playing the Begenna, the Harp of David from Ethiopia
01. Alemu Aga - The Sacred Names Of The Begenna (6:36)
02. Alemu Aga - Alem Marefiya Nat (The World Is A Place Of Rest) (4:25)
03. Alemu Aga - Hosanna (Cry Of Praise And Adoration To God) (4:09)
04. Seyoum Mengistu - Segid Selam (Worship For Peace) (2:44)
05. Seyoum Mengistu - Gidune (Unwillingly) (4:27)
06. Seyoum Mengistu - Hede Minino (Went To The Hermitage) (3:11)
07. Admassu Fikre - Ehud Lelit (Sunday Night - About The Ressurrection) (2:55)
08. Admassu Fikre - Kidus Kidus (The Praise Of The Lord) (5:31)
09. Admassu Fikre - Medinanazelesegna (The Futility Of Life) (4:08)
10. Tafesse Tesfaye - Besemea (In The Name Of The Father) (3:05)
11. Tafesse Tesfaye - Ergibina Wane ((The Praise Of St. Virgin Mary) (4:34)
12. Tafesse Tesfaye - Wodaje Wodaje (About The Sufferings Of Christ) (3:48)
Alemu Aga was born in 1950 in Entoto, near Addis Ababa. Alemu Aga has played the Ethiopian traditional lyre Begenna since he was 12, having been trained by a famous master, Aleqa Alemayehu Wolde-Ammanuel, who was his neighbour and teacher at his school.
After graduating from the Addis Ababa University (with a degree in geography), he taught the Begenna at the Yared Music School until 1980. He now teaches on a voluntary basis and focuses on his research about the Begenna.
He has published numerous audiotapes and several CD‘s and appeared in concert worldwide. Nowadays, Alemu Aga is the most highly respected Begenna player of Ethiopia.
Talking on any subject with Alemu Aga, one cannot help but be taken aback by the exceptionally smooth and enchanting tone in which the veteran begena performer utters his measured responses. Of course, given the gracious and calm mood displayed on all occasions by one of the few living authorities on the begena instrument, it could still be possible to pass Alemu Aga's spiritual and melancholic sounding tones as mere natural endowments of that exceptional man. But take the scores of begena lyrics Alemu is known to sing again and again, especially during fasting seasons, on the national radio and you have just begun to appreciate the high degree of sublimity (as they call it in the theatre) that the personality of Alemu has afforded to the art of that unique Ethiopian treasure.
True enough then that in manners, speech and strict Orthodox Christian way of life, the personality of Alemu Aga, to say the least, could be described as all begena in itself. And this is due to the fact that all the enchanting monotony of lyrical sounds that the traditional string instrument is capable of producing, together with the strict spiritual messages the lyrics carry, have almost perfectly captivated the psyche and physique of the virtuoso performer. "In performing with the begena, one is only supposed to appropriately reflect strictly spiritual and holy messages. Anything less and worldly than that, like modern music, is not attributable to the purposes of the begena and is hence disrespectful," he says.
Ethiopian popular music is in its very nature multi-national. In addition to strong Ethiopian traditional songs, other elements derive from various currents of popular music - from soul and jazz to Italian hits and Islamic vocal styles. The result is a completely original kind of contemporary Ethiopian popular music. It could be described as "Arabic soul singer plays Amharic-Italian funky jazz."
The origin of popular music in Ethiopia can be traced back to the 1920's when Haile Selassie brought over a group of Armenian orphans from Jerusalem and so formed The Bodyguard Orchestra. They brought new instruments with them, like trumpet and saxophone, and from this and other military bands a night-club scene began to emerge. In 1935, Ethiopia was invaded and though this lasted only a few years Italians stayed and formed some dance bands. Regardless of the effect outside influences, such as American rock have had on musicians, Ethiopian popular music is still very strongly based on both sacred and secular traditions from different parts of the country. Perhaps more relevant than the question of how western music has affected Ethiopian, is how Ethiopian music might one day influence western popular music... The Ethio Stars' best known album, Amharic Hits, was split with The Tukul Band.
Ethio Stars
Shimeles Beyene, the leader of the Ethio Stars tells: "We chose the name Ethio Stars because we were the best musicians. We formed the group in 1981... ";"We are running our group by ourselves. Privately, you see. We buy our own instruments. We practice every day. If we don't play well we don't live. What I mean is, we cannot continue like we play in Ghion Hotel if we don't improve our talent all the time. So we practise more and attract more people." ...
"Day by day our music is changing. Before it was soul music. Now sometimes rock. It changes, you see. Before it was more acoustic, now electronic instruments are very important." "We call it Ahmaric music because of the language. How does it sound? as you can hear, it sounds good! Mostly we have four pentatonic scales: tizita, anchi-hoye, ambasel and bati. We compose depending on them. The most usual rhythm we play is chikchika. It's the same like in the Eshet Eshet, the song sung by Getatchew. You can write the beat in 3/4, but if you make it fast it becomes the beat of chikchika"...
The Ethio Stars continue to play their infectuous dance music in the hotel clubs of their homeland. Led by saxophone player Shimeles Beyerie, The Ethio Stars have recorded prolifically with their cassettes selling well in Ethiopian music stores. Most of the Amharic songs tell about love. In Amharic you call it fikir.
Ethio Stars are:
Getachew Kassa: Vocal
Girma Chipsa: Vocal
Shimeles Beyene: Trumpet
Girma Woldemichael: Trombone
Bibisha teferi: Guitar
Abiyou Solomon: Bass
Dawit Senbetta: Keyboards
Samson Mohammed: Drums
Mulatu Astatke: Drum Machine T U K U L B A N D
Tukul Band plays traditional Ethiopian music in a modem experimental way. Musical director Mulatu Astatke is a well known figure in the modernization of Ethiopian music and improving traditional instruments.
The Krar is a six string bowl-Iyre. Tukul Band uses its modem forms: electric lead krar and bass krar. Krar is nicknamed the devil's instrument (yeseyTan mesaria). According to the legend: God himself made the begena and gave it to Dawit. "Use this instrument to adorn and praise My name", God said. The scheming devil, envious and green-eyed, made the krar in distorted imitation. "Play it and adore all the worldly pleasures", said the devil to mano (Ashenafi Kebede, Krar: The Devil's Instrument. Ethnomusicology Vol.xXI Nr. 3.)
The Masinko is the only Ethiopian bowed instrument, a 1-string fiddle. It is the typical instrument of an azmari, or entertaining bard ("griot"/ "troubadour"). Getamasay Abebe from Tukul Band plays an electrically amplified masinko. The Washint is a bamboo flute, usually with four finger holes. Ethiopian drums used in this recording are hollow-bodied with skins at both ends. Adungna Chekel plays three upright drums with sticks and chimes.
Perhaps because of its own internal diversity, Ethiopia seems particularly open to external musical influences. Christianity was adopted as the official state religion in the 4th century, although on third of the population is Muslim.
Four ethnic groups are dominant, but eighty (!!) different ethnic groups presently exist within Ethiopia. So this collection of reworked Ethiopian hits of the 1950s and 1960s is quite the eye-opener, with its seamless mix of East African, Latin and American jazz styles.
As the liner notes explain, the overthrown of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 gave rise to a much more aggressive electric sound in Ethiopian music subsequently, with Ethio-jazz, R&B and pop artists such as Mahmoud Ahmed and later, Aster Aweke and Gigi attracting the attention of world music enthusiasts.
But the electric style was preceded by the acoustic, which featured guitars, accordion, double bass, mandolin, clarinet, oud, drums and miscellaneous percussion.
The music on this CD has a mellow vibe, occasionally bordering on “smooth jazz,” and the seemingly
effortless playing the by the six native Ethiopian musicians in the band transports the listener to hip, smoky cafes that would have flourished during the period.
Most of the fifteen songs on the program use the classic pentatonic (five-note) scale, although adherence to the scale is more or less strict, depending upon the arrangement.
The prominent use of clarinet and accordion as dual lead voices is reminiscent of Jewish klezmer music at times. The music is most distinctive and “Ethiopian” when it combines modal scales and loping but highly complex time signatures (5/4, 6/8), as on the gorgeous “Ambassel” and “Yigermal.”
Elsewhere though, influences are more tangled and subtle. The rhythm foundation on a number of pieces is predominantly Latin (the ostinato riff and rhythm of “Yetintu Tiz Alegn” comes very close to Santana’s version of “Black Magic Woman”), while melody lines and orchestration can suggest everything from Argentine tango to Celtic music.
Leader, arranger and guitarist Girum Mezmur has clearly listened to a good deal of jazz guitar (Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, etc.) and he integrates tasty but highly nuanced jazz lines into a number of tunes.
Indeed, an ethnomusicologist would find this music to be a veritable treasure trove, although one doesn’t have to analyze it in order to enjoy it. For Ethiopians, a great deal of nostalgia is undoubtedly wrapped up in these pieces, but for everyone else, the pure musicality of the CD will be quite sufficient.
In fact, after a few spins, the music will likely insinuate itself into the listener’s consciousness to the extent that it will take up permanent residence. Highly recommended.
Addis Acoustic Project Revives Classic Ethiopian Grooves on Tewesta (Remembrance) Ethiopia isn't usually the first locale that comes to mind when one thinks of music made with acoustic guitars, accordion, mandolin and clarinet. Yet those instruments are at the core of Tewesta (Remembrance) (Harmonia Mundi/World Village), the new release by Addis Acoustic Project, a sextet that transports instrumental Ethiopian pop hits from the 1950s and '60s into the modern world.
Informed not only by classic African music but by jazz, Latin and other styles, AAP creates an intoxicating, charming blend of sounds that Mondomix.com called "a gentle groove with carefully rounded edges."
Addis Acoustic Project is the brainchild of Girum Mezmur, who directs and arranges the music as well as contributing acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars, accordion and vocals. Each of the other musicians--Ayele Mamo (mandolin, vocals), Dawit Ferew (clarinet, vocals), Henock Temesgen (double bass, vocals), Nathaniel Tesemma (drums, percussion) and Mesale Legesse (kebero, darbuka, bongos, hand percussion), plus Ahmed Elmak (oud on one track) and Endris Hassen (massinko on one track)--is a virtuoso who brings a full spectrum of musical colorings to this gentle but lively music, rich in history and now speaking to a new generation.
Addis Acoustic Project, on Tewesta (Remembrance)--the title is in the Ethiopian Amharic language--seamlessly fuses the traditional with the contemporary. For those who grew up with access to Ethiopian music during the mid-20th century, this is music that will be instantly familiar. But even for those who did not--and that would include the vast majority of Westerners-these are songs that feel comfortable and homey, melodies and rhythms that grab hold upon the first listen.
AAP was formed by Girum Mezmur with the intent of finding common ground between the authentic Ethiopian pop sounds of a bygone era-specifically the era just preceding what many consider the "Golden Age" of Ethiopian pop-and jazz, and then bringing it up to date in something wholly fresh-sounding. Mezmur carefully chose the instrumentation for the band, building it around his own accordion playing and other instruments that were commonly used in the Ethiopian pop he wanted to revive, including double bass, drums, clarinet, mandolin and the kebero, a cone-shaped, double-headed hand drum native to Ethiopia. After choosing the instrumentation, Mezmur set about finding the ideal musicians for his dream band, auditioning prospective members until he felt that the connection between them was just right.
Only then did Mezmur begin to assemble a repertoire, scouring record stores and old radio station playlists and speaking to individuals who remembered the era. The group debuted in March 2008, honing its sound at countless gigs and ultimately heading into the studio in Addis Ababa in 2009 and '10 to cut the songs that now comprise Tewesta Remembrance. Girum Mezmur produced the sessions.
The vast majority of the tunes collected on this recording revolve around the emotion most common throughout the history of music: love. The translations give that away quickly: "Fikir Ayarejim," which means Love is Eternal, was a popular song, made famous by Ethiopian vocalist Menelik Wossenachew, that originated in Sudan. AAP's interpretation features the great Sudanese oud master Ahmed Elmak guesting. Other highlights include "Enigenagnalen" (“We Shall Meet Again”), a love song originally by Girma Negash that speaks of hope, and "Yigermal" (“Such a Beauty...What Are You Called?”), a traditional folk song featuring mandolin and clarinet.
Perhaps the song that best sums up the mood and feel of Tewesta (Remembrance), however, is "Yetintu Tiz Alegn," whose title translates to “Remembrance” or, more specifically, “Remembering the Olden Days.” Originally made popular by Ethiopian singer Tilahun Gessesse, it was also recorded by the legendary late South African singer Miriam Makeba on her smash hit Pata Pata album in 1967. With its alternately elegiac and celebratory rhythms, global vibe and clustered harmony vocals, it's a tour de force that perfectly encapsulates the then-and-now motif Mezmur had in mind when he initially conceived the group. The jubilant track mirrors the excitement generated at an AAP gig, where audience interaction is not only common but expected.
For Mezmur, the emergence of Addis Acoustic Project has been the realization of a lifetime goal. After finding an accordion in his Addis Ababa home that belonged to his uncle, Mezmur became, well, mesmerized, obsessively learning the instrument and then moving on to guitar, piano and arranging music. Citing a diverse list of influences ranging from Ethiopian guitarist Selam Seyoum to the late American jazz master Wes Montgomery, Mezmur honed his chops while learning music theory and the art and business of leading a band. Attending the Yared Music School in Addis Ababa and working with different bands gave him experience and insights, all of which he draws upon now as the creative
force behind AAP.
In his liner notes to Tewesta "Remembrance,” Mezmur writes, "The essence of this project is about presenting the music of that era [the '50s and '60s] in an authentic manner, yet with a new twist.
Equally important is also preserving the sound and instrumentation of those days. I hope this recording captures these elements and does justice in these respects."
Undeniably, it does, but what ultimately makes Tewesta (Remembrance) such a winner is that one need not even know that these are old songs remade for today's world in order to fall in love with them. Addis Acoustic Project, on Tewesta (Remembrance), has gone beyond its own stated goal and has created music that is truly timeless.
‘…a seamless re-imagining of a nation's musical history …’
by Manuel Abreu
Timelessness comes in a variety of guises. For Addis Acoustic Project (AAP) bandleader Girum Mezmur, it comes by following a path many other intelligent and ambitious musicians have followed recently: synthesis of old and new. Mezmur also arranged these visionary rediscoveries. He says in the liner notes to the Tewesta album: "The essence of this project is about presenting the music of that era [the '50s and '60s] in an authentic manner, yet with a new twist." "Tewesta" means "remembrance" in Amharic, and what Mezmur has done on AAP's debut, after two years of sharpening their sound through live performance, is remarkable.
This music is a seamless re-imagining of a nation's musical history, teasing out different vectors of sound possibility through the updated sound, allowing other musical idioms to seep through. While Mezmur was also devoted to "preserving the sound and instrumentation of those days," his vibrant arrangements allow for different aspects of the world of music to meld with traditional Ethiopian music, this exploration allowed by the downplayed importance of vocals and the focus on instrumental music. Consider "Fikir Ayarejim," which translates to "Love is Eternal." Popularized by Sudanese singer Menelik Wossenachew, the original song is led by a sultry synthetic orchestra and casual, shuffling drums, standard fare for Ethiopian oldies pop.
The AAP remake, however, opens with Latin-tinged drums, moving into a muscular accordion and oud led groove (master Ahmed Almek on oud). The rhythm of the song maintains the upbeat quality of the original, but Mezmur allows the melody to expand significantly, though without any egoistic solos--it's a bold move, essentially a statement of the semiotic weight of melody. Anyone intimately familiar with these songs will immediately recognize the melodies, regardless of the missing vocals.
The best part about this album is that even if you don't know the originals, you don't need to. It's hard not to enjoy this, conceptual ambition aside. It's those melodies--they grab you by the collar, like an excited child in the castle of her dreams, leading you eagerly down the twisting hallways.
While in Chicago in February of this year, Addis Acoustic Project’s founder and guitarist Girum Mezmur appeared solo at the Ethiopian Diamond II Restaurant.
The Latin jazz influence is even more pronounced on "Yetintu Tiz Alegn," which I believe translates to "Remembrance of Olden Days." Old master Tilahun Gessesse also has a version of this track. While the first half of the track only evokes Latin rhythms, led by Ayele Mamo's mandolin, a breakdown leads the listener straight into a minor-key, chromatic-drenched Latin guitar solo by Mezmur. Indeed, the music of AAP is about finding common ground between Ethiopian music and other genres of music, particularly jazz, Latin music, and folk. The lack of emphasis on vocals--though they are present--combined with the innovative arrangements moves AAP's debut from purely Ethiopian music to a more universal idiom. I don't want to call it world music, but I suppose that's the only label available.
While maintaining an unmistakable cultural identity, Mezmur and other musicians like him are interested in creating a dialog with other genres, other nations, other time periods, and this is a trend I strongly support. AAP's resplendent music is about communication, and aside from crossing historical and cultural bridges, they also cross the bridge to the listener's ear. The amount of variety here is outstanding, as well as the musicianship. One eye-opening moment is, in fact, the closer--and by the way, even though the album is over an hour in length, it keeps you enthralled the whole way through--"Yigermal," which warps 3/4 to its own whims through subtle subdivision, featuring claps on the chorus and led by mandolin and clarinet. Mezmur is a master of timbre and combines instruments perfectly for his evocative needs. Indeed, sometimes he attempts to traditionalize more than modernize: compare the eerie "Anchim Ende Lela" with a much jazzier version by Girma Degefu.
Mezmur's take on Girma Negash's hopeful love song "Enigenagnalen" (We Shall Meet Again), opens with a lusty, rueful guitar solo which is offset by Dawit Ferew's mourning clarinet, painting a picture of both the beauty and futility of hope in the face of life's circumstances. Whether the lovers meet again is not the point, only that the hope exists, that it can flower. The mambo-like rhythm drives the song forward. Nathaniel Tesemma and Mesale Legesse, who handle the percussion, are to be commended for their tight, powerful grooves, which never lack subtlety. As well, Dawit Ferew is ablaze throughout, displaying his mastery of the clarinet in the Ethiopian style. Mezmur painstakingly assembled his band -he himself handles guitar and accordion -and it pays off.
While you don't need to know anything about the source music behind this wonderful album, I found that research into the originals gave me a greater appreciation for the brilliance of Mezmur's arrangements and his band's playing, as well as a deeper understanding of the context of the musical conversation AAP is trying to have. As well, I can pretty much guarantee that any musical discoveries this album leads to will be golden--Ethiopian music, old and new, is a veritable rabbit hole and gold mine which I recommend you delve into. For starters, there's the Ethiopiques series. But I'll leave that to you. For now, let me just repeat that this is an excellent album, and whether you're interested in the context of Mezmur's ideas for finding common musical ground, you won't be disappointed.
Given the volume of great vintage music from Ethiopia that's been discovered (or, more accurately, rediscovered) and made available in the last decade and a half, and considering how deeply those new/old Ethiopian sounds are loved by listeners well beyond the standard world music crowd, it was only a matter of time before a band like Addis Acoustic Project came along. Founded by guitarist/accordionist/arranger Girum Mezmer, the group re-creates in mostly instrumental style Ethiopian hits of the 1950s and ‘60s, a time when instruments like the mandolin and accordion were prominent and the funkier, horn-heavy sounds celebrated in much of Buda's Ethiopiques series hadn't yet arrived.
If the latter is the Ethiopian music you know and love, rest assured that what you'll hear on Tewesta isn't so very far removed from it. The serpentine melodies, zesty riffs and uniquely Ethiopian swing
are here, although in a more stripped-down form. Alongside Mezmer are players who combine youthful strength and veteran savvy on mandolin, bass, clarinet, drums and percussion, often branching off into jazzy asides, Latin grooves or klezmer-like liveliness before slipping back into melodies that couldn't be from anywhere else but Ethiopia. AAP's intimate approach also shows the extent to which early Ethiopian popular music gleaned from sounds of nearby Sudan and even far afield influences like
European waltzes and the works of Armenian arranger Nerses Nalbandian. At once traditional, experimental (it'd be great if Mulatu Astatke hooked up with these guys), and accessibly catchy, Addis Acoustic Project is onto something very special. Tewesta is a delight of a disc, and let's hope there's more of its kind in the works.
If you like the Ethiopian soul-funk sound of the early 1970s, you should find much to enjoy in this contemporary take on it.
Eritrea is Ethiopia's neighbour and many of the country's musicians actually contributed to those classic recordings. The main difference with this contemporary project is the influence of Jamaican reggae. But the dub elements fold perfectly into the sinuous Ethiopian grooves – as our own Dub Colossus have already demonstrated. Vibrant, heady and sensuous stuff.
Eritrea is back. After thirty years of war with Ethiopia and a decade of seclusion, the Asmara All Stars now introduce some of the best musicians and vocalists from Eritrea on the forthcoming Out Here Records release “Eritrea’s Got Soul”. Eritrea has been almost cut off from most outside influences since the early 70s. Recording an album is not an easy task in a country where many aspects of life are dominated by political concerns, and where every working musician gets a salary from the state.
The Asmara All Star project is all about leaving politics behind and focusing on making exciting music. At first, French producer Bruno Blum had a hard time getting the ball rolling, but eventually more and more musicians got excited by his unusual approach and talent began flocking to the studio. In the end ideas were flowing freely in Asmara. A process with several obstacles along the way. The fruit of this long but ultimately rewarding process are now released on this very special album. In a way Eritrea has vanished from the world’s radar. Music lovers around the world have been showing a huge interest in Ethiopian reissues from the 70s. A closer look reveals that many of the musicians on vintage Ethiopian music were really Eritrean.
Today The Asmara All Stars continue to play in a style reminiscent of the golden age of the big band sound, charged with Eri-jazz, soul and roots reggae. The decades of isolation have somehow kept this music alive. The album was recorded in Asmara, Eritrea’s capital city, in 2008 with a heavy, analog live band sound featuring electric krar, a full horn section, a funky organ and haunting vocals by some of the country’s most famous singers. Young singer Temasgen Yared came up with the soulful “Ykre Belni”, seemingly straight out of the heyday of Abyssinian soul jazz. Another highlight is Faytinga’s “Amajo” which fuses Kunama rhythms with a roots reggae beat, and Mahmoud Ahmed Omer delivering the uptempo dancefloor smash “Adunia” featuring a rare sample of local hip-hop...'Eritrea’s Got Soul' explores the vast variety of this country’s genuine music: Tigré legends Ibrahim Goret and Brkti Weldeslassie stand alongside the raw “blues” “Inedir” by Adam Hamid and the beautiful talent of young Sara Teklesenbet.
The album brings together different musical styles and rarely heard languages by eight ethnic groups, including Kunama, Nara, Bilen, Afar, Saho, Hedaareb, Tigré and Tigrigna. A rebirth of urban Eritrean music from the depths of the country’s rich history. The album was produced by Bruno Blum from Paris. A guitarist, songwriter, producer and free spirit, he is known for his Serge Gainsbourg dub and DJ remixes and the now classic version of Bob Marley’s “War” (featuring Haile Selassie’s original speech and the Wailers).
01. Amajo (Feat. Faytinga) 3:38
02. Ykre Belni (Feat. Temasgen Yared) 5:19
03. Adunia (Feat. Mahmoud Ahmed Omer, Temasgen Hip Hop & Doc Reggae) 6:37
