Blogtrotters

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Tilahun Gessesse - Yachate Na [ethiopia]














   Tilahun Gessesse - Akale Ayeneshen   





Tilahun Gessesse - 01 - Terese beredo nat (5:37)
Tilahun Gessesse - 02 - Beny des yebelesh (5:19)
Tilahun Gessesse - 03 - Sewedesh (5:00)
Tilahun Gessesse - 04 - Astawesshalhu (5:43)
Tilahun Gessesse - 05 - Yachate na (8:05)
Tilahun Gessesse - 06 - Etu gela (5:30)
Tilahun Gessesse - 07 - Wegen ola "Oromo" (4:39)
Tilahun Gessesse - 08 - Akale Ayeneshen (6:18)
Tilahun Gessesse - 09 - Yegermal (5:11)
Tilahun Gessesse - 10 - Yager lege neyelgne (7:32)





v.a. - Au Revoir, Mogadishu Volume 1 - Songs From Before The War [2015] [somalia]










            Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, was once a beautiful port city (with a very ancient history) called the “White Pearl of the Indian Ocean.” But since the coup in 1991 and subsequent civil war, the city has become a shattered wasteland of anarchy, child soldiers, war lords, and constant violence. While conditions have improved over the past five years, their modern history has all but disappeared. So it’s no surprise that this modern music is unavailable; and even at the time, it was rarely properly released.

         What makes this mixtape so fascinating is that the folks at Çaykh spent months finding, compiling, and editing “rips of TV and live recordings on old VHS tapes and radio broadcasts to cassette tapes.”

Truly an amazing mixtape.






v.a. - Au Revoir, Mogadishu





       This Tape of 70's and 80's Somali sound is a rich blend of traditional Somali folk music infused with Western funk, rock and reggae and a touch of Indian, Arabic and African flavors.

      Side A is good for that mellow creamy morning. Side B will get your ass wiggling! There are hardly any proper releases of this soulful sound of guitar, synthesizer and drums. 




Track list:

01 Libaaxyada Maaweeliska Banaadir – Naga Tag, Kac Hooyaa
02 Waaberi – ? (edit)
03 Kooxda Halgan – badbaado guri hooyo
04 Qadiijo Qalanjo – Diriyam Oo Hoo Diriyam
05 Waaberi Hargeysa – Soo dhowoow
06 Wabari Xishood & Jaceyl – ? (edit)
07 Iftin – Wanaagaaga
08 Waaberi – ? (edit)
09 Qadiijo Qalanjo – Dhesessha
10 Dur-Dur Band – Ethiopian Girl
11 Iftin – Axdigii Waad Oofin Weyde




Sunday, July 3, 2016

v.a. - Ambassel [ethiopia]



originally posted on The Spear blog : here









                Ethiopian music is primarily based on a five tone scale system. This is known as a pentatonic scale (‘penta’ means five, and ‘tonic’ means note). While most of the music uses a pentatonic scale, some melodies may be based on scales with as few as two or three notes. This is common in Ethiopian folk music, as well as children’s songs. On the other hand, some music in Ethiopia may even be diatonic. Diatonic scales contain 7 notes.

          The Ethiopian word for “scale” is “kiñit”. The word “kiñit” describes both the scale being used, and sometimes the tuning of the instrument. This is because some instruments have strings with no frets, so the strings need to be tuned to the scale. These instruments include the krar, begena, and masinko.

           There are four main kiñits that are used in Ethiopian music. These are the Tizita, Batti, Ambassel, and Anchihoye kiñits. Some of these have different versions or other modifications.




           The Ambassel scale is a pentatonic scale widely used in the Gonder and Wollo regions of Ethiopia.

              The notes of the scale (in the key of C) are C, Db, F, G and Ab. The intervals in the scale are a minor second, a major third, a major second, a minor second and a major third.

           The scale is used in Ethiopian music for songs with historical themes. 

             A scale is a related set of pitches (not necessarily exact) that can be used as a compositional unit. It differs from a tuning or temperament since the latter is a system for tuning an instrument.

       The chromatic scale can be played in Pythagorean tuning, meantone temperament, or 12-tone equal temperament, or indeed many different types of irregular musical temperament.









Alemayehu Fantaye & Yohannes Afework - 01 - Ambassel (3:53)
Tigist Assefa - 02 - Ambassel (7:08)
Unknown Amhara Musician Recorded In Dessie - 03 - Ambassel (3:24)
Admassou Abate - 04 - Ambassel (7:08)
Esubalew Adugna - 05 - Ambassel (4:37)
Betsat Seyoum & Abbebe Fekade - 06 - Ambassel (5:27)
Alemayehu Fantaye & Yohannes Afework - 07 - Ambassel (4:52)


Endeshaw Kelemwork & Etenesh Wassie - 08 - Ambassel (5:15)
Alemayehu Eshete-Alèm Girma Band-Amha Eshete-Girma Béyéné - 09 - Ambassel (5:31)
Gétatchèw Mèkurya - 10 - Ambassel (5:41)
Maritu Legesse - 11 - Ambassel (7:24)
Girma Yifrashewa - 12 - Ambassel (8:51)
Etenesh Wassie - 13 - Ambassel (9:43)
Genet Masresha - 14 - Ambassel (6:10)



Thursday, June 30, 2016

Chalachew Ashenafi - unknown album [1992] [ethiopia]












Chalachew Ashenafi ቻላቸው አሸናፊ - Temonamona Alu [ተሞናሞነ አሉ]




Chalachew Ashenafi - 01 - Temonamona Alu [ተሞናሞነ አሉ] (6:13)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 02 - GumGum [ጉምጉም] (5:16)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 03 - Keberet Alem [ክብረት አለም] (4:34)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 04 - Gojam Lem Ager [ጎጃም ለም አገር] (8:18)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 05 - Endenesh [እንዴነሽ] (6:46)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 06 - Sedet [ሰደት] (8:01)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 07 - Teymeleshu Gela ]ተይመልሺው ገላ] (4:00)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 08 - Etu Gela [እቱ ገላ] (3:43)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 09 - Shemunmun [ሸሙንሙን] (5:16)
Chalachew Ashenafi - 10 - Selela [ሽለላ] (9:22)



Sunday, June 26, 2016

Aster Aweke - Ewedihalehu [2013] [ethiopia]




   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   






Aster Aweke - Ewedihalehu 









01. Aster Aweke - Che Ferese (4:41)
02. Aster Aweke - Aye Sew (6:08)
03. Aster Aweke - Sendelela (5:12)
04. Aster Aweke - Zakera (4:48)
05. Aster Aweke - Wuha (3:00)
06. Aster Aweke - Selam (6:15)
07. Aster Aweke - New Year Awdamet (6:34)
08. Aster Aweke - Hulun Yemitiwed (4:39)
09. Aster Aweke - Hid Demo (7:03)
10. Aster Aweke - Enen Yaye (6:50)
11. Aster Aweke - Fiker Fiker (4:51)
12. Aster Aweke - Ayaya (6:24)