" Possibly the weirdest sounding tunes on eMusic "
1973 | Label: Folkways Records / Smithsonian Folkways
As Editor-in-Chief of eMusic, I listen to a fair amount of music that's available on the site, and I think this might be the weirdest thing I have ever heard.
It's by the Gidole people, subsistence farmers in a mountainous, remote area of southwestern Ethiopia. It's a tough life. So it's no wonder that, as the album's liner notes state, "When the people of these tribes sing, play or dance, they give themselves totally to the music. The frenzy of the ritualistic performances is attested to by the trance state which many of the people will enter during festivals." The album highlight, “Giddle Instrumental (Giddle tribe),” is played on bamboo filla flutes and it sounds like one of those trippy buried backwards tracks on a Beatles song like "I Am the Walrus." If you don't start hallucinating wildly about 60 seconds in, you might want to check if you have a pulse."
The Hammere (also spelled Hamar) are a tribal people in southwestern Ethiopia. They live in Hamer Bena woreda (or district), a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle. According to the CSA census of 1994, there were 42,838 Hammer language speakers, and 42,448 self-identified Hammer people of a total population of about 53 million, representing approximately 0.1% of the population.
The Assistant Administrator of Hammer Bena Ato Imnet Gashab has commented that only six tribal members have ever completed secondary education!!!!
Quantic is an umbrella name for UK-born, Will Holland : acclaimed producer, musician, and DJ for over 15 years, who’s projects incorporate various influences, from funk & jazz to electronic & folk music, to Latin, reggae, dub and cumbia.
He recently put together this mix of rare 45s he found in Ethiopia, calling it ”a mix of folkloric and outer-regional music of Ethiopia, all 45s and some records that I think need to be heard. Less of breaks & wah wah and this time more of krar, claps, howling sounds and organ melodies. For fans of previous mixes Axum to Addis and Addis Sheckla Explosion.”
Listen to and download the whole mix by clicking on the link below, and let’s he hope he continues the crate digging!
The washint is an end-blown wooden flute originally used by the Amhara people in Ethiopia. Traditionally, Amharic musicians would pass on their oral history through song accompanied by the washint as well as the krar, a six stringed lyre, and the masenqo, a one string fiddle.
The washint can be constructed using wood,
bamboo, or other cane. Varieties exists in different lengths and relative
fingerhole placement, and a performer might use several different flutes over the
course of a performance to accommodate different song types. It generally has
four finger-holes, which allows the player to create a pentatonic scale.
Don't know much aboutYohannes Afework's album"Washint
Melodies"from2001, but music is beautiful and relaxing
...
This recording gives rich samples of the sounds of tradition in urban musical life in Ethiopia today. The ancient ceremonial music played on the embilta flutes or the vocal art of Alemayehu Fanta or Gebre Hiwot Lemma represent older traditions. The group Sne Bahel offers samples of singing and music which accompanies lively traditional dances from the Oromo and Wollaita ethnic groups. Modern pop music is represented in six tracks by the Abyssinia Band.
A really nifty release, Caprice has combined two forms of urban music usually rigidly separated: professionally performed "traditional" music for krar, flute, voice, and Ethio-soul by electric groups that play the real local thing rather than the crossover material we're usually offered. The result is splendid: very varied and splendidly performed music and truth-in-classification.
01. Lemma Gebre Hiwot - Medina / Zelesegna (4:50)
02. Abyssinia band - Yedejih abeba negn [Hanna Shenkute] (6:44)
03. Yohannes Afework - Ambassel (4:29)
04. Abyssinia band - Mis men gidifkini [Girmai Biable] (4:18)
05. Asnakech Worku - Tizita (4:45)
06. Abyssinia band - Endenew yisemah [Hanna Shenkute] (5:30)
07. Areru Shegane, Teka Tema, Yohannes Afework - Tigrigna (3:16)
08. Yared Orchestra - Alegntaye (5:30)
09. Alemayehu Fanta - Salamta (3:00)
10. Abyssinia band - Yiberral libbe [Dawit Mellese] (4:23)
Perhaps because of its own internal diversity, Ethiopia seems particularly open to external musical influences. Christianity was adopted as the official state religion in the 4th century, although on third of the population is Muslim.
Four ethnic groups are dominant, but eighty (!!) different ethnic groups presently exist within Ethiopia. So this collection of reworked Ethiopian hits of the 1950s and 1960s is quite the eye-opener, with its seamless mix of East African, Latin and American jazz styles.
As the liner notes explain, the overthrown of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 gave rise to a much more aggressive electric sound in Ethiopian music subsequently, with Ethio-jazz, R&B and pop artists such as Mahmoud Ahmed and later, Aster Aweke and Gigi attracting the attention of world music enthusiasts.
But the electric style was preceded by the acoustic, which featured guitars, accordion, double bass, mandolin, clarinet, oud, drums and miscellaneous percussion.
The music on this CD has a mellow vibe, occasionally bordering on “smooth jazz,” and the seemingly
effortless playing the by the six native Ethiopian musicians in the band transports the listener to hip, smoky cafes that would have flourished during the period.
Most of the fifteen songs on the program use the classic pentatonic (five-note) scale, although adherence to the scale is more or less strict, depending upon the arrangement.
The prominent use of clarinet and accordion as dual lead voices is reminiscent of Jewish klezmer music at times. The music is most distinctive and “Ethiopian” when it combines modal scales and loping but highly complex time signatures (5/4, 6/8), as on the gorgeous “Ambassel” and “Yigermal.”
Elsewhere though, influences are more tangled and subtle. The rhythm foundation on a number of pieces is predominantly Latin (the ostinato riff and rhythm of “Yetintu Tiz Alegn” comes very close to Santana’s version of “Black Magic Woman”), while melody lines and orchestration can suggest everything from Argentine tango to Celtic music.
Leader, arranger and guitarist Girum Mezmur has clearly listened to a good deal of jazz guitar (Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, etc.) and he integrates tasty but highly nuanced jazz lines into a number of tunes.
Indeed, an ethnomusicologist would find this music to be a veritable treasure trove, although one doesn’t have to analyze it in order to enjoy it. For Ethiopians, a great deal of nostalgia is undoubtedly wrapped up in these pieces, but for everyone else, the pure musicality of the CD will be quite sufficient.
In fact, after a few spins, the music will likely insinuate itself into the listener’s consciousness to the extent that it will take up permanent residence. Highly recommended.
Addis Acoustic Project Revives Classic Ethiopian Grooves on Tewesta (Remembrance) Ethiopia isn't usually the first locale that comes to mind when one thinks of music made with acoustic guitars, accordion, mandolin and clarinet. Yet those instruments are at the core of Tewesta (Remembrance) (Harmonia Mundi/World Village), the new release by Addis Acoustic Project, a sextet that transports instrumental Ethiopian pop hits from the 1950s and '60s into the modern world.
Informed not only by classic African music but by jazz, Latin and other styles, AAP creates an intoxicating, charming blend of sounds that Mondomix.com called "a gentle groove with carefully rounded edges."
Addis Acoustic Project is the brainchild of Girum Mezmur, who directs and arranges the music as well as contributing acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars, accordion and vocals. Each of the other musicians--Ayele Mamo (mandolin, vocals), Dawit Ferew (clarinet, vocals), Henock Temesgen (double bass, vocals), Nathaniel Tesemma (drums, percussion) and Mesale Legesse (kebero, darbuka, bongos, hand percussion), plus Ahmed Elmak (oud on one track) and Endris Hassen (massinko on one track)--is a virtuoso who brings a full spectrum of musical colorings to this gentle but lively music, rich in history and now speaking to a new generation.
Addis Acoustic Project, on Tewesta (Remembrance)--the title is in the Ethiopian Amharic language--seamlessly fuses the traditional with the contemporary. For those who grew up with access to Ethiopian music during the mid-20th century, this is music that will be instantly familiar. But even for those who did not--and that would include the vast majority of Westerners-these are songs that feel comfortable and homey, melodies and rhythms that grab hold upon the first listen.
AAP was formed by Girum Mezmur with the intent of finding common ground between the authentic Ethiopian pop sounds of a bygone era-specifically the era just preceding what many consider the "Golden Age" of Ethiopian pop-and jazz, and then bringing it up to date in something wholly fresh-sounding. Mezmur carefully chose the instrumentation for the band, building it around his own accordion playing and other instruments that were commonly used in the Ethiopian pop he wanted to revive, including double bass, drums, clarinet, mandolin and the kebero, a cone-shaped, double-headed hand drum native to Ethiopia. After choosing the instrumentation, Mezmur set about finding the ideal musicians for his dream band, auditioning prospective members until he felt that the connection between them was just right.
Only then did Mezmur begin to assemble a repertoire, scouring record stores and old radio station playlists and speaking to individuals who remembered the era. The group debuted in March 2008, honing its sound at countless gigs and ultimately heading into the studio in Addis Ababa in 2009 and '10 to cut the songs that now comprise Tewesta Remembrance. Girum Mezmur produced the sessions.
The vast majority of the tunes collected on this recording revolve around the emotion most common throughout the history of music: love. The translations give that away quickly: "Fikir Ayarejim," which means Love is Eternal, was a popular song, made famous by Ethiopian vocalist Menelik Wossenachew, that originated in Sudan. AAP's interpretation features the great Sudanese oud master Ahmed Elmak guesting. Other highlights include "Enigenagnalen" (“We Shall Meet Again”), a love song originally by Girma Negash that speaks of hope, and "Yigermal" (“Such a Beauty...What Are You Called?”), a traditional folk song featuring mandolin and clarinet.
Perhaps the song that best sums up the mood and feel of Tewesta (Remembrance), however, is "Yetintu Tiz Alegn," whose title translates to “Remembrance” or, more specifically, “Remembering the Olden Days.” Originally made popular by Ethiopian singer Tilahun Gessesse, it was also recorded by the legendary late South African singer Miriam Makeba on her smash hit Pata Pata album in 1967. With its alternately elegiac and celebratory rhythms, global vibe and clustered harmony vocals, it's a tour de force that perfectly encapsulates the then-and-now motif Mezmur had in mind when he initially conceived the group. The jubilant track mirrors the excitement generated at an AAP gig, where audience interaction is not only common but expected.
For Mezmur, the emergence of Addis Acoustic Project has been the realization of a lifetime goal. After finding an accordion in his Addis Ababa home that belonged to his uncle, Mezmur became, well, mesmerized, obsessively learning the instrument and then moving on to guitar, piano and arranging music. Citing a diverse list of influences ranging from Ethiopian guitarist Selam Seyoum to the late American jazz master Wes Montgomery, Mezmur honed his chops while learning music theory and the art and business of leading a band. Attending the Yared Music School in Addis Ababa and working with different bands gave him experience and insights, all of which he draws upon now as the creative
force behind AAP.
In his liner notes to Tewesta "Remembrance,” Mezmur writes, "The essence of this project is about presenting the music of that era [the '50s and '60s] in an authentic manner, yet with a new twist.
Equally important is also preserving the sound and instrumentation of those days. I hope this recording captures these elements and does justice in these respects."
Undeniably, it does, but what ultimately makes Tewesta (Remembrance) such a winner is that one need not even know that these are old songs remade for today's world in order to fall in love with them. Addis Acoustic Project, on Tewesta (Remembrance), has gone beyond its own stated goal and has created music that is truly timeless.
‘…a seamless re-imagining of a nation's musical history …’
by Manuel Abreu
Timelessness comes in a variety of guises. For Addis Acoustic Project (AAP) bandleader Girum Mezmur, it comes by following a path many other intelligent and ambitious musicians have followed recently: synthesis of old and new. Mezmur also arranged these visionary rediscoveries. He says in the liner notes to the Tewesta album: "The essence of this project is about presenting the music of that era [the '50s and '60s] in an authentic manner, yet with a new twist." "Tewesta" means "remembrance" in Amharic, and what Mezmur has done on AAP's debut, after two years of sharpening their sound through live performance, is remarkable.
This music is a seamless re-imagining of a nation's musical history, teasing out different vectors of sound possibility through the updated sound, allowing other musical idioms to seep through. While Mezmur was also devoted to "preserving the sound and instrumentation of those days," his vibrant arrangements allow for different aspects of the world of music to meld with traditional Ethiopian music, this exploration allowed by the downplayed importance of vocals and the focus on instrumental music. Consider "Fikir Ayarejim," which translates to "Love is Eternal." Popularized by Sudanese singer Menelik Wossenachew, the original song is led by a sultry synthetic orchestra and casual, shuffling drums, standard fare for Ethiopian oldies pop.
The AAP remake, however, opens with Latin-tinged drums, moving into a muscular accordion and oud led groove (master Ahmed Almek on oud). The rhythm of the song maintains the upbeat quality of the original, but Mezmur allows the melody to expand significantly, though without any egoistic solos--it's a bold move, essentially a statement of the semiotic weight of melody. Anyone intimately familiar with these songs will immediately recognize the melodies, regardless of the missing vocals.
The best part about this album is that even if you don't know the originals, you don't need to. It's hard not to enjoy this, conceptual ambition aside. It's those melodies--they grab you by the collar, like an excited child in the castle of her dreams, leading you eagerly down the twisting hallways.
While in Chicago in February of this year, Addis Acoustic Project’s founder and guitarist Girum Mezmur appeared solo at the Ethiopian Diamond II Restaurant.
The Latin jazz influence is even more pronounced on "Yetintu Tiz Alegn," which I believe translates to "Remembrance of Olden Days." Old master Tilahun Gessesse also has a version of this track. While the first half of the track only evokes Latin rhythms, led by Ayele Mamo's mandolin, a breakdown leads the listener straight into a minor-key, chromatic-drenched Latin guitar solo by Mezmur. Indeed, the music of AAP is about finding common ground between Ethiopian music and other genres of music, particularly jazz, Latin music, and folk. The lack of emphasis on vocals--though they are present--combined with the innovative arrangements moves AAP's debut from purely Ethiopian music to a more universal idiom. I don't want to call it world music, but I suppose that's the only label available.
While maintaining an unmistakable cultural identity, Mezmur and other musicians like him are interested in creating a dialog with other genres, other nations, other time periods, and this is a trend I strongly support. AAP's resplendent music is about communication, and aside from crossing historical and cultural bridges, they also cross the bridge to the listener's ear. The amount of variety here is outstanding, as well as the musicianship. One eye-opening moment is, in fact, the closer--and by the way, even though the album is over an hour in length, it keeps you enthralled the whole way through--"Yigermal," which warps 3/4 to its own whims through subtle subdivision, featuring claps on the chorus and led by mandolin and clarinet. Mezmur is a master of timbre and combines instruments perfectly for his evocative needs. Indeed, sometimes he attempts to traditionalize more than modernize: compare the eerie "Anchim Ende Lela" with a much jazzier version by Girma Degefu.
Mezmur's take on Girma Negash's hopeful love song "Enigenagnalen" (We Shall Meet Again), opens with a lusty, rueful guitar solo which is offset by Dawit Ferew's mourning clarinet, painting a picture of both the beauty and futility of hope in the face of life's circumstances. Whether the lovers meet again is not the point, only that the hope exists, that it can flower. The mambo-like rhythm drives the song forward. Nathaniel Tesemma and Mesale Legesse, who handle the percussion, are to be commended for their tight, powerful grooves, which never lack subtlety. As well, Dawit Ferew is ablaze throughout, displaying his mastery of the clarinet in the Ethiopian style. Mezmur painstakingly assembled his band -he himself handles guitar and accordion -and it pays off.
While you don't need to know anything about the source music behind this wonderful album, I found that research into the originals gave me a greater appreciation for the brilliance of Mezmur's arrangements and his band's playing, as well as a deeper understanding of the context of the musical conversation AAP is trying to have. As well, I can pretty much guarantee that any musical discoveries this album leads to will be golden--Ethiopian music, old and new, is a veritable rabbit hole and gold mine which I recommend you delve into. For starters, there's the Ethiopiques series. But I'll leave that to you. For now, let me just repeat that this is an excellent album, and whether you're interested in the context of Mezmur's ideas for finding common musical ground, you won't be disappointed.
Given the volume of great vintage music from Ethiopia that's been discovered (or, more accurately, rediscovered) and made available in the last decade and a half, and considering how deeply those new/old Ethiopian sounds are loved by listeners well beyond the standard world music crowd, it was only a matter of time before a band like Addis Acoustic Project came along. Founded by guitarist/accordionist/arranger Girum Mezmer, the group re-creates in mostly instrumental style Ethiopian hits of the 1950s and ‘60s, a time when instruments like the mandolin and accordion were prominent and the funkier, horn-heavy sounds celebrated in much of Buda's Ethiopiques series hadn't yet arrived.
If the latter is the Ethiopian music you know and love, rest assured that what you'll hear on Tewesta isn't so very far removed from it. The serpentine melodies, zesty riffs and uniquely Ethiopian swing
are here, although in a more stripped-down form. Alongside Mezmer are players who combine youthful strength and veteran savvy on mandolin, bass, clarinet, drums and percussion, often branching off into jazzy asides, Latin grooves or klezmer-like liveliness before slipping back into melodies that couldn't be from anywhere else but Ethiopia. AAP's intimate approach also shows the extent to which early Ethiopian popular music gleaned from sounds of nearby Sudan and even far afield influences like
European waltzes and the works of Armenian arranger Nerses Nalbandian. At once traditional, experimental (it'd be great if Mulatu Astatke hooked up with these guys), and accessibly catchy, Addis Acoustic Project is onto something very special. Tewesta is a delight of a disc, and let's hope there's more of its kind in the works.
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.
Basically an audio travel scrapbook, Sleeping in the Market takes listeners on a tour of the Ethiopian region of Amhara.
Our guides are Mehari Smon and his son Yayehe. The former is making a pilgrimage back to his roots; the latter is pointing a microphone at local musicians, whether they are professionals performing in an Adiss-Abbaba teahouse or children singing and dancing in the streets of poor neighborhoods.
The Smons are quiet guides, letting the people and places speak for themselves. Their document presents music caught in the social act, music embedded in everyday life.
A young girl greets us first on the street, singing to support her family. Her "Laluyeah" is quite moving. She belongs to a small group of children coming back regularly throughout this short album -- their songs offer a counterpoint to their elders' music, of which "Endaw Mela Mela" is the most significant. Captured in a teahouse and 13 minutes in duration, it features a male/female duo of singers. The man also plays the accordion in a style very typical of that part of Africa, while the vocals hint at Muslim cultures, especially the art of qawwali (both in the vocal inflections and the call-and-response system).
The album is slightly short at 39 minutes, but it offers a pleasant listening curve.
1. Laluyeah (Yearning Song) (3:38)
2. Bale-Whashinto (3:20)
3. Berewoo Taha Taha (The Bull, Taha, Taha) (8:03)
4. Demam Era Dema (1:36)
5. Aderch Arada (Sleeping In The Market) (1:47)
6. Bale Ageru (2:29)
7. Ney, Ney, Ney (Come, Come, Come) (5:08)
8. Endiaw Mela Mela (Compassion) (13:03)
The production/compilation approach is somewhat similar to Sublime Frequencies' line of field recordings (Streets of Lhasa, for instance). ~ François Couture
'one of the most rousing, reliable new African bands of the year'
The Guardian
'there’s something about the soulful bluesy sound that has a wide appeal ... captivating' 4****stars,
The Evening Standard
'rousing, driving songs... a no-nonsense set that provides a reminder of the great African music to be found in the UK' 3*** stars
The Guardian
'the fireworks are spectacular' 3***stars
The Financial Times
'primed to deliver a raw, yet updated blast of Ethiopian Blues' 3***stars
Songlines
THE KRAR COLLECTIVE (aka Geata Krar Collective) are Temesegen Tareken (aka Temesgen Zeleke), a former pupil of veteran Ethiopian vibraphone player Mulatu Astatke, on Krar, Robel Tesfaye on traditional
Ethiopian Kebero drums, and singer-dancer Genet Asefa. They are sometimes joined by other musicians, singers and full dance show with 4 dancers.
Krar Collective brings mind-blowing Ethiopian grooves, dazzling Krar and kebero drums, and stunning vocals rooted in tradition and soaked with contemporary attitude. Dubbed “the White Stripes of Ethiopia’ for its minimalist rocky sound, the unstoppable trio— Temesegen Zeleke on the krar (a five- or six-stringed harp), singer Genet Asefa, and drummer Grum Begashaw—bases its repertoire on traditional Ethiopian songs but creates a unique style with timeless appeal: All Music Guide says it’s “unlike any other music from Africa in recent years. … at once accessible, beautiful, and energetic.”
With vocals full of collective cadences and long solo poems, musical stops and starts that create an organic syncopation, and a krar that alternates from lead to rhythm instrument, Krar Collective is rhythmically spellbinding, and uniquely powerful.
Ethiopia Super Krar
Ethiopia Super Krar is Krar Collective’s dazzling debut release. The unstoppable trio, dubbed ‘the White Stripes of Ethiopia’ for their minimalist rocky sound, are favourites on the London and increasingly on the international live circuit. They are renowned for dynamic performances of their contagious music and equally infectious dance moves. Ethiopia Super Krar was recorded to tape on an original 1960s 24-track reel to reel machine, an approach which helped to capture Krar Collective’s music as close as possible to the live experience– the sound is real and honest, not a manufactured perfection.
The instrumental line-up features the krar and bass krar lyre, kebero drums, a one stringed masenqo fiddle, and a washint flute accompanying the band’s distinctive vocals. Band leader Temesgen Zeleke and Genet Assefa share lead singer role. Genet is magnetic in performance and recording – her soaring ululations and perfectly delivered melodies fill the spacious sound. Temesgen Zeleke is a revolutionary krar player – standing to strum and pick his electrified instrument, often kneeling to the floor during his killer solos in intense Hendrix fashion, all on just six open strings. As a young student Temesgen was mentored and encouraged by legendary Ethio-jazzman Mulatu Astatke, and an instrumental arrangement by Astatke features on Ethiopia Super Krar. The famous Ethiopian actress Asnakech Worku, who pioneered the krar as an accompaniment to her emotional ballads during the 1960s and 70s, is also paid a tribute via a cover of her spine-tingling song ‘Endye Eyerusalem’.
Other songs in the repertoire are traditional and represent different Ethiopian tribes. The names of the tracks (‘Ambassel’, Guragigna’, ‘Konso’, ‘Oromigna’, ‘Wello’, ‘Welaita’) are related to the names of ethnic groups or geographical regions. ‘Tizita’ is a ballad form in Ethiopian music associated with remembering loved ones and the ‘King of Tizita’ Mahmoud Ahmed, and ‘Ete-mete’ is a children’s song.
Krar Collective present their sound and their philosophy – rural music in urban clothes, and a belief Ethiopian traditions need to be respected, enjoyed and preserved. Influenced by their London home - in 2012 they represent Ethiopia in the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad - their Ethiopian roots and their own abounding creative streak, they are setting the scene alight with 2012 shows in India, Canada, Germany, Finland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, and Poland even before their first album release– Ethiopia Super Krar looks set to spread their fire even wider and even wilder!
