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Kate Molleson travels to Jerusalem to meet a legend of Ethiopian music.

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou is a piano-playing nun.

Born in 1923 to a noble Ethiopian family, Emahoy was celebrated as a young musician in Addis Ababa – even performing for the Emperor Haile Selassie.

But when she was mysteriously refused permission to take up a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music in London, her life changed forever, and she abandoned music.

For 10 years she lived on the holy mountain of Guishen, barefoot, in solitary prayer and meditation, until the monastery had to close and Emahoy headed home to Addis Ababa. She slowly returned to the piano keyboard, composing languorous waltzes, infected with the spirit of ancient Ethiopian music.

In 1996, as her music became the 21st release in the now famous Ethiopiques series of records, she came to international attention. By this time she had fled the communist regime in Ethiopia and moved to Jerusalem to work for the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchy.

She now lives in a small cell, surrounded by her religious paintings, photographs of her family and of Emperor Haile Selassie propped up on top of her piano.

In recent years, she’s been moved to publish her work, editing a lifetime of manuscripts with the help of the Israeli musician and composer Maya Duniet. She’s also set up a foundation in her name to help children to acquire instruments and music education.

A long-time fan of Emahoy’s music, journalist Kate Molleson talks with the musician-turned nun who, now in her 90s, has led a remarkable life and is still driven to compose her unique music.

Producer: Peter Meanwell

A Reduced Listening production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2017.

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