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)
The Mehari Brothers started off backing artists like Zeritu Kebede and have also worked with other leading Ethiopian acts, including Teddy Afro, Johnny Ragga and Eyob Mekonnen.
Before the Mehari Brothers emerged on the Ethiopian scene, singers usually received the most attention at live shows, with bands relegated to a back-up role.
Henok & Mehari Brothers - Yenenesh (Lyrics)
In 2016 the band released a fifteen track album "790". The bands front-man Henok Mehari was also selected to participate at the Coke Studio Africa in Kenya that same year.
Jazzmaris is a quartet from Ethiopia and Germany, playing since 2007 in Addis Ababa and elsewhere. The composition of the group is: drums, bass, electric guitar and alto saxophone.
Their music’s are Ethiopian melodies played as own arrangements with various influences like Jazz, Rock and improvised music.
The group’s name is a creation of the words Jazz and Asmaris. Asmaris are the traditional musicians of Ethiopia.They play and sing since centuries, expressing the feelings and opinions of the people.
Jazzmaris is giving Ethiopian music a new expression and sound
Jazzmaris - Ye Faransay Djelba (live at Guy's Bar)
The repertoire of Jazzmaris is mostly modern Ethiopian songs of singers like Mahmoud Ahmed, Girma Beyene, Muluken Melesse, Telahoun Gessesse and others. The aim of the group is to play Ethiopian music in a fresh way, giving the music a new expression and sound.
Jazzmaris - 01 - Ene Negn Bai Manesh (10:55)
Jazzmaris - 02 - Ye Fikir Wodmet (Bemin Sebeb Litlash) (12:13)
Meklit Hadero, known simply as "Meklit", is a singer and songwriter based in San Francisco, California. She is known for her soulful performing style, and for combining jazz, folk, and East African influences in her music. Born in Ethiopia, she was raised in the U.S. and attended college at Yale, where she studied political science.
Shortly after graduation, Meklit moved to San Francisco and became immersed in the city's thriving arts scene. "Meklit is an artistic giant in the early stages," wrote a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle after witnessing an early performance in the city's Mission District. "She sings of fragility, hope and self-empowerment, and exudes all three. What's irresistible, above all, is her cradling, sensuous, gentle sound. She is stunning."
Named a TED Global Fellow in 2009, Meklit has served as an artist-in-residence at New York University, the De Young Museum, and the Red Poppy Art House. Currently a fellow of the Wildflowers Institute, Meklit has also completed musical commissions for the San Francisco Foundation and for theatrical productions staged by Brava! For Women in the Arts. She is the founder of the Arba Minch Collective, a group of Ethiopian artists in diaspora devoted to nurturing ties to their homeland through collaborations with both traditional and contemporary artists there.
As a Senior TED Fellow since 2011 , she co-founded the Nile Project with Egyptian ethno-musicologist Mina Girgis and has since participated in 2 artist residencies (Aswan, 2013 and Uganda in 2014) uniting musicians from 11 countries all along the Nile Basin.
Meklit has released five records to date. The first was a self-produced and released eight-song EP entitled Eight Songs (2008). The second , her first full-length LP, On a Day Like This... released to wide critical acclaim in 2010 , was recorded at San Francisco's Closer Studios and produced by Eric Moffat and Unsound Recording. Hailed by Filter magazine for "[combining] New York jazz with West Coast folk and African flourishes, all bound together by Hadero's beguiling voice.". It won Meklit feature stories by NPR, PBS, and National Geographic. The San Francisco Chronicle called her " an artistic giant in the making " . She then ventured into a creative collaboration called CopperWire , along with two hip emcees also from the Ethiopian diaspora , Gabriel Teodros and Burntface . Together they created the first hip hop space opera , "Earthbound" which hit #5 in CMJ's hiphop charts . A complete change came with the 2012 release of her extraordinary harmonic duets with Oakland blues and soul crooner Quinn DeVeaux, simply titled Meklit & Quinn. The duo covered terrain as diverse as Arcade Fire (their version of "Tunnels" left many speechless with its simple beauty) , Lou Reed , Neil Young and Stevie Wonder.
Now she makes yet another quantum leap , in her latest solo album We Are Alive . Produced by sonic genius Eli Crews (best known for his work with tUnE-yArDs) , her inimitable composition talents and unique voice take infinite and inventive flight , from her jazz-standard sounding "A-Train" to the fiery build of "Waiting for Earthquakes" , weaving through a dark and tantalizing version of The Police classic "Bring On the Night" via her funky take on an Ethiopian tune, "Kemekem " (which she subtitles " I Like Your Afro!") , winding up with the grande finale, the declaration "We Are Alive". USA Today says, " Meklit delivers a sound all her own... (We Are Alive) gets even better with every listen ",
The Village Voice comments : "She's a blithe-voiced daughter of Joni who considers music a path to higher ground, with rest stops for the likes of Talking Heads and Lou Reed."
Setting the trend for the Jano sound is a new synthesis which injects Ethiopian music into the genre of rock to create hot and harmoniously wild sounding of Ethiopian rock. Behind it is Jano, a band consisting two female vocalists, two male lead vocalists and six musicians who play bass guitar, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboards and a drum. The two things the players have in common is that all of them are in their twenties and all share a single dream – to become the first international rock phenomena from Ethiopia.
The man behind the making of Jano is Addis Gassesse, a renowned Ethiopian music manager who shuttles between Addis Abeba, New York and Kingston, Jamaica. Now Addis wants to get Jano play at international concerts and compete with any rock band on the world stage.
Jano Band - Darigne
Jano has a unique way of showing the flare of its members, who, some of them came from different gospel choirs. The fusion of Ethiopian music with Rock is a complete detachment from the long tradition of music norm. But the songs are partly written by the band members themselves and partly by Yilma Gabreab, a popular Ethiopian song writer. The result is the first ever rock band in Ethiopia.
While some of the band members have been heavily influenced by rock stars such as the Rolling Stones and Metallica, others have been influenced by jazz, pop and reggae. This diverse background of the members can be clearly seen in the unique sound of their music that takes its nuances from an eclectic assortment of styles that, deep down, didn’t abandon an Ethiopian flavor.
Jano Band are: Kirubel Tesfaye (Band Leader and synthesizer) Michael Hailu (Musical Director and Lead Guitar) Dibekulu Tafesse (vocals) Haleluya Tekletsadik (vocals) Hewan Gebrewold (vocals) Hailu Merga (vocals) Yohannes Mekonen (drums) Daniel Negash (bass)
uKanDanZ... a unique style, an unusual meeting between an electric quartet and Asnake Guebreyes,charismatic lead singer originates from the vibrant music scene in Addis Abeba.
Their music is inspired by traditional and popular Ethiopian songs. uKanDanZ has a real crunch energy. Between rock, jazz, noise...
With impertinence, they rock it wildly. Without compromise. Guitar, saxophone, bass, drums and vocals shuffle our bearings. What a pleasure! The stage presence of uKanDanZ swings alternately between energy and emotion... then the public, transcended, dances and shivers.
uKanDanZ - Japan Tour 2013 [Official live shooting]
Qwanqwa is an experimental rock and traditional band that plays beloved and rare Ethiopian tunes with a unique twist. At its core, is instrumental, the band believes that to reach the widest audience, a single singer can limit the effect. However, the list of guests and collaborations is long, including both beloved and famous singers such as Fikeraddis, Habte Michael, Amelmal Abate, as well as beloved Azmari singers Selamnesh Zemene and Etenesh Wassie. Not limited to only singers, Qwanqwa also has invited the virtuoso masinqo player Endris Hassen, washint player Johannes Aferwork, Dawit Frew, Ethiopia’s foremost clarinetist and many other treasures of traditional instrumentalists to join them.
Qwanqwa - Tizita (Live at Mulatu's African Jazz Village)
Qwanqwa comprises four members: Mesele Asmamaw, kirar, has been a composer and arranger in Ethiopia for over 20 years. He has released many albums of his compositions as well as traveled extensively throughout Europe and Africa. Dawit is a master of the bass kirar, his interests and experience have informed his unique sound which is at times funky, at times sentimental but always solid and appropriate. Sami, Qwanqwa’s rhythmic backbone, brings a young fresh enthusiasm to the group’s sound. He incorporates tambourine, bells and other homemade percussion to increase the variety of moods. Kaethe Hostetter, five-string electric violin, has been playing Ethiopian music for more than six years. She is a founding member of the critically acclaimed Debo Band, the first Ethiopian band based in the US.
Mehari Brothers is musical phenomenon, with music that defy borders and a performance that speaks to people in all walks of life and nations. The band has always followed a solitary and distinctive path with a group of educated as well as talented musicians gifted with a perfect pitch.
The band members include Henock Mehari on keys and vocals, Robel Mehari on guitar, lwam Mehari on bass, Halal Mehari on drums, Tesfamariam Elias on keys and Zelalem Nigatu on drums.
Ethiopian music history witnessed several short lived, but in one way or another extraordinary bands. After the military orchestra at the end of 1950s and the beginning of 1960s, introduced modern musical sounds for, several privately owned bands started to emerge here and there. Especially during the golden era of the Ethiopian music, the 1970s have seen bands that transformed the sound to a timeless melody.
Among these bands, many still remember Roha band. This band, for many, is answerable for shaping the entire Ethiopian modern music in its own rhythm. Considering its significant role in the over all Ethiopian modern music history, there are contradictory opinions about the band. Some blame Roha band for controlling the Ethiopian music industry in its golden era, monopolizing and limiting the sound only to its own. The 1970s Ethiopian music, one way or another was fashioned to the Roha band style and sound only.
Others differ by arguing that Roha band is the best thing that ever happened to Ethiopian music. Though several bands at the time existed in Ethiopia, none of them could compete with Roha band whether in style, sound and discipline. Roha band gained a monopoly status at the time because the members were talented young and passionate professionals who understood not only music but also the music business.
When we come to the era we are currently in, bands seem to lose their touch in the contemporary Ethiopian music. However, some bands are struggling to bring the real sound back to the audience tired of repeated computer sounds. One of these bands is Mehari Brother’s. Established six years back by four brothers, the band is unique for the Ethiopian music industry for incorporating members of the same family. Though this kind of band composition is common in other countries, Mehari Brothers are one of a kind for Ethiopia.
Mehari Brothers answered several questions in their interview with Kalkidan Magazine, an Amharic magazine that publishes twice a month. They explained several questions including the history of their establishment, the vicissitudes of their six years music togetherness, and the recent rumor that says they no longer together.
Mahari Brothers was established with the first name of their father Mehari about six years a go Henok, Luwam, Robele and Helal. Before the establishment of the band, the four brothers were musicians in their own individual paths. For example, Henok was a member of some of famous bands in Ethiopia at one particular time like Express and Afro Sound bands. The rest of the brothers were also engaged in music.
Mehari Brothers - Konjiye ቆንጂዬ
Finally, they got together and established Mehari Brother. Compare to its short-term life, the band has been a success so far. In addition to a nation wide fame, they traveled to several parts of the world and performed their music. They toured to Canada, USA, Sweden, Israel, and UAE and in Africa Tanzania, Djibouti and Kenya.
Mehari brothers say that they never had a failed concert. Every concert gave them its own success story. However, they value one particular concert more.That is the time when they performed with their childhood idol Tewodros Tadesse. With 10,000 audiences at Millennium hall, Mehari Brothers say that they saw their dream come true by having Teddy with them on the stage. They remember the concert as a monument when they realized hard work will eventually pays off.
The other concert that changed Mehari Brothers view of music business is the tour with Zeritu Kebede. The tour that covered several cities of Ethiopia and titled “Yezeritu Guzo” was one of the few times when musicians tried uninterrupted tour all over the country. Mehari Brothers say that the tour was not only enjoyable for them and for the fans but also showed them how hungry Ethiopian towns are for music.
Mehari Brothers agree that the replacement of sounds with computer technology, instead of using a real talent is actually hurting Ethiopian music. The computer makes music by different musicians sound similar, which results fed up, by the audience in a short period. They believe that the responsibility of bringing back the real creative and timeless sound relies on the current musicians including them. One of the few regrets they have so far in their six years band history is that they did not make an album with a full band. However, they say it is not late and they are working on it currently.
The brothers address the rumor that they do not exist as a band any more. Accordingly, the gossip is not true and the band is in a stronger shape as always. They say Mhari Brothers is not owned only be blood related family members but also by many musicians which made it create its own line of family. So far, except one of the brothers Helal who is no longer in the band because he is in school, the band is tact and the members have a smooth relationship. The brothers believe that the band established it self strongly and it will continue even if they are no longer members for whatever reason.
The brothers dream of contributing their share to Ethiopian music by making true, creative and timeless sounds. Currently they are planning to work with the new music sensation Haile Rutes and Abenet Agonafer. In addition, they say they have different albums that will be released when the timing is rights.
