Tadesse Alemu (Amharic: ታደሠ ዓለሙ) was an Ethiopian singer from Wollega who sang traditional Ethiopian songs, sometimes Christian-based, in an upbeat pop-music style with the modern-day electronic instrumentation that is characteristic of today's Ethiopian popular music. His sound, comprised primarily of traditional songs, made liberal use of electronic instrumentation.
Tadesse Alemu - Arada
Active since 1997, nothing was known about his origins. However, an interview with Alemu's wife on Voice of Ethiopia radio during fall 2007 confirmed that he had become sick and died that July in Addis Ababa of a short disease, which resulted from an infection that was caused by a stabbing wound from several years previously that had not healed properly, just before he was set to leave the country on a concert tour.
Jano Band transcend the Rock genre by infusing traditional Ethiopian melodies and percussions, adding instruments of masinko, krar, and the washint, and bringing you to your feet with unforgettable languages of love and celebration.
Jano Band became the first Ethiopian band to feature on Coke Studio Africa when they collaborated with South African singer Shekhinah in Nairobi, Kenya, last year.
The band – which consists of two female vocalists, two male lead vocalists and six musicians on bass, guitars, keyboards and drums – was brought together by Addis Gessesse in 2011.
Since the release of "Ertale" in 2012 (also posted HERE), the group has collaborated and worked with American producer Bill Laswell who helped the group sparkle on the international arena.
Jano Band - Darigne
In September 2017, news broke that the band was on the verge of a breakup. The band disputed the reports through its current manager Sammy Tefera who went on to announce that the band would be launching its second album in early 2018.
Music In Africa caught up with one of the band’s lead vocalists, Dibekulu Tafesse, to talk about their 16-track album, Lerasih New, which was released on 1 February 2018.
MUSIC IN AFRICA: What was the inspiration behind Lerasih New?
DIBEKULU TAFESSE: We named the album Lerasih New because it is a commonly used word which translates to 'For Yourself'. Our songs carry different themes that our fans relate to and in this album we choose to urge our fans to be conscious of their actions. As human beings we ocassionally do things without thinking about the consequences. So in this album we are pushing for self-awareness because no one should intentionally hurt themselves or ruin their lives simply because they made the wrong choice.
MUSIC IN AFRICA: Was the album produced in Ethiopia?
DIBEKULU TAFESSE: The assembling of the music, which is normally the first stage of recording, was done in Ethiopia but the engineering process was done in Italy at the Blumusica studio in Turin, and the final mastering was done at Lurssen Mastering Studio in Los Angeles, Califonia.
Working with good recording studios and producers has set us apart from other Ethiopian artists since the music that we produce is of high quality. On this project we worked with producer Kistet.
(brief interview is taken from siteMusic in Africa and it's posted HERE)
It is an improbable story: one that reunites, a group of young Parisians with the Swingin' Addis sounds of the seventies. In October 2008, five musicians got together on a wild project: to delve into the repertoire of the Ethiopian golden age, as defined by the producer Francis Falceto, to whom we owe the series of reissues “Ethiopiques”. “The idea was to transcribe songs from this period and rearrange them to the sound of our times. First off, it eliminated the need to write songs that risked falling into ethio-jazz clichés.
The aim was not to bring about some artistic revolution through our work but simply to give and take pleasure by performing this music!” Through this retro-futuristic alchemy, the Akalé Wubé quintet was born: a curious name borrowed from a song by the great saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya, a bit of an old-fashioned expression which can by translated as “my beautiful” in Amharic, a poetic metaphor which also means “beauty of the soul”.
“Since our very first concert in December 2008 we were surprised by the audience’s enthusiasm.” Since then, Akalé Wubé have played more than forty concerts, including a residency at the Lavoir Moderne Parisien and a tour around Morocco. A year later, they were finally ready to record their debut album. It took them four live sessions in the famous “Cold Rooms” on the bank of the river Seine, in order to capture the warmth and fervor of an acoustic and organic sound.
The result is a retro sound which resounds perfectly with the contemporary aesthetic of a generation of musicians that juggle genres around. Funk, reggae, jazz, tango... “All of this is found in the vocabulary and aesthetic of the ethiopian productions of the sixties and seventies. It is a cross-bred style of music - so much so, that even by sticking to the repertoire, it can be taken in different directions...” A mix of stripped-down funk soul and smart pop, of garage rock and vintage jazz, this spatiotemporal collision offers them the ideal platform to establish a solid base in 2010. The objective: transcend all genres and swing the future in the most quirky of ways. This is the attracting force of their record: a UFO which targets above all to deliver good vibes at any tempo, and move you from head to toe.
In a dramatic departure from the Ethiopian music of the 1980s and 90s, the daring Express Band is credited with changing the sound of Ethiopian music. Drawing on their extensive experience with some of the most renowned bands in Ethiopia, these four innovative musicians have pioneered their own unique sound. As a result, they are currently the #1 band in Ethiopia. Introduction is the bands debut album.
Express Band - Interview with the Band Founders - Part 1
The Express Band has toured extensively and performed with many legendary singers, including Ephrem Tamiru and Jamaican singer, Tony Rebel. Talented musicians, composers and lyricists, they were instrumental in the arrangement of Dawit Mellesses Lottery. AIT Records is excited to be working with these creative musicians as we help introduce their unique sound to listeners worldwide, and we look forward to producing future albums with the Express Band.
Founded in 1994 with three musicians - Dereje Tefera(bass),Kibret Zekiwos(guitar) andFeleke Hailu(keyboards and saxophone) - the daring Express Band is credited with changing the landscape of Ethiopian music. Performing in clubs throughout Addis Ababa, the Express Band has been joined onstage by the likes of Dawit Mellesse, Theodros "Afro" Kassahun, Shewandagn Hailu, Zeritu Kebede, Tigist Bekele and Abdu Kiar, and they have performed on recordings by a number of Ethiopia 's leading singers. Drawing on these experiences, they have pioneered their own unique sound and remain one of the busiest and most sought-after bands in Ethiopia .
Express Band - 01 - Set Alamnim (3:32) Express Band - 02 - Sira (4:27) Express Band - 03 - Chinkim Mekeraye (6:26) Express Band - 04 - Ye-Hiywote Hiywet (5:53) Express Band - 05 - Hallo Hallo (4:56) Express Band - 06 - Ye-Har Shererit (5:00) Express Band - 07 - Innate Nesh (4:29) Express Band - 08 - Alchalkum (6:20) Express Band - 09 - Libesh Kabashin (4:16) Express Band - 10 - Mignote (4:08) Express Band - 11 - Kurtun Nigerign (4:25) Express Band - 12 - Ye-Fikir Migib (4:15)
Abu Obaida Hassan and the wonders of his five-string tambour remained largely a mystery. In the early 2000s, a prominent Sudanese newspaper declared him dead. Internet forums confirmed his passing. Many in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, said he had indeed died. But rumors that he was still alive persisted.
What was always certain is Abu Obaida Hassan’s mercurial talent. His command of a modified tambour, backed by a chorus and two drummers, unleashed swirling melodies alongside complex Nubian rhythms and hypnotic Sudanese call and response. His bands roster constantly changed, but he remained at the helm, playing for sold out shows in cities across the country and capturing the dancefloors and youth of 1970s and ‘80s Sudan.
Abu Obaida Hassan - Qamar Al Massa (Moon of the Night)
This is a rich, raw example of the human experience with sound from northern Sudan, an ancient part of the world, and the birthplace of civilization. Music like this isn’t mastered overnight.
The Ostinato team first came across Abu Obaida’s recordings in 2011, finding scratchy bits and pieces along the years. We traveled to Sudan in 2016 to find the clues to piece together the Abu Obaida Hassan puzzle. Through some extensive detective work with our man in Khartoum, Ahmed Asyouti, and a generous dose of good fortune, we tracked Abu Obaida to the rural outskirts of Omdurman, the old capital just across the White Nile from Khartoum. Age has taken its toll, but he remains full of life and music, ready to jointly curate a selection of his eight best cuts. He has written over 100 songs, only 30 were recorded.
Abu Obaida comes from the Shaigiya people, whose culture is spread around the ancient city of Merowe, home of traditional Nubian culture, where pyramids older than those in Egypt still stand. They trace their entire lineage to one man, Shaig, who migrated from the Arabian peninsula in the 15th century. An endlessly rhythmic syncretism between Arab and Nubian styles, Abu Obaida’s Shaigiya music was an in demand party affair in an era when a vibrant nightlife and roving sound systems were staples of life in Sudan.
It was music for a modern era, and Abu Obaida, at just 19, rebelliously abandoned traditional Shaigiya music traditions, pioneering a new sound by adding an extra string to his tambour and electrifying an instrument adored across East Africa. The result was complexity in simplicity and a hyper-talented artist who mirrors the story of Sudan’s highs and lows, from the leading tambour maestro of the hour to such obscurity on the fringes that he was believed dead. “They killed me!”, he likes to joke.
Abu Obaida Hassan, his music and the musical traditions of the Shaigiya remain alive and kicking. A culmination of a 7-year journey — from first hearing Abu Obaida’s distinct sound, found only in Sudan, to finding the man — has produced the first global release of Shaigiya music and is the first chapter of Ostinato’s immersion into Sudan, with a full compilation of the lavish musical history of one the most diverse countries in Africa due later this year. All brought to you by the Grammy-nominated team behind last year’s “Sweet As Broken Dates”.
Abu Obaida Hassan - 01 - Daweena (6:33)
Abu Obaida Hassan - 02 - Qamar Al Massa (Moon of the Night) (8:15)
Abu Obaida Hassan - 03 - Nas Fi Nas (People on People) (5:20)
Abu Obaida Hassan - 04 - Fargooni (They Left Us) (3:25)
Abu Obaida Hassan - 05 - Shofo Alla (Find Me A Solution) (6:37)
Abu Obaida Hassan - 06 - Amshy Shoof (Go Find Your Own Love) (5:02)
Abu Obaida Hassan - 07 - La...La (Don’t Say I Am Betraying You) (7:15)
Abu Obaida Hassan - 08 - Dayer Anwer Lek (Light Your Path) (5:03)
