ZENA - vol. II [new cassette]

ZENA
vol. II [new cassette]
Releasing on the 4th December 2026 via Brownswood Recordings on BANDCAMP ONLY

British-Ethiopian duo ZENA are releasing a limited-edition cassette of special live recordings (Touching Bass' Carnival Jam, Brawnswood stage at We Out Here festival) along with alternative versions of songs from their debut EP TEMESGEN.

Cassettes have played a huge part in Ethiopia’s musical history, as a form of self-expression and, at times, resistance. When the Derg military regime took power in 1974, nightlife was shut down by curfew, music was censored, and vinyl pressing all but stopped. Cassettes took over. Cheap and easy to copy, they kept Ethiopian music alive, passed from hand to hand, with some artists using them to share songs the regime didn’t want heard. For ZENA, releasing on tape is essential: a way of honouring the culture and carrying it forward.

They’ve also designed their own ZENA cassette player, so anyone can take part. After all, 'tezeta', the Ethiopian word for nostalgia and longing, is at the heart of the music.

The digital tracks will be available to the public on Bandcamp only from 4th December

Pre-orders for the cassette and the ZENA cassette player are live now until 13 November, and we’re only making as many as you ask for, so order soon or you’ll miss it: https://zenaforeva.bandcamp.com/album/vol-ii

Thank you for your continued support,
The Brownswood Fam