gospel singer and preacher Eyob Deno's album ''Halo Bado'' in 2004. Following this, he started to compose music for non-gospel singers as well. In 2007, he composed a single which is entitled "Aroge Arada" for Kako Getachew and this paved the way for him to the secular world of music. In 2006, Kamuzu went to

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

and started to compose music in his own studio called "Shakura". In this studio, he composed more than 2,000 songs.

Awards

The Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Tourism awarded him for his contribution to

Ethiopian music Ethiopian music is a term that can mean any music of Ethiopian origin, however, often it is applied to a genre, a distinct modal system that is pentatonic, with characteristically long intervals between some notes. The music of the Ethiopian Hi ...

in 2021. Kamuzu was named Addis Music Award's Best Composer of the Year in 2018.

Fana Broadcasting Corporate Fana Broadcasting Corporate S.C. (FBC) is a state-owned mass media company operating in Ethiopia. Launched in 1994 it focuses mostly on political, social and economical reports about Ethiopia. It operates radio and television stations within Ethi ...

awarded him for his contribution to Ethiopian Music on 27 September 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamuzu, Kassa Living people 1990 births Ethiopian composers Composers from Wolayita Zone People from Wolayita Zone People from Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region Musicians from Wolayita