The Brass Band of the King - (Armenians in the Modern and Early Modern World) by Boris Adjemian (Hardcover)

About the Book

"How and why were 40 Armenian children, survivors of the genocide, adopted in Jerusalem in 1924 by the Crown Prince of Ethiopia Ras Tèafèari Mèakonnen? In answering this question, Boris Adjemian here tells the fascinating story of the history and significance of the Armenian presence in Ethiopia. Beginning with the case study of the orphans, the author traces the history of other Armenians who, he shows, adopted Ethiopia as a homeland of substitution. Considered as coreligionists, they were not regarded as foreign by their hosts. The book analyses this extraordinary episode and its legacy, and the profound questions it raises about the making of national and collective identities and diaspora"--

Book Synopsis

In 1924, the crown prince and future emperor of Ethiopia, Ras Täfäri, on a visit to Jerusalem, called on forty Armenian orphans who had survived the genocide of 1915-1916 to form his empire's royal brass band. The conductor, who was also Armenian, composed the first official anthem of the Ethiopian state.


Drawing on this highly symbolic event, and following the history of the small Armenian community in Ethiopia, in this book Boris Adjemian shows how it operated on the margins of political society, hiding in its interstices, preferring intimacy and discreet loyalty to the glitter of open politics. The astonishing role of the Armenians in their host country was embodied in the friendship that the kings and queens of Ethiopia extended to them, a theme that is echoed in the life stories collected from their descendants.


Bringing to light the political and cultural importance of a community that has long been ignored and has almost vanished, this study draws on the collective memory of Armenian immigration and the centuries-long history of proximity between the Armenian and Ethiopian Churches. The author argues for a sedentary approach to the diaspora, for a socio-history of this collective rootedness, which dates back to the 19th century and builds on historical representations of otherness from the early modern period up to the colonial era. Highlighting stateless immigrants halfway between the national and the foreign, this history reveals the agency of stateless immigrants and their descendants, their ability to play with identities and undermine assigned belongings.


The Brass Band of the King is an original exploration of the social making of nationhood and foreignness in Africa and elsewhere.

Review Quotes

I knew Edward Said well for decades... I won't hesitate to say that he would have particularly applauded the exploration of Orientalism in Boris's book.
Khachig Tölölyan, Professor, Wesleyan University, USA

This magnificent work is now available in an excellent English translation. Boris Adjemian's engaging and comprehensive book on Ethiopian-Armenians offers a captivating exploration into the emergence and development of diasporic communities, accompanied by a rich theoretical debate. It is a work that excels in both depth and innovation.
Vahé Tachjian, Chief Editor, Houshamadyan, Germany

About the Author

Boris Adjemian is the Director of the AGBU Nubar Library, France. He holds a PhD in history from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), France, and Università degli Studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", Italy. He is the co-editor of the academic journal Études arméniennes contemporaines.