v.a. - State of Eritrea - Natasha Stallard Transmissions 004 [2013] [eritrea]

       "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

05 — Sahil ilen tebegisen — Nighsti Nigo

06 — Keyih Nebri — Tefono

07 — Halaw Wesen — Gual Ankere

08 — Afriqawit Vietnam — Tefono

09 — Zimtse Yimtsa Werari — Fihira

42:45     72 mb