Still on search to find more examples of Ethiopian Melekket: form of music notation for Zema chants in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church dates back to 16th century. Found this lovely graphic which can also be ordered as a poster!
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Ethiopian chant kiñit were pentatonic, which contrasts w/ other Eastern Orthodox Churchs' usage of/notation for maqamat, echoi, and other types of modal systems. Obviously this contrasts moreso with the Western church--both notations developed/used as well as scales used!
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P.S. And folks need to see what this Melekket/Ethiopian Chant Notation is actually representing. Here's an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Mezmur - a mezmur is a spiritual song from, or inspired by, Saint Yared (505-571).
P.P.S. Also interesting that Saint Yared (505-571) and Saint Gregory the Great/Pope Gregory I (540-604) both have music origin stories tied to birds.
Excerpt in image from "Zēmā: A Concept of Sacred Music in Ethiopia" by Kay Kaufman Shelemay
jstor.org/stable/43560851
Excerpt in image from "Zēmā: A Concept of Sacred Music in Ethiopia" by Kay Kaufman Shelemay
jstor.org/stable/43560851
An interesting modern adaptation of Melekket was used by Orchestra Ethiopia, a pan-Ethiopian musical group existed from 1963-1975 that I discovered last year.
Image below from the Garland Handbook of African Music (ed. Ruth M. Stone), page 30.
Image below from the Garland Handbook of African Music (ed. Ruth M. Stone), page 30.
OE was similar in concept to the Pan-African Orchestra of Ghana but focused on musicians from regions in and close to Ethiopia. The notation system above was used to help musicians, from primarily oral traditions, adapt to playing new compositions.
