Born in Addis Ababa in 1991, HaddinQo (Haddis Alemayehu) is the AFRIMA 2025 winner for Best African Artiste, Duo or Group in African Jazz and one of the fiercest contemporary forces behind the MasinQo; the ancient one-stringed bowed lute shared by Ethiopia and Eritrea. 

Self-taught from the age of seventeen, he has turned the instrument into a blazing vehicle for fire, soul, swagger, and global impact, sharing stages with legends and amateur artists around the world. 

From the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo to Paris Fashion Week, Brazil’s Carnival, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, and Meskel Square before 200,000 people, HaddinQo has pushed the MasinQo onto elite international stages. At World Music Day 2025 in Lusaka, he helped bring together 400 Ethiopians and Eritreans in a powerful celebration of the instrument as a symbol of pride, identity, and unity. 

In December 2024, he released his debut album, Streets of HAddis, a bold artistic statement that amplified his global movement: One String One World.