Although Dub Colossus made their name fusing Ethiopian music with reggae and funk, in this, their fourth album, band leader Nick Page has rung a change in focus: a departure from the home of Rastafari icon Haile Selassie I for a thorough exploration of Jamaican influenced sounds.
Addis to Omega is bursting with funk-influenced reggae and stripped back dub, brash dancehall, jumping ska, and sincere lethargic grooves.
The album opens with Nick Page's alter ego Dubulah's bold fuzzy bass and Joseph Cotton's post-Rastafarian vocals on Boom Ka Boom (and the Dub Disciples). At first appearances a strong dancehall track, key changes and eerie chord progressions hint at further depth.
The record continues to feature prominent vocals, but Dub Colossus are at their strongest on their instrumental pieces Soft Power, Tale of 2 Cities, and the epic Orpheus Underground. Without the distraction of accomodating authentic vocals and traditional song structures a space is formed for composition, open improvisation and more profound mood changes.
Although recognisably following a reggae-based theme, the impressive and diverse collection of contributors on the release occasionally introduces a surprise. Natacha Atlas and Samy Bishai bring a more exotic sound on The Shape of Things to Come - a song more Arabian than Carribean - or the atmospheric A Voice Has Power featuring the mesmerising low rumbling vocal work of Albert Kuvezin.
Family Man and the title track give the brass contributors Horns of Negus time to develop classic long brass chordal lines, while the funky Fight Back provides opportunity for Ben Somers to channel Maceo in his tenor solo.
A well-executed exercise in reggae-fusion, Addis to Omega is a fifteen track journey through the many facets of its sub-genres. Afro-beat percussion and pentatonic Ethio-Jazz have been swapped for political lyrics, fast-paced reggae and clean dub. While Dub Colossus have undeniably changed musical tack, the original twists and large collective approach remain the same.
review by Dan Bergsagel
Dub Colossus - Boom Ka Boom (and the Dub Disciples) (4:21) Dub Colossus - Family Man (3:53) Dub Colossus - The Casino Burning Down (5:05) Dub Colossus - We Are the Playthings of the Rich and Famous (4:05) Dub Colossus - Fight Back (4:42) Dub Colossus - Addis to Omega (Amnesis Mix) (5:33) Dub Colossus - Keep On Rocking (6:17) Dub Colossus - Soft Power (4:17) Dub Colossus - Madmen (3:50) Dub Colossus - Mi Dad (3:18) Dub Colossus - A Tale of Two Cities (4:34) Dub Colossus - The Shape of Things to Come (5:46)
A political refugee, Zeleke Gessesse, was forced to leave his beloved homeland of Ethiopia 30 years ago after the nation fell into a crippling state of political suppression and economic strife. His personal eventually led Zeleke to the United States, where he persued studies studies at the university level, and focused intently on developing his burgeoning musical career. Eventually, Zeleke was joined by his brothers and fellow musicians from Ethiopia. As a musical collective, they formed a band called Dallol. Zeleke’s band was signed in the early eighties to Bob Marley’s TUFF GONG label. In 1984, Zeleke’s musical innovations and talents earned him an invitation to join Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers. For nine years, Zeleke served as a integral member of the band, touring the world, and echoing Jah’s message to the masses.
Throughout his tenure with The Meloday Makers, Zeleke was a key contributor to the albums Conscious Party and One Bright Day. In particular, his musical input was critical in the development of the tracks “Tomorrow People,” and “Black My Story,” two of the bands most popular and widely adored songs.
During his successful musical career Zeleke was able to, eventually, accumulate enough capital to purusue a dream he had long harbored. He had always dreamed of owning and operating a world class, live music venue. His vision was to create a venue where the best Reggae and World Music artists could showcase their talents in a positive environment.
In 1986, Zeleke became a partial owner of The Wild Hare, which is located in Chicago, Illinois, and he has spent the last 24 years investing his heart and soul in to crafting it into something truly special. The results of Zeleke’s hard work are evidenced by the celebrated reputation The Wild Hare now enjoys on an international scale. In 2007, major interior renovations were completed; the most dramatic to date. These enhancements serve to enforce the visitor’s perception that they’ve entered into a dynamic and exciting cultural oasis. The beauty of the new interior, combined with highly sought after artists routinely stalking the stage, has created a common perception amongst music lovers that The Wild Hare in the same pantheon as Chicago’s most regal musical landmarks.
In addition to The Wild Hare into the respected venue it is today, Zeleke has never stopped recording, producing and performing his own transcendent music. His critically acclaimed albums include Come to Me, Out of Africa and Selam. The eclectic musical infusion one hears in Zeleke’s music is truly unique. He often employs Ethiopian and reggae rhythms. Lyrics are sang in both Amharic and English - with a spattering of Jamaican patois mixed in as well. This unique music results in a pleasing, signature sound which has gathered him a fiercely loyal following. As most critics agree: Zeleke’s music is truly a rarity in its universal ability to inspire, enlighten and entertain.
Though very much a musical icon in Chicago, Zeleke’s heart belongs to his motherland. In fact, his ultimate dream is to build another Wild Hare, along with a recording studio, back home in Ethiopia. In doing so he will come full circle and complete the journey he began decades ago as a refugee fleeing his homeland with only a dream.
R E U P L O A D Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics- Live @ Jazz à La Villette 01/09/2011 VIDEO
In 2005, thanks to Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers, the name of Mulatu Astatke finally came out of the small circle of aficionados of Ethiopian music. A 65 years ago, the father of Ethio-jazz then found a new audience ready to taste the unique rhythm of his music. Behind his vibraphone and percussion, Astatke signs unconventional jazz, steeped in Latino sounds, instrumental soul, Ethiopian folk music, where brass and percussion converse in a new way. At home, the samba is shifted, jazz borrows often tortuous spicy funky.
Beside him on stage, we note the presence of Heliocentrics saxophonist James Arben, Danny Keane on cello, also part of the project with the Heliocentrics Mulatu and heard alongside Gorillaz, and that of Alexander Hawkins, young British pianist already spotted by the BBC.
Black Jesus Experience is an 8-10 piece band playing an irresistibly danceable blend of traditional Ethiopian song and 21st century groove. With backgrounds as diverse as the 5 continents the members of 'BJX' hail from, their music reflects the multicultural vibrancy of the band's hometown, Melbourne, Australia.
When not touring BJX run a weekly session at cultural hub The Horn where BJX create new songs live on stage. The comfort BJX has with this practice lies in the improvising traditions of that feed BJX including hip hop, jazz, azmari and rutu pa'u.
The music is also fed quite literally before each performance by the ritual of a group meal prepared by singer Enushu and MD Peter Harper in the Ethiopian tradition, "those who eat from the same plate will not betray each other". This inspires and reinforces bonds musical, social and spiritual, bonds BJX invite their audiences to join.
Enushu began entertaining her local community as a child in Addis Ababa. Forced to leave Ethiopia, Enushu migrated to Australia bringing hauntingly beautiful compositions inspired by her remarkable life story and the unique vocal traditions of Ethiopia. Enushu is joined on vocals by poetic giant and lyrical miracle The Monk, Zimbabwe born and Outback bred.
Highlights for BJX include two tours of "the Motherland" Ethiopia, performing sellout shows with Ethiojazz legend Mulatu Astatke in Europe and Australia (an association which won BJX and Mulatu "The Age Best Tour" award) Glastonbury, Big Chill, City Of London Festival, WOMADdelaide, the Big Day Out, Golden Plains and Melbourne International Jazz Festival and supporting Tony Allen among other great festivals.
The rhymes and chimes of Black Jesus Experience deliver the power and beauty of Africa through the vocal prism of Hip-Hop and freedom of Funk.
Discography :
Dark Light (2009)
Yeluinta (2010)
Migration (2014)
band members are : Enushu Taye - vocals Peter Harper - tenor saxophone, composer Ian Dixon - trumpet, flugelhorn, composer Liam Monkhouse - mc/vocal Chris Frangou - electric bass Matt Head - drums Hue Blanes - keyboards Nashua Lee - electric guitar
Mahlet Gebre Giyorgis was born in Mekelle, the capital city of Tigray, in August 1986. Mahlet, with an inborn vocal virtuosity, commenced the art of music in Mekelle five years ago. In those few years of dexterity, when she was working as a singer at Yared and Selam.
Music Bands in Mekelle, she devoted herself with perseverance to serious studies of music that dramatically gave rise to the happiest expectation of her present success. A year before, with a view to evaluate the standard of her genius as a vocalist in manipulating the public taste and sensitivity, she released a single melody in Tigrigna, known as Beyneye Terife, that unexpectedly resulted in adding an extraordinary value into the standard of Tigrigna songs and catching hold of a wide range of public reputation and acceptance throughout Ethiopia. Indeed, despite the fact that it was her fresh attempt to breakthrough the arena of our country's music industry , Beyney Terife was a yardstick that won her the 2005-2006 Tigray All Arts Award (TARTA), which was organized by the Mega Creative Arts Center in 2005.
Now, Mahlet Gebre Giyorgis is once again appearing into the scene of the Ethiopian 3rd Millennium with a breathtaking mastery of a new melody, called Wessine. This new music album expresses lots of issues that are associated with the day-to-day lives of human society, in its sweetest form in away it captivates all of us. It is a great pleasure and honor to Mega Creative Arts Center while providing you with the original version of Mahilet's new album as a novel souvenir in the new Millennium. Cheers!
Gabriel Teodros (born 1981), is a hip hop artist and a member of the groups Abyssinian Creole and CopperWire. He is of Ethiopian, Scottish, Irish and Native American descent,and was raised on Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington. Teodros' music often features socially conscious themes, and he was a catalyst in the surge of dynamic underground rap acts from the Pacific Northwest during the first decade of the 2000s.
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington to an Ethiopian mother and a father of Scottish, Irish and Native American descent. His parents met through anti-war organizing in the 1970s, and they split up around the time Gabriel was born. He stayed with his mother, where he met grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins as they first emigrated to the United States and all stayed in the same house.
His relationship with hip hop culture began at a young age within the South Seattle neighborhood of Beacon Hill. “A lot of kids in my neighborhood were affected by gang culture. And I kind of had a death wish. I felt like, at an early age, that I wasn’t going to live to 21” he said in an interview with Sheeko Magazine. He spent his high school years in Las Vegas, Nevada where as one out of approximately 30 students of color in a predominantly white school, something within him changed. “It was the first time I understood that there was a system in place that wanted kids like me to want to die. And understanding that in high school made me want to live.” he says in the same interview.
The former breakdancer, graffiti writer and closet-emcee finally began to take his career path seriously at age 16, using hip hop to both understand and explain his world.
In December 2009, Teodros released GT's Ethiopium: A Jitter Generation Mixtape. This release shined a light on the realities of Ethiopia, touched on America’s own imperfections & stressed the importance of exploring one's own intelligence and spirituality. It was made completely using instrumentals from Oh No's Ethiopium, which was made completely using old-school and rare samples of Ethiopian music.
Discography
Albums
Sun To A Recycled Soul - Gabriel Teodros (independent, 2001)
Following in the
tradition ofDr. No'sOxperiment, Oh No delves headfirst into an album
inspired by and sampled from rare 60's and 70's Ethiopian funk, jazz, folk,
soul and psychedelic rock.
He calls itEthiopium. Previous
descriptions used to describe Oh No's adventures into
"never-sampled-before" territory apply - adventurous, exotic, smart, fun, andthrilling.
Even if you've never heard an instrument tuned to the qenet
scale before, even if you're more into ballads than you are tezeta's, Oh No's
transformative effect on his source material will blow you away in its
otherworldy funkiness.
Born in the land of heritage and culture, Rasselas has been fortunate to grow up familiarized with tradition. He was the only son out of three children. His father traveled very often on business. When he returned home from his business trips, he would always bring along many souvenirs from the country he has visited.
Rasselas - Abesha Party
Rasselas was most interested in the records that his father would bring. These records grew into a considerable collection of a variety of music from around the world. As a result, he was familiarized with many genres of music and he enjoyed all of them very much. Among the records he used to listen to as a child were The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Ritchie, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and many other Ethiopian and African artists like Tilahun Gessesse, Mahmoud Ahmed, Ephraim Tamiru, Aster Aweke, Mariam Makeba. Some of his favorite Hip-Hop artists include Tupac, Snoop Dogg, KRS-One, Rakim.
During his school years, he grew up exposed to different cultures and languages other than his mother tongue Amharic. He had the opportunity to learn English and French. In high school, he was known as the class musician, always entertaining his friends with a new rap verse he has learned. His English teacher was very impressed by his rap and often called him to the front of the class to demonstrate his art.
In December of 1997, Rasselas moved to Canada with his family. They first landed in Montreal, where he had his first chance to record his independent album, Pure Science. He also joined a local Ethiopian band called the Tis Abay Band. They played in many community events, entertaining with traditional songs from Ethiopia. This gave him the idea of blending hip-hop with traditional Ethiopian music.
Even though the band separated, Rasselas did not give up on his dream of making music. Since he is the type who is actually fueled by challenge, he worked very hard to make his dream come true. He moved to Toronto, where he became well known performing at the Ethiopian night club, then known as Cottage. At this club, he was able to sell-out his second independent CD, Here I Come, which included the title track, well accepted by his community.
On his newly released album, Injera Music, he has teamed up with producer Gezahegn Mamo, a well-known producer and keyboardist in his community. Also featuring is many authentic Ethiopian traditional musicians who add a unique flavor to the Hip-Hop style of Rasselas.
One of the most beautiful things about music is its influence on both the past and present. The music of today owes an incalculable debt to the musical forefathers and foremothers of yesteryear.
Most recently, DJ Sirak - representing both NYC and Ethiopia - dropped a mix invoking the music of Ethiopia's Golden Era...reminding us how these musical masterpieces have influenced music of today - with artists such as Common and K'naan sampling what are undisputedly some of the hottest break beats of all time.
Sirak describes his lastest mix - Addis Soul Vol. 1 as "Ethiopian Music in it's Funkish, Afrobeatish days with some modern mixes and blends as how it is used today... this is Vol. 1 out of 4 parts.. stayed tuned and we will keep you dancing like your uncle from the 60's and 70's..."
Africology by DJ Sirak
01. Intro - Dj-Sirak 02. Mary Jane - Burns 03. Tizita - Seyfu Yohannes 04. CommonBuy - The Game 05. Shellela - Getachew Mukurya 06. I Come Prepared - By K'Naan 07. Eruq Yaleshee - Alèmayéhu Eshèté 08. Dr. No - Ethio-Soul 09. Hagerwa Gonder - Alèmayéhu Eshèté 10. Ené Nègn Bay Manèsh - Girma Bèyènè 11. Astawisalew - Lemma Demissew 12. Mulatu Astatke - Interlude 13. Tchero Adari Negn - Alèmayéhu Eshèté 14. Almokerkum NeberBuy By Hirut Beqele 15. Fiqer Fiqer New - Alèmayéhu Eshèté 16. Aykedashim Libe - Tilahun Gessesse 17. Hasabe - Ayalew Misfin 18. Lèzèlalèm Nuri - Lemma Demissew 19. Gizie Degu NegerBuy - Mahmoud Ahmed 20. Freestyle At The Africology Studio's - M.Anifest
