v.a. - Gurage Beats [ethiopia]

       The Gurage people are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia. According to the 2007 national census, its population is 6,867,377 people, of whom 792,659 are urban dwellers. 

This is 5.53% of the total population of Ethiopia, or 9.52% of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR).

Hailu Fereja - Esherrerre

(Guragigna Music)

          The Gurage people traditionally inhabit a fertile, semi-mountainous region in southwest Ethiopia, about 125 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa, bordering the Awash River in the north, the Gibe River (a tributary of the Omo River) to the southwest, and Lake Zway in the east. In addition, according to the 2007 Ethiopian national census the Gurage can also be found in large numbers in Addis Ababa, Oromia Region, Dire Dawa, Harari Region, Somali Region, Amhara Region, Gambela Region, Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and Tigray Region.

             The groups that are subsumed under the term Gurage originated in the Tigray region of Ethiopia as the descendants of military conquerors during the Aksumite empire. The Gurage languages, which are not always mutually intelligible, belong to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Some of these have been influenced by neighbouring Cushitic languages. The Gurage are mainly Christian—members largely of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church—and Muslim.

              Settled agriculturalists, the Gurage centre their lives on the cultivation of their staple crop, the Ethiopian, or false, banana (Ensete ventricosum), prized not for its “false” (or inedible) fruit but for its roots.

                The languages spoken by the Gurage are known as the Gurage languages. The variations among these languages are used to group the Gurage people into three dialectically varied subgroups: Northern, Eastern and Western. However, the largest group within the Eastern subgroup, known as the Silt'e, identify foremost as Muslims.

01 - Aster Aweke - Ebo (8:02)

02 - Mahmoud Ahmed - Gichamue (4:38)

03 - Ashenafi Zeberga - Sriway (5:55)

04 - Behailu Kassahun - Ayo Eshururu (5:38)

05 - Biruk Befekadu - Sebelbelata (3:59)

06 - Ashenafi Zeberga - Segele (4:56)

07 - Mikiyas Negussie - Be3ste (4:51)

08 - Reshad Kedir - Amama (4:46)

09 - Yared Negu - Yemerkato Arada (3:56)

10 - Mykey Shewa - Aegba (ኤግባ) (4:15)

11 - Mewded Kibru - Yawe Way (5:57)

12 - Teddy Yo - Guragaeton (3:55)

13 - Desalegn Mersha - Waywato (5:16)

14 - Jossy Gebre - SebenSema (4:44)

15 - Hailu Fereja - Esherrerre (5:21)

16 - Feleke Maru - Ker (4:51)

17 - Wendi Mak - Yene Mar (5:26)

18 - Temesgen Gebrgziabeher - Yemeskel Let Mata (5:36)

Gigi & Bill Laswell's Material - New Flowers From Addis [live @ Krems 2009] [ethiopia]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

four tracks from their gig at Krems, 2009. 

Gigi and Alemayehu Fanta - Zerafewa

                                                        

Dub Colossus - Addis Through The Looking Glass [2011] [ethiopia]

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       Dub Colossus is a collective of Ethiopian musicians working with Western musicians fascinated by the richness of the Ethiopian sound. 

      
      A Town Called Addis ...was their striking debut in 2008 but this is better, probably thanks to their live concerts. 

       There's a strong reggae influence, but it's songs like the punchy Guragigna that stand out, with great vocals by "the Ethiopian Edith Piaf", Sintayehu Zenebe, underpinned by a piano ostinato and a muscular horn section with great sax solos.

Tsedenia Gebremarkos - Bisetegn [1996] [ethiopia]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

  Tsedenia Gebremarkos is an Ethiopian artist. She has released songs about HIV/AIDS. She shared the prize for best East African female at the Kora Awards in 2004 for the song "Ewedhalehu", with Achien'g Abura (Kenya) for her song "Toto Wangu.

         Tsedenia has recently worked with the Ethiopian dub band Dub Colossus. They released an EP, 'A Town Called Addis' in June 2008 through Real World Records and a full length LP album of the same name was released in August 2008 exclusively through the Bowers & Wilkins Music Club.

                                                            Tsedenia Gebremarkos

         

         She also sang two songs on the album Punt (Made in Ethiopia) by Invisible System released on Harper Diabate Records and produced by Dub Colossus cousin Dan Harper.

01. Tsedenia - Eketelehalehu (4:03)

02. Tsedenia - Bisetegn (5:30)

03. Tsedenia - Neh Yeliginete (5:49)

04. Tsedenia - Atalay (6:26)

05. Tsedenia - Yiker Beyalehu (5:23)

06. Tsedenia - Mengedegna (5:18)

07. Tsedenia - Endanetezazeb (4:12)

08. Tsedenia - Ewedehalehu (5:44)

09. Tsedenia - Mirchye (4:52)

10. Tsedenia - Ewnatun Negeregn (5:29)

11. Tsedenia - Aleskorememem (6:04)

Ejigayehu 'Gigi' Shibabaw - Illuminated audio [2003] [ethiopia]

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Gigi - Illuminated Audio (full album) 

01. Gigi - Abay (5:20)

02. Gigi - Tew Ante Sew (4:22)

03. Gigi - Mengedegna (5:35)

04. Gigi - Kahn (3:49)

05. Gigi - Sew Argen (5:19)

06. Gigi - Nafeken (5:25)

07. Gigi - Abet Wubet (4:09)

08. Gigi - Guramayle (4:29)

09. Gigi - Gud Fella (5:35)

10. Gigi - Guramayle (slight return) (2:39)

   bonus track   

11. Youtopia Feat Gigi - Zomaye (Vocal House Mix) (8:37)  (bonus track)

Alemseged Kebede - Nostalgia [feat. Teddy Mitty & Moges Habte] [Instrumental] [2016] [ethiopia]

    Alemseged Kebede (Electric Bass) has influenced most of the new generation of Ethiopian bass players.

   He first started playing professionally in the late 1970’s with famous singers such as: Tilahun Gessesse, Menilik Wosenachew , Muluken Melese, Aster Aweke and  with many more Ethiopian singers in recent memory. 

    After moving to Canada and later to the US, he started playing in local restaurants, and clubs. In addition to bass, he also plays drums and keyboards. 

       He has arranged  and produced more than 2 albums of his own and played bass almost on every Ethiopian singers music CD’s in recent times. Traveled allover the world and shared the stage with the great African bands like Manu Dibango, Hugh Masakela,  and Ellis Marsalis. Alemseged remains a first call musician for many artists, who need his soulful, funky bass lines to complement their music.

Feedel Band - Meskerem

       Feedel band’s original pentatonic melodies are repurposed with mutated instrumentation like 60s and 70s-era Ethiopian grooves played on congas, electric guitar, bass, saxophone, krar, mesenko, piano, organ, trombone and drums.

        The members of Feedel Band are all acclaimed musicians in their own right Feedel’s sax player Moges Habte can be heard performing the funky James Brown Band influenced cut “Muziqawi Silt” on Éthiopiques’ Volume 13 with his ’70s group the Walias Band. Their bass player Alemseged Kebede's groovy bass lines could be found in many of Aster Aweke and Tilahune Gessesse's music. Also in the band is Araya Woldemichael who is the founder of the band, composer, keyboardist and a producer. They will be joined by Mikias Abebayehu on drums/congas, Kaleb Temesgen on electric guitar, Kenneth Joseph on drums, Omar Little on trumpet, Minale Bezu on krar (stringed lyre)/vocal, Setegn Atenaw on mesenko/vocal, Feleke Hailu on alto sax, Thomas Young, Fasil Bezabeh and Almaz Getahun on traditional dances.

Alemseged Kebede - 01 - Behele new Bewne [በህልሜ ነው በውኔ] (6:52)
Alemseged Kebede - 02 - Kalatashew Akal [ካላጣሺው አካል] (4:40)
Alemseged Kebede - 03 - Enkwan kome [እንኳን ቆሜ] (6:01)
Alemseged Kebede - 04 - Alwedatem Yalkuwat [አልወዳትም ያልኳት] (5:30)
Alemseged Kebede - 05 - Awasa Langano [አዋሳ ላንጋኖ] (5:46)
Alemseged Kebede - 06 - Nigerigne Menew [ንገሪኝ ምነው] (5:59)
Alemseged Kebede - 07 - Gedam Yefeker Gedam [ገዳም የፍቅር ገዳም] (6:07)
Alemseged Kebede - 08 - Tole (Slow) [ቶሌ] (5:11)
Alemseged Kebede - 09 - Tole (Fast) [ቶሌ] (3:53)

Mulatu Astatke / Oscar Sulley - Mulah 2 / Uhuru Mash Up [Nephews of Phela remixes] [2005] FLAC

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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".

Mahmoud Ahmed - Live at WOMAD [2005] [ethiopia]

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1. Mahmoud Ahmed - Live at WOMAD 2005 (73:00)

Alemayehu Eshete and Shebele's Band - [1987] [ethiopia]

Alemayehu Eshete and Shebele's Band - Hedech Ashkbech (4:40)

Alemayehu Eshete and Shebele's Band - Wededkush Afkerkush (7:16)

Alemayehu Eshete and Shebele's Band - Wube Alem (6:16)

Streets & People of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia [video]

Streets & People of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa through the eyes of a 20-something Australian hoodlum on a motorcycle, first visit to an African country. 


Neighbourhoods:

0:04 Piazza
0:41 Meskel Flower
1:03 Chechnya
1:11 Ghana Street
2:51 Merkato
3:48 Haya Hulet
4:24 Kazanchis
5:53 Kechene
6:29 Entoto
7:22 Shiro Meda
7:27 Bole Medenhaleum
8:13 Meskel Square
9:10 Churchill Avenue






Tracklist:


0:02 Mulatu Astatke - Nètsanèt

1:12 Teddy Afro - Abebayehosh
2:57 Lafontien - Addis Ababa
4:25 Ziggi - Blaze It (Last War Riddim)

6:29 Semere Kiros (feat. Hailu) - Reggea Kemise
8:26 Sayat Demessie - Hasabun Mesrek


Camera: GoPro HD Hero (version 1)
Date: September 2011




Aster Aweke - Sikuar [2001] [ethiopia]

            When she arrived in her homeland in 1997 for the first time since she'd left in 1981, Ethiopian-born and Washington, D.C.-based songstress Aster Aweke was greeted by thousands of loyal followers awaiting her plane. During the month-long tour that followed, Aweke performed before more than 80,000 people and showed that she remains one of Ethiopia's best-loved performers. 

            Aweke has been equally successful throughout the world. Her second album, Kabu, spent four weeks in the top position on the CMJ New Music Charts, and was in the Top Ten of Billboard's World Music Charts for ten weeks in 1990. 

Aster Aweke - Sikuar (Sugar)

          A native of Gandor, a small town near Lake Tara, Aweke was raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. The daughter of senior civil servant in the Imperial government, Aweke was determined to become a musician by the age of 13. By her late teens, she was singing in Addis Ababa clubs and hotels with such bands as the Continental Band, Hotel D'Afrique Band, Shebele Band, and the Ibex Band (before they became the internationally known Roha Band). Launching a solo career, Aweke was encouraged by musical entrepreneur Ali Tango, who financed and released five cassettes and two singles of her music. By 1981, Aweke had become disillusioned by Ethiopia's oppressive political climate and relocated to the United States. Temporarily settling in the Bay Area of California with plans to pursue an education; within two years, Aweke continued on to Washington, D.C., the site of the largest Ethiopian population in the U.S. After building a following with her performances in local Ethiopian restaurants, Aweke toured the U.S. and Europe in 1985. 

Aster Aweke - 01 - Gudde Fella (6:08)

Aster Aweke - 02 - Sew Hulu Be-hageru (6:33)

Aster Aweke - 03 - Ezoralehu (5:25)

Aster Aweke - 04 - Etiti (6:32)

Aster Aweke - 05 - Bichegna (5:29)

Aster Aweke - 06 - Sikuar (6:31)

Aster Aweke - 07 - Merkato (4:58)

Aster Aweke - 08 - Fikir Fikir (6:06)

Aster Aweke - 09 - Ela Alayim (6:46)

Aster Aweke - 10 - Ibi Tibi (5:39)

Aster Aweke - 11 - Sew Mehonne (7:20)

Aster Aweke - 12 - Wey Nedo (5:38)

Dub Colossus - Dub Will Tear Us Apart [2010] [ethiopia]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

    In 2006 Nick 'Dubulah' Page, British producer, multi-instrumentalist and founding member of Transglobal Underground and Syriana, first travelled to Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. His aim was to collaborate with musicians and explore traditional Azmari styles, 60s Ethiopian pop, Ethiojazz and 70s Jamaican Dub Reggae. He came across some amazingly talented artists – female vocalists Tsedenia Gebremarkos and Sintayehu 'Mimi' Zenebe, Ethiojazz pianist Samuel Yirga, tenor sax player Feleke Hailu and Teremage Woretaw on messenqo (one-string fiddle) and vocals. 

       Dub Colossus was born. The first recordings were exclusively previewed on Society of Sound. Then followed the critically acclaimed debut album 'A Town Called Addis,' (2008) and a series of outstanding live shows.

        Especially for Society of Sound, the band have put together ‘Dub Will Tear Us Apart’, featuring ten brand new tracks fresh from studio sessions in Real World, Edinburgh and Addis Ababa. Highlights include Dub Colossus’ Anglo-Ethiopian version of the reggae classic, “Uptown Top Ranking”, written and originally performed by Jamaican girl duo Althea & Donna, which topped the UK singles chart in 1978. "It had a big effect on me," explains Nick Page, "seeing it on Top Of The Pops… it was a first in many ways." 

       The connection between Ethiopia and Jamaica has been well documented, especially with regards to the lyrical content of a lot of Jamaican Roots Reggae music. Dub Colossus’ dread Abesha version is fronted by Sintayehu and Tsedenia, with UK/Jamaican guest MC JP Higgins. 

      

     Other highlights include "Guragignia", a ferociously funky Ethiopian song which sounds like a blue taxi going at full speed with no brakes during rush hour in Addis Ababa. A live show favourite, it features lead vocals by Sintayehu. "Selemi" is another live favourite, an Ethio-Funk stomper fronted by Tsedenia supported by the keyboards of Samuel Yirga and saxes of Feleke Hailu, that morphs into a southern Ethiopian rhythm of release. In contrast, "Medina" is a Teremage Woretaw traditional solo track, for voice and messenqo. A gospel song performed to mark a period of fasting, Teremage sings in growling wild swoops as he bows his messenqo with an intense energy. 

        Dub Will Tear Us Apart features members of the current live band for the first time: drummer Nick Van Gelder (ex Jamiroquai, Brand New Heavies), bass player Dr Das (ex Asian Dub Foundation), vocalist PJ Higgins (Natacha Atlas, Almamegretta, Kenneth Bager), as well as the wonderful Horns of Negus, who recently worked with Dr John, Dizzee Rascal, The Streets, consisting of Ben Somers (tenor and baritone sax), Robert Dowell (trombone) and Jonathan Radford (trumpet).

01. Dub Colossus - Dub Will Tear Us Apart (6:41)

02. Dub Colossus - Wey Fikir (4:21)

03. Dub Colossus - Yeh Shimbraw Tir Tir (4:21)

04. Dub Colossus - Dub Me Tender (4:23)

05. Dub Colossus - Satta Massagans (inst version) (3:43)

06. Dub Colossus - Kuratu (5:09)

07. Dub Colossus - Uptown Top Ranking (5:03)

08. Dub Colossus - Guragigna (5:13)

09. Dub Colossus - Medina (3:07)

10. Dub Colossus - Selemi (6:42)