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Showing posts with label ethiopian jazz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ethiopian jazz. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Nebiyu T. Kebede - Rhythm of Life [2005] [ethiopia]




                                                          R E U P L O A D  




       Nebiyu T. Kebede started playing keyboard at the tender age of 10. Growing up in Italy during the 80s where MTV was just starting to influence young kids, he and his brothers were strongly drawn to the music scene. Once back in Ethiopia, his interest in music further developed when his brothers started playing for their school bands. Looking at the interest that the brothers had in music, except his sister Liya Kebede which was interested in modeling, his parents bought them a keyboard. 











       With a gift for playing music by ear, he quickly taught himself how to play everyone's favorite tunes, including Tizita and the instrumentals that used to play on Ethiopian Television. Even though his brothers (Samson Kebede and Ermias Kebede) used to play for their high school's band at St. Joseph, he never went the route of the performer but kept his interest at home.












      Later on in college he discovered his ability to write melodies while spending long hours at the school's recording studio. To balance off the demanding studying required pursuing a degree in computer science, he spent many hours in the recording studio learning the art of arrangement and the science of recording music as well. Since then, he built his own recording studio and production company called Rhythm And Soul productions - all while maintaining his day job as a software consultant.

        After college, the passion for writing continued and Berhane Nesh was the first single released at the Ethiopian Soccer Tournament in 2000. Following the good reception from the single, his first album Mood Swings / Ye Simet Kana was released in 2001. It was sponsored by Ethiopian Airlines and sold aboard their flight for 4 years consecutively until the release of the new album Rhythm Of Life / Tirita which replaced it. 










     During the years, his interest in guitar and bass grew as well. From his collaborations with Abera Alemu (guitar) and his brother Ermias Kebede (bass), both from Abogida band, he witnessed the flavor the two instruments added to his Mood Swings album. Since then he has started practicing guitar and bass to a point where he recorded guitar tracks on his new Rhythm of Life album and on other CDs he produced for other artists, like Danny Gofferae and Neway Afe.

      He is currently working on his third album as well as producing other artists as his demand for  his musical touch grows...









Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Jazzmaris - [2011] - Concert in Paris [ethiopia]











   

         Jazzmaris is a quartet from Ethiopia and Germany, playing since 2007 in Addis Ababa and elsewhere.The composition of the group is: drums, bass, electric guitar and alto saxophone.

          Their music’s are Ethiopian melodies played as own arrangements with various influences like Jazz, Rock and improvised music.

         The group’s name is a combination of the words Jazz and Asmaris. The Asmaris are the traditional musicians (troubadours) of Ethiopia. They play and sing since centuries, expressing the feelings and opinions of the people.

      The repertoire of Jazzmaris is mostly modern Ethiopian songs of singers like Mahmoud Ahmed, Girma Beyene, Muluken Melesse, Telahoun Gessesse and others. The aim of the group is to play Ethiopian music in a fresh way, giving the music a new expression and sound.







Jazzmaris in Paris 2011





drums (Nathaniel Tesemma) 
bass (Henock Temesgen) 
electric guitar (Jörg Pfeil) 
alto saxophone (Olaf Boelsen)




1. Lanchi Biye
2. Yekatit
3. Almaz Ye Hararwa
4. Musicawi Silt
5. Ene Negn Bai Manesh
6. Meche New
7. Meche Dereshe
8. Aynotche Terabu




Tuesday, September 27, 2016

v.a. - ethio jazz compilation [2012] [ethiopia]



                             
   R E U P L O A D   





       


       One of my first compilations made for this blog. Brief introduction to the beginings of ethiopian jazz music, with some newer authors.

         Enjoy and comment!





1. Mulatu Astatke - Maskaram Setaba (1:47)
2. Teshome Mitiku - Yekrmo Sew (4:18)
3. Tesfa Maryam Kidane - Heywete (5:16)
4. Bahta Gebre-Heywet - Ewnet Yet Lagegnesh (2:47)
5. Charles Sutton quartet - Uuta ayaskefam  (5:40)
6. Girma Beyene - Set Alamenem  (5:28)

7. Sax Summit - Feker ende sekuar  (8:18)
8. Addis Acoustic Project - Selam Yihoun Lehoulachin (4:43)
9. Mulatu Astatke - Netsanet (5:35)
10. Arat Kilo - Get a Chew (4:48)
11. Akalé Wubé - Ragalé (5:10)
12. Imperial Tiger Orchestra - Selam Temagwet (5:36)

13. Debo Band - Akale Wube [trad.] (4:53)
14. Asmara All Stars - Bloom Brothers Mood (6:36)
15. Tesfa Mariam Kidane - Victim of Famine (4:35)
16. Girma Wolde Michael - Loga [Nesh Loga] (6:23)
17. Daniel W/Gabriel - Befikirish Meyaze (6:10)
18. Abiyou Solomon - Munane Agew (5:54)

19. Nebiyu T. Kebede - Groovy (3:46)
20. Ethio Band - Ethiopian melody (7:29)
21. Theodros Mitiku - Teddy's Mood (6:29)
22. Moges Habte - Alchalkum (6:17)
23. Yared Tefera - Anchi Hoyew Lene (6:01)
24. Tilaye Gebre - Yenigat Kokeb/Yelelit Berehane (9:31)









Monday, September 12, 2016

Dereje Mekonnen - Tarik [ethiopia]









       Dereje Mekonnen began his career in the early 1980's as a keyboard player in the Ibex band, which accompanied the singer Mahmoud Ahmed on three albums. Then He founded the formation Dallol, a reggae band with which he concerted in Chicago. He also accompanied  Ziggy Marley on his albums Conscious Party (1988) and One Bright Day (1989), which were awarded the Grammy. After numerous tours with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, he founded band Gizzae in 1991, with which he appeared mainly in Chicago and the Midwest of the USA. He also worked with Ethiopian musicians like Tilahun Gessesse and Ephrem Tamiru. Dereje also produced the first album of Ejigayehu Shibabaw, One Ethiopia (1998). 

Dereje Makonnen died young, at the age of 49 years.






Ibex Band - Yezemed Yebada




       To most of his adoring fans that got close to knowing him by first name, he was just simply known to them as "DJ" and more importantly to his own family and ours, we called him Dereje. The 5th one down from a family of eleven (also his favorite chord progression...) and in my humble opinion: the most gifted keyboard player there is among Ethiopian Musicians. 

      Dereje "DJ" Makonnen was not one to drop names nor pre-occupy his time and energy with whom he has worked with and/or help bring them to stardom, he wanted to play music since he can actually see the blueprint of what the song should be each time the singer/artist bring the lyrics and the "Zema" (pronounced Zay_MAH: a word in amharic which means melody). 

     Dereje Makonnen was one of the key element in revolutionizing modern Ethiopian Music (meaning using non-traditional musical instruments) He was always playing the guitar [his favorite instrument] the keys and also the bass at the forefront of trying new sounds and arrangement styles that no one was attempting. Many of the current Ethiopian musicians refer to him as a mentor.




Dereje Mekonnen - 01 - Che belew (3:49)
Dereje Mekonnen - 02 - Anchi Hoye (5:28)
Dereje Mekonnen - 03 - Ethiopia (5:00)
Dereje Mekonnen - 04 - Yekermo sew (4:52)
Dereje Mekonnen - 05 - Mamaye (3:51)
Dereje Mekonnen - 06 - Yidenekal (5:16)
Dereje Mekonnen - 07 - Ambassel (4:18)
Dereje Mekonnen - 08 - Sileyat (4:21)
Dereje Mekonnen - 09 - Tarik (3:06)
Dereje Mekonnen - 10 - Eyuat sitinafikegn (4:52)




Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Zvuloon Dub System - Anbessa Dub [2014] [isr+eth]









       Zvuloon Dub System is Israel's leading Reggae band. Adopting their name from one of the twelve tribes of Israel, the band was formed in 2006 by the Smilan brothers. They shared the same passion for roots reggae and dub, with influences from a variety of music styles, like Ethiopian jazz and rare grooves from the 70’s, USA's soul, funk and jazz, alongside with Israeli mizrahi (oriental) music.





   Zvuloon Dub System - Anbessa Dub [FULL ALBUM]   



band members:

Gili Yalo - lead vocals, 
Inon Peretz - trumpet, 
Ilan Adiri - tenor sax, 
Ilan Smilan - lead guitar, 
Simon Nahum - rhythm guitar, 
Lior Romano - piano and organ, 
Tal Marcus - bass, 
Asaf Smilan - drums and percussion 


guests artists:

Mahmoud Ahmed - vocals (5), 
Zemene Melesse - vocals (8), 
Yaacov Lilay - vocals (7), krar (1,7,10), 
Dejen Manchelot – masinko (10), 
Roei Hermon - trumpet (6, 9), 
Yonatan Voltzok - trombone ?(1-5, 7) 
Maayan Milo – trombone (6,8,9), 
Omri Abramov - alto Sax (1-3, 5-7,9),
Elad Gellert -? baritone sax (1), 
Shay Sattaman Jacovi - backing vocals (8) 








Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Nebiyu T. Kebede - Mood Swings [2002] [ethiopia]




                        R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   




       The highlights of "Mood Swings" are its originality, smoothingness and musical variety: Ethiopian, jazz, reggae, African Soukous, ballads and more. Every song, as the title of the album insinuates, possesses its own mood. 











       The album's "Nostalgia" and "Visions of Love" account for a mellow mood, "Eskesta" and "Sweet Soukous" are upbeat songs, "Night Life" and "Urban Life" possess a jazzy groove and the romantic "Berhane Nesh" and "Hiwot" are more reflective. 













"Endegena Degmo" has received high popularity for it's traditional yet modern feel. The last song on the album "All My Love" is a dance music produced in collaboration with a young and talented singer Yolanda Davis.









Nebiyu T. Kebede - 01 - Nostalgia (5:26)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 02 - Berhane Nesh (5:02)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 03 - Endegena Degmo (4:39)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 04 - Hiwot (4:28)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 05 - Eskesta (4:26)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 06 - Night Groove (4:12)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 07 - Visions of Love (4:30)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 08 - Urban Life (4:03)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 09 - Sweet Soukous (3:40)
Nebiyu T. Kebede - 10 - All My Love (4:41)



Thursday, July 28, 2016

Nadav Haber Quartet - Addis Mist , A Journey Between Ethiopia and Jerusalem [2007] [israel+ethiopia]









         Nadav Haber started to learn the clarinet at the age of 10. In 1988-89 he lead a qaurtet in the Tel-Aviv clubs in Israel, and played in a blues duo. In the 90's nadav has switched to the tenor sax, and began to explore Ethiopian music. He played in Ethiopian dance bands all over Israel, in Ethiopian clubs and weddings. This has lead to the issue of Ethiopian Blues, and other smaller productions that were aimed at the Ethiopian Israeli market. 

          In recent years Nadav moved back to playing jazz, and in 2003 led a hard bop quintet in Jerusalem. He is currently working on two projects - an Ethiopian Jazz program and a “Favorite ballads” program.







Nadav Haber Quartet - Merkato




Nadav Haber Quartet - 01 - Merkato (6:23)
Nadav Haber Quartet - 02 - Revalation (8:40)
Nadav Haber Quartet - 03 - Reflection (9:09)
Nadav Haber Quartet - 04 - Rambling (8:33)
Nadav Haber Quartet - 05 - Limbo (8:42)
Nadav Haber Quartet - 06 - Sudan (6:16)
Nadav Haber Quartet - 07 - Arrival (7:02)
Nadav Haber Quartet - 08 - Tizita (9:03)
Nadav Haber Quartet - 09 - Prayer (12:38)








Saturday, July 23, 2016

Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - Sensual Breeze [ethiopia]










Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 01 - Shemendefer (ሸመንደፈር) (4:40)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 02 - YeSergachin Elet (የሰርጋችን ዕለት) (6:14)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 03 - Ewedishalhu (እወድሻለሁ) (4:45)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 04 - Mela Fikire Maleda (መላፍቅሬ ማለዳ) (5:19)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 05 - BeChilanchil (በጭላንጭል) (4:54)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 06 - Eyasie (እያሴ) (5:20)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 07 - Enchin Mesay (እንችን መሳይ) (5:48)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 08 - Flagot Betnifash (ፍላጎት በትንፋሽ) (5:01)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 09 - Ethiopia (ኢትዮጵያ) (4:47)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 10 - Gomu - Lembo (ጎሙሌምቦ) (3:36)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 11 - Set Lij Lebalua (ሴት ልጅ ለባሏ) (4:44)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 12 - Gurage Mood (ጉራጌ ሙድ) (5:18)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 13 - Mela Belu (መላ በሉ) (6:57)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 14 - Aykelon Eye (አይክእሎን እየ) (4:40)
Daniel Gashaw aka Dani Boy - 15 - Amharic Instrumental (5:16)




Saturday, June 4, 2016

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - [1985] - [ethiopia]










              Hailu Mergia was born in Debre Birhan, Showa Province, Ethiopia in 1938 (1946 in the European calendar) to parents Tewabech Ezineh and Mergia Lulessa, who were of Amhara and Oromo ancestry, respectively. His mother took him to Aynemisa, close to Addis, where he grew up from age 3 until he was 10 when they moved to the capital Addis Ababa.

                Hailu went to Shimelis Habte high school but dropped out before graduating. In 1952 (1960 in European calendar), he joined the army music department as a boy scout to support his mother. Mergia stayed in the army almost two years, learning how to read and write music.

                After Hailu left the army, he started singing in small bars as a freelance musician. He joined various pick-up bands, touring across the Ethiopian provinces as a singer and accordion player for almost a year. After the group broke up, he started performing in nightclubs like Addis Ababa, Patrice Lumumba, Asegedech Alamrew, Sombrero, Zula Club and others. At Zula Club he and his mates formed Walias Band and did something no other band in Ethiopian nightclub history had done: they started buying their own musical instruments. Until then the club owners were supplying the instruments and had the power to fire musicians at will.




Zula Band 


             For the first time ever Walias Band signed a contract with the owner of Venus Club as a group thereby protecting themselves from club owners. Mergia and Walias Band went on to do gigs at hotels like Wabi Shebele and the Hilton.

             After playing almost eight years at the Hilton Hotel, Mergia and Walias Band came to the United States and toured widely in 1982-1983. Afterwards, some of of the band stayed in America while others went back to Addis. That was a heartbreaking time for the band. They considered themselves a family, and they knew they had broken new ground in the history of Addis nightclub musicians. They had helped make the Ashantis Band from Kenya famous in Addis.

         They were the first private band who played for state dinners at the palace for the Derg government (twice). And, they were the first private band to tour the USA. After the break-up of Walias Band, Mergia settled in the States and formed Zula Band with Moges Habte and Tamiru Ayele, playing in different restaurants and touring in the States and Europe.






             At that time, Mergia made a one-man band recording with accordion for the first time, mixing in Rhodes electric piano, Moog synthesizer and a rhythm machine. That was 1985. This recording was inspired by the early memories of his first instrument, the accordion. After the break-up of Zula Band in 1992, he quit performing and ran Soukous Club for seven years with his partners Moges and Tamiru.

          Hailu Mergia weaves Moog DX7 synthesizer, Rhodes electric piano and rhythm machine into the rich harmonic layering of his accordion, creating hauntingly psychedelic, elegantly arranged instrumentals. These tunes draw from famous traditional and modern Ethiopian songs, as Hailu brilliantly matches lush Amhara, Tigrinya and Oromo melodies with otherworldly flavors soaked in jazz and blues, synthesizing a futuristic landscape. He balances Ethiopian music's signature melodic shape with beautiful analog synth touches, floating upon clouds of hypnotically minimal rhythm tracks.

       Nowadays he's making his living as a self-employed taxi driver at Dulles International Airport while continuing to record his music and practice as often as possible. 



Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 01 - Akal Aynish (7:46)
Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 02 - Kotume (7:00)
Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 03 - Ere Min Yishalegnal (6:54)
Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 04 - Ayaskefam (7:15)
Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 05 - Alamnim (8:39)
Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 06 - Wusheten New (5:58)
Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 07 - Hallo Hallo (6:33)
Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 08 - Engidaye Nesh (7:44)



Sunday, May 29, 2016

Hailu Mergia & The Walias Band - Unknown instrumental album [poor cassette rip] [ethiopia]








      Awesome Tapes From Africa   are to reissue a third album by cult Ethiopian jazz pianist and synth pioneer Hailu Mergia. Writing on Facebook, the label say that Wede Harer Guzo was recorded with the Dahlak Band in 1978 in Addis Ababa, in the wake of Mergia’s 1978 success Tche Belew. Album is goiing to be released on June 17th 2016.



     As a prelude to this long-awaited lost treasure, I am posting one of Hailu Mergia's "lost tapes", unknown instrumental album with Walias Band. 





Walias Band - rare ethiopian groove



          Walias Band (sometimes spelled Wallias Band; Amharic: ዋሊያስ ባንድ?) were an Ethiopian Jazz and funk band active from the early 1970s until the early 1990s. Formed by members of the Venus Band, Walias backed up many prominent singers with a hard polyrhythmic funk sound influenced by western artists like King Curtis, Junior Walker and Maceo Parker. In 1977 they recorded one of the few albums of Ethiopian instrumental music in collaboration with vibraphonist Mulatu Astatke, whose role as a bandleader and composer was also a major influence on Ethiopian popular music.

             In 1981 Walias became the first modern Ethiopian band to travel to the United States, playing on a tour with singer Mahmoud Ahmed primarily to audiences of Ethiopian refugees. Four members—Girma Bèyènè, Mogès Habté, Mèlakè Gèbrè and Hailu Mergia—stayed in the U.S. and formed a new group called Zula Band in favor of returning to live in Ethiopia under its dictatorship. Mergia took work in Washington DC driving a taxi cab and released solo cassette tapes of traditional Ethiopian music played on analog synthesizer, electric piano and accordion. The remaining members—Yohannes Tèkola and Tèmarè Harègou—continued to play together under the Derg dictatorship for another decade.






              In the late 1990s Walias Band found a wider audience in the west when the French label Buda Records reissued much of the group's music on the Ethiopiques series of compact discs. Their instrumental, "Musicawi Silt", became a popular dance number and has been covered by a number of artists.

        The Walias Band's name derives from the walia ibex, an endangered species of the Capra genus native to the mountains of Ethiopia. They share no members with the similarly named Ibex Band who also backed up Mahmoud Ahmed during the same epoch.

         Vocalists that Walias worked with included Getachew Kassa, Mahmoud Ahmed, Woubishet Fisseha, Alemayehu Borobor, Seyoum Gebreyes, Netsanet Mellessè and Tilahun Gessesse.



Members : 

Girma Beyene - Piano, electric piano, arranger
Hailu Mergia - Organ, Moog synthesizer
Mahmoud Aman - Guitar
Alemseged Kebede - Bass
Temare Haragy - Drums, percussion
Yohanese Tekola - Trumpet
Moges Habte Tenor saxophone




Tracklist : 

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 01 - Nanu Nanu Neyi (5:58)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 02 - Turun Feri (5:55)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 03 - Kemekem (6:38)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 04 - Tiz Alechign Zare (5:55)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 05 - Yekereme Fikir (6:28)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 06 - Monaliza (6:22)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 07 - Nafkote (Aynoche Terabu) (5:49)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 08 - Emo Yedigere (4:28)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 09 - Munaye (7:59)
Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 10 - Alem Zemene (6:20)