Hi there, you are about to travel ... and I mean far away, in an alternative world where OZFERTI , the nubian wizard, is bringing to you his ethiohop tracks. Coming from Addis aboumbap, 11 chapters where ethiojazz meets Jazzy boumbap, psychedelic trap, progressive Dub and spicy electro. Beware ladies and gentlemen, you will not be coming back from this journey.
11 Colorfull Reworks of Ethiojazz classics mixed with electronica / hiphop and bass music , from Mulatu Astatke to Mahmoud Ahmed.
By combining element’s of Hip-Hop and Reggae, Pamfalon’s music gives a refreshingly honest look at the everyday life struggles and the uncertainty that lies within all of us. Aside from his unique and eclectic delivery, his music offers inspiration and lyrical substance that seems to be lacking in contemporary Ethiopian music. His artistry represents a lifestyle inevitable to a globally connected society.
This marks the core of a revolution in Ethiopian Hip-Hop history. He may not be a household name yet but Pamfalon is on the fast track.
Pamfalon - Dersual
EXCLUSIVE MUSIC INTERVIEW WITH EMERGING ARTIST PAMFALON
Let’s start with where you were born and when you moved to Germany
I was born in Ethiopia. I was 8 when i moved to Germany, and that was 1994.
You have an interesting name, what does Pamfalon mean? How did you come up with it?
I was a fifth grader when we first read a story about a guy called Pamphalon. He was described as a man of this world and was an imposer. There was another man in the same story who spent most of his life on an isolated rock praising God. He was always asking God for a like-minded person. One day God sends him to Phamphalon, to make a spiritual connection. He was very sad and upset, why God would send him to Pamphalon, who seems to be very worldly. God’s response was, that he shall not look on the outside but the inside of a person. I was inspired by this story and therefore decided my alias to be Pamfalon from the first day I started to rap. Back then, I had no idea about life. The more I matured, I realized that this name was meant to be mine.
How did it all start for you, your love for making music? Did you always have a passion for music?
Growing up in a foreign country without parents, I was looking for role models that would fit to me. And those Youth Care Workers were simply not it. On the other side, there was Hip Hop which happened to rescue me. I think, it was 97 where I started rapping and fell in love with it. From then it was just a logical progress; studying the Elements of Hip Hop, and do whatever I had to do, to be “real” in terms of Hip Hop.
I have to say I was not mature yet, all the things I was rapping about was not representing what I stand for now. How can you know about life when you are 15 or 16? But I was noticing that I was blessed with some talent. Then there was a time I decided to take time from the music world, because real life was chasing me, or the other way around. Though I did not stop freestyling and so forth, my focus has slowly shifted.
Your sound is very distinctive and different, especially in your most recent songs, How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I think other people should describe it, but there are a lot of different influences in me so it just happens to be this style, my style. I like all kinds of music by now, so the genre would be Pamfalon…
Who produces your music?
Well, it is different from song to song. Sometimes I just voice a riddim I like, or friends send it to me and I voice it, or I just produce it ; all vocal recordings, compositions and mixing are done by myself. All the projects I am working on right now are produced by myself starting from the scratch. There might be a solo guitar or a brass element that a friend of mine will play for me, but 95% is done by myself.
And Qedamawi Records?
Qedamawi Records, is a Music Label that my brother and me put together. Pamfalon is not the only artist on this label. We have really good artists that will make their way within the next years. It is going to be an Ethiopian Label to release authentic music.
You like to talk about real life struggles in your music, what inspires your song writing?
Whenever I write a song, I am always inspired by life. It is just a way I get over things. I won’t just sing about an issue and leave you there without a solution, but provide it within the lyrics, hoping it inspires someone dealing with the same issues.
I learned early enough that, whenever I open my mouth and talk through a microphone, no bullshit shall I spit. The melodies and styles just come while I create.
What do you want the message in your music to be?
The one and only message I always want to get across my music is God’s existence. We Ethiopians know that, but when you grow up surrounded by non believers, you even start to doubt sometimes. So whenever I mention God in my songs, it is not like I am bragging about my spirituality, but I want to encourage other to hold on to their faith.
Another thing, which is also on my agenda, but not in many songs yet, is Ethiopianisim. It is so exciting being Ethiopian, but what does it mean being Ethiopian? I do not have the perfect formula yet, but I give my best to find it out. I think all blessings come with a task, and need a careful treat, so I want my talent to be a contribution to my people. Though I haven’t contributed anything to my country yet, it is my engine that keeps me going each day.
And of course there are some other things I sing about, all I can say is that I am just a man with emotions and feelings. I am nor perfect or the best, but I try to be as real as I can get.
If you were to describe life, how would you put it into words?
Rollercoaster!
Who are your greatest musical influences?
Probably not different from those of my Generation. But if I was forced to name just 5 : I would say Tupac.
Lastly, what would you like to get out from your music in the next few years?
I am working on my EP now, and also producing songs for other Qedmawi artists. I don’t want to put any pressure on me and talk about any deadline. It is done when it is done. Those who are following me, will now it early enough.
Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, K’naan spent his childhood in the district of Wardhiigleey (”The Lake of Blood”) during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia’s most famous singers. K’naan’s grandfather, Haji Mohamed, was a poet. K’naan is also a Muslim. His name, K’naan, means “traveller” in the Somali language.
K’naan’s father, Abdi, left the country, along with many other intellectuals to settle in New York City and work as a cab driver. He mailed money home to his family. As the civil war continued and the situation in Somalia continued to deteriorate, K’naan’s mother, Marian Mohamed, petitioned the United States embassy for an exit visa. In 1991, on the last day the US embassy remained open as the government of Mohamed Siad Barre collapsed their visa was approved, and they boarded the last commercial flight out of the country.
They joined relatives in Harlem, New York City, before moving to the Toronto, Ontario neighbourhood of Rexdale, where there was a large Somali Canadian community. His family still lives there. In his new country, K’naan began learning English, some through hip hop albums by artists like Nas and Rakim. Despite speaking no English, the young K’naan taught himself hip hop and rap diction, copying the lyrics and style phonetically. He then also began rapping. He dropped out of school in grade ten to travel for a time, rapping at open mic events, and eventually returned to Toronto.
K’naan became a friend and associate of Canadian promoter, Sol Guy, who helped him secure a gig speaking before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999, where K’naan performed a spoken word piece criticizing the UN for its failed aid missions to Somalia. One of the audience members, Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, was so impressed by the young MC’s performance and courage that he invited him to contribute to his 2001 album Building Bridges, a project through which K’naan was able to tour the world.
This project lead to his work at other UN events, as well as the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Halifax Pop Explosion. It also helped him meet Canadian producer Jarvis Church and his Track & Field team in 2002, who produced his debut album The Dusty Foot Philosopher, which was released in 2005 to critical acclaim.
In 2006, it won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year, and was nominated for the inaugural Polaris Music Prize. It also won the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music in the newcomer category for 2007. The Dusty Foot Philosopher will be re-released and re-packaged as a “Deluxe Edition” featuring new mixes and a bonus DVD in the United States (and various international territories) by the emerging media company and record label iM (Interdependent Media, Inc.) in 2008.
Since then, he has been on tour promoting his album and working on his follow-up release, “Troubadour,” his debut album for new label A&M/Octone Records. He has also been working with artists like Nelly Furtado, Mos Def, The Roots, Dead Prez, and Pharoahe Monch on tours such as Live and Breedlove Odyssey. He also collaborated with Damian Marley on the “Welcome to Jamrock” touring session.
In 2005, the Canadian music scene featured a low-key feud between K’naan and k-os, one of the most prominent Canadian hip-hop artists. Following the release of the music video for the song Soobax, which was shot by K’naan and a film crew in Kenya, k-os released a track B-Boy Stance attacking K’naan : “They took cameras to Africa for pictures to rhyme / Over; Oh, yes, the great pretenders [...] Religious entertainers who want to be life savers.” Though the feud never became high-profile, with K’naan expressing confusion at the attack and respect for k-os, he nonetheless responded with the mixtape Revolutionary Avocado which argued “You the all-knowing with a beer bottle / Wishing you was Plato and me Aristotle? / …Suburban negro turned hip-hop hero / Is there a reason he really hates me, though?” — a rebuttal CBC’s Matthew McKinnon called “cold-cocking the champ”. He recently released The Dusty Foot on the Road, a collection of recording made during his recent world tour on Wrasse Records.
His second studio album, Troubadour, was released on February 24, 2009 on A&M/Octone Records, and will be distributed through Universal Music Group worldwide. The album’s first single, “ABC’s”, was released to radio in late 2008. K’naan has featured in several video games such as “Madden NFL 09? with his song ABC’s, and “Fifa 06? with his song soobax. The song “If Rap Gets Jealous”, a rerecording of a track of the same name - with different verses - from The Dusty Foot Philosopher, features Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. K’naan was also the first featured artist on X3, a collaborative project between CBC Radio 3, Exclaim! magazine and aux.tv to promote new Canadian music.
Rapper K'Naan is one of the rapidly rising stars of world music. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, he now lives in Canada, but his experiences as a refugee and growing up in a war zone inform his lyrics with a vivid vivacity.
He's a charismatic performer on stage - as witnessed last weekend in Glastonbury - and his words have a haunting poetry: "Muslims, Jews and Christians war, no one's left to praise the Lord". K'Naan's admirers include many who are not usually interested in rap music.
This strong album includes live performances captured in both Djibouti and New York, although he should find himself a better djembe drum player to improve things musically.
01. K'naan - Wash It Down (2:15)
02. K'naan - Soobax (3:42)
03. K'naan - What's Hardcore? (3:36)
04. K'naan - My Old Home (3:06)
05. K'naan - Moment (0:10)
06. K'naan - I Was Stabbed By Satan (3:50)
07. K'naan - My God (0:22)
08. K'naan - Smile (4:03)
09. K'naan - If Rap Gets Jealous (4:18)
10. K'naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher (3:56)
11. K'naan - Strugglin' (4:25)
12. K'naan - In The Beginning (3:21)
13. K'naan - Hoobaale (5:05)
14. K'naan - The African Way (feat. Mwafrika) (4:20)
15. K'naan - Voices In My Head (4:00)
16. K'naan - Boxing My Shadow (4:29)
17. K'naan - For Mohamound (Soviet) (0:32)
18. K'naan - Until The Lion Learns To Speak (8:55)
The Kafa Beanz is a collective of solo artists who blend their Ethiopian culture and music with hip hop, soul, and alternative musical textures. The name “Kafa Beanz” is a play on words. If one looks at a map of Ethiopia, there is the Kafa region where coffee is known to originate. Coffee was “discovered” by the Portuguese in Ethiopia in the middle ages. Coffee is the primary export of Ethiopia to this day and considered the country’s most valuable export. This group of young artists, primarily of Ethiopian origin, wanted to express that the true value of Ethiopia is in the people, thus the name Kafa Beanz.
The Kafa Beanz formed in 2007 when a group of accomplished Ethiopian-American musicians, producers and vocalist who have been longtime fans of each other’s respective work decided to join forces. Their first project as a collective is entitled “Andromeda: The Chronicles of Blackopia Vol. 1.”The project’s title pays homage to Princess Andromeda who, according to Greek Mythology, was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, the king of Ethiopia.
Gabriel Teodros - "Tizita"
The Kafa Beanz consists of lead vocalists B Sheba(rapper /singer) and Burntface (rapper/producer) and is rounded out by Wayna (singer/songwriter), Gabriel Teodros (rapper), AP (rapper/singer) and various Special Guest Appearances including Hermela Mulatu (singer), daughter of Ethiopian Jazz Musician Mulatu Astatke.
The Kafa Beanz is a group of solo artists who share a passion for Africa and a desire to expose their music to the world. Four of the five members are of Ethiopian origin, and the exotic sounds of East Africa are evident in their music.
Despite having a sonic texture heavily influenced by 60s and 70s era Ethiopian Jazz music, The Kafa Beanz have a universal sound that has often been compared to The Fugees, Black Eyed Peas and Outkast. The Kafa Beanz effortlessly blends soulful vocal harmonies and poignant lyrics over an eclectic mixture of classic hip hop and futuristic world music.
Each member is an accomplished artist in their own right with their own respective fan bases. Their collective professional experience and talents make for a powerful and versatile combination that can rock a party crowd or tantalize a jazzy lounge or café. In a time when the traditional music industry paradigm is crashing in on itself, and genres are being disregarded, The Kafa Beanz are poised to be the future of world music.
The Kafa Beanz - 01 - Andromeda (1:45)
Wayna, Burntface - 02 - Let It Go (5:04)
Burntface, AP, B Sheba, Wayna - 03 - IRock (2:53)
Burntface, B Sheba, AP - 04 - AA++ (2:28)
B Sheba, Burntface, AP - 05 - Arada (4:15)
AP, Wayna - 06 - Rebel (2:58)
B Sheba - 07 - Babylon Blues (4:35)
Burntface, B Sheba - 08 - History (3:05)
Wayna, Burntface - 09 - Love's Fool (3:24)
B Sheba, Hermela Mulatu, Burntface, Gabriel Teodros - 10 - Hope (4:43)
Burntface - 11 - Fly Away (3:45)
Burntface, B Sheba, Malik (30), Texx - 12 - Diaspora (3:41)
Teddy Yo, a young, vibrant rapper, has been making the local magazine headlines for sometime now. The rapper’s innovation in blending the Gurage melody and beat with a contemporary hip-hop beat has been appreciated by many. His trademark music, Guragetone (including a track by that name), was a hit in 2012
Teddy Yo(full name Tewodros Assefa) resides with Eden, his wife of two years. He sometimes wears inconspicuous clothes when he goes out that blend into society and a baseball cap down low over his eyes. He does this just so that he can get from Point A to Point B without having a dozen conversations along the way with fans and random people who recognise him. He is the epitome of an arada or an in-the-know Addis Abeban.
Teddy Yo - 6 Kilo
People love him, and he gets the encouragement to do what he does from them, he said, but he had a bone to pick with views held by some regarding Amharic rap.
“Some people say rap is not good for our culture or that it is not part of our tradition,” Teddy Yo began.
He begged to differ. There is more in common with Ethiopian tradition than some people think, he said.
For example, after kings of old, like Emperor Tewodros, gathered their troops for battle, they would basically freestyle rap to get the troops ready for war in what is known as kererto and shillella, he explained.
His voice intensified as he described the connections of rap with the doo-rag (bandana) that Emperor Menelik wore under his hat, tilted like rapper R-Kelly does today, to the cornrow hairstyle of Emperor Tewodros and the combs stuck in the afros of the Afar and Kereyu. Even Negus T’ona of the Welayita wore an earring like most rappers, he said, as his own glistened in the evening light.
“I am not saying that American rappers took everything from Ethiopia, but there is a connection and many shared traditions,” he said.
Most Amharic rappers only rap about partying and having fun, but Teddy Yo raps about life. To him, life is not only about the good times, but also the bad. He raps about the parties and he raps about the problems. He does this in a way that is often humorous, even to older generations that normally do not like or listen to rap.
