Big Shawn is musician from San Francisco, California, USA. He makes hip-hop/ rap/ instrumental music. Here is his extraordinary work from 2011 based on old ethiopian tunes and hits.
BIG SHAWN - 01 (3:21) BIG SHAWN - 02 (3:26) BIG SHAWN - 03 (3:36) BIG SHAWN - 04 (4:03) BIG SHAWN - 05 (3:51) BIG SHAWN - 06 (3:11) BIG SHAWN - 07 (4:15) BIG SHAWN - 08 (3:41) BIG SHAWN - 09 (3:38) BIG SHAWN - 10 (3:48) BIG SHAWN - 11 (3:50) BIG SHAWN - 12 (3:33) BIG SHAWN - 13 (3:42)
Abud Mu'tazz, São Paulo Abud (SP/BR) Dj, crate digger and producer highly influenced by Jazz, 70's Funk, Latin Soul and Afro Brazilian music.
The Middle Eastern music has always been present in my life. My mother, born in Aleppo, Syria, put K7 tapes of Arabic music when I was little. I had my first contact with the Ethiopian music some 10 years ago, when a friend put a CD written with no name and no cover to listen. At that moment, I was totally mesmerized by this music, with a Semitic dialectlike the songs that my mother listened. It was kind of James Brown singing in a different Arab progress with mysterious scales and very powerful metais.
A arrangements from that day, I began to research and figure out where it is coming this kind of music, until one day I heard a vinyl collection made by a French label and there were the answers to my questions. Had finally found the source of that mysterious music. Ethiopia came directly!
After my discovery, names like Alemayehu Eshete, Mulatu Astatke and became part of my set in jazz dances, at the time of the Berlin Club, in Barra Funda, where he was residing. Even without understanding what is said in the song, the way these artists sing is very expressive. It is essential as repertoire and cultural background to the development of my personal production. This mix down to my song search of Ethiopia, a very specific material selected especially on vinyl for you to travel without leaving your seat.
Abud Mu'tazz, São Paulo
Abud Mu'tazz - Ethiopian Soul & Jazz Selecta! (38:07)
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church,
autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia. Headquarters are in Addis
Ababa, the country’s capital.
Ethiopia was Christianized in the 4th century
ce by two brothers from Tyre—St. Frumentius, later consecrated the first
Ethiopian bishop, and Aedesius. They won the confidence of King Ezana at Aksum
(a powerful kingdom in northern Ethiopia) and were allowed to evangelize.
Toward the end of the 5th century, nine monks from Syria are said to have
brought monasticism to Ethiopia and encouraged the translation of the
Scriptures into the Geʿez language.
The Ethiopian church followed the Coptic
(Egyptian) church (now called the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria) in
rejecting the Christological decision issued by the Council of Chalcedon in 451
ce that the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ were equally present in
one person without commingling. Opposed to this dyophysitism, or two-nature
doctrine, the Coptic and Ethiopian churches held that the human and divine
natures were equally present through the mystery of the Incarnation within a
single nature. This position—called miaphysitism, or single-nature doctrine—was
interpreted by the Roman and Greek churches as a heresy called monophysitism,
the belief that Christ had only one nature, which was divine. The Ethiopian
church included into its name the word tewahedo, a Geʿez word meaning “unity” and
expressing the church’s miaphysite belief. Like other so-called non-Chalcedonian (also
referred to as Oriental Orthodox) churches, it was cut off from dialogue with
the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches until the mid-20th century,
when many of the Christological disputes that arose from Chalcedon were
resolved through ecumenical dialogue.
In the 7th century the conquests of the Muslim
Arabs cut off the Ethiopian church from contact with most of its Christian
neighbours. The church absorbed various syncretic beliefs in the following
centuries, but contact with the outside Christian world was maintained through
the Ethiopian monastery in Jerusalem.
Beginning in the 12th century, the patriarch
of Alexandria appointed the Ethiopian archbishop, known as the abuna (Arabic:
“our father”), who was always an Egyptian Coptic monk; this created a rivalry
with the native itshage (abbot general) of the strong Ethiopian monastic
community. Attempts to shake Egyptian Coptic control were made from time to
time, but it was not until 1929 that a compromise was effected: an Egyptian
monk was again appointed abuna, but four Ethiopian bishops were also
consecrated as his auxiliaries. A native Ethiopian abuna, Basil, was finally
appointed in 1950, and in 1959 an autonomous Ethiopian patriarchate was
established, although the church continued to recognize the honorary primacy of
the Coptic patriarch. When neighbouring Eritrea gained independence from
Ethiopia in 1993, it appealed to Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic
church, for autocephaly. This was granted in 1994; the Ethiopian church
assented in 1998 to the independence of the new Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo
Church.
The Amhara and Tigray peoples of the northern
and central highlands have historically been the principal adherents of the
Ethiopian Orthodox church, and the church’s religious forms and beliefs have
been the dominant element in Amhara culture. Under the Amhara-dominated
Ethiopian monarchy, the Ethiopian Orthodox church was declared to be the state
church of the country, and it was a bulwark of the regime of Emperor Haile Selassie
I. Upon the abolition of the monarchy and the institution of socialism in the
country beginning in 1974, the church was disestablished. Its patriarch was
executed, and the church was divested of its extensive landholdings. The church
was placed on a footing of equality with Islam and other religions in the
country, but it nevertheless remained Ethiopia’s most influential religious
body.
The clergy is composed of priests, who conduct
the religious services and perform exorcisms; deacons, who assist in the
services; and debtera, who, though not ordained, perform the music and dance
associated with church services and also function as astrologers,
fortune-tellers, and healers. Ethiopian Christianity blends Christian
conceptions of saints and angels with pre-Christian beliefs in benevolent and
malevolent spirits and imps. Considerable emphasis is placed on the Hebrew
Bible (Old Testament). Further, the church recognizes a wider canon of
scripture that includes such texts as the apocalyptic First Book of Enoch.
Circumcision is almost universally practiced; the Saturday Sabbath (in addition
to Sunday) is observed by some devout believers; the ark is an essential item
in every church; and rigorous fasting is still practiced.
The priesthood of the Ethiopian church, on the
whole, is not learned, though there are theological seminaries in Addis Ababa
and Harer. Monasticism is widespread, and individual monasteries often teach
special subjects in theology or church music. Each community also has its own
church school, which until 1900 was the sole source of Ethiopian education. The
liturgy and scriptures are typically in Geʿez, though both
have been translated into Amharic, the principal modern language of Ethiopia.
In the early 21st century the church claimed more than 30 million adherents in
Ethiopia.
Music
According to tradition, the central body of hymns used in the Ethiopian liturgy was composed by the sixth-century musician Yared, who is venerated as one of the greatest saints of the Ethiopian Church. Hagiography records that Yared was inspired to compose his hymns after being led up to heaven and hearing the songs of angels. St. Yared is also credited with having invented a notational system, though scholars usually date the introduction of musical notation in Ethiopia to the sixteenth century.
Ethiopian chant consists of melodies alone, unembellished by harmonies. These melodies follow one of three modes, known as Geez, Ezel, and Ararai; the modes correspond respectively to “plain chant for ordinary days,” “a more measured beat for funerals,” and “a lighter, free mood for great festivals” (Giday).
A skilled chanter will improvise on set melodies within these modes. In processions and in special hymns sung after the liturgy proper, drums and sistrums (a kind of rattle) are used for rhythmic accompaniment. Ethiopian church music is also remarkable for its incorporation of sacred dance, ranging from a rhythmic swaying of the choir with hands upturned in prayer to more elaborate dances performed with two choirs holding staffs and sistrums.
"Last August, I spent a week or so in Eritrea during the country's annual cultural festival. I was alone and documented a lot—buidings, food, the names of internet cafés, among other things. Hunting for music, I spent a lot of time in a small music shop opposite the Asmara post office. I was looking for RnB, but fell in love with the cover artwork of the EPLF (Eritrean People’s Liberation Front) cassette tapes instead. Recorded in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the songs were sung, performed, recorded and distributed among the various EPLF contingents during their 21 year struggle against the Ethiopian occupation and its infamous Derg, before winning independence in 1991.
The silky voiced Tefono and female freedom fighter Abrehet Ankere were among the most popular singers as well as the much-loved Wedi Tikul,. The songs are still listened to today—mostly on cassette tape—and even the saddest lyrics move along happily with a popcorn kind of rhythm."
—NJ Stallard
tracklist :
01 - Kede'At Deki Hager — Fihira
02 — Ayresanayon 77 — Tefono
03 — Wahiz Gu'zo — Zemach
04 — Ab Bebeynu Ewan (Fechew version) — Wedi Tukul
Ethio Cali is a Los Angeles-based Ethiopian jazz ensemble led by trumpeter/arranger/composer Todd Simon and featuring a cast of the finest musicians from Southern California. The ensemble's sublime sound is inspired by the Golden Age of Ethiopian music of the 1960's and 70's, filtered through a lens that is uniquely Los Angeles and roots-inspired. Acknowledging the diverse musical foundations of Ethio-jazz, the ensemble also draws inspiration from the rhythmic and melodic textures of Sudan, Somalia, Ghana, and Columbia.
Wax and Gold (aka Semena Werq) is a form of traditional Ethiopian poetry that has one surface meaning, known as wax, and multiple hidden meanings, known as gold. Musicians in Ethiopia have used Wax and Gold to explore topics such as spirituality, politics, and matters of the heart throughout the ages. On November 17, 2013, the Ethio-Cali Ensemble performed a special set of music at the Blue Whale (the best place in Los Angeles to go see live Jazz) inspired by the concept of Wax and Gold. Ethio-Cali's 'Minister of Information', Sonny Abegaze, curated compositions from the catalogues of Hailu Mergia and Walias, Alemayehu Eshete, The Police Orchestra, and other Ethio-Jazz luminaries to be performed on this special night. The mix below features these songs in their original form. Enjoy…
Track-by-track info :
01. Emahoy Tsegue-Mariam Guebru - Mother's Love
Emahoy Tsegue-Mariam Guebru is a classical pianist and composer who was born in Addis Abeba in 1923. She was ordained as a nun at the age of 21 and now lives in an Orthodox monastary in Jerusalem. Emahoy's music is intimate, delicate, joyful, and melancholy all at the same time. We draw a lot of inspiration from her music and personal journey. At 90, Emahoy is finally starting to get some of the recognition she deserves.
02. Lieut. Mesfin Haile, Hirut Beqele and The Police Orchestra - (track title unknown)
This song comes from a Voice of America reel that was recorded in 1961. It features Lieutenant Mesfin Haile and Hirut Beqele accompanied by the Police Orchestra, along with an amazing violin player. They sing, 'Life is Tough. This world is an unforgiving and bitter place, and now you are leaving me'. Sublime.
03. Getatchew Mekurya - Ambassel (Slow)
This waltz-like tune is by the most popular saxophonist in Ethiopia, Getatchew Mekurya. It was recorded in 1972 and was originally released on the Philips record label during the heyday of Ethio Jazz. It was later released on 'Ethiopiques Vol. 14: Negus of Ethiopian Sax'. Getatchew draws much of his inspiration from Shellela, a traditional vocal style sung by warriors before going into battle. You can hear this sentiment in his melismatic style of playing. Getatchew still performs regularly in Ethiopia, Europe, and Canada.
04. Alem Girma Band ft. Alemayehu Eshete - Ambassel (Fast)
Referred to as the Ethiopian James Brown, Alemayehu Eshete is a talented and spirited vocalist who first got his break with Addis Ababa's famous Police Orchestra. Ambassel is an area found in the Amhara region of Ethiopia with the root word ‘amb' meaning fortress. It is also the name of one of the major musical scales in the country. There are various versions of Ambassel that have been recorded by different musicians over the years. The lyrics to this version speak of a man who is out of luck in his pursuit of love. Alemayehu Eshete also has a slow version of Ambassel that has a completely definitely feel... definitely worth checking out!
05. Mulatu Astatke - Yefikir Tezeta
This slow burner by Mulatu Astatke is a favorite amongst the members of Ethio Cali. So much so that one of our drummers/percussionists, Te'Amir Yohannes Sweeney, produced a tune that sampled this track. This song was originally released on Philips International as a 45. It was later reissued on the compilation 'New York - Addis - London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975'. Eternal gratitude to master Mulatu!
06. Alemayehu Eshete and Hirut Beqele - Temeles
This is a love duet that features Alemayehu Eshete and Hirut Beqele. The lyrics speak of a man who has left his lover for work. His lover misses him dearly and is pleading for his return. This is a classic example of an unrequited love ballad, a theme commonly found in Ethiopian music. Our interpretation of this tune has energy and intensity, and we substitute horns for the vocal lines.
07. Mahmoud Ahmed - Fitsum Dink Lidj Nesh
Mahmoud Ahmed is a beloved vocalist from the Gurage region of Ethiopia. He shined shoes as a boy before getting his break as a singer with Emperor Haile Selassie I's Imperial Body Guard Band. He later recorded with groups such as The Venus Band, Ibex Band, and Walias. Fitsum Dink Lidj Nesh finds Mahmoud Ahmed singing poetically about the beauty of an Abyssinian woman. He goes into great detail describing her lovely features. He wonders what her name is and finally calls her Fitsum Dink Lidj Nesh, which translates to 'you are an absolute miracle”.
Gabriel Teodros (born 1981), is a hip hop artist and a member of the groups Abyssinian Creole and CopperWire. He is of Ethiopian, Scottish, Irish and Native American descent,and was raised on Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington. Teodros' music often features socially conscious themes, and he was a catalyst in the surge of dynamic underground rap acts from the Pacific Northwest during the first decade of the 2000s.
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington to an Ethiopian mother and a father of Scottish, Irish and Native American descent. His parents met through anti-war organizing in the 1970s, and they split up around the time Gabriel was born. He stayed with his mother, where he met grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins as they first emigrated to the United States and all stayed in the same house.
His relationship with hip hop culture began at a young age within the South Seattle neighborhood of Beacon Hill. “A lot of kids in my neighborhood were affected by gang culture. And I kind of had a death wish. I felt like, at an early age, that I wasn’t going to live to 21” he said in an interview with Sheeko Magazine. He spent his high school years in Las Vegas, Nevada where as one out of approximately 30 students of color in a predominantly white school, something within him changed. “It was the first time I understood that there was a system in place that wanted kids like me to want to die. And understanding that in high school made me want to live.” he says in the same interview.
The former breakdancer, graffiti writer and closet-emcee finally began to take his career path seriously at age 16, using hip hop to both understand and explain his world.
In December 2009, Teodros released GT's Ethiopium: A Jitter Generation Mixtape. This release shined a light on the realities of Ethiopia, touched on America’s own imperfections & stressed the importance of exploring one's own intelligence and spirituality. It was made completely using instrumentals from Oh No's Ethiopium, which was made completely using old-school and rare samples of Ethiopian music.
Discography
Albums
Sun To A Recycled Soul - Gabriel Teodros (independent, 2001)
Following in the
tradition ofDr. No'sOxperiment, Oh No delves headfirst into an album
inspired by and sampled from rare 60's and 70's Ethiopian funk, jazz, folk,
soul and psychedelic rock.
He calls itEthiopium. Previous
descriptions used to describe Oh No's adventures into
"never-sampled-before" territory apply - adventurous, exotic, smart, fun, andthrilling.
Even if you've never heard an instrument tuned to the qenet
scale before, even if you're more into ballads than you are tezeta's, Oh No's
transformative effect on his source material will blow you away in its
otherworldy funkiness.
One of the most beautiful things about music is its influence on both the past and present. The music of today owes an incalculable debt to the musical forefathers and foremothers of yesteryear.
Most recently, DJ Sirak - representing both NYC and Ethiopia - dropped a mix invoking the music of Ethiopia's Golden Era...reminding us how these musical masterpieces have influenced music of today - with artists such as Common and K'naan sampling what are undisputedly some of the hottest break beats of all time.
Sirak describes his lastest mix - Addis Soul Vol. 1 as "Ethiopian Music in it's Funkish, Afrobeatish days with some modern mixes and blends as how it is used today... this is Vol. 1 out of 4 parts.. stayed tuned and we will keep you dancing like your uncle from the 60's and 70's..."
Africology by DJ Sirak
01. Intro - Dj-Sirak 02. Mary Jane - Burns 03. Tizita - Seyfu Yohannes 04. CommonBuy - The Game 05. Shellela - Getachew Mukurya 06. I Come Prepared - By K'Naan 07. Eruq Yaleshee - Alèmayéhu Eshèté 08. Dr. No - Ethio-Soul 09. Hagerwa Gonder - Alèmayéhu Eshèté 10. Ené Nègn Bay Manèsh - Girma Bèyènè 11. Astawisalew - Lemma Demissew 12. Mulatu Astatke - Interlude 13. Tchero Adari Negn - Alèmayéhu Eshèté 14. Almokerkum NeberBuy By Hirut Beqele 15. Fiqer Fiqer New - Alèmayéhu Eshèté 16. Aykedashim Libe - Tilahun Gessesse 17. Hasabe - Ayalew Misfin 18. Lèzèlalèm Nuri - Lemma Demissew 19. Gizie Degu NegerBuy - Mahmoud Ahmed 20. Freestyle At The Africology Studio's - M.Anifest
Some of the artists featured on the "mix tape" are Gigi, Teddy Afro (Tewodros Kassahun), Gossaye Tesfaye, Theodros Tadesse, Aster Aweke, Abeba Lakew, Roha Band, Gedion Daniel, Shewanday Hailu, Manalemosh Dibo, Hebist Tiruneh, Henock Abebe, Girma Gemechu, Hamelmal Abate, Monica Sisay, Tsehaye Yohannes, Betelhem Dagnachew, Abinet Agonafer, Neway Debebe, Netsanet Mellesse, Abyssinia Band, Lafonte (Brihanu Tezera & Tadele Roba), Zeritu, Abdu Kiar, Mikael Belayneh, Dawit Malese, Tilahun Gessesse, Shewanday Hailu and more...
To download this Amharic music mix for free and for Part II : http://www.facebook.com/JaBig This New 2011 YouTube Exclusive DJ Mix of music of Ethiopia by JaBig showcases Ethiopian Synth-Pop songs that are popular in Addis & worldwide. ____________ About this Mix: -----------------
In August 2011 as I was organising my music to decide on what to bring along on my 8-year DJ world tour by car, I stumbled across a large collection of Ethiopian music given to me by a friend four years earlier that I had never really had taken the time to listen to because with over 50 000 songs that I own, it takes forever to go through it.
One night I could not sleep because for a reason that I forgot so I decided to give the music a listen. I stepped onto the SL 1200s and booted up my DJ set recording software and got mixing.
Keep in mind that it was the first time listening to 99% of the Ethiopian songs found in the mix and the synth-sound style were completely new to me coupled with the fact that some of the music was originally poorly recorded so this was the most impromptu and unprepared DJ set ever so kindly bear with the not-so-perfect session.
One day when I have the time, I will write down the complete tracklisting for those interested. I am a very, very busy man so don't count on it anytime soon unfortunately...
Feel free to send me your feedback (good or bad!) at JABIG@JABIG.COM and do visit http://www.JaBig.com if you'd like to listen to more music, read my travel tales and discover the reason behind my 8-year journey around the world by car.
Enjoy! -- JaBig (Montreal, August 2011)
PS: If you enjoyed this why not show your support by donating at least $5 to the UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME, the largest humanitarian agency in the world fighting child hunger worldwide including Ethiopia?
Every single dollar counts so please donate? 25 cents (US$) feeds a 1 child so imagine what $5 at least could do. Thanks! https://www.wfp.org/donate/fillthecup
