With Black Flower, composer Nathan Daems created a remakable project. The compositions surprise in many ways, creating a true exotic sound with sensual melodies and melancholic feel. The result is an ecstatic party like you have never experienced before.
Influenced by artists as Mulatu Astatke, Getatchew Mekurya and Fela Kuti, Black Flower floats in between the borders of ethiopique, jazz, afro, oriental and blues.
Soulful music with an eccentric and psychedelic identity.
1. Black Flower - Fly High, Oh My ! (5:19)
2. Black Flower - Mon Ange Diabolique (7:41)
3. Black Flower - Winter (5:39)
4. Black Flower - I Threw a lemon at that Girl (5:12)
Steeped in Rastafarian grooves, produced by a St. Croix native, and two brothers as singers, Noah and Medhane Tewolde, come from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The European-based brothers incorporate pan-African elements, island grooves, Jamaican jive, and pop-funk creations.
The reggae-inspired album contains jazzy influences, funky beats, and vivid vocals with meaningful lyrics and spiritual connotations. The lyrical worldplay and dancehall sound showcases Nazarenes diverse song repertoire with a laid-back, funky feel that is anything but boring.
Fourteen Jah-inspired musical tracks showcase the great amount of creativity and soulful inspiration that give Meditation a shining element that succeeds without a doubt.
01. Nazarenes - Meditation (4:42) 02. Nazarenes - Food (4:18) 03. Nazarenes - It's Too Late feat. Lutan Fyah (4:05) 04. Nazarenes - Mother (3:47) 05. Nazarenes - On My Way (4:11) 06. Nazarenes - The Lord Said feat. Midnite (4:56) 07. Nazarenes - Mamy Blues (4:31) 08. Nazarenes - Alive (4:03) 09. Nazarenes - Everlasting (4:26) 10. Nazarenes - Politrickcians (4:18) 11. Nazarenes - Get Together (3:35) 12. Nazarenes - Destiny (4:50) 13. Nazarenes - Lonesome Lady (3:41) 14. Nazarenes - Love Jah (4:13)
Very limited edition LP with cool, silk-screened covers.
The liner notes provided helpful biographical information about this titan of Ethiopian music (Ethiopiques Vol. 17 is 100% Gessesse), but very little about the particular music on this record.
I would date these recordings to the early 70s, maybe late 60s, judging by the groovy-heavy, almost proto-disco vibe of the songs and analog sound of the recordings. The basic MO here is: set up a tight, funky vamp then let Gessesse cut loose over the top.
Modern ears will delight at the production values which place the band in a swirl of reverb and give Gessesse's in-the-red vocals a heavy coat of gritty slap-back. The way everything sounds makes it easy to imagine hearing these songs performed at 3am in sweltering Ethiopian heat. Very nice LP, anyone with an interest in Ethiopian music will find a lot to like here, but the general funkiness (great basslines!) and upbeat rhythm of the songs make it pretty widely accessible.
Side A
1. Ye Minjar Lij (The girl from Minjar)
2. Keleleh Yelehem (You ain't got it if you don't got it)
3. Ere Fikir BeHig (In the name of Love)
4. Ye Tate Kelebet (The ring on my finger)
5. Tey Atabesachign (Please don't make me suffer)
Side B.
1. Endezih Hone Ende (Is this how it is)
2. Beterswa Shegnechign (She abandoned me with a smile)
3. Ewnetegna Fikir (True Love)
4. Katu Zemed Yelem (No one befriends the broke)
5. Hiwet Kanchi Aybeltem (Life is not more precious than you)
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!
Dereb Desalegn is well known in his homeland of Ethiopia, but he now lives in Australia. This new album features songs from famous Ethiopian singers, traditional songs, and Dereb's own compositions.
Dereb Desalegn, also known as Dereb The Ambassador, is based in Sydney and originally derives from Ethiopa. Sydney producer Tony Buchen has put together this project for the whole world to enjoy, including Australia. Dereb is a renowned and well-respected artist in Ethiopa. So far, Aussies have responded enthusiastically to Dereb’s music and his fans keep multiplying.
Dereb’s self-titled album has come to knock on the door of your heart with its soulful timbre. His music is best described as raw, Ethiopian vintage soul and funk with a pinch of jazz and Motown vibes.
Although the language within the music is foreign, that does not hinder the listener to get the most from this rare musical experience. The album contains a good blend of party-like anthems and tranquility. Dereb takes the listener into his world for about forty-eight minutes of your life - if only it was longer.
The music is complete with a 9-piece band with pre-1970s instruments and equipment, which produces uncommon and raw sounds. One can hear the richness of sound coming from the musical instruments used in this LP, some of which are the 5 piece horns, trumpets, percussion, drums and amazing guitar riffs with the electric guitar on tracks like “Gedawo (Traditional)” and “Setaleygn (Tilahun Gesese)”. The real rhythm of soul music is evident in the instrumental song “Yelage Tizeta (Mulatu Astaqe)” with the harmonious trumpet, the organ and drum beats.
Most of the tracks on the LP are quite upbeat soul and funk rich in the use of instruments, however there is a beautiful acoustic track called “Hiwot (Tilahun Gesese)” which is quite a soothing track to listen to. The vocals, piano, clapping and African sekere are the sole and dominant sounds used in the track “Kulun (Traditional)”, which makes it such a smooth track to listen to.
A really great adventure of an album!
01. Dereb Desalegn - Addis Ababa Bete (Alamayetu Eshete) (5:46)
02. Dereb Desalegn - Etu Gela (Tesfaye Lemissa) (4:03)
