Jano Band, a full band and one Ethiopia’s prime acts, is disbanding, Ethiopia Observer learnt.
After 6 years together, the Jano band members are splitting up over disputes over ownership of the band name and financial problems.

The band has been at work on its second album and recently headlined a festival in Italy.
The ten band members, Michael Hailu, Kirubel Tesfaye, Dibekulu Tafesse, Edward Gazeri, Gudeta Bezabih, Gemechu Mezgebu, Yohannes Mekonnen, Hewan Gebrewold, Haleluya Tekletsadik, and Hailu Amerga were embroiled in a bitter dispute about the future of the band and ownership. According to sources, the band was in a difficult financial position for some time and some of the members demanded to be equally owners of the band and share income, which was strongly objected by the manager of the band Samuel Tefera. Samulel legally owned the registered Jano trademark, after he took it from the former manager and founder Addis Gessesse.
Though some meditations were tried by renowned music producers, Elias Melka and Abegaz Shiyota, the members finally decided to go their separate ways. “Now the discussion between the members is about the incoming album, its release date and condition,” WezWez Addis radio host, DJ Kingston said.
The band had the ambition to transform traditional Ethiopian music and fuse it with the sounds of rock ’n roll. Their debut album Ertale was released in 2012. The band’s tour of different parts of the country as well as the USA in 2015 attracted tremendous attention. In early 2016 the band toured Europe, performing in Oslo, Geneva, Rome, Basel and Milan. Their singles from the incoming album ‘Darigne’ and “Yibekal” received positive feedback.