Kibrom Birhane - Kibrom's Tizita [2014] [ethiopia]

visit his website here >  http://www.kibromusika.com/

             Kibrom Birhane is Ethiopian Pianist, Multi Instrumentalist / producer / songwriter / Record / Mix engineer, arranger and composer passionate about Ethiopian folk, world, pop, jazz and gospel music. 

                 Kibrom started his musical career in a very early stage of his life, and had the opportunity to work, perform and record with musicians from all over the world. While attending Los Angeles College of music, he was fortunate to learn under great musicians such as: Sean Halley (Vinnie Colaiuta, Jerry Marotta, Richard Marx), Andre Knecht, Andrew Murdock (Godsmack, Alice Cooper, Linkin Park), Dave Pozzi (Celine Dion, Diana Krall), Howie Shear (George Benson, Stevie Wonder), Tony Inzalaco (Oscar Peterson, Dexter Gordon) and many others.

Kibrom Birhane - Zelesegna  ዘለሰኛ

           Learning how to play the krar, a five stringed traditional Ethiopian lyre, at age 8, Kibrom Birhane found himself enthralled by Orthodox chanting. “Always it moves me when I hear music,” he says. And from that time on he knew he wanted to pursue a career in music. Kibrom eventually began teaching piano to other students for about three years before receiving a scholarship to attend the Los Angeles College of Music where he developed a passion beyond Ethiopian folk music, and became a songwriter and composer focusing on the fusion of Ethiopian folk with jazz and gospel sounds. His debut album entitled ‘Kibrom’s Tizita’ was recently released by Tsehai Records, a new division of Tsehai Publishers. Kibrom describes his new album as “an exploration of Ethiopian heritage through folk and pop music with a jazz backbone.”

           Kibrom is also a record and mixing engineer and says he “learned to play all of these different roles over time, and with that came new innovations” in his music and sound. His solo pieces are among his most personal works, and Kibrom shares that they are “an expression of what I feel at the moment. I don’t study or learn solos; I just play them.”

           Kibrom hopes to reach the younger generation with his music. He sees the power of fusion as a way to expose individuals to Ethiopian music while adopting a style that is already familiar to them (such as jazz). Kibrom has already garnered some success including writing the score for the documentary film ‘Sincerely Ethiopia,’ singing in the award-winning documentary ‘Get Together Girls,’ and composing music for the documentary on the African Union’s 50th year celebration.

     “The raw sincerity of Birhane’s music seeks to make strong connections with listeners as they are transported on a musical journey. And a journey it is – Kibrom uses Ethiopian scales, which are rarely heard in Western music. The distinct nature of these scales makes for hypnotic listening,” states Tsehai Records.

Kibrom Birhane - 01 - Pending Prayer (4:06)

Kibrom Birhane - 02 - Yonas Gorfe Tribute (5:10)

Kibrom Birhane - 03 - Simagne Hageree (4:25)

Kibrom Birhane - 04 - Wazema (5:26)

Kibrom Birhane - 05 - Broken but Beautiful (10:06)

Kibrom Birhane - 06 - Jiret (7:02)

Kibrom Birhane - 07 - Psalm 92 (4:47)

Kibrom Birhane - 08 - Kibrom's Tizita (feat. Etsegenet Mekonnen) (5:03)

Kibrom Birhane - 09 - Zelesegna (4:30)

Kibrom Birhane - 10 - Ambassel (feat. Etsegenet Mekonnen) (4:34)

Daniel Woldegabriel - Yenie Alem [2009] [ethiopia]

Daniel W-Gabriel - Awasa langano-Hirutye

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 01. Oouta Ayaskefam (5:31)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 02. Yebelay Negnna (7:24)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 03. Alamen Alena (6:30)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 04. Batty (4:06)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 05. Mot Adeladlogn (5:42)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 06. Amalealea (5:13)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 07. Kelealeh Yelehea (4:15)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 08. Fikren Atawat (4:03)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 09. Mengedegnanew Libesh (6:34)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 10. Jemayea (6:19)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 11. Hulum Awko Endenor (5:36)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 12. Agul Tekoragntogn (7:18)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 13. Musica (4:32)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - 14. Fikreahoy Temekeree (4:38)

Elias Negash Orchestra - Best of Elias Negash [2014] [ethiopia]

Elias Negash - Piano Solo

01 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Zemen (Era) (6:10)
02 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Meskerem (Spring Time) (6:20)
03 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Ewrdish Neber (Lost Love) (5:26)
04 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Kemdelaye (My Way) (6:12)
05 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Tsegereda (Rose) (4:31)
06 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Enken Yelelebesh (Perfect Ten) (6:01)
07 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Tizeta (Memories) (8:07)
08 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Washeches Neber (I Lied to You) (7:08)
09 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Yemyaslekis Fiker (Tears of Love) (7:07)
10 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Ououta (Cry) (4:37)
11 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Tizeta Garedew (Memories Overwhelmed Him) (5:01)
12 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Aynoche Terabu (My Eyes Are Hungry) (6:53)
13 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Wegene (Comrades Joining Forces) (6:02)
14 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Ene Negn Baye Manesh (Ethiopian Beauty) (5:41)
15 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Sethagibne Aznalehu (Ain't No Sunshine) (5:36)
16 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Zerafewa (I Dare You) (5:27)
17 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Be Bega (Summer Time) (6:13)
18 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Menew Teleyeshine (Why Leave Me) (5:31)
19 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Malaika (My Angel) (6:21)
20 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Bertukane - Shegitu (4:32)
21 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Ye Ethiopia Mishet (Ethiopian Nights) (5:24)
22 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Ye Aynoche Tesfa (Hope of My Eyes) (5:24)
23 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Harambe (Let's Pull Together) (6:51)
24 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Addis Ababa Bete (My Home Addis Ababa) (6:38)
25 - Elias Negash Orchestra - Sitihed Siketelat (Persistence)

Selam Seyoum - In Memory of Tekle Tesfazghi [1995] [eritrea]

       Selam Seyoum Woldemariam, also known as "Selamino", is an African musician who has turned out 250 (mostly locally produced) albums in his more than forty years as a professional musician. He has been called “The Jimi Hendrix of Ethiopia” and is a national legend.

In Memory Of Tekle Tesfazghi - Kemdilayey

Early life

             Selam Seyoum Woldemariam was born in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, in 1954 to a director-teacher father, Seyoum Woldemariam Kidane, and an assistant teacher-housewife mother, Tsirha Nemariam. 

        The family moved to Asmara, Eritrea, in 1965 and stayed there throughout his childhood (c. 1965–1972). While in Addis Ababa, his father worked in a school run by American missionaries. They brought various records of spiritual songs; Woldemariam and his siblings studied some of the songs and sang them at the Mekane Yesus Church in Addis Ababa. The family owned an acoustic guitar, and while each of his siblings tried to learn, he was the most disciplined in his musical study. 

        During the mid-1960s, Woldemariam formed a church music quintet choir group in Asmara at "Geza Kenisha", which became popular and pulled hundreds of followers to the church where they performed. Later, they included a Swedish drummer but the sound eventually became too noisy for the elderly congregation and they had to discontinue playing. 

            Woldemariam returned to Addis Ababa in 1972 and finished high school. This was at the height of the Ethiopian Civil War and classes in most schools, including Addis Ababa University (AAU) were disrupted. Soon, all higher learning institutions were closed, while students and staff were forced to join the national campaign (Idget Behibret). With the AAU closed, Woldemariam could no longer continue his education.

         Woldemariam later returned and graduated with a BA in History from AAU in 1988. He wrote his senior essay on Ethiopian music: "Origin and Development of Zemenawi Music in Ethiopia, 1896-1974”.

BSB Ibex and ROHA

       He joined The Black Soul Band (BSB) while they were on tour in Addis Ababa in 1973. Alemayehu Eshete and Slim Jones were the main vocalists of the group and together with Tesfaye Lemma of Orchestra Ethiopia, they travelled to various parts of Ethiopia. Towards mid-1974, Woldemariam and some other members of BSB joined the Venus club. 

        After working for a year or so at the Venus, Woldemariam replaced Zimbabwean Ibex Band guitar player Andrew Wilson at the Ras Hotel. During that time, Ibex was dominated by two foreign musicians: Ismail Jingo, vocalist and percussionist and Andrew Wilson, lead guitarist. At the time, most foreigners were leaving Ethiopia due to the revolution and Jingo and Wilson couldn’t stay. As a result, the band re-formed as Ibex (II) with the inclusion of some new members. 

        Mahmoud Ahmed was already in the group. The first recording the group did was his Ere Mela Mela album (LP) around 1975, which was later to become their first ever CD in Ethiopian history, released by a good friend, Francis Falceto on his Ethiopiques series. (Ethiopiques # 7). Ibex disbanded in 1979 as most of its members left for the Sudan, while Mahmoud left for the US. The remaining three members, Giovanni Rico, Fekadu Andemeskel and Selam Woldemariam, formed ROHA Band. The Ibex and ROHA Band dominated the music of the 1970s and 80s. They arranged and recorded well over 250 albums (2500 songs), accompanying various Ethiopian vocalists. From 1980 to 1990, The ROHA Band travelled extensively, throughout Europe, Middle East and the USA as well as to some parts of Africa. Mulatu Astatke joined the ROHA Band at the Paris and Spain summer shows in 1987.

Recent and current work

     During 2000, Woldemariam moved to the US, and started collaboration on the Power of The Trinity project with the Brooklyn-based Tomas Doncker Band. Besides co-writing and playing guitar on some tunes, Woldemariam is also involved as a production consultant. He has performed with the group at various venues. They will be performing together in a long-awaited show at the New York Summer stage in July and August. 

       Woldemariam is in the process of expanding his thesis paper on Ethiopian music and gathering together a book based on his over forty years of experience in music. He is also working on an instrumental album.

01 - Selam Seyoum - Tsibuk Zigebr (5:16)

02 - Selam Seyoum - Mistirawi Debdabe (4:38)

03 - Selam Seyoum - Nbaat Temeghibe (7:16)

04 - Selam Seyoum - Kokobey Kokobki (5:15)

05 - Selam Seyoum - Ningerom Nisdrana (4:27)

06 - Selam Seyoum - Fikrey Telemeni (4:42)

07 - Selam Seyoum - Kemdilayey (6:47)

08 - Selam Seyoum - Kewakhbti (5:26)

09 - Selam Seyoum - Shewit Hidmona (3:51)

Elias Negash - Jazzed Up [2012] [ethiopia]

       Elias Negash is an accomplished musician who has combined his Native Ethiopian music with his jazz education, and influences from the world music segment. He played through the seventies and became one of the pioneering figures to have brought Reggae and African music to the Bay Area with smash hit groups including Obeah, Axum, Caribbean All Stars and the Rastafarians. 

      After moving to Los Angeles Elias worked on the Royal Princess Cruise ship out of South Hampton England for four months. He has also done soundtrack for Television Movie in titled Glitz and also preformed on a TV series Murder She Wrote. Elias has also traveled as a Solo pianist and with Magyk Band to Japan.

Elias Negash - Belew Bedubaye

In addition to his role as a musician, Elias dedicates his time in multiple humanitarian efforts such as fundraising HIV Aids research and treatment, building schools and water-well in the rural areas of Ethiopia. Further, Elias is currently the president of Ethiopian Arts forum that strives to accomplish its objectives through the presentation of Ethiopian Music, Dance, Poetry, Drama and Visual Arts to the community.

Elias has put out five solo CDs titled Love, Harrambe (lets pull together), Peace, Feel Like Dancin’ and his new CD titled “JAZZED UP”

01 - Elias Negash - Perfect Ten (6:02)

02 - Elias Negash - I Lied to You (7:10)

03 - Elias Negash - Sway (8:29)

04 - Elias Negash - Antchim Endelela (5:26)

05 - Elias Negash - Memories Overwhelmed Him (4:52)

06 - Elias Negash - I Dare You (5:39)

07 - Elias Negash - No Women No Cry (6:15)

08 - Elias Negash - Tizeta Garedew (5:01)

09 - Elias Negash - Crazy (4:32)

10 - Elias Negash - Our Love Is Here to Stay (7:20)

11 - Elias Negash - Harlem Nocturne (5:34)

12 - Elias Negash - Elias Salsa (4:54)

13 - Elias Negash - Addis Ababa Bete (7:44)

Teddy Mak - [2004] - Truth [ethiopia]

           Teddy Mak has been a composer, arranger, producer, songwriter, and an accomplished performer for over twenty eight years. He is one of the pioneer, performer and major contributor to the development of Ethiopia's innovative 'new age' music. Teddy Mak developed a passion formusic in German school addis abeba at an early age of eight, which was accompanied with hours of rigorous practice on the piano at home. Teddy’s youthful talent was enthusiastically supported by his father, Teddy's family provided an enabling environment that encouraged young Teddy to put in enough hours of practice on the piano which laid a firm foundation for his life’s work in Ethiopian music. 

            Teddy Mak first studied music at the Yared Music School in Addis Ababa, which was followed by studying music, majoring in American Jazz, at the Northern Virginia Community College. He had his chance playing with great bands, which included, among others, the Shebelles, the Dahlacs and the Ethiostar band in Addis Ababa. This was the time when Teddy Mak got a chance to meet and perform with Bob Marley at the Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa.

               Throughout his career, he has compiled and created numerous melodic sounds and rhythmical beats that have made his musical compositions distinguishable. His masterful compilations have been soothing the ears of a broad range of listeners, for the past 3- decades. 

      Teddy Mak’s musical accomplishments include over 573 arrangments and musical compositions, a cultural musical presentation, in the presence of delegates from fifty countries, at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Addis Ababa, composed sound tracks for twenty five documentary films and, wrote original soundtrack for a fifty-four segment Ethiopian movie drama series “Gemena” for Ethiopian TV. 

Teddy Mak has presented a commissioned musical presentation and album on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the African Union.

01 - Teddy Mak - Young At Heart (4:26)

02 - Teddy Mak - Truth (6:11)

03 - Teddy Mak - Joy (4:44)

04 - Teddy Mak - Lanchi (6:49)

05 - Teddy Mak - Pure Ethiopian (5:47)

06 - Teddy Mak - T. Woman (6:31)

07 - Teddy Mak - Mak (5:54)

08 - Teddy Mak - Abogidah (5:19)

09 - Teddy Mak - Wushetenew (5:38)

10 - Teddy Mak - Ethio House (5:10)

11 - Teddy Mak - Teddy's Mood (6:54)

PRESS : 

“God must have dedicated more time on your creative and restless visionary mind. Vahag Sakadjian or ( Vaggie ) 06-17-2008 ”

VAGGIE - MUSIC PAD

“Every song you play turn out to be " sparkling , shiny , touchy , groovy. Vahag Sakadjian or ( Vaggie ) 06-17-2008   ”

VAGGIE - MUSIC PAD

“Teddy Mak's Timeout is a direct expression of human emotions that transcend the listener to the beyond â€" it is in a way a form of art and entertainment”

B,T,COSTENTINOS PHD - KOSTE

“The MUSICAL gift upon Teddy Maks talent , I have noticed , tested ,smelled and watched the changes of forms ,and fantasy since we were kids. All I can say is , " he still amazes me."”

VEHAG

Feedel Band - various songs [usa+eth]

        Feedel Band is a Washington DC based Ethio-Jazz Band and has been performing as a self contained unit, as well as supporting Ethiopian artists like Tilahun Gessesse, (The king of Ethiopian pop music), very recently with Aster Aweke (The queen of Ethiopian soul music) on her current “Ewedihalehu” or "I love you" US tour.

       Feedel band’s is founded in 2010 by Araya Woldemichael, and weeks later, his current band members joined him and together they have formed the first native Ethiopian group in north America as an Ethio -jazz music-oriented band that starred Moges Habte on Sax, Alemseged Kebede on Electric bass, Araya Woldemichael on keyboards and Samson Juffar on drums. After Samson Juffar’s departure to Ethiopia, drummer and percussionist Mikias Abebayehu took Samson’s place. In addition to guitarist Kaleb Temesgen and  drummer J , Trombonist Ben Hall and krarist Minale Bezu, the band found Its own and a very unique Ethio - jazz  sound. 

       Feedel or (alphabet) are Ge’ez script and a unique Ethiopian characters that are entirely phonetic structured in seven columns. In other words, each character in the Geez Feedel system has seven sounds. Feedel are not only a dazzling of human creativity but also, in practical terms, a powerful medium for communication and social interaction. The power of Feedel resides in the characters ability to represent virtually every sound. The ancient Ethiopians, who invented Ethiopic writing system, were poised, it seems, to capture and harness all sounds in the universe.

Feedel Band - Belhame

            Since 1997 the Éthiopiques series has made Ethiopian music a hipster obsession, exposing jazz heads and rockists to the jazzy funkiness that emanated from East Africa in the ’60s and ’70s. (Never heard of the collection? You may have heard songs from Volume 4—there are now 29 volumes in total—in Jim Jarmusch’s 2005 film Broken Flowers.) 

             Feedel’s sax player Moges who was born in Addis Ababa, and can be heard performing the funky James Brown Band-influenced cut “Muziqawi Silt” on Éthiopiques’ Volume 13 with his ’70s group The Walias Band. On the other hand Feedel's bass player Alemseged  Kebede's great  groovy bass lines can be found in Aster Aweke and Tilahune Gessesse's music. Feedel Band’s sound can best be described as a merging of ’60s R&B, funk and jazz with traditional Ethiopian songcraft. 

Feedel Band - Araya's Mood

       Feedel Band is taking Ethiopian music and Jazz, and blending it into a simmering stew of musical genre’s, textures and feeling. These boys have real feel – for their music, for their audience and for each other. Playing with maturity and passion is second nature to all of them ... 

       Feedel band has devoted much of a creative career spanning almost 20 years to this eternal, inspiring form - the very base and roots of Ethio-jazz.... gather inspiration from The Golden Age of Ethiopian popular music in the late 1960s and 70s— a time that had Addis Ababa littered with groups playing a brass-heavy concoctions influenced by American soul and jazz. So here they are, as enthusiastic as ever - Ethiopian's finest, most skilled practitioners in the art of the Ethiopian music. They take their newly created original pentatonic melodies and repurpose them with mutated instrumentation like 60s and 70s-era Ethiopian grooves: Congas, electric Guitar, Bass, Saxophone, traditional Krar, Masinko, Piano, Organ, Trombone and Drums. 

     What sets Feedel Band apart from other acts that play Ethio-Jazz style of music is that they commonly hybridize the regular Jazz style with Ethio-Jazz genres, or modernized the sound with out loosing its original traditional texture or feeling. The energy and power is overwhelming. They are creating and in some cases re-creating the musical language of what has been called Ethio -Jazz. 

      Since the bands inception, the reception that Feedel has received has been extraordinary. At FestAfrica 2011, APAP showcase "Drom" New York City, World cafe live Philadelphia, Global roots festival Minneapolis, MN and  most recently at The Kennedy Center in 2014 and the audience was enamored with their warm and engaging style. While their music is inspired by the Golden Age of Ethiopian popular music, but Feedel Band always perform their own original music. 

       Their newly released CD is called “Ethiopian Ocean” 

                           Feedel Band on Soundcloud : here   

   Feedel Band official site : here   

01 - Feedel Band - Tropicalia 8-2-14 (6:21)

02 - Feedel Band - Araya's Mood (8:24)

03 - Feedel Band - Girl from Ethiopia (7:35)

04 - Feedel Band - Ethiopian Ocean (Ye Ethiopia Baher) (10:32)

05 - Feedel Band - Behelme (5:54)

06 - Feedel Band - Feedel Band (8:01)

07 - Feedel Band - Mestafaker (6:41)

Arki Sound - Arki Sound [2015] [usa+eth]

Arki Sound

Arki Sound - 'Jazeta' (Tezeta)

Influenced by the classic recordings made in Ethiopia in the 1960s and 1970s, Arki Sound performs music for your dancing and listening pleasure.

01 - Arki Sound - Bemen Sebeb Letlash (5:31)

02 - Arki Sound - Ere Mela Mela Dubby Spoil (2:51)

03 - Arki Sound - Ere Mela Mela (5:02)

04 - Arki Sound - Gaddis Addis (4:18)

05 - Arki Sound - Hedetch Alew (3:26)

06 - Arki Sound - Jazeta Love a Dub in Outer Space (5:29)

07 - Arki Sound - Jezeta (6:32)

08 - Arki Sound - Kulun Mankwalesh (5:22)

Formed in New York City in 2009, Arki Sound consists of:

Marcus Cummins - alto and soprano saxophones
Frank Marino - drum kit
Samson Kebede - bass
George Taylor - guitar
Andy JordanTexas - tenor (emeritus)