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)
Demere Legesse was born on February 19, 1969 from his father Legesse Tesema Bilhate and his mother Debre Beshah Ayele. He was born in Agarfa, Bale in a small town called Galema Hebeno. He attended grade 1 up to 6 in Galema Hebeno Sefera Mender School, 7 and 8 in Agarfa Melestegna Primery School, 9 and 10 Batu Terara Secondary School, 11 and 12 in Addis Abeba Nifas Silk and Maremiya Betoch School. In February 8, 1987 he traveled to Addis Ababa and employed as a police officer in Maremiya Betoch. After 6 month military technical course in Aleltu he was introduced as a vocalist in Maremiya Police Orchestra. After working for 14 years from 1987 to 2001 in Maremiya Police Orchestra he formed his own music band named DL Band. He handled numerous music concerts and matrimonial festival for bride and bridegroom in Ethiopia and for those who come from America, Canada, Europe, Australia and different countries.
Demere Legesse - Serg
Demere is one of the members of Yellow Page which is Ethiopian musicians community. He has a great roll in Ethiopian musical industry of wedding and culture. As a mater of fact he presented cultural and nuptial music such as Kana Zgelila (Special Church Song), Melkam Kelebet (Reggae Style Nuptial Music), Awddeamet 2001, Awddeamet 2003, Kotu Malo, Sendelewa, Burtukkee, and others.
Back in Maremiya Betoch Orchestra, Demere found his soul mate Etenesh Girma Bogale and married in March 18, 1990. One year later they have their first baby Nathnael in May 1991, the second baby Abel in October 1996 and the third Rodas in August 2008. And now Demere has 3 children and 3 houses plus personal band.
Demere Legesse - 01 - Musheraye / Des Yilal (6:43)
Demere Legesse - 02 - Kulun Manqwalesh (7:22)
Demere Legesse - 03 - Shinet / Tewubeshal Alu (5:43)
Demere Legesse - 04 - Enshoshela (5:46)
Demere Legesse - 05 - Yebete Zemedu(5:47)
Demere Legesse - 06 - Musheroch Des Yebelachuh (6:08)
Kirubel Assefa Kebede is an Ethiopian musician who has been residing in the US and performing and perfecting his craft for over 20 years. From the early days of his childhood in Ethiopia, it was apparent that Kirubel had a keen awareness of music and rhythm. Long before his formal education at St. Joseph in Addis Abeba began, Kirubel enjoyed using eating and cooking utensils as drum sticks to create sound, showing an affinity for and love of music early on. His first formal musical training was on a school drum set during his elementary years, and he eventually performed regularly with the St Joseph School Band. Over time, his musical fluidity has expanded beyond drums to include the rhythm of the bass and the bubbling sound of the keyboards.
After immigrating to the United States, Kirubel continued his training and musical education at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, CA and began to hone his skills in arranging and composing music for film and movies. With extensive exposure to the dynamic cultural & musical melting pot of Los Angeles, Kirubel played with bands across numerous musical genres, including Afro-Cuban, Reggae, and Funk bands.
Kirubel Assefa
He acted in the semi-autobiographical independent film entitled “Journey to Lasta” (2004) directed by Wondwossen Dikran in which he portrayed an Ethiopian musician struggling to survive in Los Angeles. He composed most of the songs for the movie which also featured his band “Lasta Sound”. Kirubel also served as sound designer for a number of commercial products and composed the music for the IMAX documentary entitled “Mystery of the Nile” (2005).
As musical director, arranger, and performer, he has worked with the biggest names in Ethiopian music such as, Mahmoud Ahmed, Gigi, Aster Aweke, Tewodros Tadesse and the late Dr. Telahun Gessesse.
Kirubel tours regularly with many internationally known artists.
KIRUBEL AND THE DIMTSEPIA PROJECT - LIVE cover N ARC
Dimtsepia, is the title of Kirubels first solo project. Dimtsepia, as a body of work, is a celebration of Ethiopian culture. The word is a contraction of dimtse (the Amharic word for sound) and Ethiopia. On the recording, Kirubel plays bass, keyboards, guitar (1 song) as well as arranging the horn parts. With strong roots in jazz as a discipline, Kirubel weaves the traditional melodies of his homeland around complex rhythms creating a brand of world fusion for the 21st century.
While the music was written and composed by Kirubel, lyrics on several songs were written by respected lyricist and musician Yonas Mulatu. The first single will be “Ye Ethiopia Lij” meaning “Child of Ethiopia” sung by Fitsum Mahedere. Tsedenia Gebremarkos, known for her works on Real World Records with the band Dub Collusus sings on two tracks: “Kokobe” and “Tesmamye”.
Tsegaye B/ Selassie who is the front man from Lasta sound sung "Maraki". This release will also introduce an up and coming singer, Teklish, who is destined to become the voice of a new generation. The horn section on the recording includes Kumasi Washington on Saxophone, Ryan Porter on trombone and Chris Gray on Trumpet.
Kirubel Assefa - 01 - Tesmameye (4:26)
Kirubel Assefa - 02 - Ye Meskel Wef (5:03)
Kirubel Assefa - 03 - Ye Ethiopia Lij (4:32)
Kirubel Assefa - 04 - Dimtsepia (4:05)
Kirubel Assefa - 05 - Addis Lij (4:52)
Kirubel Assefa - 06 - Kokebe (5:37)
Kirubel Assefa - 07 - Ethio Jazz (5:02)
Kirubel Assefa - 08 - Webit (5:49)
Kirubel Assefa - 09 - Maraki (4:41)
Kirubel Assefa - 10 - Tana (5:48)
Holding true to the layered arrangements of the outstanding Ethiopian bands of the 70’s and 80’s, the sound is infused with contemporary elements. By collaborating with some of the best voices singing in Ethiopian music today, the plan is to fully exploit each single in its own right. A video has been shot in Addis to promote and expose the song “Ye Ethiopia Lij.” The story line follows a young Ethiopian who has been sent to the city to help support the family in the country. It captures a slice of life often overlooked but a reality that should be recognized and ultimately celebrated.
