Anbessa Orchestra is a 7 piece band based in Brooklyn NY that draws its inspiration from the diverse musical culture of Ethiopia, combining these unique sounds with the more western sounds of Funk, Jazz, R&B and Rock. The band has been a prominent figure on the NY scene and has played alongside legendary Ethiopian keyboardist and composer Hailu Mergia. The band has also been featured on the "Beyond Addis Vol.2" compilation featuring new music inspired by Ethiopia.
"No one does Ethio-Jazz quite like Anbessa Orchestra" - Popmatters.com
Anbessa Orchestra Live at National Sawdust - LIONS
In the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, during the 1960’s and ‘70s, the sounds of American jazz and James Brown-style funk rocketed through the clubs there, combining with Ethiopia’s own exotic scales to produce the golden age of Ethiopian pop. The New York-based 7-piece band Anbessa Orchestra draws from this era and aims to take the listener on a musical journey from Addis Ababa to Brooklyn, with the loping grooves, buoyant brass lines, moody organ, crisp guitars, and solid percussion. Their new album is called "Negastat", which means “Kings” and it is full of Ethiopian-style, horn-heavy funk.
Anbessa Orchestra - 01 - Negestat (Kings) (5:59)
Anbessa Orchestra - 02 - Gurage (3:42)
Anbessa Orchestra - 03 - Gize Suite (6:16)
Anbessa Orchestra - 04 - Get'err (Village) (4:47)
Anbessa Orchestra - 05 - K'edema (City) (2:35)
Anbessa Orchestra - 06 - Yeleleu Hager Lidl (Son of No Country) (6:00)
Anbessa Orchestra - 07 - T'sahai (Sun) (3:29)
Anbessa Orchestra - 08 - Gurage *Single (3:42)
