Aster

African music with an Arab tinge blended with American R&B, and gave birth to this Ethiopian marvel, Aster. Aster Aweke’s wild and joyous keening has the kick of a desert-bred Aretha Franklin. You sit up and take notice, even if you don’t understand a single word of Amharic. Too bad some of the songs are empty pop. But still, this is a striking debut. B