Tilahun Gessesse & Walias Band - Tilahun Gessesse with the Walias Band [1970 ?]

originally posted here : Awesome Tapes From Africa

Very limited edition LP with cool, silk-screened covers. 

           The liner notes provided helpful biographical information about this titan of Ethiopian music (Ethiopiques Vol. 17 is 100% Gessesse), but very little about the particular music on this record.

       I would date these recordings to the early 70s, maybe late 60s, judging by the groovy-heavy, almost proto-disco vibe of the songs and analog sound of the recordings. The basic MO here is: set up a tight, funky vamp then let Gessesse cut loose over the top. 

        Modern ears will delight at the production values which place the band in a swirl of reverb and give Gessesse's in-the-red vocals a heavy coat of gritty slap-back. The way everything sounds makes it easy to imagine hearing these songs performed at 3am in sweltering Ethiopian heat. Very nice LP, anyone with an interest in Ethiopian music will find a lot to like here, but the general funkiness (great basslines!) and upbeat rhythm of the songs make it pretty widely accessible.

Side A

1. Ye Minjar Lij (The girl from Minjar)

2. Keleleh Yelehem (You ain't got it if you don't got it)

3. Ere Fikir BeHig (In the name of Love)

4. Ye Tate Kelebet (The ring on my finger)

5. Tey Atabesachign (Please don't make me suffer)

Side B.

1. Endezih Hone Ende (Is this how it is)

2. Beterswa Shegnechign (She abandoned me with a smile)

3. Ewnetegna Fikir (True Love)

4. Katu Zemed Yelem (No one befriends the broke)

5. Hiwet Kanchi Aybeltem (Life is not more precious than you)

6. Bonus instrumental track

The Ethiopian Journey - A travel into the Ethio sound of Addis Abeba back in the 70's.[ by Armand de Preseau]

originaly posted here : Dusty African Grooves

       Here is another great mixtape containing some nice ethiopian grooves from 70's.

       Enjoy, and visit Dusty African Grooves for more posts. And of course, thanks and credits goes to Armand de Preseau.

I wanted for a loooong time to do an Ethiopian selection, (but I wouldn't because I think the Ethio sound is too "a la mode"..), so here are 9 tracks taken from several seven inches intended to make you (re)discover the beauty and the deepness of the Ethio sound from the 70's.

Ethio Jazz, Ethio soul, Ethio groove or Ethio funk, nevermind how you can call it, this music sounds like no other, because of the Ethiopian Pentatonic scale, that was a source of inspiration for many musicians of all genre.

Hope you'll like it !

Armand de Preseau - The Ethiopian Journey

Tracklist : 

Mohamud Ahmed - Ambassel
Menelik Wossenachew - Chereka
Bizunesh Bekele - Tigel New
Tilahun Gessesse - Wey Min Tilik
Menelik Wossenachew - Menew Bacher Kere
Bahta Hiwot - Tessassategn Eko
Bizunesh Bekele - Inramed
Negash Tekie - Yewyen Abebaie
Menelik Wossenachew - Mekaberene Liyew

Netsanet Melesse - [2004] - Fertuna [ethiopia]

       At the outset of her amazing music career, Netsanet Melesse released her debut album “Yelal Doju” in 1983, which became an instant hit throughout Ethiopia. Her simple and alluring look on her single video, seen on the black and white screens of everyone’s living room TV made the album even more popular. No one ever doubted the singer’s talent from then on, as it was not even eclipsed by her shy personality. Netsanet Melesse’s musical gifts became apparent at an early age as she started singing English songs that were popular at the time. The singer grew up in a very religious family and was even a part of a church choir as a child and also sang at charity events at times. Inspired by Western music moguls like Whitney Houston, Madonna and Aretha Franklin, Netsanet’s talents started becoming evident in the gospel songs she used to sing at Estifanos Church.

              Netsanet looks into the distance as she recalls the first day that determined her life as a musician. The singer’s older sister, who was a French program producer at a radio station called “Beserate Wengel” at the time, persuaded her to sing on Tadesse Muluneh’s Sunday show. Thinking that giving it a shot wouldn’t hurt, the singer took a blind leap of faith, desperately hoping that listeners would like her. She had no clue that as she opened the microphone that day, she would also be opening the door to fame. It didn’t take long for other musicians to get in touch with her after she performed songs in English, Sudanese and Hindi on the radio show. Walias Band approached her with a request to perform with them at the Hilton hotel and she ended up having shows every week of the day except for Mondays. “Malaika”, the Grammy Award-winning South African singer Miriam Makeba’s track was among the list of songs that Netsanet entertained her audience with six days a week along with songs like the Manhattan’s “Let’s just kiss and say goodbye” and the popular Sudanese track “Seberta”.

         Two years after her debut album hit the Ethiopian market, Netsanet’s sophomore set “Minew Jal” was released capturing music fanatics with its originality and mellow rhythm. “Tew Jegena Belew”, her third music album followed in 1987 after she did a music collection set, “Ere tey Wubit”, featuring big names like Teddy Tadesse, Aregahegn Werash and Kuku Sebesebie. “Tizita”, her fourth album, came out featuring a number of prominent Ethiopian musicians in 1991.

           Following this, Netsanet and her family decided a move was in order, and since then, she has been residing in Toronto with her 10 year old son. In 2004, Netsanet delighted her fans with her album “Fertuna” which was highly praised for its genuine lyrics and tunes. After 10 solid years, the singer made a comeback once again with a beautiful track titled “Bye Bye”. The singer surprised her fans showing of her newly slimmed down body in the music video.

       It’s been a long and tangled road for Netsanet’s stunning and intriguing new album “Liben”, as it was challenging for her to find melodies she can relate to. But over the course of three years the album has been in the making, through business struggles and life changes, she has maintained a clear sense of her musical vision-and returned with a collection of songs that reconfirms her place as one of the finest singers of her generation. With music arrangers like Abiy Arka, and Sami Solomon, her new album boasts a collection of beautiful tracks featuring upcoming artists. One such song, “Keremelaye” sees Netsanet performing with an aspiring musician by the name Tokichaw.

          But in the midst of all the fame and glamour, the singer still makes time to keep in touch with her spiritual side as she has recently released a gospel album.

       The singer has recently signed up with Adika Communication and Events, a company that manages and promotes Ethiopian artists, alongside organizing major events. With a calm and mellow voice that speaks of dazzling romance and emotions, Netsanet’s new works, soon to be dropped in the Ethiopian market via Adika Communication and Events, project her ever great flair as an Ethiopian musician. From all the twists and turns of becoming a musician, Netsanet says she has grown to be an even more experienced singer with intense talents.

01. Netsanet Melesse - Fertuna (5:26)
02. Netsanet Melesse - Lekas Fikir Yarejal (5:03)
03. Netsanet Melesse - Endew Kebrer (5:50)
04. Netsanet Melesse - Fikir Eshururu (5:25)
05. Netsanet Melesse - Min Alu (5:09)
06. Netsanet Melesse - Addis Ababa (4:50)
07. Netsanet Melesse - Taketegn (4:10)
08. Netsanet Melesse - Lefat Kentu (5:57)
09. Netsanet Melesse - Enken Aywetalet (5:25)
10. Netsanet Melesse - Geletlet (5:06)
11. Netsanet Melesse - Semerelign (4:38)

Abyssinia Infinite - Zion Roots [2003]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

Abyssinia Infinite, Featuring Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw, Brings Ethiopian Music Back to its Zion Roots

The overthrow of Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie in a “creeping coup” organized by his own military began two decades of chaotic rule. Under the Derg regime, a curfew was imposed which drove live musicians to prison and unemployment. For a twenty-year period of time, horns and live bands were replaced with synthesizers and drum machines. The release Zion Roots (Network Medien) on December 9, 2003, Abyssinia Infinite, featuring Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw, brings back live instrumentation and experimentation to Ethiopian music. This album with acoustic instruments and traditional songs is a return to a classic sound—it picks up right where music left off in the mid-’60s through mid-’70s.

“Ethiopians believe that when Zion is mentioned in the bible they are speaking about Ethiopia,” Gigi explains. With that in mind, the album, Zion Roots, is exactly what the name implies: music rooted deep in Ethiopian culture. On this latest concept project, Gigi—who first came to fame in the West on her self-titled album on Palm Pictures—was able to realize her longstanding dream of melding elements of East and West African elements into the music of her home country. "This traditional project is something that I wanted to do to keep in touch with the music of Ehtiopia. This does not represent me as a solo artist but more me introducing Ethiopian traditional music in different settings, as a concept project. As an artist signed to Palm Pictures, my next solo album Gold & Wax is due early 2004."

Gigi’s experience in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has largely influenced the sound of Abyssinia Infinite’s CD. Although this album contains no songs from the Ethiopian church, the phrasing and style of the traditional songs are very similar. The soul and vibrato characteristics of church music of Ethiopia are similar to American church music. 

Abyssinia Infinite chose the songs for this album to convey a traditional spirit. Aba Alem Lemenea is a spiritual song written about a world that's peaceful and loving. Gole is another traditional song that puts new words to a time-honored melody. It is sung half in Amharic and half in an older language called Agewña—a language that very few people speak with the exception of Gigi’s father’s tribe.

Abyssinia Infinite uses traditional instruments such as the kirar—which is referred to as King David’s harp in the Bible and is perhaps one of the oldest surviving East African instruments—and the washint—a simple bamboo flute. The band is composed of prominent players in the world music community including the magical Senegalese percussionist Aiyb Dieng, the virtuoso tabla-player Karsh Kale, the guitarist/accordionist Tony Cedras (known for his work on Paul Simon's Graceland project), the Ethiopian saxophonist Moges Habte, and world music producer/musician Bill Laswell, with a rare performance on acoustic guitar.

Ephrem Tamiru - Demo Jemeregne

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

1. Ephrem Tamiru - Demo Jemeregne (6:33)

2. Ephrem Tamiru - Ayital (6:33)

3. Ephrem Tamiru - Hagerei (9:07)

4. Ephrem Tamiru - Kelelaye (7:38)

5. Ephrem Tamiru - Erbeshbesh Ale (5:39)

6. Ephrem Tamiru - Dehna Hugne (4:41)

7. Ephrem Tamiru - Bilelegne (6:18)

8. Ephrem Tamiru - Teresashe Woye (6:43)

9. Ephrem Tamiru - Neyima (7:45)

Neway Debebe - Best of Neway Debebe (Collection 2007)

       Neway Debebe has been described as possessing a "voice of silk". A protégé of poet Tilahoun Gessesse, Debebe first attracted attention as the lead vocalist of The Roha Band, a tradition-rooted Ethiopian pop band that has supplied accompaniment on more than two hundred and fifty recordings by such top-ranked Ethiopian vocalists as Aster Aweke, Tilahoun Gessesse and Mahmoud Ahmed. 

     Debebe has also performed with Three Flowers, a group he shares with Tsegaye Eshetu and Areghagn Wersash. 

        Besides his ability to write and produce all of his songs, his charm and genuine love of his fellow Ethiopians are what made him everyone’s favorite.

01. Neway Debebe - Maebel New (4:12)

02. Neway Debebe - Teteyeki Was (5:31)

03. Neway Debebe - Hagere Nat Habte (5:26)

04. Neway Debebe - Ye Ayne Abeba Nesh (4:07)

05. Neway Debebe - Yetikimt Abeba (3:52)

06. Neway Debebe - Lalkedash Kal Alebign (5:08)

07. Neway Debebe - Yelefku Ende Hon Banchi Sefer (5:10)

08. Neway Debebe - Siwodush Eweki (7:22)

09. Neway Debebe - Egnaw Enitarek (5:00)

10. Neway Debebe - Ye-Fikir Emebet (4:52)

11. Neway Debebe - Yegna Loga (5:50)

12. Neway Debebe - Wuletash Alebign (4:23)

13. Neway Debebe - Ayaya (5:06)

14. Neway Debebe - Afar Gemalitua (4:36)

15. Neway Debebe - Yefikir Gedam (4:05)