Born in 1950 in Entoto, near Addis Ababa, Alemu Aga has played the Ethiopian traditional lyre begenna since he was 12, having been trained by a famous master, Aleqa Tessama Wolde-Ammanuel, who was his neighbour and teacher at his school.
Graduated from the Addis Ababa University (in geography), he taught the begenna at the Yared Music School until 1980. He now teaches on a voluntary basis and focuses on his researches about the begenna.
He has published numerous audiotapes and several CD's and appeared in concert worldwide. Nowadays, Alemu Aga is the most highly respected Begenna player of Ethiopia.
01 Selamta [The Creation] 2:52
02 Fäbälähala [The Creation] 2:40
03 ABBA Gran Motä (Death of the Left-Handed) 5:30
04 Mädägäna Zäläsana Bätbaze (About the Futility of Life) 4:31
05 Instrumental Melody 1:47
06 Tälafino Gomdär 3:52
07 Tene Eko (I Am Yours and You are mine) 5:59
08 Ambasel 6:20
09 Seläla (War Song) 3:56
10 Gämay Eney (Come Little Girl and Chat with Me) 4:25
Ashenafi Kebede (1938 – May 8, 1998) was an Ethiopian composer, conductor, ethnomusicologist, historical musicologist, music educator, novelist, and poet.
Kebede was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1938 and was educated in musicology in the United States at the Eastman School of Music (1962), and Wesleyan University (M.A. 1969; Ph.D. 1971).
He founded the National Saint Yared School of Music in Ethiopia, serving as its first director (1963–1968).
He was designated a National Composer by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, in 1967. Shortly after that he began his graduate studies in the United States, and earned the first Ph.D. in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University.
The Shepherd Flutist, Ethiopian Symphony
Ashenafi was a prolific writer. His works include a novel, Confession (1964), articles in ethnomusicology journals, the book Roots of Black Music, and numerous articles in The Chronicler, the magazine of the Center for African-American Culture.
In his own compositions he combined Ethiopian and Japanese musical ideas. "Koturasia" is one such piece, written for flute, clarinet, violin, and Japanese koto. Among his other musical compositions were "Peace unto Ethiopia" and "The Life of Our Nation". His best known composition though rarely heard outside Ethiopia was "The Shepherds Flute", performed in 1968 with Hungarian State String Orchestra.
In the United States, he was Director of the internationally known Ethiopian Research Council, consisting of a group of Ethiopian and American scholars and professionals. At the time of his death he was Director of the Center of African-American Culture at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
Professor Kebede died in Tallahassee, Florida, May 8, 1998. As spoken by the man, "you are here for me, I am not here for you."
Tracklist
A
01 - The Shepherd Flutist I (8:52)
02 - The Shepherd Flutist II (3:23)
03 - The Shepherd Flutist III (4:40)
04 - The Shepherd Flutist IV (11:56)
05 - The Shepherd Flutist V (3:23)
Composed By – Ashenafi Kebede
B
06 - Ethiopian Symphony [part I & II] (7:40)
07 - Ethiopian Symphony III (12:12)
08 - Ethiopian Symphony IV (10:53)
Composed By – Ashenafi Kebede
Ethiopian Symphony in three movements written by Ashenafi Kebede
The Hungarian State String Orchestra with Lóránt Kovács (Flute) conducted by Ashenafi Kebede
The Ethiopian Symphony was dedicated to the 75th birthday of H.I.M. Haile Selassie I.
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tigist Ejigu developed a passion for music when she was a little girl. She had a sharp ear for music, and when she reached 10th grade she join the prestigious Yared Music School of Addis Ababa. Tigist showed an uncanny ability to replicate on piano most any music to which she was given ear. Her formal training at Yared exposed her to a broader repertoire of music, and both her technical expertise and her interpretive insightfulness blossomed.
In 1989, Tigist graduated from Yared with honors. She began performing professionally at hotels and restaurants in Addis Ababa. Wabe Shebelle, the Ibex, the Samit and the Hilton in Addis Ababa were among the hosts of her performances. Her repertoire included faithful renditions of traditional Ethiopian, western classical, and popular international music. It also included sensitive interpretative variations on themes of traditional Ethiopian and western classical music.
Tigist moved to America in 1996. She first performed at small Ethiopian restaurants and nightclubs in Washington, DC. She performed solo and with small ensembles, and she primarily performed traditional Ethiopian music. As her notoriety evolved, she began playing across the US -including Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston, and New York. DC is her home, and audiences at the Washington Hilton and the Hilton Capital find great favor with her sensitive melding of Classical and popular international themes. Of late, she has focused upon performing her own compositions. They have a jazz like improvisational quality, yet they capture and reflect both traditional Ethiopian and Western Classical aesthetics. Her performances are heartfelt, and her music has a universal appeal while Ethiopia is forever present.
Tigist's first album, Ambassel, has achieved international recognition. Her new second album is a collection of sensitive interpretations of Ethiopia's popular and traditional melodies. It is reflective of Tizita, Bati, Anchehoye Lene and Ambassel modes of expression.
e
Tigist Ejigu - 01 - Ambassel [a small village name found in Welo region,Ethiopia] (8:17) Tigist Ejigu - 02 - Yematbela Wof [Unedible Bird] (6:38) Tigist Ejigu - 03 - Yiwedegn Aywedegn [Does He Love Me, Does He Not] (6:37) Tigist Ejigu - 04 - Marigne Biyeshalehu [Accept My Apolgy] (5:33) Tigist Ejigu - 05 - Endit neh [How Are You?] (5:01) Tigist Ejigu - 06 - Tizita [Nostalgia] (8:22) Tigist Ejigu - 07 - S'thed s'ketelat [I'll Keep On Following Her Wherver She Goes] (5:06) Tigist Ejigu - 08 - Letidar [For Marriage] (6:03) Tigist Ejigu - 09 - Nafkote [My Beloved One Whom I Miss So Much] (6:41) Tigist Ejigu - 10 - Yenne fiker [My Love] (5:07)
Girma Yifrashewa extended biography and additional info >find here !
01 - Girma Yifrashewa - The Shepherd with the Flute (6:48)
02 - Girma Yifrashewa - Chewata (8:44)
03 - Girma Yifrashewa - Elilta (6:47)
04 - Girma Yifrashewa - Sememen (9:21)
05 - Girma Yifrashewa - Ambassel (8:55)
"a rare and fascinating example of aesthetic adaptation and convergence" - The New York Times
"Gorgeous solo piano studies from Ethiopia... along with a meditative take on jazz that recalls George Winston" - Uncut Magazine
"On his first US release, Love & Peace (Unseen Worlds), Yifrashewa comes off as a fluid hybrid of Erik Satie, Vince Guaraldi, and Matthew Shipp at his most restrained. The performances are tonally rich and subdued, with Yifrashewa's folksy melodies given alternating emphasis—grandiloquent and hushed." - Chicago Reader
"The newest release on Unseen Worlds is a breathtaking collection of solo piano pieces by Ethiopian composer Girma Yifrashewa, who crafts a unique blend of hauntingly melodic works that recall Erik Satie, Keith Jarrett, and Debussy, but filtered through the Ethiopian pentatonic scale, tipping its hat toward the worlds of both jazz and classical music simultaneously. Easily one of the year's most engrossing classical/ambient works, this is vital music by an incredibly gifted composer and musician. Absolute highest recommendation." - Other Music
"A thoroughly engaging set of five solo piano settings ... Adding to the recording's appeal, each of the pieces conveys a satisfying sense of completeness, and to his credit, Yifrashewa consistently opts for emotional directness" - Textura
Born in Addis Ababa on 15 October 1967, Girma Yefrashewa learnt to play the Kirar, a harp-like traditional Ethiopian string instrument, at a tender age. He was introduced to piano at the age of 16 when he joined the Yared School of Music in Addis Ababa , where he studied for four years and graduated with a diploma in piano under Valentina Semenova. He then received a five-year bursary from the Ethiopian government to study at the Sofia State Conservatory of Music, in Bulgaria and graduated with a Masters in Piano under Professor Atanas Kurtev.
It is in Bulgaria that he made an impact as a solo pianist holding shows throughout the country until his return to East Africa in 1995.
His best achievement as a performer is in the sphere of romantic and impressionist repertoires, above all the piano works of Schumann, Schubert, Chopin and Debussy. He has a preference and well-determined approach to the music of Bach as well as to those of Mozart and Beethoven.
Girma was privileged to have received scholarships for short-term specialization courses from the British and German Governments, at the Royal Academy of Music in London (1997) under Professor Frank Wibaut and at the Hochschule fur Music Und Theater – Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – in Leipzig (1999) under Professor Helgeheide Schimdt , respectively.
With regard to his work experience, on his return to Ethiopia in 1995, he took up a position with the Yared School of Music as a piano teacher where he worked until 2001. He was also working at the Sheraton Addis as a Pianist for one year (2000-2001). Now Girma is involved in his private work to promote Ethiopian and Classical Music throughout the continent and beyond. On his spare time, he also gives private piano lessons to students of different age groups.
Girma has so far released three albums: The Shepherd with the Flute (2001), Meleya Keleme (2003) and Elilta (2005).
Girma has many compositions (among which is the famed Shepherd with the Flute, based on the composition of Professor Ashenafi Kebede’s music) and has extensively worked on music arrangement. His latest album “Elilta” features exclusively his own compositions and arrangements and the pieces are all based on Ethiopian traditional tunes.
In 2005, on the occasion of the celebrations of the 100th Anniversary of the commencement of Ethio-German diplomatic relations, Girma was given the unique opportunity to perform with the German Leipzig Youth Symphony Orchestra. The concert of German music (Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 2) and Ethiopian music (Girma’s own compositions) was highly acclaimed both in German (Leipzig and Berlin) and Addis Ababa.
Girma has held many concerts both in Ethiopia and outside not only on his international tours (solo tour and with Ethiopian vocalists), but also on separate invitations sent to him (Egypt, Djibouti, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, South Africa, Seychelles, Zambia, Malawi, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Australia, USA).
In October 2009, Girma was invited for the International Symposium and Festival in The USA under the title of “Africa Meets North America “In the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
The Shepherd with the Flute
The 2001 CD, The Shepherd with the Flute, includes works of Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Mozart and Schumann, as well as a new work by the pianist himself. It is called The Shepherd Flutist (7:14) and is based on The Shepherd with the Flute, a composition of Ashenafi Kebede, an Ethiopian composer.
01. Girma Yifrashewa - Für Elise (2:51)
02. Girma Yifrashewa - Fantasie-Impromptu Op.66 (5:19) 03. Girma Yifrashewa - The shepherd with the flute (7:14) 04. Girma Yifrashewa - Gymnopedie (3:57) 05. Girma Yifrashewa - Nocturen Op. 54 No 4 (3:51) 06. Girma Yifrashewa - Papillons Op.2 (15:43) 07. Girma Yifrashewa - Rondo alla Turca (3:30) 08. Girma Yifrashewa - Prelude No 2 (4:11) 09. Girma Yifrashewa - Clair de lune (4:51) 10. Girma Yifrashewa - Valse in A minor Op.34, No 2 (4:52) 11. Girma Yifrashewa - Arabesque Op.18 (6:26)
Mary Armeday's love-folk songs and her unique krar playing style have become a classic in the history of ethiopian music and she will forever be remembered for her talent and her love for entertaining.
Guzo
is the debut release of young Ethiopian pianist Samuel Yirga. Against the odds,
Samuel found his way to music school in Addis Ababa and despite still being in
his 20s and only having left music school relatively recently, he has developed
at a pace remarkable for someone of his age.
He has gone on to become one of
Ethiopia's most promising young musicians and composers and in recent years,
Samuel has gained wider international recognition through his touring and
recording with Ethio-fusion group Dub Colossus.
The
title, Guzo, means "journey" in Amharic, the official working
language of Ethiopia.
Recorded partly in Addis Ababa and partly in the
UK
at Real World Studios, it is the product of his years experimenting with the
music of his roots and the outside influences of American jazz (particularly
Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock), Latin, and classical music. It explores the
traditional musical history of Ethiopia,
the more modern Ethiojazz that has brought his country's music to international
attention, ventures into big-band brass ensembles, moves through soul and funk,
and then simmers with the deeply impassioned solo piano tracks. Whilst the solo
piano pieces are introspective and deeply felt, Samuel has enlisted some great
singers and instrumentalists from Ethiopia,
Europe and the Caribbean. Featured vocalists
are the Creole Choir of Cuba, a Cuban choir whose songs go back to their
Haitian roots; Mel Gara, a British singer whose origins are in Iraq; and
Nicolette, a Nigerian-British singer, famous for her collaborations with
Massive Attack.
While
Sammy has been influenced by American jazz and funk, he also wanted to record
some tunes which showed the great range of traditional music in Ethiopia. On
these tracks, which he recorded in Addis
Ababa, he was joined by some of the country's best young
traditional instrumentalists.
"His
world is opening up," says Dubulah (aka Nick Page), the British musician
and producer behind Transglobal Underground, Syriana and Dub Colossus and also
producer of Guzo, "He's feeling his way around and this recording is a
statement of where he's intending to go and what he has to offer. I think the
result will surprise people."
'Guzo'
is both bold and sensitive. It is the start of Samuel Yirga's musical journey
and a platform to showcase the extraordinary skill as both musician and
composer of this emerging young talent. The album's roots might be firmly in
the Ethiojazz of Samuel's homeland, but this young man from Addis has opened up
a whole new door on a musical genre and region.
Tracklisting
1.
Abet Abet: is a traditional love song which features the raw and melodic notes
of the Ethiopian one-stringed fiddle, the messenqo. Recorded in Addis, Sammy is
accompanied by some of Ethiopia's
best young traditional instrumentalists.
2.
Tiwista: this is another well-known Ethiopian song and means 'nostalgia'. The
tune is arranged with Sammy's own jazz-influenced base line. The melody is led
by a subtle but powerful saxophone which weaves in and out of the piano through
the track.
3.
Ferma Ena Wereket: This tune's title means 'We don't need paper to love each
other'. "Everyone can sing about love," says Sammy, "but the way
you describe it is what's important." This track is a controversial
statement about marriage.
4.
Ye Bati Koyita: - a solo piano piece. The title means "A Time in
Bati" - Bati is a town in northern Ethiopia, and also the name of the
musical scale Samuel plays. Always the innovator, Samuel plays it not with the
original time signatures in which it was written, but swapping between
different timings to keep the tune fresh. The result is a mature, intricate
take on an old Ethiopian melody which ripples with classical and jazz
influences.
5.
Nou Se Soleil: - Vocal introduction to I am the Black Gold of the Sun, sung by
The Creole Choir of Cuba.
6.
I am the Black Gold of the Sun: This song features guest vocalists The Creole
Choir of Cuba, Nicolette and Mel Gara and is a re-working of the 1970s
psychedelic soul classic. The three sets of vocals are underpinned by the
funk-laden chords and flourishes of Sammy's jazz-infused piano playing. Page
chose the song to cover because of Sammy's love of 1970s and '80s American
music, and brought in those artists because together they told the story of a
journey from Africa to the Caribbean, via the Middle East and Europe.
The song brings with it the sunshine of the Caribbean,
carried by the uplifting rich vocals of the Choir, as well as the urban tones
of the British-based singers.
7.
Dance With the Legend: a solo piano piece, which takes its inspiration from a
song by Ethiopia's
great singer Tilahun Gessese. The tune swings with a lilting rhythm and ripples
with classical and jazz influences.
8.
My Head: Recorded in the UK,
with the regular Dub Colossus horn section, this track is an upbeat latin
number.
9.
Drop Me There: This piano solo written by Sammy features three of Ethiopian
music's distinctive melodic scales and was written at Real World Studios last
winter. "It was very quiet there," says Sammy of his time at Real
World, "so I could really feel every note when I played."
10.
The Blues of Wollo: Based on a famous Ethiopian song called Ambassel, featuring
both traditional and modern instruments. Recorded in Addis, with wonderful
keening vocals from Genet Masresha.
Bonus
Track
11.
African Diaspora: featuring and co-written by Nicolette, African Diaspora is a
melancholic song which demands "Africa,
why are you letting your people leave?" The song reverberates with muted
horns and the gentle tones of Sammy's piano playing.
Reviews
...young
Ethiopian pianist who blends his soul and jazz influences with music of his
homeland.
(Guzo)
stacks up well next to the best music of swinging Addis. His three solo piano
pieces show huge range: "Drop Me There" is crystalline and
delicate..."Dance with the Legend" is as fluid as Keith Jarrett in Koln.
Downbeat
4 **** (USA)
No.
2 in Rhapsody's Top 10 World Albums...
Sometimes
an album just takes your breath away. Swirling together contemporary jazz and
Ethiopian grooves with a graceful boldness and elegant subtlety that makes this
Addis Ababa-born pianist's youth hard to believe, Guzo lures you in from the
first creeping...
Rhapsody (Online USA)
Yirga's
debut offers surprise after surprise.
Samuel
Yirga is a pianist from Ethiopia
whose debut record "Guzo"sits somewhere in the fertile ground where
jazz mingles with R&B and funk to create soulful beauty. ...Yirga's
appetite is big, and each surprise within Guzo renders easy comparisons
useless. Yirga's debut offers surprise after surprise.
Los Angeles Times (USA)
CD
of the year...Otherworldly jazz from young Ethiopian pianist with dizzying
potential
This
is both a bang up-to-the-minute album, but also a throwback to the glory days
of Ethiopian jazz in the late 1960s and 1970s... the balance of instrumentation
between brass, percussion and piano is a thing of wonder. ... the potential is
dizzying and his joy in playing transmits wonderfully to the listener.
The
Arts Desk (Online)
one
of the most exciting and innovative jazz players in the world.
(Samuel
Yirga's) classical sensibilities fused with the native folk sound has made this
young artist one of the most exciting and innovative jazz players in the world.
Huffington
Post (USA)
Samuel
Yirga: A Prodigy Reviving Ethiopian Jazz
Yirga
has had to fight for his right to be himself, and in the end, the voice and
vision of a distinctive composer shines through in this impressive debut.
NPR
Music Online (USA)
...masterfully
produced...
...his
new album Guzo is a talented blend of sounds...and sparkling cameo
performances.
The
Africa Report (UK)
...fierce
debut...an essential purchase for anyone...
who
has fallen for the jazzier end of the ethiopiques spectrum. Among the
highlights here - the swinging groove of My head...and I Am The Black Gold of
the Sun.
Mojo (UK)
Powerful
and beautiful...9 out of 10
Stereoplay (Germany)
...Yirga
should be an exciting prospect to discover for any jazz fan.
One
moment he's pouring out emotive, classical jazz, the next fusing traditional
Ethiopian sounds and Ethiojazz with sparse piano and elements of funk, or
working alongside soulful guest vocalists.
Loughborough
echo online (UK)
...rich
beyond its measure.
...some
outstanding jazz soloing...
The
Weekend Australian (Australia)
...an
enjoyably diverse set as leader.
Guzo
ranges from ruminative solo piano to the ebullient party blast of My Head...
The Creole Choir of Cuba join him for an epic take on the psychedelic soul
groove I Am The Black Gold of The Sun.
The
Times (UK)
Guzo
- Track 5 on Songlines Top of the World
...It's
not often that one is greeted by such a strong debut, so effortlessly shot
through with intelligence and creativity. ...a project that successfully takes
the tunes and arrangements of Ethiopia's
much-documented golden age and updates the into a modern setting, consolidating
their originality and power in the process.
Songlines (UK)
...
it's a great introduction
If
you're already a fan of Ethiojazz, this is as good an indication as any of its
new direction and if you're unfamiliar with the genre, it's a great introduction.
The
Morning Star (UK)
Dub
Colossus's young Ethiopian pianist is an incandescent talent.
The
Independent (UK)
Summer
anthem? Recon so.
(I
am the Black Gold of the Sun)...some sublime vocals from The Creole Choir Of Cuba..
Echoes (UK)
...His
talent is remarkable
...influences
of blues and funk clearly audible in the slower parts, while the frantic
rhythms gripped listeners with anxiety.
Spaceship
News, Perth
(Live review from The Ellington Jazz
Club)
....an
impressive album.
The
Guardian (UK)
...accomplished
debut.
Yirga
draws on his country's best-known musical currency - the dark flavours of
Seventies Ethio-Jazz - on this accomplished debut.
The
Daily Telegraph (UK)
...solo
mixture of abstraction and funky jamming
...solo
mixture of drifting Monkish abstraction and HeadHunter-styled Hammond
and Rhodes funky jamming. 'I Am The Black Gold
Of The Sun' benefits from the Creole Choir Of Cuba's blissful gospel singing.
The
Financial Times (UK)
Impressive
debut from Ethio-jazz pianist - 7/10
Twentysomething
Yirga is a man on a mission - to become Ethiopia's greatest pianist. He's
surely halfway there. The best tracks here align him convincingly with the
rediscovered 'Ethio Jazz' of the 1960's - "Twista", with its funky
one-string fiddle, both entice.
Uncut
Magazine (UK)
Incredible
... this album has absolutely blown my socks off!
Gilles
Peterson - BBC 6 Music (UK)
An
impressive debut album that attests to the originality of its author.
Guzo,
the debut set by Ethiopian pianist Samuel Yirga, is such a set. In short, this
is an impressive debut album that attests to the originality and expressiveness
of its author.
BBC
Music Online (UK)
It
goes without question that Yirga has talent...Yirga is a performer.
...his
debut solo album Guzo is sure to launch him straight into the forefront. It
goes without question that Yirga has talent; every track demonstrates
virtuosity and jazz know-how....Yirga is a performer. The album oozes with
feeling and heart. Every track is so full of artistic sensibility that it's
hard not to be sucked up in the performance. ...piano solos like 'Yeh Bati
Koyita' and 'Drop Me There', which are painfully beautiful. ...rarely is an
album able to bring it's audience along for a passionate ride, full of ups and
downs. Guzo does exactly that. And if Yirga can perform with such spirit on an
album, I can only imagine what it would be like to hear him live, something I
am definitely looking forward to.
NOMAD's
Playlist (Australia)
...melodic
themes that touched the heart.
Though
sparingly unleashed, his deliberate, eastern-inflected solos were thoroughly
transporting. The frantic final selection, 6 and 4, married a northern
Ethiopian mode to a southern rhythm...propulsive interplay with bassist Yoseph
Hailemariam Bekele and star drummer Nathaniel Zewde sounded like top-flight
funk in anybody's language.
The
Age & The Canberra Times (Live review from Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
International Jazz Festival) (Australia)
...one
of the most thrilling bands on the world stage.
His
opening solo piece was staggering in its invention, facility and narrative
skill. He led us through a fantasia of idioms, drawing on Ethiopian, jazz,
Cuban, funk and classical...with the ease of one with a deep understanding of
the convergence of their essences, rather than the disparity of their surfaces.
On Tiwista his improvising was seismic in its power and transporting in its
range... Feleke Woldemariam (tenor saxophone), Nathaniel Zewde (drums) and
Yoseph Hailemariam (electric bass), musicians worthy of Yirga's singular gifts.
Woldemariam played with a fluttering quality to his notes...suddenly the
commonplace tenor saxophone became exotic and carried immense emotional sway.
The explosive Abet Abet...Rhythmically the piece metamorphosed into the sort of
funk that would lead some people to lock up their children rather than let them
be corrupted by such raw, visceral and wanton music. breathtaking in its
intricacy and complexity, while maintaining inexorable grooves.
The
Brisbane Times (Live review from The Blue Beat Jazz Club) (Australia)
...staggeringly
brilliant album.
Samuel
Yirga is a bright new musical flame who shows that Ethiopia's rich jazz heritage is
still alive and thriving in his young hands.
Sydney
Morning Herald (Australia)
One
of the world's more remarkable young pianists is a 26-year-old Ethiopian who
did not even touch a piano until he was 16.
...highly
diverse - variously solo or ensemble, instrumental or vocal, 'pop' or not. Guzo
includes three jaw-dropping piano-only cuts; they do not imitate Keith Jarrett
but are in the same league as his solo flights.
Preview
- The Weekend Planet Radio (Australia)
....Yirga
is such an exciting artist
...that
deserves the recognition he is getting. Guzo is just a taster of what is yet to
come from this talented artist.
Musika.uk.com
(UK)
"It
has all the ingredients of a masterpiece and certainly those that make it top
of my playing list. Great balance between avant garde jazz and sweet r&b
vibe in some tracks and those Ethiopian scales... all tracks are
outstanding!"
JPR
at Simply Out Of This World/Covent Garden Radio
(UK)
I
feel very privileged to have an early preview of this fantastic album." Juice FM
It
seems he's pulled out all the stops. His classical music experience shows in
his sensitive and thoughtful approach to his solo piano work like Ye Bati
Koyita and Drop Me There and at the same time can make a beautiful Charles
Stepney tune like I am the Black Gold of the Sun sound fresh yet again.
Powerful and dynamic performances on other tracks recorded with the UK and
Ethiopian musicians show off his improvisational style but I keep returning to
his solo piano work. Thoroughly rewarding album."
