v.a. - Ernesto Chahoud presents TAITU - Soul-fuelled Stompers from 1960s-1970s Ethiopia [2018] [ethiopia]

       Ernesto Chahoud’s Taitu is a collection of soul-fuelled stompers straight from the dancefloors of 1970s Addis Ababa. A breathless journey through the unique Ethio sound that bands were forging at the time, the 24-track compilation is the result of the Lebanese DJ and crate digger’s decade long love affair with the ‘golden age’ of Ethiopian music.

Tilahun Gessesse - Aykedashim Libe

        Among the musical gems featured are 7″s by some of the heavyweights of the scene including Mulatu Astatke and Alemayehu Eshete, the vocalist dubbed the ‘Ethiopian Elvis’, alongside tracks by more obscure artists such as Merawi Yohannis and Birkineh Wurga.

           For Taitu, Chahoud has selected 24 of his essential Ethio-Soul 7″s, that never leave his DJ box, and together they capture this opportune moment in Ethiopian music history that saw bands experiment with an armful of influences: gliding through R&B, rock & roll, jazz, funk, soul and boogaloo. What came out was a distinctly Ethiopian interpretation: pentatonic scales, horn-driven melodies and soul-shattering vocals sung in Amharic.

           The songs are difficult to box in to one genre but they share a simplicity and rawness, added to by their lo-fi quality – with many recordings made in rudimentary studios with only a couple of mics for the entire band.

         From the R&B stomper ‘Honey Baby’ by Alemayehu Eshete to Astatke’s swaggering ethnic-jazz instrumental ‘Emnete’ and the bluesy melancholic vocals of Hirut Bekele on ‘Ewnetegna Feker’, ‘Taitu’ is a window in on the exciting records being made in Ethiopia in the 1970s.

Menelik Wossenatchew - 01 - Fikratchin (3:05)

Mulatu Astatke - 02 - Emnete (3:28)

Tèshomè Meteku - 03 - Hasabe (4:00)

Birkineh Wurga - 04 - Alkedashim (3:16)

Selomon Shibeshi - 05 - Endiet Zenegashiw (4:06)

Alemayehu Eshete - 06 - Chiro Adarie Negne (4:27)

Hirut Bekele - 07 - Ewnetegna Feker (3:15)

Bezunesh Bekele - 08 - Felagote (2:56)

Alemayehu Eshete - 09 - Mekeyershene Salawke (1:48)

Tilahun Gessesse - 10 - Aykedashim Libe (4:57)

Merawi Yohannis - 11 - Teleyeshign (2:27)

Alemayehu Eshete, Hirut Bekele, Hirut Bekele & Alemayehu Eshete - 12 - Temelese (3:19)

Alemayehu Eshete - 13 - Honey Baby (2:37)

Seifu Yohannes - 14 - Ebo Lala (3:34)

Bezunesh Bekele - 15 - Aha Gedawo (3:52)

Alemayehu Borobor - 16 - Yeshebelewa (3:35)

Seifu Yohannes - 17 - Mela Mela (4:09)

Tilahun Gessesse - 18 - Sigibgib Joroye (3:28)

Alemayehu Eshete - 19 - Gizew Honeshyna (2:39)

Bahta G. Hiwot - 20 - Tessassategn Eko (4:02)

Gétatchèw Kassa - 21 - Fikrishin Eshaleyu (3:22)

Hirut Bekele - 22 - Almokerkum Nebere (3:21)

Muluken Melesse - 23 - Alagegnhwatem (4:07)

Ménélik Wossenachew - 24 - Tezeta (4:28)

Tamrat Molla - 25 - Ene Yewodedquat (4:14)

The Music of Ethiopia - [1967] - Azmari Music of the Amharas (Anthology AST 6000, recorded by Ashenafi Kebede (LP)) [ethiopia]

Another extraordinary blog dedicated to world music sound I just found is :

MusicRepublic - World Traditional Music from LPs and Cassettes

Album and text are originally posted >>> HERE

This anthology showcases the music of the Azmari bards, or minstrels, from the Amhara Region in Northeastern Ethiopia. Most Amharas, aka as Abyssinians, are Christians, members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church founded in the 4th century. 

Melaku Gelaw - Misgana (Praise)

The gorgeous program featured here includes Melaku Gelaw playing solo washint wooden flute (A1, A4) and solo krar lyre (A2); and singing and playing krar (B1); Wolde Marriam singing and playing krar (A3); the powerful and inspired interplay between Asegedech Mekonnen’s spellbinding singing and Getamesay Abebe’s masinko, or masenqo, single-stringed bowed lute (A5, A6, B2, B3); and Getamesay Abebe singing and playing masinko (B4).

Melaku Gelaw (medium sized washint) - A1 - Misgana (Praise) (1:25)

Melaku Gelaw (krar) - A2 - YefiKir KeTaima (2:58)

Wolde Marriam (vocal and krar) - A3 - Satina Baburay (Heat-Driven Train of Mine) (3:07)

Melaku Gelaw (long washint) - A4 - Fanno (1:48)

M. Asegedech (vocal) / A. Getamesay (masinko) - A5 - Shilela (4:59)

M. Asegedech (vocal) / A. Getamesay (masinko) - A6 - Ambasel (4:57)

Melaku Gelaw (vocal and krar) - B1 - Shemonmuanaye (My Charming One) (2:51)

Asegedech Mekonnen (vocal) / A. Getamesay (masinko) - B2 - Tizita (5:04)

Asegedech Mekonnen (vocal) / A. Getamesay (masinko) - B3 - Bafi (5:14)

A. Getamesay (vocal and masinko) - B4 - Medina Zelesegna (5:44)

                             FULL BOOKLET INCLUDED   

v.a. - Nahom Favorite, Vol. 38 [2018] (Zema Aman) [ethiopia]

Haileyesus Girma - Godashiew

01 - Sami Beyene — Saq Saq (5:01)

02 - Sami Beyene — Endachinew Mewded (4:03)

03 - Anteneh Werash — Qeterosh (4:20)

04 - Anteneh Werash — Tewado Yileyayal (5:31)

05 - Tislat Gezimu — Yileyilign (4:57)

06 - Tislat Gezimu — Endet Endet (3:33)

07 - Haileyesus Girma — Wub Nesh (5:24)

08 - Haileyesus Girma — Qelel (4:29)

09 - Yared Belay — Ayen Wuha (4:33)

10 - Yared Belay — Andlay Nen Wey (4:43)

v.a. - Nahom Favorite, Vol. 14 [2006] (Best Collections) [ethiopia]

Ahmed Teshome - Awra Amba

Tewodros Kassahun - 01 - Menta Wedjie (6:42)

Getu Omahirie - 02 - Yesew Neshe (5:21)

Tewodros Kassahun - 03 - Yregal (6:13)

Natinael Ayalew - 04 - Amrognal (4:32)

Natti Haile - 05 - Bahlien (6:00)

Ahmed Teshome - 06 - Teteyeqie Nazrit (6:07)

Tewodros Kassahun - 07 - Lamie Bora (7:44)

Getu Omahirie & Hayimanot Girma - 08 - Barkln Hagerachenim (5:46)

Ahmed Teshome - 09 - Eyariko (5:06)

Natti Haile - 10 - Bob Marly (4:55)

Ermiyas Asefa - 11 - Alehu Bleshe (5:58)

Tewodros Kassahun - 12 - Sdet (6:40)

Ahmed Teshome - 13 - Dinbi (4:53)

v.a. - [2018] - Ethiopian Popular and Folk Music (Bezunesh, Tlahoun, Bahta Gebrehiwot, Menelik Wessanechew) [ethiopia]

This post is completely taken from extraordinary new blog dedicated to an older african music. 

My true admiration goes to Matthew Lavoie, the author. 

You may find his blog here >>> WALLAHI LE ZEIN! 

Menelik Wossenachew

Here is another reel of radio recordings from the horn of Africa.  This reel was compiled by Ato Girma Zande, the music librarian of Radio Ethiopia back in the late 1960s (my guess is 1966-67).  As you have surely read in the Ethiopiques liner notes (essential reading on Ethiopian music), the 1960s were a decade of musical ferment in Ethiopia.  A decade of musical innovation and flux, foreshadowing the prolific early 1970s, the 'Golden Era' of Ethiopian popular music that has become a musical benchmark--akin to 1930s Harlem or 1980s Kingston--known to music lovers throughout the world. 

This reel features five tracks by Bezunesh Bekele, including a 'traditional' version of 'Ere Mela Mela' as well as a live recording, three short and wonderful tracks by Bahta Gebrehiwot, three by Tilahoun Gessesse, the greatest Ethiopian singer of the Golden Age, and four lovely cuts by Menelik Wessenachew.  These singers are accompanied by the great orchestras of the decade, the Ras Band, the Imperial Bodyguard Orchestra and the Haile Selassie Orchestra.  The reel starts with four tracks of 'traditional' music, featuring, in particular, two lovely songs from Tigre and Shoa province.

Bezunesh Bekele - Hizb le Hizb

I recorded these tracks straight from the master reel to CD.  This is an old reel and some of the tracks are a little wobbly.  I have left the tracks in the order that Ato Zande dubbed them and I have not fiddled with the sound, no noise reduction, filtering, or eq.

Ethiopian Popular and Folk Music (Tracks prepared by Ato Girma Zande, Music Librarian, Radio Ethiopia) 

I don't think any of these tracks are on the many reissues of classic Ethiopian music that have been released in the last twenty years.  Don't hesitate to point out releases that I may have missed or to share what you know about these recordings. 

  

The first picture is taken from a Menelik Wessanachew record sleeve and the second from a Bahta Gibrehewot sleeve.   Enjoy.

Askale Berhane - 01 - Gojja Minja (2:19)
Bezunesh Bekele - 02 - Era Mela Mela (3:38)
Uncredited - 03 - Mandjar (from Shoa Province) (3:21)
Uncredited - 04 - Temesgen (from Tigre) (5:45)

Bahta Gibre-Hewot with Ras Band - 05 - Anchem Indela (3:33)
Bahta Gibre-Hewot with Ras Band - 06 - Tar New (1:17)
Bahta Gibre-Hewot with Ras Band - 07 - Ine Nenj Woy Monj (2:50)
Bahta Gibre-Hewot with Ras Band - 08 - Ene Metch Alkuna (2:22)

Bezunesh Bekele & Imperial Body Guard Orchestra - 09 - Ere Keyete Meta (2:58)
Bezunesh Bekele & Imperial Body Guard Orchestra - 10 - Ante Temeta Ene (live) (2:28)
Bezunesh Bekele & Imperial Body Guard Orchestra - 11 - Yaleb Lay Esat (5:59)
Bezunesh Bekele & Imperial Body Guard Orchestra - 12 - Kante Gara Lehun (2:25)

Telahun Gessesse - 13 - Satwadenj Wodeyet (4:18)
Telahun Gessesse - 14 - Ere Min Yeshalengal (2:22)
Telahun Gessesse - 15 - Feker Lebichaye (4:10)

Menelik Wossenachew & Haile Selassie Orchestra - 16 - Yayne Alem (3:41)
Menelik Wossenachew & Haile Selassie Orchestra - 17 - Tez Teyengalesh (3:55)
Menelik Wossenachew & Haile Selassie Orchestra - 18 - Almaz Eyasebbhush (4:40)
Menelik Wossenachew & Haile Selassie Orchestra - 19 - Yehagre Tezeta (2:23)

v.a. - Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol.3 [More Ethiopian Soul & Groove] [2009]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

   The amazing Ethiopoques series continues to amaze with another stunning album of classic "Golden Era" Ethiopian recordings from 60's & 70's Addis Ababa. The third in their 'Ethiopian Modern Music' volumes, this album collects a massively varied set of killer grooves; from the super tight soul funk of Girma Béyéné's 'Ené négn bay manésh' or his kinkier psyche funk winner 'Yebeeqagnal', to Seyoum Gébreyés and Wallias Band's rhodes driven 'Métch enéterf féléghu' or the extended slow jam 'Djémérégne' from Muluqén Mélléssé and the intoxicating female vocals of 'Métché néw' from Asséléfétch Ashiné and Géténésh Kebrét.

1. Girma Beyene - Ene negn bay manesh (4:02)

2. Seyoum Gebreyes and Wallias band - Metch ene terf feleghu (2:21)

3. Hirut Beqele - Ewnetegna feqer (3:15)

4. Samuel Belay - Qeresh endewaza (3:17)

5. Girma Beyene - Yebeqagnal (3:30)

6. Girma Beyene - Ene negn bay manesh (3:27)

7. Muluqen Mellesse - Djemeregne (7:29)

8. Asselefetch Ashine and Getenseh Kebret - Metche new (3:33)

9. Getatchew Mekurya - Gedamay (3:48)

        The arrangements and bands are ably handled by Mulatu Astatke, Getatchew Mékurya and a hosts of other legends who have previously contributed to this ear opening series. 

     This series just blows our minds and any followers of Finders Keepers Turkish Psyche picks, the Sublime Frequencies series or indeed anything from Mulatu Astatke will want to invest without delay. 

        Essential !!

v.a. - Mitmitta Musika [ethiopia]

         Entire contet of this page is taken from Tumblr webpage of guy named DJ Mitmitta, or Kidus Berhanu or Vemund Hareide as he is titled in his Norwegian passport, and this blog post (from december 2013).

           He is true archaelogist of ethiopian vinyl and cassette releases and his devotion to rare ethiopian music is unique.

DJ Mitmitta

Curiosity and frustration can take you far. It has for Kidus Berhanu. Better known as DJ Mitmitta or Vemund Hareide as he is titled in his Norwegian passport, these virtues have taken him all the way from Oslo to the Ethiopian countryside. For Kidus, it all started with a frustration with the uniformity of Western music. A frustration that fed his curiosity to discover the yet undiscovered musical treasures of Ethiopia and led to a commitment to archive and spread the joy of Ethiopian music. This has since materialized in countless travels across the country to collect cassettes with traditional Ethiopian music and the Ethiojazz of the 60s and 70s, and in the founding of Mitmitta Music Shop in 2010 (The shop is currently closed but Kidus is hoping to reopen in a few months at a new location in town.)

This is a journey not unlike others. Awesome Tapes’ Brian Shimkovitz, Sahels Sounds’ Christopher Kirkley and labels such as Soundway, Analog Africa and Sublime Frequencies have embarked on similar voyages. But what distinguish the musical odyssey of Kidus is not only its East African focus. It is also its material character and the focus on the local market opposed to international distribution. For Kidus, the modus operandi has not been spreading the music through a blog nor through reissuing old vinyl records. Not yet. The approach has instead been one of collecting, cataloguing and digitalizing.

The Archaeology of Cassettes 

More than anything, Kidus’ project is an endeavor into musical archaeology and ethnography. And it’s a project focused on and redeemed through tapes (his cassette collection now numbers more than a thousand different Ethiopian tapes). As he explains: “Vinyl is hyped. And tapes are still a popular format. In Ethiopia, a lot of the good old music was never issued on vinyl or on CD.”  However, the predominance of cassettes also makes Kidus’ point to one of several caveats in the music industry and to an irony in his own project. Because while the cassette is his preferred format, it was exactly the spread of the cassette in the late 70’s and onwards that exterminated numerous record labels in Ethiopia and on the rest of continent and gave way for cheaper productions and musicians being replaced by a single synthesizer.

In Ethiopia, the record producers and music shop owners could buy one master tape and then easily duplicate this via cheap blank tapes. An early form of musical piracy that resulted in low quality recordings, unduly low prices and a situation where great Ethiopian artists such as Tilahun Gessesse or Mahmoud Ahmed received only a one-off payment and no benefits of potential future distributions. This however can possibly change with the introduction of a new copyright law in Ethiopia in 2010 that led to many music-shop owners being jailed for copying music for piracy purposes.

Ethiopian Music as off-limit for Ethiopians

Another and somewhat bizarre consequence of the functioning of the Ethiopian music industry prior to the 2010 copyright legislation is that today only very few Ethiopians have access to legal copies of the old Ethiopian recordings. Alemayehu Eshete, Muluken Mellese, Getachew Kassa and other of the artist that have become globally renowned through the Ethiopiques series are simply not legally accessible for the majority of Ethiopians.

Kidus is hoping this will change. He spends lots of time nagging the distributors to re-distribute their old releases, trying to convince them that these records will sell again. The problem is often that the covers are out of print and to make it profitable for distributors they would need to reprint at least 1-2000 covers. But his mission of making Ethiopian music available for both the foreign and the Ethiopian music audience does not stop here. He will soon be releasing a recording of Amharic wedding music from 1973 on both cassette AND vinyl. At the same time he dreams of expanding the geographical focus of his work by collecting, sustaining and distributing old Eritrean, Somali and Sudanese music.

Aster Aweke & Wubishet Fisseha

The Regionalization of Ethiopian music

While music from the rest of Africa has a strong appeal to Kidus, there is and will probably never be something quite like the tunes of Ethiopia for him. After spending part of his childhood in Ethiopia, he returned to Addis briefly as a teenager. The past few years he has spent travelling back and forth between Norway and Ethiopia, between studies, work and cassette hunting. He now spends most of his time in Ethiopia and is fluent in Amharic, the official Ethiopian language. His fascination of Ethiopian music has several roots, as he describes: “The Ethiopians really value their music and even today Ethiopian music is closely linked to the cultural traditions of the country. In addition, the great variation in the music of Ethiopia’s different regions really appeals to me.”

The vast regional difference in Ethiopian musical tradition is something that also poses a challenge to his ethno-musical investigations. The best music of Tigray or Oromiya is not found in Addis but in the music shops in provincial Ethiopia. Kidus highlights the Tzeta music shop in Dessie and the Negarit shop in Dire Dawa as the best music shops outside and the places to find respectively old Tigray, Amhara and Oromo music. He further explains the initial reception of the old music shop owners when a young pale Scandinavian walks into their domain and asks for cassettes with old – and for many Ethiopian also forgotten – artists: “At first they are quite suspicious. But quickly suspicion turns into excitement and appreciation. Mutual appreciation of and gratitude for a joint effort to preserve an important heritage.” 

The Faranji Connoisseur

Many of these grand old men of Ethiopian music – collectors, producers and music shop owners – have since become close friends of Kidus. And Kidus himself has become a renowned connoisseur of Ethiopian music. The go-to-guy for advice and expertise on the music and the music scene of Ethiopia. A position very few faranjis (meaning foreigners in Amharic) can credibly claim. And not an easy position to achieve taking into consideration the relative isolation of Ethiopia and its music during the past century. Nevertheless, Kidus still sees himself as a foreigner in Ethiopia and its music industry and he is aware of the challenges that this poses to him.

Although the emphasis in Kidus’ efforts has mainly on the Ethiopian artists of the past, he has also witnessed on first-hand the changes in the contemporary music scene in Addis (link to Jazzamba article). Changes of both the encouraging and less positive kind. The revival of Ethiojazz has led to an explosion of live music in Addis the last few years: “All clubs want their own band now and there is a lot of talent out there, which is good. Unfortunately, many of the new bands are afraid of experimenting. This is also the case for many of the European or American bands that have started playing Ethiojazz. Many of them are simply trying to copy the success of Mulatu Astatke.” 

Umar Suleeyman

        There are of course exemptions to this trend and Kidus points to the Nubian Arc as one of the most experimental and forward-looking bands around (see further recommendations from Kidus below).

       Kidus concludes by highlighting a more remarkable effect of the renewed interest in Ethiopian music. According to Kidus the new golden era of Ethiopian music has substantially changed the image of Ethiopia and provided the outside world with a new impression of what Ethiopia is in cultural terms. And Kidus is here to make sure that the insight of foreigners and Ethiopians into the unique musical treasures of Ethiopia will grow and proliferate for years to come.

01 - Aster Aweke & Wubishet Fisseha - Gum Gum (7:11)

02 - Teferra Kassa (3:47)

03 - Frew Hailu (4:15)

04 - Mullumebet Mishel (3:49)

05 - Muhammed Awel (8:24)

06 - Ali Mohammed Birra - Siwaamu Hin Awwaattu (5:09)

07 - Ali Mohammed Birra - Hammalelee Acoustic (5:44)

08 - Aster Aweke - Ante Ledj (8:10)

09 - Umar Suleeyman (5:06)

10 - Ayalew Mesfin (3:20)

11 - Muluken Melese (7:28)

12 - Besrat Hailu & Itiyopia Girma Mariam with 

        Eritrea Police Orchestra - Ashagedaw (4:22)

13 - Ali Shebo (6:32)

14 - Abetew Kebede - Chimchim Gonna (5:23)

15 - Umar Suleeyman - Bilisumma (4:37)

16 - Ali Mohammed Birra - Yaboontuu (5:24)

17 - Halo Dawe - Yashola Leki (5:39)

18 - Umar Alii Faarah - Loshee Intala (5:02)

19 - Omar Souleyman (7:22)

20 - Cut Chemist - Adidas to Addis (2:53)

21 - Cut Chemist - Track 2 (9:26)

22 - Brothers Stereo Jigjiga - Hadagan Nimcooy (6:25)

23 - Umar Alii Faarah - Ajaba Bontuu Oromo (5:14)

24 - Alemayehu Eshete (5:29)

25 - Wollo Lalibela Kinet (3:27)

26 - Osman Sayem aka. EthioJazz - Kelemwa (0:53)

v.a. - Nahom Favorites, Vol. 36 [2017] [ethiopia]

Michael Lemma Demissew - ደስ ብላኛለች

01 - Girma Tefera — Man Neber (4:55)

02 - Michael Lemma Demissew — Des Blagnalech (3:20)

03 - Abeba Desalegn — Hiywet Ende Shekl (4:38)

04 - Alemayehu Hirbo — Bekum Kafekrshng (5:42)

05 - Bezuayehu Demisse — Che Blew (3:53)

06 - Aster Kebede — Akal Gela (6:31)

07 - Getachew Kassa — Yekereme Fiki (4:07)

08 - Neway Debebe — Yefikir Gedam (4:07)

09 - Kennedy Mengesha — Bemela New (6:10)

10 - Michael Lemma Demissew — Keandu Biet Andu Biet (2:42)

11 - Alemayehu Hirbo — Yefikren Engocha (5:45)

12 - Abeba Desalegn — Beatu Betie Belay (4:47)

13 - Michael Lemma Demissew — Mekeyershin Salawk (2:46)

14 - Alemayehu Hirbo — Nigerenge (4:01)

15 - Kennedy Mengesha — Wub Endachi Yelem (4:21)

16 - Aster Kebede — Ante Amele Tiru (5:32)

17 - Girma Tefera — Tilagne Eko Hedech (3:30)

Yemane G.Michael - Yemane Barya [1997] [eritrea]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

            Yemane Ghebremichael (commonly known as Yemane Baria), was a well-known Eritrean songwriter, composer and singer. Not confined to musical pursuits, Yemane was also heavily involved in Eritrean politics. He died of natural causes in 1997.

       Yemane's songwriting strove to reflect what he perceived to be Eritrean experience during the Eritrean War of Independence. His songs were dotted with stories of love, journey, hope, immigration, and liberation. In 1975 he was jailed for the perceived political interpretation of one of his songs.

      A few years after the declaration of the independence of Eritrea, Yemane moved to Asmara and continued to release albums that reflected the new era of hope and national prosperity, with a mix of African and Latin melodies. He also sang about the people involved in the movement towards Eritrean independence, and the sacrifices of that movement.

       Yemane was also known as the 'Eritrean caretaker' due to his reputation as being of a generous, down-to-earth nature, and for sharing his place with newly arrived Eritreans. He is known to having helped many Eritreans adjust to diaspora life in Sudan and move to better places in the Middle East, America, Europe, etc. He was known for his deep sense of artistry and mastery of Tigrinya, the most widely used Eritrean language.

read more about Yemane Barya :