The first home grown Reggae artist Jonny Ragga (Yohannes Bekele) was born in 1977 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From a very young age Jonny was passionate about reading and writing poetry. His teachers, who spotted his talents very early on, would persuade him to read his poetry in front of the whole elementary school. His love affair with music began taking shape while Jonny was attending Bole high school. Initially, he loved all kinds of music, but what inflamed his passion started to become clear after some time. He fell in love with Reggae. Jonny got the opportunity to practice his reggae singing and Dj (sinje) style at a place called Ram Jam which was the most popular reggae club in Addis at the time. When he reached the age of 17, he decided to join Medina Band and start performing live.
In 2005, Jonny released his and Ethiopia’s first critically acclaimed Reggae album ‘Kulfun Sechign’ (Give me the Key). This album was widely heard and received massive attention. It also introduced him to the international music scene.
In 2005, Jonny won the ‘Best Music Video Award’ at the Ethiopian Music Awards. He was nominated in the ‘Best African Reggae Artist’ category, and brought home the first and only Channel O’s All African Music Award after winning the category ‘Best East African Artist’ in 2006 at a ceremony held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Jonny has collaborated with many well known local and international artists. Chachi Tadesse, Teddy Afro, Lafontain, Shewandagn Hailu, Haile Roots, Michael Belayneh , Nyomi Grey (Ny, a young talented artist from UK), Kenny Allen (an African American R&B artist) and Zola (a South African rapper and actor) are some of the artists that he has worked with so far.
Jonny went on to co found, produce and host the popular weekly radio program ‘Jam Jam’ on Ethiopica Link on 98.1 FM, and was a guest host on DSTV’s ‘Urban Massive’ TV show. He also directed and produced music videos for many Ethiopian Artists.
Jonny has been touring the world and entertaining his fans for over 15 years. He has traveled to North America, Europe, Middle East and other parts of Africa performing his music to his fans abroad.
Jonny is involved in every aspect of his music, from writing his lyrics and melodies to musical arrangement. He is currently working on his new album project and has set up his own music production company called JR Music Production. He established JR Music Production in 2006, in an effort to create opportunities for upcoming talented artists. He also involves himself in many awareness creating projects alongside other international organizations, on issues affecting the youth and women.
01. Jonny Raga - Gimmy The Key4:02 02. Jonny Raga - My Pocket And Your Purse4:15 03. Jonny Raga - Hello Addis Ababa4:44 04. Jonny Raga - Shuck And Tuss4:08 05. Jonny Raga - One Way Ticket4:32 06. Jonny Raga - Attractive Girl4:31 07. Jonny Raga - Pick It Up3:55 08. Jonny Raga - Shashamane4:00 09. Jonny Raga - Abeshawy4:09 10. Jonny Raga - You, Ethiopia4:32 11. Jonny Raga - Get The Devil Out4:29 12. Jonny Raga - Matured4:59 13. Jonny Raga - Mama4:49 14. Jonny Raga - Your Love Is Fire4:10 15. Jonny Raga - Love Of Music5:28 16. Jonny Raga - Your Love Is Fire (Remix)1:29
Mohammed Jimmy Mohammed (1958) is a phenomenal blind singer from the bar-circuit in Addis Abeba, born in Mersa, Wollo. Jimmy specializes in the songs of Tlahoun Gessesse, the greatest singer of Ethiopia. Still Jimmy always remains true to himself and sings with both depth and passion, but his style is also improvised and swinging. The songs are about love, politics, and the social life of the poor.
But there is also wit and charm and plenty of ‘Wax & Gold’, the typical Ethiopian double meaning. He knows hundreds and hundreds of songs by heart and it is hard to guess which one will come next. Jimmy appears on the Ethiopiques 2 CD, but this is his first full-length CD: ‘Takkabel!’. Recorded last year while in Europe for the Moers Jazz Festival. He is accompanied by Mesele Asmamaw on the krar, a 5 string harp and Asnake Gebreyes on the traditional drums.
They are often accompanied by Dutch jazz drummer Han Bennink, who also plays a star-role on the CD.
1. - Aykedashem lebe (8:55)
2. - Sethed Seketelat (6:25)
3. - Sewetchi Men Yilalu / Tezalegn Yilalu Tezalegn (11:13)
With a mesmerizing stage performance and a huge smile that’s always intact, Nhatty lacks anything but energy. As an upcoming talent, he managed to crack into the Ethiopian music industry working with an infamous band called “Express” which he later left to join another band called “Sweet”. Known far and wide by his fans as Nhatty Man, he became a household name after his first single “Amrogne” hit the Ethiopian market. In the early stage of his music career, Nhatty started doing featuring works with Netsanet Melesse’s “fertuna” and Dawit Frew’s “Ethiopia” while later working with other renowned Ethiopian artists such as Henok Abebe for “Cheferaw dera”, the KORA award winning Tsedeniya Gebremarkos’ “Yeker Beyalehu”, Jossy’s upbeat track “zigi zaga” and many more.
Nhatty’s life has gone in a million ways he never anticipated. After dropping out from a civil engineering school in his second year in college, he started a new journey as a disc jockey (DJ), a thought that has never dared to cross his mind. But it wasn’t long before Nhatty wanted more in on the fun and excitement of the new life that was unfolding before him. After making an appearance in a couple of featuring works, he officially made his debut album “Man” on February16, 2011.
“Out with the old and in with the new” was Nhatty’s Moto at the time as he quickly learned his ways in the Ethiopian music industry and never looked back. “Man”, Nhatty’s first album dropped in the market on February16, 2011 was widely acclaimed by his fans. The album which contains 14 tracks including his smash singles “Amerogne” and “Addis ken” has different types of genres like R&B, Reggae, rock and local rhythms. The album incorporates collaborations with some Ethiopian singers like Hade Haile and Betty.
Through his music, Nhatty wishes to change the bad image and stereotype that the world has towards his country, Ethiopia.
What is Nhatty doing currently?
Nhatty who re-launched his latest album on April 05, 2012, has recently signed an agreement with Adika Communication and events so the company can manage him professionally. Adika re-launched the singer’s latest album “Man” with six brand new songs added. “Kanchi Aybeletem”, “Ghetto youth”, “Brand New day remix”, “Sunday”, “Tefa Amesgagn” and “Where you at?” are the new songs that are featured in the new CD. The singer had his own concert on April 21, 2012 which was also organized by Adika Communication and Events. Apart from the concert and the re-launching of his album, it looks like Nhatty’s got his hands full as a new album, possibly in English is also in the pipe line.
What is unique about Nhatty’s works?
Nhatty throws himself wholeheartedly into whatever it is he is doing and he believes giving it all you have got is the only way to success. The singer aspires to win a Grammy award and achieve worldwide stardom all the way from east Africa. His performance is a witness that this is a no farfetched dream. Natnael Ayalew’s works transcend boundaries. His recent collaboration with the very popular Nigerian musician Ras Kimono has been released recently. The singer, who mentions the Ethiopian music mogul Mohammed Ahmud as one of his inspirations, believes that if it isn’t original, it’s really not worth a shot. Widely acclaimed for being a great stage performer, he showed an amazing performance on the big brother amplified in 2011 receiving a standing ovation from the audience. A Jack of all trades, Nhatty often pens the lyrics of his songs and also writes melodies.
What more do we need to know about Nhatty?
A cartoon film fanatic, Natnael Ayalew, a.k.a. Nhatty Man, enjoys spending his free time in the company of his closest friends. The singer who has presented his performances in different countries like South Africa, Dubai and Kenya mentions his mother as a huge source of inspiration for whatever he does.
Ayoe Angelica (b. 1988), is a Danish-Ethiopian female jazz / soul singer. She débuted with her ”I’m Amazed” album, in co-operation with producer / composer Mads B. B. Krog (aka Plateaux Techniques). Ayoe delivers an exciting combination of soulful vocals, acoustic elements and crunchy electronics, complemented by a touch of lo-fi jazz.
Ayoe is one of those young talents you unsuccessfully could travel around the world looking for. And then it turns out that she walks around in Scandinavia in the small country of Denmark. The 20-year-old Danish/Ethiopian singers’ debut I’m amazed is an album that sets new standards for what modern pop, jazz/soul can, and wants to do. Ayoe Angelica wants to do quite a lot. Besides presenting us to some of the most intelligent music with hit guarantee heard in a long time, she is also a young woman with great social and human indignation. Ayoe
Angelica is determined that 10 percent of the profit from I’m Amazed goes to relieve poor children in her second home country of Ethiopia.
Ayoe Angelica is a natural talent, who started singing before she could speak. She grew up in the countryside of Denmark, and from her parents she received musical input stretching from Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald to Spice Girls. To her parents free musical and creative upbringing and large record collection was added singing and music teaching, all though many of her song teachers had to - after first being overwhelmed - recognize that a talent of Ayoe Angelicas calibre was difficult to combine with an ordinary Scandinavian song teaching tradition. In school she became interested in jazz music, formed her own jazz band, while at the same time becoming lead singer in the local big band. This brought her to a traditional Riverboat jazz festival, where she during a jam session met the Danish producer Mads B. B. Krog. He was completely thrilled by Ayoe Angelicas voice and stage performance and immediately suggested that they worked together.
The producer, musician and composer Mads B. B. Krog had, through a 10 year period with more than 100 releases behind him, finally developed his completely personal musical sound and musical language called Plateaux Techniques. The meeting between them sparkled. Immediately after ending high school Ayoe Angelica left home and moved to Copenhagen. Here she and Mads B.B. Krog began the work on what later would become the album I’m Amazed.
This is the result. 11 completely irresistible songs that all move around in a musical borderland, one can attempt to characterize as a mixture of crunchy electronics, lo-fi jazz and melodic soul. But one should be careful to label Ayoe Angelica and I’m Amazed with too many designations. Because this is first and last a musical mix of creative genre defining and refreshing character, that leaves one speechless - and you really just have to listen, sense and experience it with an open mind.
01 - Ayoe Angelica - Dr. Jekyll (4:00) 02 - Ayoe Angelica - Left Side (3:08) 03 - Ayoe Angelica - Get A Hold (4:07) 04 - Ayoe Angelica - Everybody Loves You (4:15) 05 - Ayoe Angelica - Sugar (3:48) 06 - Ayoe Angelica - God Bless The Child (3:39) 07 - Ayoe Angelica - Also On A Tuesday (3:03) 08 - Ayoe Angelica - Face With Nobody (4:40) 09 - Ayoe Angelica - I Want You (4:07) 10 - Ayoe Angelica - Never Drown (4:43) 11 - Ayoe Angelica - I'm Your Piano (6:18)
Danish press reviews:
Woman 5/6 (Record of the month)
“Wow! You are overwhelmed by how beautifully, atmospherically, and tastefully this debutant singer melts together with the sound picture.”
Costume 5/6
“…An ultra charming version of Billie Holiday mixed with Portishead on a happy day.”
Q 4/5
“Great Sunday music! Denmark’s new jazz diva”
Bazar 4/6
“…A delicious mixture of pop, soul and jazz, which is the perfect sound tapestry for a quiet Sunday.”
Copenhagen Magazine 4/6
“…A great offer for this summers warmest and crispest soundtrack.”
Chili 4/6
“The only 20year old Ayoe’s vocal is eminently delicious, soft, natural and pleasant.”
Sirene
“Rarely does a debut sound more seductive and inviting than on Ayoe Angelicas new CD, I’m Amazed”
Jah Lude Awol, 38, is an Ethiopian singer-songwriter and musician. The reggae singer was born and raised in Addis Ababa. Jah Lude’s music is heavily influenced by the cultural and old plays which are almost forgotten by the new generation. The artist also celebrates his belongingness to his homeland in his music.
Jah Lude wrote all of his songs and some of them took him six months while others only took him 10 minutes. The new artist, who is on the spotlight, spoke to Meiraef Berhane of The Reporter.
What does Jah Lude mean?
I cannot explain what Jah Lude means specifically. My name always has different meanings depending on the situations that I am in. However, my parents named me Jah Lude from the Qur’an. And people who know the historical meaning of the name have told me that people who are warriors used to be named Jah Lude.
When did you start your musical career?
I think I am an born musician. I was only eight years old when I wrote my first song.
What was your inspiration to become a musician?
I always listen to different rhythms made out of natural and artificial sounds in my surroundings. That’s what inspired me to be caught up in music. But one person to whom I should give credit in my life is Bob Marley. He has been a big inspiration and good role model to me to keep doing what I am doing regarding my musical career. I loved reggae because of him: and he always has a good place in my heart.
Is that why you have your dreadlocks?
Not really. I spend most of my time working on my music. I always wash my hair but never looked at it in the mirror. To that extent I just saw what my hair looks like recently, while pictures were taken for my album design. When I looked at my hair carefully, some of them are stuck together and look like a dread while some of them look fluffy. I have never been so concerned about my outer look; rather, I prefer spending much of my time talking with my inner self. I forgot to be concerned about my look and my focus was dedicated to cultivate my art potential and got impressed in a way. However, after seeing what my hair looks like in the pictures, I have started cutting my hair and my beard.
How long did it take you to finish your album?
It took me ten years. But ever since I was eight years old, I have always wanted to work on my album.
One of your songs, Fayamo, is mixed with Oromiffa. How did you come up with the idea of mixing Oromiffa with reggae?
People from the neighborhood where I grew up are Oromiffa speakers. My family speaks Oromiffa; but I can’t speak the language. However, an Oromiffa singer, Tadele Gemechu, brought up the idea and asked me if I can do it and I did it. But to sing the song I had to study the accent of Oromiffa and the language as well.
Most of your songs remind people about the cultural plays which are almost forgotten. And also there are songs that celebrate being an Ethiopian and the country itself. What made you do that?
I am not exactly sure. I have works that express my feelings which, of course, are beautiful pieces. I also have many other works that still express my feelings, which people might not easily understand. So I have selected the type of songs that people might easily understand and like. Renowned musicians like Ephrem Tamiru and Tadele Robba have helped me with my music selections. And we loved our choices as we listened to them again and again.
How much money did you spend on your album?
All I have spent is my knowledge and my musical work. My focus was on the art work. However, artist Tadele Roba has produced the album and he is the one who knows how much money was spent on the album. I am not into the financial details.
Which song do you prefer or like from your album?
I don’t know what to prefer and what not. But I think I like “Asha bel yaho” as it can represent all of the songs in the album and it is a song about freedom.
On your billboard, there is a term that shows where you are from. It says ‘I am a hillbilly’. Many try to hide where they are from or their origin but you put your background on the front. How did you do that?
All of us came from agrarian ancestors. Some 100 years ago Addis Ababa was a city center. So I am proud of the fact that I am from that background.
Your music is being played everywhere. Now you have come on the spotlight and are you ready for any criticism or admiration?
The inner peace that I have ordered me to do my songs. So I don’t think I will be facing that much criticism. What I know is I am doing my job right. What I did was just offering the type of music that I have.
Where have you spent your time abroad and how long has it been since you moved back here?
It has been almost five years since I moved back here. I have tried to settle here some six years ago but the country was not stable politically and there was no peace. Since I couldn’t live in that environment I went back to where I have been, Djibouti. It is impossible and difficult to work in an environment that is not peaceful. The songs that I have in my album are made in a peaceful environment. My songs literally preach identity and belongingness. For to that reason I am sure that children will be singing my songs five, six and seven years from now.
Though it is not literally mentioned in the music, one of your songs, which is titled “Yachin neger”, is about condom. The change of the title allowed people to listen and sing along. What made you change the title?
When I was eight years old I wanted to write a lyric about love. However, the first thing that came into my mind is the first person that will read the lyric – that is my father. So I used to change the subject to country issues. Whenever I write a lyric, I always follow what my feelings tell me. If I have to write a lyric I want to be comfortable and free from any other negative feelings. My parents, whom I respect the most, listened to the “Yachin neger” lyric and they liked it. The lyric reminds people that it is a great decision to abstain. If not, sex should be had after marriage. However, if the person finds it impossible to take it that far, it is preferable to use the condom. And the way I used the words makes people to be comfortable and listen to it without any hesitation.
What made you write about the issue?
It just came out of my feelings. I felt it and I wrote it.
People who listened to your songs say your voice is good and the music is not loud. They say that it just flows simply through the ears. What do you say about that?
I think I got the math right. I was able to link the words that are coming out of my mouth with the tempo, but nothing else.
What meaning does music give you?
I don’t think I can be able to answer this question, just like I can’t define my name. If I ask you to define love, I don’t think you can. Music is the same thing to me is.
How does it feel to work with Kamuzu Kassa, the person who mixed and arranged your music?
Honestly speaking, Kamuzu is a special person to me. He always understands me when I connect with music. Working on my music, both of us share a similar spirit. I admire his talent and I appreciate the way he understands what the singer has.
Who designed your billboard?
The designer is called Senay. I was impressed by his view. He made people see what I did not expect. The scarf on my head and the round hat together with my mustache made me look like Emperor Menilik II. The green, yellow and red color that dominates the graphics and the fact that may name is Jah Lude gives a unique vibe and impression to the design. I just gave him my picture. And everything is his own creativity. After I have seen what he has done to the graphics I was convinced that there are a lot of professionals out there who can do many things.
Your picture looked like Emperor Menilik II. Was that on purpose?
Frankly speaking it was not on purpose. It just happened to look like that and it is accidental.
Before publishing your album, how many songs did you make?
I have composed music with Joseph, which is entitled “Gobeze”. I have also worked a song with Teddy Yo under that titled “Regga Tigile”. Next, I am planning to work with Tadele Roba on the remix of some songs. I also have a plan to work on songs that are almost forgotten and on the verge of falling or being washed out.
Can you tell us about your song that you have worked with the renowned Jamaican reggae star Mikey General that is entitled “Ethiopia”?
I have worked a piece in Kenny Aalen’s studio some three years ago. I have used the lyric in one of the songs in my album called “Hager Bet”. Mickey General and Raga Lox listened to the piece that I had in Kenny studio and they have used it to remix in the song they have made. They have introduced the song in Jamaica and it has a big hit. I also loved what they have done to that song.
Have you been to music school?
I did not go to any music school. I have learned music with my personal and natural interest. I just listened to a lot of reggae music and that is how I have learned its style. As a new person to the industry I have started testing the flow of music and the impression that I had for it together with my interest made me to be what I am today.
Do you play any instrument?
I play Bongo and Djembe drums.
To conduct this interview with you, I had to talk to Tadele Roba. I fixed the appointment with him and that is how I got to you. Why don’t you have a cell phone?
Whenever I am working on my music I don’t want my mobile to disturb me. That is why I don’t want to have one. However, I spend most of my time with common people that I am currently working with and hang out with. So if anyone needs to get in touch with me I can be reached through them. But in the near future I will be subscribing to a landline and I will be assigning someone who takes care of it. I won’t be engaged in receiving calls.
What do you do to relax?
I usually relax in my house by composing some music. But if my feelings exceed that, I will go out to other towns and hang out there.
Do you read books?
Yes. During fasting season I don’t do musical works and that would be the best platform for me to read books.
What makes you happy in life?
I am always a happy person. But I don’t exactly know what makes me happy. What I know is I am happy and I am grateful for that.
Are you married?
No I am not. But I have a plan to get married and have children, just like everybody else.
You seem like a person who is relaxed. Moreover, you seem that you kind of live your own world. Is that right?
Yes I am relaxed. I have my own world that is called Ethiopia. When I merge my identity with my inner love for music, Ethiopia is my world. Wherever I am and wherever I go Ethiopia is always with me. Ethiopia is the country to which I give the most values in my life. I belong to Ethiopia and that is my world.
