Le Tigre [des Platanes] & Eténèsh Wassié - Zeraf ! [2008] [france+ethiopia]

              
                    R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

     

             Ever since its creation, the band Le Tigre des Platanes (the ‘Sycamore Tiger’) has been into travelling, in the image of the insect it draws its name from —the Corythucha ciliata, better known as  the sycamore lace bug, which accidentally arrived in Europe in the early 1970s.

       Hailing from Toulouse in Southern France, this acoustic quartet has always proudly proclaimed its disorderly musical borrowings, blendings and appropriation of influences from other cultures.

       In 2001, Le Tigre des Platanes discovered the Ethiopiques series, and they soon included some chosen Ethiopian pieces in their eclectic repertoire, interpreting them in their own personal fashion. During a trip to Addis Abeba, they met Etenesh Wassie, a singer with a husky voice, a kind of Abyssinian sister of Edith Piaf and Billie Holiday . They undertook the challenge of playing together with beautiful Ethiopian standards, really exploring in a reciprocal way the new musical territories open to the five musicians and  a world made of the true sum of their personalities.

          This wonderful collaboration of the French jazz group Le Tigre and Ethiopian singer Etenesh Wassie results in music that is visceral, infectious, and culminates with some of the most progressive world music in recent memory.

        "The group is named after the sycamore lace bug (Corythucha ciliata), the nasty little tree-killing insect that was imported to Europe by accident from North America in the early 1970s. In the spirit of its namesake, the Toulouse quartet is all about crossing borders, import, export, invasion, retreat..."

       And that's a fitting description of what's in store; an authentic multi-colored quilt with the sounds of Ethiopia and other locales, free jazz, hard pounding rock, all spiced and enticed by the voice and lyrics of Wassie's earthy ethnic tongue.

       A guttural incantation of growling baritone sax and evocative Ethiopian dialect commences the recording with "Medinanna Zelessegna" yet the mood quickly shifts into the jumping "Muziqawi Silt" where the two-horn affront of Marc Demereau's sax and Piero Pepin's trumpet is ignited by the pulsating heartbeat of bassist Mathieu Sourisseau and drummer Fabien Duscombs.

      A truly eclectic mix of sounds is experienced: the koto-like banjo on "Ambassel Fantay," the feverish ancestral dance on "Tche Belew" (one of many highlights), where Sourisseau's bass is strummed like a chorded guitar (or vice versa) and the horns interact in agreement and discord—totally and hypnotic.

      These excellent musicians play with abandon that at times has the intensity of a Nirvana performance of "Smells Like Teen like Spirit." Distorted strings and cyclonic horns carry "Yezemed Yebaed" and a throbbing drum and bass on "Ney-Ney Weleba" as Demereau's baritone and voice both scream. Oliver Cussac's toy-like organ intonations color the tempered "Awash" a piece where the group finds respite.

      Wassie's haunting voice (which has also been heard in Buda's Ethiopiques series) adds mystery and non-translated meaning on tunes such as "Man Yehon Telleq Sew" where her interaction with the music is perfect. With gentleness and a coarse vibrato she exudes a timeless quality on "Ambassel" that is undeniable and when combined with Le Tigre,Ethiosonic is a journey like no other.

   Eténèsh Wassié : vocals

   Marc Deméreau :  baryton sax,  alto sax, screams

   Fabien Duscombs : drums, percussion

   Piero Pépin : trumpet, bugle, mélodica

   Mathieu Sourisseau : acoustic bass guitar, guitar, banjo,                                                             soubassophone

Yohaness Bekele a.k.a Jonny Raga - [2005] - Give Me The Key [ethiopia]

Jonny Ragga ‎– Give Me The Key

               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 Key 4:02
02. Jonny Raga - My Pocket And Your Purse 4:15
03. Jonny Raga - Hello Addis Ababa 4:44
04. Jonny Raga - Shuck And Tuss 4:08
05. Jonny Raga - One Way Ticket 4:32
06. Jonny Raga - Attractive Girl 4:31
07. Jonny Raga - Pick It Up 3:55
08. Jonny Raga - Shashamane 4:00
09. Jonny Raga - Abeshawy 4:09
10. Jonny Raga - You, Ethiopia 4:32
11. Jonny Raga - Get The Devil Out 4:29
12. Jonny Raga - Matured 4:59
13. Jonny Raga - Mama 4:49
14. Jonny Raga - Your Love Is Fire 4:10
15. Jonny Raga - Love Of Music 5:28
16. Jonny Raga - Your Love Is Fire (Remix) 1:29

Mulatu Astatke - [2002] - Echos of Ethiopia [ethiopia]

Mesele Asmamaw (Ethiopian Traditional Instrumental Music)

Creative music with Ethiopian roots 

composed and arranged by Mulatu Astatke

1 Embilta
2 Begena
3 Tigre
4 Wollo
5 Gondar
6 Gojam
7 Minjar
8 Harari
9 Afar

10 Somali

11 Harar

12 Orowo

13 Sidama

14 Wolaita

15 Derashe

16 Gurage

17 Assosa

18 Gambella

Mohammed 'Jimmy' Mohammed - Takkabel ! [2006] [ethiopia]

   R    E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

 

   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)

4.  - Selaseb/Gubel  (10:50)

5.  - Mela Mela (7:15)

6.  - Uuta Ayaskefam / Semat Endateres  (8:54)

7.  - Lantchi Biye / Salamlantchi (9:28)

8.  - Altchalkoum * (8:01)

Personnel:

Mohammed ‘Jimmy’ Mohammed - vocals

Mesele Asmamaw - krar, backing vocals

Asnake Gebreyes - drums, backing vocals

Han Bennink - drums (1, 3, 4, 6, 8)

Getatchew Mekuria - saxophone (2, 3, 5)

Massimo Zu - bass (1)

Natnael Ayalew aka Nhatty - [2011] - Man [ethiopia]

Nhatty Man - Chiferaye

Who is Natnael Ayalew?

           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.

Nhatty Ayalew - Man (3:50)

Nhatty Ayalew - Shengay (4:47)

Nhatty Ayalew - Aletameneshim (4:27)

Nhatty Ayalew - Nefse alkerelegnem (4:21)

Nhatty Ayalew - Fiker gete (3:44)

Nhatty Ayalew - Atansem (6:20)

Nhatty Ayalew - Melke (4:13)

Nhatty Ayalew - Salayesh (4:27)

Nhatty Ayalew - Sifeked (4:32)

Nhatty Ayalew - Des yebelegn (5:00)

Nhatty Ayalew - Tasfelegignalesh (4:01)

Nhatty Ayalew - Lebe (4:42)

Nhatty Ayalew - Adis ken (5:45)

Nhatty Ayalew - Amerogn (4:29)

Ayoe Angelica - I'm Amazed [2008] [denmark+ethiopia]

Ayoe Angelica - Sugar

       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”