The Cedar Presents
ABINNET BERHANU'S AHNDENET and FANAKA NATION
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 / Doors: 7:00 PM / Show: 7:30 PM
All Ages
Standing
FREE
This is a standing show with an open floor. To request seating or other access accommodations, please go to our Access Page.
LISTEN
ABOUT THIS SHOW
NIVA Salute to Independent Venues: In partnership with MNIVA and the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department.
The Cedar welcomes local artists Abinnet Berhanu’s Ahndenet and Fanaka Nation for a free show coinciding with the National Independent Venue Association 2026 Conference. Ahndenet reimagines Ethiopian folk, fusion, and popular music through contemporary jazz-informed arrangements. Fanaka Nation is an AfroTrap artist of Kenyan and Lao descent, and host of the MPLS Afrobeats dance party.
ABINNET BERHANU’S AHNDENET
Drummer, composer and arranger Abinnet Berhanu’s Ahndenet (“Unity”) is a Minneapolis-based ensemble that reimagines Ethiopian folk, fusion, and popular music through contemporary jazz-informed arrangements, layered rhythms, and rich vocal traditions drawn from across Ethiopia’s diverse cultural regions.
Founded by Ethiopian-American composer and drummer Abinnet Berhanu, Ahndenet emerged from a lifelong immersion in Ethiopian history, music, and political discourse. Inspired by the legacy of Ethiopian “culture house” ensembles — groups dedicated to preserving and representing regional artistic traditions — Berhanu created Ahndenet as a modern expression of cultural unity through music.
The ensemble features vocalist Genet Abate alongside Ryan Freitas (saxophone), Jeff Bailey (bass), Pete Whitman (saxophone), and Kavyesh Kaviraj (keys). Blending traditional Ethiopian musical forms with improvisation, contemporary harmony, and diasporic influences, Ahndenet creates performances that are both deeply rooted and forward-looking.
Ahndenet debuted during Berhanu’s 2023 artist residency at Icehouse and has since grown into a dynamic platform for cultural preservation, collaboration, and musical exploration. In 2024, the project received a Cultural Heritage Grant from the Minnesota Humanities Center as part of the Folk Will Save Us Culture Ambassador Cohort, recognizing its contribution to sustaining and celebrating Ethiopian cultural heritage through contemporary performance.
FANAKA
Pushing the envelope with his catchy rap steeze "AfroTrap", he is a rising star inthe Minneapolis music scene. A product of immigrant parents hailing from Kenya and Laos, he attributes his sounds to growing up in Minnesota & constantly having world music playing in his home (ranging from Soukouss style to “Mor Lum” rhythms)
Some of his past live shows range from performing with Soulja Boy to opening up for Davido. Some of his favorite concerts include performing with Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, Ata Kak, and being the featured performer for Lao New Year at the University of Minnesota.
Fanaka is the co-founder & host of “Mpls Afrobeats”. A dance party centered around local afro music & culture. Each night also features a local performer.
His newly released single titled “Blicky Love” is an infectious, shoulder swaying, and unwrinkled Afro pop tune about playing Russian roulette with a love that is wishy washy. This joint features the brilliant local musician Bakarii.
