Gili Yalo - Gili Yalo [2017] [ethiopia+israel]

          From his base in Tel Aviv, Gili Yalo is launching a solo career in a new project that combines Ethiopian roots with soul, funk, psychedelic, and jazz music. Yalo, who has collaborated with top music producers Beno Hendler (Balkan Beat Box) and Uri Brauner Kinrot (Boom Pam), incorporates sounds from traditional Ethiopian music into a contemporary music production. 

          The result is an exceptional, rich, vivid melody accompanied by Gili's unique voice with lyrics in both English and Amharic. The music embodies his own personal story, which inspired the rhythm and flow of the whole project. And what a story he has to tell: Operation Moses was the covert evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from Sudan during a famine in 1984. These Ethiopian Jews fled from their native land on foot to refugee camps in Sudan. Together with his family, Gili Yalo made this perilous trip, walked through the desert towards the "Promised Land" and sang to his beloved ones. 

Gili Yalo - Selam

       Gili Yalo's band is made up of five musicians, including guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and trumpet. An entrancing rhythmic motion is apparent when listening to Gili's music, from the groove, beat and flow, and up to the lyrics, concept and style of the project. Today, Yalo's music gives a new meaning to traditional Ethiopian music. The expression of his story through an advanced music production represents his own personal triumph. Gili Yalo's album combines Ethiopian roots music with a modern touch of jazz and soul. Yalo began writing the songs for his album in 2015 coming from a strong desire to express himself and to send out a message to the world: in order to guide yourself forward you have to carry your roots with you and remember where you came from. Through this album, Yalo has managed to connect his personal history to his current life alongside renowned music producer Uri Brauner Kinrot (Boom Pam) and many talented local musicians who were brought together for this project. 

       Yalo reveals a fresh perspective to Ethiopian culture by using his personal musical influences such as James Brown and Mulatu Astatke to blend the sounds of funk and soul with Ethio-jazz music. The album, like Africa itself, is a rich patchwork of color and rhythm. The sound is influenced by '70s blues, soul, and funk music, with Ethiopian music at the core of the project. Also features Keren Dun.

Gili Yalo - 01 - Tadese (2:54)

Gili Yalo - 02 - Selam (3:50)

Gili Yalo - 03 - Sab Sam (4:39)

Gili Yalo - 04 - Africa (4:57)

Gili Yalo - 05 - Hot Shot (3:28)

Gili Yalo - 06 - Coffee (4:56)

Gili Yalo - 07 - City Life (4:05)

Gili Yalo - 08 - Fire (3:50)

Gili Yalo - 09 - T'ebik'iu (4:57)

Gili Yalo - 10 - New Life (3:36)