Aster Aweke

Aster Aweke (Amharic: አስቴር አወቀ; born 1959) is an Ethiopian singer-songwriter. Considered "Queen of Ethiopian Pop Music", she is one of the most significant Ethiopian artists in the 20th and 21st century.

Born in Gondar province, Aster moved to Addis Ababa with her father who worked as civil servant in the imperial government of Haile Selassie. Aster recalled that she was discouraged by her family to pursue her music ambition. She listened to songs like Tilahun Gessesse and Bizunesh Bekele, as well as American musicians like Donna Summer and Aretha Franklin. Aster has worked with numerous musical bands, performed through clubs at Addis Ababa with famous bands including Shebelle Band, Roha Band, Ibex Band and Hotel D'Afrique Band.

From 1977, she began producing her own music. In 1981, she moved to the U.S., settled in Washington D.C. Aster has worked entertaining in restaurant and clubs. Her self-titled album Aster was released by Columbia Records after a 1989 release by British independent label Triple Earth. In 1997, she returned to Ethiopia, showcasing her unique musical versatility. After founding her recording studio, Kabu Records, she released widely acclaimed albums such as Hagere (1999), Sugar (2001), Aster Ballads (2004), Fikir (2006) and Checheho (2010).