BKN Studio (Be Kindled Now!) seeks to be a creative force in the heart of Ethiopia crafting art that sparks hope and ignites inspiration.

Help us build an audio-visual creative space!

What is BKN (Be Kindled Now)

We are a media and entertainment initiative based in Ethiopia, East Africa. We are passionate about storytelling and creatives. Our work includes producing musical theater pieces, creating albums, and hosting events that provide a platform for different young artists to share their craft.

The Why

At BKN, we believe in the transformative power of storytelling. Our goal is to create hope-filled and inspiring content to “kindle the flames” within. We are also committed to collaborating with and supporting other passionate and talented artists. We aim to unlock the artistic potential of Ethiopia and showcase the excellence and beauty it can offer to the world.

The creative landscape in Ethiopia is often overshadowed by stereotypes of poverty, war and misery. However, Ethiopia is much more than that! Our goal is to showcase the country's rich artistry through compelling stories, epic music, thoughtful shows, and immersive games that reflect our experiences of beauty and grandeur. We are dedicated to sharing hope-filled and inspiring stories with the world, and we need your support to make this vision a reality.

The Story

We grew up volunteering at our local church involved in organizing various youth and culture events. Encouraged to be creative and to develop our fellow youths’ talents, we discovered our passion for media and entertainment. This ultimately led to the creation of BKN.

We later partnered with our church once again to stage an original Christmas musical, which turned out to be a resounding success. Encouraged by the success of the musical, we came together to explore further avenues of collaboration and entered the Honkai Star-Rail International Soundtrack Competition. Our soundtracks won third place twice—once in 2023 and again in 2024. After this we began to work on more creative projects in the form of events and albums.

Our biggest solo event to date was called “Story Nights,” held in April 2024. We dedicated a substantial amount of our own personal funds to bring a more formal, themed performance night to life. It was incredibly rewarding and thrilling to see it achieve such success. The event featured a diverse range of performances, including spoken word, instrumental pieces, and songs. We rented a venue, secured sound equipment, and ensured that all the participating artists were compensated for their time and talents. We then compiled all of our original performances into an EP titled “Wonder”.

Click here to see our latest album wonder.

The Founders

Our three co-founders are Yonatan Zenebe, Efrem Masresha and Halel Yehuwalashet.

Yonatan Zenebe: A worship leader, musician, and visionary strategist. Yonatan has been deeply involved in youth-centered creative initiatives. As the youth director at Beza Church, he was in the leadership team that planned and executed the city-wide youth talent night called Friday Night Fire which provided a platform for young artists. He also co-founded and co-hosted "The Schmoo Show,” a youth-focused radio show. He later directed and produced original musicals, bringing together his leadership and artistic talents to inspire and engage his community. He is a talented vocalist and musician with a love for creative projects, particularly in the realm of game development.

Efrem Masresha: A seasoned musician, producer and deep thinker. Efrem has been making music for the last 10 years and received his associate degree from EECMY School of Jazz Music. Efrem excels in music composition, arrangement, and production. He has collaborated with various Gospel artists, created soundtracks for commercials and documentaries, produced more than 30 original instrumental pieces and his own album. Additionally, he has extensive performance experience, both live and in the studio, and has taught music theory, piano, and guitar to students of all ages.

Halel Yehuwalashet: a talented writer, cinema enthusiast, and creative planner with a passion for storytelling in various forms. From a young age, she has been crafting poetry, songs, and other creative works. She also has performed at slam poetry nights and helped in writing scripts and songs for different musical projects. Halel is passionate about serving women and mentoring young girls in her local church, fostering their growth and development.

What We Want to Do

We’re raising the funds to build an audio-visual studio and creative space.

We plan to purchase and import essential audio and video equipment, including computers, cameras, microphones, and other studio necessities. However, due to high import taxes on professional audio-visual equipment, a significant portion of our budget will go toward these expenses. Additionally, funds will be allocated for renting a location for at least one year.

Since this will be a dedicated space for creatives, we will also invest in furnishing the studio and equipping it with essential features, including workbenches, practice areas, and soundproofing treatments. Establishing this creative space will empower us to produce and share high-quality audio and visual content while fostering collaboration with other artists.

We invite you to join us on this journey to build a vibrant creative space in Ethiopia. Your support will help us turn our vision into reality, empowering artists and sharing inspiring stories with the world.