ZENA

Born in London, ZENA brings together the keyboardist and producer Yohan Kebede, also a member of Kokoroko, and the bassist and producer Menelik Mulugeta Claffey, who performs under the name Menelik. The duo engages in a dialogue between Ethiopian heritage and the contemporary London scene, starting from the Ethio-jazz heard in their family environments and opening it to more current forms. ZENA's music thus blends melodic lines inspired by Ethiopian traditions, soul textures, deep bass and atmospheres that borrow from alternative R&B, trip-hop, dub and a measured psychedelic touch. The project is built around a studio approach where writing, production and improvisation stay central, with a sound that is enveloping, slowly moving and very rhythmic. ZENA emerged in the mid-2020s with its first online tracks, before announcing the TEMESGEN EP, due in 2026 on Brownswood Recordings. Through this project, ZENA develops a duo format that links cultural memory, sonic research and circulation between jazz, British Black music and East African and African heritages.