Veronica Adane, one of Ethiopia’s youngest and most promising musicians, has made history with her debut album, Meteriyayie.
The album, which will be released on August 29, 2024, has become the most expensive in Ethiopian music history, selling for a staggering 17 million birr (approximately $160,000).
At a press conference, Veronica shared that producing and completing Meteriyayie cost her around 6 million birr. Despite the significant investment, the album’s sale price has set a new record in the Ethiopian music industry.
Listeners will have access to the album through various platforms, including streaming on the Telegram Cassette app, Veronica’s YouTube channel, and international apps managed by Zojak Worldwide, a US based publishing company that distributes artists’ work on multiple platforms.
Several talented musicians contributed to Meteriyayie. Abel Mulugeta composed four tracks, Abudi added seven tracks, and Surafel Yeshitila created a Swahili version of one track.
The entire album was mixed and mastered by Solomon Hailemariam, with Veronica overseeing the production herself.
Initially, the album was scheduled for release on August 23, 2024, but the date was postponed due to the tragic incident involving a seven-year-old child in Bahirdar City. This tragic event prompted Veronica to delay the album’s release in solidarity.
The album, which took Veronica three years to complete, contains 12 tracks. In addition, two music videos from the album were shot in the United States and will be released alongside the album at midnight. The purchase of the album will include these video clips.
In recent years, Ethiopian musicians have increasingly gained the attention of international companies.
Two years ago, Rophnan Nuri became the first Ethiopian artist to sign a contract with Universal Records, a major international music corporation with headquarters in the Netherlands and California.
Rophnan, who has released three albums, including Sidist VI and Zetegn, is a DJ, singer, songwriter, and audio engineer known for creating a new genre of Ethiopian music.
Aster Aweke, another prominent Ethiopian artist, was the first to sign with a major label, Columbia Records, in the late 1980s.
These developments highlight the growing international recognition of Ethiopian music and its artists.
