Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Chachi Tadesse has used her roots to grow an international music career. At the age of 16 Chachi joined a well known Ethiopian cover-band, touring extensively while building her musical skills and fan base. In 1982 Chachi moved to the USA, taking classes in Music, acting and modeling and touring extensively with reggae artists.
Chachi Tadesse - I am An African
While living in the U.S. Chachi recorded er first album, combining Amharic lyrics with Reggae beats to create a unique and sought after sound. Following the success of her first album, Chachi joined forces with Dallol, Ziggy Marley's former band, to tour the U.S. and the Caribbean. In the late 1990's Chachi teamed up with producer Clive Hunt at the famous Kariang Studios in Jamaica to produce a collaborative album with some of the biggest names in Raggea.
Over the years Chachi has become a pop icon not only in Ethiopia but across Africa and its diaspora. She has appeared at large international music festivals including Reggae on the River and the Bob Marley Birthday Festival in Jamaica. In Ethiopia her 'I am an African' concert at Meskel square brought upwards of 40,000 attendees.
Chachi Tadesse - 01 - I am An African (7:46)
Chachi Tadesse - 02 - Happy Song (4:57)
Chachi Tadesse - 03 - I am An African (remix) (6:52)
A / Mulatu Astatke - Mulah 2 B / Oscar Sulley - Uhuru Mash Up
Ethiopian Mulatu Astatke's unique blend of jazz, funk and afrobeat has found its way into many peoples record collections recently since the three quality "Ethio Jazz" LPs were reissued on the L'Arome imprint, and further popularised when the "Modern Jazz Instrumentals" record was used as the soundtrack to the Jim Jarmusch film "Broken Flowers".
Even before all of that people were unwittingly hearing some of these killer breaks on Mo' Wax era breakbeat and triphop tracks, all this combined should be telling you - this is music of the highest quality!!!And what we've got here is a remix for the dancefloor that's gonna be a monster, an esteemed West London producer has brought the heaviest of broken beats to create an exquisite piece of broken beat Ethio funk fusion.
The b-side is an equally strong rework of Ghanian Oscar Sulley's "Bukom Mashie".
Gashaw Adal was born in Ethiopia’s Wollo region. He stepped in to the music world when he joined the “Black Lion Band” which was owned by the famous singer Ayalew Mesfin. He worked in the band as a dancer. After a time at the “Black Lion Band” Gashaw worked in several night clubs with the famous singer Ali Birra.
Gashaw has a talent of singing in various languages both local and foreign. Amharic, Oromo and Somali as well as Afar were the local languages he sang in and of the foreign languages. Arabic is the one in which he sang Sudanese songs.
Apart from singing, artist Gashaw was very good in playing bass guitar. His idol was the famous oromo language singer Ali Birra.
In 1970 (EC) Gashaw left Addis Ababa headed for Asmara, a city which was then part of Ethiopia. He joined “Bengol Band” that was affiliated to the Nyala Hotel in Asmara. He became famous by singing Ali Birra’s Oromo songs as well as songs of other Amharic singers and Sudanese ones.
Gashaw was a guest singer in Asmara Police Orchestra for a long time where he forged a strong friendship with singers of the orchestra like Aklilu Seyoum, Seyoum Tilahun also with Yishak Banjaw, who was the music arranger of the orchestra.
He released his first album when he was later working in Yishak Banjaw’s “Lula Band” in Asmara. Songs like “Kolel Bey” were instant hits and won him immense admiration all over the country. Arguably it was true.
Gashaw came back to Addis and released his second album “Bemin Awekshibet”. Soon famous band in the city who saw the great talent in the singer began inviting him to work was them.
Gashaw Adal suffered from Vitiligo, a condition which involves complete loss of melanin - the primary skin pigment, and many speculate his late entrance into music was because he preferred obscurity to escape the harsh judgement of a superstititious society that considered those suffering from this skin condition as wicked and cursed.
But when he finally and courageously took the stage, parallels with the greatest was made. Some even declared a new Tilahun Gessesse was on the making. Gashaw's second name is not Adal; Adal or Afar is the name of the cushitic people in North East of Ethiopia. He is named Adal because he was from the Afar region - An Amhara who lived there.
1994 was when he released "Abay, ye bahay". This Afar song rocked Addis, and the Ethiopian TV crew seemed to not get enough of it. The world cup in USA was on and the games made more sense, because Gashaw's incredibly melodious voice was aired for hours before and after the matches.
Gashaw Adal released a total of four albums, produced or took part in over fifty song lyrics and never parted with music till his early death.
Besides his immense musical talent he had a very good skill in bakery, as he once said.
