Blogtrotters

Friday, April 5, 2013

Aster Aweke - Live in London [1996]


     
                            R E U P L O A D   


Aster Aweke is often called “Africa’s Aretha Franklin” and has in the past few years been based in America. She was born in Ethiopia into the family of a well-to-do government official. In the mid 1970s the young Aster began to orientate herself with the music of her homeland, and sang with several local groups until 1977. She was backed by one of the leading figures in the world of Ethiopian music, Ali Tango, not least financially. Aster Aweke began to sing with the established group, Roha Band, but broke up with them after a short time when Ethiopia was thrown into political and economic chaos at the time of the revolution. After a few years of traveling around she settled down in Washington, USA. Aster Aweke is a very competent vocalist who sings in an American-influenced style but who nevertheless has preserved an undiscovered core of Africa.

Aster Aweke must be heard!



       If the crossover moves of Aster Aweke's pair of Columbia LPs made it hard to figure why she's such a major star in the Ethiopian music world, Live in London will clue you in. The recording isn't a pristine board tape, but it genuinely captures the raucous excitement of being there amidst an enthusiastic crowd celebrating the 1996 Ethiopian New Year with their homegirl heroine. "Enthusiastic" understates the case -- suffice it to say that the musician credits include "the London Audience" on backing vocals, and that's no lie. Aweke responds by pirouetting through melismatic vocal spirals and spewing out the syllables on "Minu Tenekana" with a harsher, more guttural edge than her polished studio works. The backing quartet, minus guitar and with the keyboard melodies doubled by the saxophone of Ray Carless (who previously did international duty with Najma), masterfully negotiates the ever-surprising lope and chopping drum offbeats of Ethiopian pop beginning with the opener, "Eyoha." The lone ballad, "Teyim," prompts an audience singalong before Carless cuts loose, and "Ebo" boogies on down like an Ethiopian version of "Wang Dang Doodle." "Fikhr Anesegn" kicks, but then virtually the entire CD does -- Live in London is an excellent concert recording and a great introduction to Aster Aweke.




       Aster Aweke was born in Gonder, near Lake Tana, in Northern Ethiopia and raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. At a very young age, Aster realized her passion for singing. As a teenager in a society that did not place a high premium on the singing profession, her decision to undertake a musical career was a difficult one to make. She knew that her choice to pursue a high-profile role in music, especially as a woman, would mean traveling a long and lonely road.
    Aster launched her professional singing career at Hager Fikir Theater. In the late 1970s, she began performing at Addis Ababa night clubs, cultivating her songwriting and singing technique and emulating Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and other Western vocalists whose records were popular in the local discos. She performed at various clubs and hotels, including Hotel D'Afrique, Wabi Shebelle and Ras Hotel, accompanied by the Continental Band, Shebele Band, and Ibex Band (before they became known as the Roha Band).
Aster began her recording career in Ethiopia with two 45 vinyl record releases, followed by nine cassette releases. Her last cassette, Munayë, was released in 1981, coinciding with her departure from Addis Ababa to the United States. This recording cemented her status as an enduring musical tastemaker among music lovers in Ethiopia.




     Upon arriving in the United States, Aster settled in northern California. Believing that she had left her musical career behind her in Ethiopia, she focused on continuing her education. Clearly, this decision was very difficult for her, as she truly loved the profession of music. Of this period in her life, Aster says, I was miserable! Luckily, her friends persuaded her to return to the stage and 20 seconds into her first song, she recognized her true calling. I found my happiness was in singing, Aster recalls, and she moved across the country to the Washington D.C. area, which has a large and well-established Ethiopian community. There, she began singing in various Ethiopian restaurants.
In 1985, Aster was on the move again, performing for enthusiastic Ethiopian audiences in cities across North America. In the late 1980s, Aster was discovered by the London-based independent label, Triple Earth, an event that marked her entrance into the World Music scene. Shortly thereafter, she secured a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment and released two major albums, Aster and Kabu, on their Columbia label. Following her widespread popularity in the United States and Europe, Aster appeared on several radio and TV shows, including the acclaimed Night Music on the NBC television network, where she appeared as a special guest of the host, David Sanborn, one of Americas musical trendsetters. She has also appeared on CNN, BBC radio and television, PBS radio and television, CBC, and Londons Channel 4 Big World Café. Print appearances include Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. Aster not only performs, but also writes and arranges music in her own unique style. Her songs have become anthems to her fans in Ethiopia, as well as to Ethiopians living abroad. Moreover, several of her songs have been included on compilation CDs, alongside other major World Music artists such as King Sunny Ade, Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Youssou NDour, and Angelique Kidjo. Some of the compilation CDs containing Asters songs are Desert Blues (Network Media, GmbH, Germany), Discover the Rhythms of Africa Today (EMI Music Holland, Netherlands), Afrika (PolyGram, Norway), World Dance Beat, (K-Tel International, USA), Under the African Skies, (BBC Enterprises Limited, United Kingdom), Fruits of Freedom, (Munich Records BV, Belgium), and Its a Triple Earth, (Triple Earth Records, United Kingdom).





     Aster has topped both the Billboard and College Music Journals (CMJ) specialist charts. Kabu reached and remained at the ..1 position for four weeks on the CMJ New World music chart and was in the Top 10 for five consecutive charts (10 weeks) on Billboards World Music chart.
To date, Aster has released a total of 20 albums, six of them on CD Aster, Kabu, Ebo, Aster Aweke Live in London, Hagerë, and Sugar. While five of the CDs were recorded in various studios, the Live CD was recorded on September 16, 1996, during a sold-out concert at the prestigious London club, Hammersmith Le Palais, celebrating the Ethiopian New Year (1989 A.D.). A music video of this concert has been made, as well. Since her first CD release, Aster, she has performed for audiences at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl, and various European festivals. Aster has shared the stage with renowned singers and performers, including Hue Masekela, Maria Makeba, Mano Dibango and Bradford Marsalis.
Aster has just completed her seventh album on CD, a compilation of timeless songs recorded over the last 25 years. She is currently working on a new album to be released in 2004.





       When she arrived in her homeland in 1991 for the first time in 16 years, 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. 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.


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

gaudeamus igitur :-)



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Helen Meles - Resani [2003] [eritrea]



   R E U P L O A D   












1. Helen Meles - Resani (6:06)
2. Helen Meles - Asmara (7:12)
3. Helen Meles - Hagerey (5:37)
4. Helen Meles - Megesha (6:50)
5. Helen Meles - Zantaka (5:37)
6. Helen Meles - Menas Fetari (4:23)
7. Helen Meles - Nsahe Fiqri (5:10)
8. Helen Meles - Kem Hiyaway Samrawi (5:49)
9. Helen Meles - Negusey (6:41)




Monday, March 25, 2013

Tesfa-Maryam Kidane - My Life In Music [2005]

    
                            R  E  U  P  L  O  A  D  


Tesfa Mariam Kidane / Tesfa-Maryam Kidane / Tesfamariam Kidane / Tèsfa-Maryam Kidané



       A well seasoned Eritrean-American artist who has made the Washington D.C. area his home for the last three decades is embarking on a mission. Tesfamariam is one of the pioneer Eritrean saxophonists who had left a musical footprint in the sixties and early seventies at the advent of "modern" music in Asmara and Addis Ababa

       Essentially Tesfamariam was amongst the number of Eritrean artists who were key contributors to the development of modern music in Ethiopia. A league of creative greats such as, Saxophonist/bass guitarist Fekaddu Andemeskel, lead guitarist Tekle Adhanom, lead guitarist/vocalist Tewolde Reda, composer Abubakar Ashaker ( Kbur Zebegna Band), Composer/Teacher Colonel Girmay Abdu (Kbur Zebegna Band), and vocalist & percussionist Tekle Tesfazghi. And later, the Roha band that consisted of mostly Eritrean members lead by the creative and entrepreneurial minded guitarist Selam Seyoum.



       Finally, after several years of self imposed hiatus, Tesfamariam has put a long awaited CD together that chronicles his life in music aptly entitled My Life in Music.




      Tesfamariam's CD stands out in more ways than one. In fact one would be hard-pressed to find another Eritrean "instrumental" album to compare it with. Eritrean musicians produced music in the past daubed "instrumental", by and large nothing considered distinctive or groundbreaking. As far as I can tell none attempted to produce an original composition however mediocre it may have sounded. All were an instrumental version of older songs sang by one vocalist or another.





                     
                       

Jean L. Jenkins - Ethiopie [Musique Traditionelle D'Ethiopie] -[Traditional Music Of Ethiopia] [1967]



                          R E U P L O A D   


Jean L. Jenkins – Ethiopie - Musique Traditionelle

Format:  Vinyl, LP, Album 
Country: France
Released:  1967
Genre:  Folk, World, & Country
Style:  Folk


  Musique Traditionelle D'Ethiopie / Traditional Music Of Ethiopia

A1             La "Harpe De David" / The "Harp Of David"
Vocals, Lyre – Unknown Artist
A2 Office Chretien / Christmas Service
Vocals, Percussion – Unknown Artist
A3 Office Du Sabbat / Sabbath Service
Vocals – Falasha
A4 Priere Quotidienne / Daily Prayers
Vocals – Falasha
A5 Chant D'Amour / Love Song
Vocals – Adaré
A6 Musique De Danse / Dance Music
Vocals, Percussion – Kunama
A7 Solo De Toum / Toum Solo
Mbira [Toum] – Anuak
A8 Ambassel / Ambassel
Vocals, Violin [Masenqo] – Amhara
A9 Foukara / Fukara
Vocals – Amhara

B1 Ensemble De Flutes / Flute Ensemble
Ensemble [Flute] – Gidole
B2 Chilota / Shilota
Vocals, Handclaps – Gidole
B3 Chant De Chamelier / Camel Driver's Song
Vocals – Unknown Artist
B4 Chant De Circoncision / Circumcision Song
Vocals – Unknown Artist
B5 Chant Pour Plaisanter (À Quatre Parties) / Joking Song (Four-Part)
Vocals – Dorzé*
B6 Ouachint / Washint
Flute – Kullo
B7 Musique De Danse / Danse Music
Vocals – Qottu
B8 Chant De Travail / Work Song
Vocals, Percussion – Borana

Credits :
Directed By [Published Under The Direction Of] – G. Rouget
Edited By [Technical Editor] – J. Schwarz
Recorded By, Liner Notes – Jean L. Jenkins

Notes :
Recorded 1964 and 1966 in Ethiopia (Horniman Museum, London) 

Track A1 recorded in Addis Alem 
Track A2 recorded at the Ethipian Christian Church at Lalibela 
Track A3 and A4 recorded in Ambobar 
Track A5 recorded in Adaré, Harar City 
Track A6 recorded in Barentu, Eritrea Prov. 
Track A7 recorded in Gambela 
Track A8 is a classic Amharic Folk song recorded in Dessie 
Track A9 is a Amharic war song recorded in Gondar 
Track B1 and B2 recorded in Gidole, Gemu-Gofa Prov. 
Track B3 recorded in Batié, Aussa (Northern Danakil) 
Track B4 recorded in Gheouani, Adal (Southern Danakil) 
Track B5 recorded in Tchentcha, Gemu-Gofa Prov. 
Track B6 recorded in Bonga, Kaffa Prov. 
Track B7 recorded in Asbe Teferi, Harar Prov. 
Track B8 recorded in Arero, Sidamo Prov.



Monday, March 18, 2013

Aqwaqwam - Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church [2005]



                                         R E U P L O A D   

       Christianity came to Ethiopia in the 4th century and received no outside influence for many years due to its geographic isolation. Its musical and gesture practices thus appear to reflect ancestral Christian rites. The Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church is a Monophysite Church. It considers that Christ has only one nature, the divine nature which absorbs the human nature. It shares these Christological theses with the Coptic Church under whose supervision it remained until 1959. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has been autocephalous since 1959 and is now led by the Patriarch ’Abuna Õawølos.



       Orthodox Christianity is the majority religion in present day Ethiopia, including slightly more than half of the population. Orthodox Christians are found mostly in the north of the country, on the northern high plateaus,the historical heart of Ethiopia. Christianity was introduced via the kingdom of Axum,which corresponds to the northern part ofEthiopia and Eritrea.

       The religious music of the Ethiopian Church is designated by the generic term zemæ. According to legend, Saint Yæred discovered and established zemæ in the 6th century with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Three birds from the Garden of Eden guided Saint Yæred to the heavenly Jerusalem where zemæ was revealed to him. He saw twenty-four priests of Heaven dancing, accompanied by the instrumentsthat the Ethiopian Church still uses today. For Ethiopian Christians, ’aqwaqwam, which is a part of zemæ, is an accurate reproduction of the dance and music of heaven taught to people by Saint Yæred. Saint Yæred is an important saint for Ethiopian priests and cantors.The entire Ethiopian liturgy is sung, in unison, with the exception of the Scriptures,
which are read. The chants are sung in Gueze, a Semitic language from Axum which is now used only in the Ethiopian Christian Church. Three modes are used: gø‘øz (hemitonic pentatonic), ‘øzøl and ‘ÄrÄrÄyø (anhemitonic pentatonic). The formulism on which this music is based brings it homogeneity.


       The liturgical chant of the Ethiopian Church involves long prayers. The pieces are built on the principle of text repetition, often sung very slowly and with rich ornamentation. We must take the time to listen to the pieces all the way through in order to hear the whole text and to follow the development of the chant, which becomes more intense and fervent as it goes on. The ’aqwaqwam principle, pieces of which are presented in these recordings, is above all one of endurance in prayer: ’aqwaqwam means literally “the (right) way to stand”. This word refers to the long services during which the cantors must remain standing. When God is praised using ’aqwaqwam, this is always during important ceremonies where a beautiful and dignified posture is called for, which means standing for the Ethiopians. ’Aqwaqwam, is not so much a dance in the strict sense, but above all an idea of stature in the etymological sense of the word – from the Latin stare, “to stand”. While the movements of ’aqwaqwam can appear as choreographies during which the participants change places, they are often relatively simple and “static”: the cantors move the top halves of their bodies back and forth in a rocking motion, moving their arms from right to left or playing a musical instrument so that it becomes a “dance instrument” while the lower half of the body remains immobile. Beyond its etymology, ’aqwaqwam is a generic term that covers chants accompanied by instruments and movements. The instruments used are the sistrum, the drum and the prayer stick, which provide purely rhythmic accompaniment. Mäqwamøya, or prayer stick, is an Amharic term with the same etymology as the word ’aqwaqwam. It serves as a support for the cantors who remain standing throughout the ceremonies. Holding it is part of the noble appearance sought for the ’aqwaqwam services. It is made of wood with a head of ivory, wood or metal – iron, copper, silver or gold –, which represents, with its horn shapes, the head of a lamb, the symbol of Christ. The overall shape of the mäqwamøya evokes Christ’s Cross. This is the only instrument allowed during Lent. The sistrum, or ñänañøl, has a wood, horn or metal handle topped by a trapezoidal frame made of ornately worked iron, copper, silver or gold. Two thin metal bars horizontally connect the two lateral uprights; they each support metal loops or squares which strike each other and bump against the sides of the trapezoid when the cantors shake the ñänañøl. There are five small metal loops or squares representing the five mysteries of the Ethiopian orthodox religion: the Holy Trinity, the Holy Incarnation, the Holy Baptism, the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Resurrection. Each cantor holds a ñänañøl in his right hand and moves it back and forth. According to some informants, the sound of the ñänañøl symbolizes the sound of the wings of the seraphim and cherubim that Saint Yæred heard in heaven. The symbolism attached to the instruments often seems to be a later interpretation however: the Ethiopians interpret the shape and the sonority of the sistrum from a Christian standpoint, although the instrument existed in Egypt at the time of the pharaohs 

       The kabaro is a membranophone. It is a conical wooden drum with two cowhide membranes. It is wrapped in a cloth covered with strips of cowhide which tie the two membranes together and hold them against the body of the drum. The small membrane is struck with the left hand (bare handed), the large one with the right hand. There are two playing positions: sitting or standing. The number of players varies as a function of the space in the church, the ideal number being two. The ’aqwaqwam is sung during festive services: annual and monthly celebrations and on Sundays. Outside of these occasions, i.e. outside of ’aqwaqwam, the chants are a cappella,
with no movements and no instrumental accompaniment. The cantors (mazamrÄn) take places according to their hierarchy in a space reserved for them within the church, the qøne mæÉølet.



       Only men are allowed to perform the services. They are dressed in white. Some are professionals, others are students of liturgical chanting (see diagram next page). The ’aqwaqwam takes the form of chants that can be antiphons (’angargæri, ’øsma la‘ælam…), poems (malk) or improvised texts (qøne). Depending on the particular celebration, the ’angargæri type antiphon, for example, may have a different text but with formal and musical constants. The musical principle of ’aqwaqwam is as follows: the cantors sing a given text in several successive versions that correspond to the same number of musical categories. The melody, rhythm, instrumental accompaniment and gestures vary from one category to another. While the various versions of a given malk, for example, are related, the links to be found are more those between two identical musical categories from two different malk. There are seven categories: zømame, qum ñänañøl, märägd, óøfat, wäräb, ’amälaläs and ÜäbÜäbo. Not all of the chants are sung in the seven versions, for some there are only two or four… 



       The recordings illustrate each of these categories at least once. ’Aqwaqwam is taught within churches by a master cantor known as märi geta. Each church follows a certain school of chanting, which defines, for certain pieces and certain categories, musical and movement performance elements that distinguish it from other schools. Depending on the church in which the cantor learned ’aqwaqwam, he will perform it in a certain manner, different from that of churches that follow others schools of chanting. There are four different schools of chant: taÜ bet, layø bet, sankwa and täkle. While belonging to a given school of chanting influences the musical execution of a piece, it does not modify the basic principle of ’aqwaqwam, i.e. the successive performance of several musical versions of the same text. The four schools use the same musical categories.
We have indicated below the schools to which the cantors who sing the various pieces belong.



Wednesday, February 27, 2013

uKanDanZ & Asnake Guebreyes [2011]


                                                  R  E  U  P  L  O  A  D   


      Between ethiogroove and modern music you find a musical hybrid called UkandanzIntense and powerful songs, mixed with energetic rock, jazz improvisation and Ethiopic soul. 

      Asnake Guebreyes originates from the vibrant music scene in Addis Abeba where he’s worked with traditional vocal- and drum styles. He appears on the Ethiopiques vol. 18 compilation and has worked with Han Bennik amongst others. 

     The members of Ukandanz willingly cross different musical borders, at the same time they also maintain the musical identity and origin. 


      Asnake Guebreyes - Vocals
      Lionel Martin - Tenor sax
      Fred Escoffier - Keyboards
      Damien Cluzel - Guitar 
      Guilhem Meier - Drums






        Ethiopia is a world unto itself; European colonists never got a grip on the inaccessible country; not even the Italians. Ethiopian music reflects its’ history; the conspiratorial, oriental melodies and elusive rhythms have little in common with any other form of music. 

The members of the Ethiopian/French formation uKanDanZ – being heard for the first time in The Netherlands! – play a staggeringly potent blend of traditional melodies, groovy lines from Addis Abeba and hardcore rock. The intensity of their music makes many punk formations seem pale in comparison.






uKanDanZ is the future of ethiogroove !!!!





Thursday, January 3, 2013

Bezunesh Bekele - Yenat Weletawa [197_]



   R  E  U  P  L  O  A  D   








01. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Meneme Addis Neger Yeleme (2:54)
02. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Hulume Bemegerme (4:23)
03. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Aseberko Demeko (4:05)
04. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Lela Asebe Weye (4:21)
05. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Endih Newe Gabecha (4:10)
06. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Yenate Weletawane (4:05)
07. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Eyekesekesenge Fekerhe (3:02)
08. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Endehe Newe Gedawo (3:45)
09. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Yefeker Wegagane (3:34)
10. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Ezam Ezame Atebele (4:38)
11. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Sewele Yelgale Kere (4:42)
12. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Yesune Yesune (5:18)
13. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Geze Ayelewetgeme (3:17)
14. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Yegebahewen Kale Endet Tafersaleh (4:12)
15. Bezunèsh Bèkèlè - Lesewe Binagerute (4:07)



Thursday, November 29, 2012

Menelik Wossenachew - Gash Jembere [Ethio-Grooves EG95-2, 1995] [ethiopia]



I N C L U D I N G   N E W ,  B E T T E R   R I P



The Life and Times of Menelik Wossenachew

December 24, 2009 marked the one year anniversary of the passing of the wonderful, incredibly talented singer, music writer and lyricist, Menelik Wossenachew.  Below is a piece I wrote for Horizon Ethiopia’s November issue.

What makes one artist a legend and another with equal or more talent obscure?  That was the question that popped in my head when I saw the reaction to Tilahun Gessesse’s passing.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved the man.  He was an incredible performer and had one of the best voices I’ve come across.


And I believe the reaction he received was well deserved. The question for me was, how come I didn’t see 1% of the same reaction when the veteran and amazing talent, Menelik Wossenachew passed away four months prior? A scan in the life and times of the gentle crooner might answer the question.




Early Years


Menelik Wossenachew was born in 1940 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; although he grew up in the city of Harar where he went to a French school. Later on, he dropped out of high school and joined Alliance Ethio-Française in Addis Ababa for five years. In 1960 he joined the Haile Selassie I Theatre Orchestra.  He was fist hired as a backup vocalist but quickly became a favorite of the director of the Orchestra, the grandfather of all arrangers; Nerses Nalbandian.




The first two songs he sang on stage were Almaz Eyasebkush and Fiqer Lemn Yiqer. Other hits continued including Afer Atinfegign, Fiker Bastergwami, Yachi Lij Konjo Nat, Teyaqiyew Biaschegregn (Ene Wushetenew,) YeHarerwa WeTat, Fiker Ayarjim, and Sukar Sukar. The last two were written by clarinet player, Merawi Sitot and their music was taken from two popular Sudanese tunes.  Nerses Nalbandian was so impressed with Menelik’s vocal range that he had him sing opera as well.




Coming Of Age


In 1965, while still at the orchestra, Menelik joined the second Ras Band which had been assembled by Girma Beyene when the first band left to play at the newly built Ghion Hotel.  The second Ras Band consisted of Girma Beyene (piano & English vocals), Tesfamariam Kidane (saxophone), Hailu “Zehon” Kebede (bass), Girma Zemariam (drums), Menelik Wossenachew and Seyfu Yohannes (vocalists). The songs Wub Natand Tikura were performed by Menelik Wossenachew while he was at the Ras Band.  Menelik Wossenachew and Girma Beyene continued their friendship and collaboration after the Ras Band disbanded in the late 1960’s.




In the early 1970s Menelik recorded several tracks for Phillips Ethiopia including Fikrachin, Mambo Sambo, Aderch Arada and Tebeb Teqami New.  The first two were recorded with the All Star Band and arranged by Mulatu Astatqe while the last two were recorded with the Haile Selassie I Theatre Orchestra and arranged by Nerses Nalbandian.




Tebeb Teqami New was very famous as it was used as the opening to an education program on Ethiopian Radio. Around the same time period he recorded: Nefes Eko Nat (Sele Wubetwa Sadenq,) Asha Gedawo, Menew Bacher Qere, Eshet Eshet, Chereqa, Meqabren Liyew, Tizeta, Belew Bedubaye, Bati and Min Nekash. With the exception of Bati> and Min Nekash (Phillips Ethiopia) all of these tracks were recorded by Amha Eshete (Amha Records).  By this time, Menelik’s smooth as silk voice was gaining recognition and his ballads invariably left listeners wanting to hear more.




Menelik was not only vocally talented but a wonderful lyricist as well. Apart from what he wrote for himself (Fikrachin, Mambo Sambo, Nefes Eko Nat, Asha Gedawo, Menew Bacher Qere, Eshet Eshet, Chereqa, Meqabren Liyew, Tizeta, Belew Bedubaye, and Bati) he wrote two incredible songs: Tilahun Gessesse’s Lanchi Biye (he also composed the music for this) and Mahmoud Ahmed’s Fitsum Dinq Lij Nesh.













Parts of Lanchi Biye were recently sampled by the Somalian hip hop artist, K’Naan for his song America.  Chereqa(Moon) is a song based on the children song Chereqa Dembulboqa. The beautiful Meqabren Liyew (Let me see my grave) is an eerie song about Menelik’s wish to see his resting place before his death, an unimaginable thought to a majority of Ethiopians.




In the mid 70’s Menelik joined the Walias Band where his friend and old colleague, Girma Beyene was a member.  At that time the Walias Band was performing at the Hilton Hotel and Menelik was welcomed as a seasoned performer, regularly performing in Italian and Sudanese as well as Amharic. By that time though, the political climate brought about by the Derg’s revolution in 1974, had begun to make Menelik feel acutely uncomfortable.




Though he stayed several years after the revolution his unwavering independence made him a target from all sides of the political spectrum.  He decided to end his collaboration with the Haile Selassie I Theatre Orchestra and the Walias Band and go on a self-imposed exile, first to Sudan and later to Egypt. Though he became a distant figure to his fans in Ethiopia, he became a sought after performer both in Sudan and Egypt.



Late Years


After a total of 14 years in exile Menelik returned to Ethiopia in 1993 with the help of Mohammed Al-Amoudi, the Ethiopian-Saudi businessman.  In 1995 Menelik Wossenachew released a CD entitled, Gash Jembere on Ethio-Grooves record.  The CD was a compilation of his best hits including the title track which Menelik sang as an ode to Mohammed Al-Amoudi for his kindness and assistance shown to him.  It should be noted that Gash Jemebere was a taxi driver near the Itege Hotel (named Awraris Hotel during the Derg) who was known for his kindness.











Apart from special occasions Menelik didn’t perform. I was very fortunate to see him perform one song, Teyaqiyew Biaschegregn (Ene Wushetenew,) in Addis Ababa for the Millennium (GC) festivities. The man still had the voice. One of the last shows he performed was at the 50th Anniversary celebrating the creation of the Haile Selassie Theatre in December 2005.




Menelik Wossenachew’s private life was just that, private!  Getachew Debalqe, his friend and old colleague remembers Menelik as a very discreet and shy person but a very talented soul.  He shares a story how one of Menelik’s brother was surprised to see Menelik perform live at the theatre as he was not aware of his sibling’s musical career at that time.












Menelik remained a bachelor up until his death and was known to have fathered several children.  Menelik died on December 24, 2008 from pneumonia.  He was contemplating a comeback and had gone to South Africa to fix an ear problem. Girma Beyene, upon learning of Menelik’s passing, paid the ultimate tribute to his fallen friend.


“He was a one man show.  Not only was he one of the most talented singers I came across but also one of the smartest [Menelik could speak Amharic, Tigrigna, English, French, Italian and Arabic]. I’ll miss his kindness, his voice and above all I’ll miss his friendship.”









So coming back to the question I raised on the onset of this piece.  Why fame for one and obscurity for another?  I guess there are no clear answers. Maybe its luck or because he had stayed away from music during his exile or that he didn’t have quite the discography as others (Tilahun Gessesse, Mahmoud Ahmed, and Alemayehu Eshete) or that he didn’t jump start his career upon his return. Whatever the reason in the end what is important is that his contribution to the development of contemporary Ethiopian music should be recognized and not forgotten.





v.a. - Manzuma [Muslims in Ethiopia]



                    R   E   U   P   L   O  A   D   



ISLAM IN ETHIOPIA

       Although Ethiopia is often perceived as a dominantly Christian country Islam has an important place in the historic and a cultural composition of the country. The first Muslims arrived in Ethiopia during the time of the prophet Muhammad in 615 A.D. and the emergence of the first Muslim sultanates in central Ethiopia date back to the 9th century. Today about 34% of the Ethiopian population are Muslims and Islam is the dominant religion in a number of regions, such as Afar, Somali, Harar, Eastern and Southwestern Oromiya, parts of the Gurage region and the eastern part of the region Wollo. This region is inhabited by a mixture of different ethnic groups, Amhara, Oromo, Argobba and Afar, though Amharic speakers are the majority.



SUFISM

       The introduction of Sufi brotherhoods in Eastern Wollo in the 18th century led to the establishment of centers of Muslim scholarship. Some of the most important centers in Wollo are Anna, Dana, Č̣ali, Geta and Tiru Sina. Theses centers are active till this day and draw pupils from other Muslim regions of Ethiopia such as Jimma and the Gurage region, thus their influence extend beyond the local area. The centers have become destinations of yearly pilgrimages and the scholars who founded these centers as well as their successors are often venerated as awliya, i.e. (Muslim holy men).



MANZUMA

       Manzuma is an Arabic term meaning “put into poetic form” and refers to a text written in the metrical system of Classical Arabic Poetry. In Ethiopia manzuma usually refers to Islamic poetry which is performed in a chanted manner. Manzuma was first introduced by Jamal ad-Din Muhammad, the founder of the first Sufi center in Anna in Northeastern Wollo. Although being Ethiopian he used the Arabic language to compose manzuma poems. Shaykh Misbah Deresa from Dana is said to be the first who used his mother tongue Amharic for the composition of manzuma poetry. The most influential Amharic manzuma poet was Sayyid Ibrahim Yasin better known as She Č̣ali, who founded Sufi center in the eastern part of Wollo in the first decades of the 20th century.



LANGUAGE

       The first manzuma poems composed by Ethiopian Muslim poets were written in Arabic. Because manzuma appeared first in Wollo, where most of the people speak Amharic, most of manzuma poems are composed in Amharic. But in recent times manzuma became also popular in other regions of Ethiopia where other languages are spoken. Today there manzuma poets who compose in other languages, especially in Oromo. In Harar another center of Islamic scholarship in Eastern Ethiopia, religious poetry is known under the name zikri.


CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE OF MANZUMA

       In Ethiopia most of manzuma texts are praise poems and contain different religious topics such as prayer for the Prophet (tawaṣolāt), praise of the Prophet (madḥ an-nabī), which also include biographical accounts of the Prophet (mawlid and miʿrāǧ), and praising God (ṯanāʾ Allāh).

       Though manzuma poems are performed orally they are usually written beforehand. In writing manzuma poems authors usually write in the so-called ajem script, i.e. the use of the Arabic alphabet for Amharic.

       Manzuma poems are usually recited during religious celebrations like mawlid, i.e. the birthday of the Prophet or ziyāra, religious pilgrimages. Other occasions are ḥaḍra meetings, i.e. Sufi gatherings for collective prayers and ḏikr mediations. Manzuma “songs” are chanted by one lead performer who is accompanied by a chorus. The chorus performers are often so-called deresa, i.e. religious students. In Wollo there are basically different forms of manzuma performances. It can be with the accompaniment of a drum, also called dəbbe (dəbbe meaning drum in Amharic), by hand-clapping and sometimes dancing or without any accompaniment in this case called əngurguro.



1. Mahammadnuur Mahammad - Allaahummasallii (9:49)
2. Mohammed Awel - Tajil Mursil (6:29)
3. Mohammed Awel - Ulammaa Binager (7:23)
4. Mohammed Awel - Yahabibi Salam Aleykum (7:26)
5. Raya Manzuma - 01 (17:17)
6. She Ahmed Vol 2 a - She Ahmed Vol 2 a (29:31)