TOPSHOT - Students of Eman Begena School sing religious songs as they carry their begenas on a taxi bus heading to perform at a begena therapy session in Addis Ababa on February 13, 2025. The begena, a one-meter-long lyre with ten sheep-gut strings symbolizing the Ten Commandments, has been central to Ethiopian Orthodox prayers for centuries. Played seated and plucked with the left hand, begena players wear a netela, a traditional white garment. Once reserved for elites and later banned under the Derg regime, it has since seen a resurgence.Ermias Haylay has been key to its revival, founding a school seven years ago to train students globally. He also plays in retirement homes, hospitals, and during surgeries as musical therapy and runs a company producing and exporting begenas. With growing demand, he hopes to expand globally and explore its therapeutic effects. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)