Kaethe Hostetter (Debo Band, QWANQWA, Fred Frith) is an American violinist, composer, and bandleader, who's been deeply invested in exploring, preserving, and expanding Ethiopian traditional sounds for over 15 years.

A founding member of critically-acclaimed Debo Band, Kaethe relocated to Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, immersing herself in the country's deep musical culture. In her eleven years there, she founded a music school, and started a new band, QWANQWA; which brought together some of the most accomplished players in Addis Ababa’s music scene. QWANQWA has recorded 3 albums and made several international tours. During the COVID lockdown, she relocated to her hometown of Santa Cruz, CA, to quarantine with her family.
While there Kaethe released QWANAQA's third album, and recorded a solo album of Ethiopian-inspired violin compositions, as well as two other albums in collaboration with other artists.

(temporary copy)