With his newly-released sophomore album ‘Amén (The Nomad’s Dream) ’, Amain Berhane aka Berhana makes a dreamy sonic embrace of his Ethiopian roots. The Atlanta-raised, LA-based singer-songwriter, who first found acclaim in 2016 with his debut self-titled EP, is here merging East African instrumentalisation and Ethio-jazz melodies with hip hop, neo-soul and R&B sounds to accompany his reflections on his heritage, personal growth and love. ‘Amén’ is also accompanied by a short film, which he shot in Addis Ababa with his creative peers from the city and pushes his storytelling into new realms. In conversation with Berhana, Nataal deep dives into the artist’s musical inspirations, diasporic identity and connection to the East.

Who did you grow up listening to?

As a kid I listened to The Neptunes, OutKast, Mulatu Astatke. I tried to steer away from Ethiopian music - I was like, that’s my mum's thing. Clearly I wasn’t conscious of it when I was younger but those artists were incorporating fusion into their music. Mulatu takes jazz, and traditional Ethiopian chords and mixes them together, and The Neptunes do the same thing. I really like when artists take things you don’t necessarily see as compatible and make something new out of it.

Which project to come out of Ethiopia would you say has inspired you most?

I love ‘Wede Harer Guzo’ by Hailu Mergia. Also, when I listen to Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou’s albums, even though there’s no words, I’ll get chills. You can feel the emotion of Tizita. Very nostalgic, very spiritual. Words almost get in the way when you try to describe the feeling it gives you.

There’s a noticeable shift in your sound from your 2019 debut album ‘HAN’ to ‘Amén’, especially with the new album’s opening track, ‘Gone: Abebe Bikila’. How would you describe this new chapter?

I was focused more on my inner experiences and growth. Over the past few years, I’ve been finding ways in which to process that. With everybody, these past few years have been all over the place, I’ve had good and bad times. And for me, it’s like having your foot in both worlds, like Ethiopian culture and also American, Western culture. So, I asked myself, how do I express what that was like for me?... And then when I’m recording music, I try not to come into it with an agenda and create as unconsciously as possible, then revisit it later on.

Tell us about the album title.

‘Amén’, which is my name, means ‘let it be’. And after it says, ‘YeZelan Hilm’, which means ‘The Nomad’s Dream’. For me, this idea of the nomad was this character that brings their home with them wherever they go. The album has such a dreamlike quality because I think that is the thing that you get to bring with you wherever you go - your dreams. I’m personifying that idea. It’s something I’ve learnt to do and am still learning to do - to bring this sense of home with me, into whatever space I’m in.

Which song was your favourite to make on this project?

The last song ‘Going Home’ because the album is working its way towards that song. It kind of sounds like a traditional song, but then you hear autotune and Western influences at the same time. It’s a song of acceptance. It’s accepting the good and bad that life has to offer and being appreciative to be able to experience all of it. Whether that’s life or death. That’s the goal. It’s a song that those that have passed away before me were able to give to me. It’s a song I get to give to others when I pass.

Your short film is reflective of the experiences of Ethiopian diaspora communities globally. What message did you want to convey to viewers?

The film is adding another layer to the album – maybe things people couldn’t get from only listening to the album. It means a lot to me to have this other experience, this other album of music. It still takes you to the same place, just in a different way.

As someone that grew up in the West, in what ways has it been challenging to connect to your roots?

When you’re in America, you don’t quite fit in, then when you’re with your family, you don’t quite fit in and so it’s this awkward space of ‘where do I belong?’. But now, I’ve been trying to embrace that feeling. I am both.

What do you want people to think of when they hear the name Berhana?

I hope that they take away how individual it is, how personal it is to my experience and apply that to themselves. Being able to embrace and express that experience. It sounds so easy but it's pretty difficult to accept and love who you are and be confident in that.