I’m listening to Desert Island Discs a lot at the moment after a friend told me that you can download episodes dating back to the 1940s. 

In Jools Holland’s selection, he mentioned that in London in the 1930s there were more pianos than cars. Today, that’s easily the other way round, but there’s something about this idea of there being more pianos than cars which I like. I suppose it was the same in America too, when Nat King Cole (pictured) was doing his thing.

Beautiful piano music from Emahoy Tsegue-Maryam. I first heard Emahoy on the dreamy Snore and Guzzle podcast. She is an 85 year old nun, who now lives in Jerusalem. She currently plays piano at a monastery, apparently seven hours a day.

Her story is incredible. This is an extremely short version adapted from her Foundation website:

She was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and sent to boarding school in Switzerland where she studied violin then piano. After returning to Ethiopia she was taken a prisoner of war by the Italians aged 14. After the war she resumed her musical studies and was eventually ordained a nun at the age of 21. 

Although leading a rather consuming life in the religious order, she managed to keep playing music. Then in the early 1960s, she had a moving experience with a group of young homeless people at the church. This led her to decide to use her music to help these and other young people get an education.

So with some handy help from Emperor Haile Selassie (why yes, that’s the Rastaman himself!) she made her first record in 1967. Other recordings followed, with proceeds going to an orphanage for children who died fighting the war.

Emahoy still writes music today and there is growing interest in her life and music across the world. 

If you want to hear more, check out Volume 21 from the most excellent compilation series Ethiopiques, which releases Ethiopian music, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s.