The Black Jesus Experience - Yeluinta [2010] [aus+ethiopia]

The Black Jesus Experience and Mulatu Astatke

       2010 release, a superb Funk/Hip-Hop album from the Australian band Black Jesus Experience - Yelluinta fuses an irresistible blend of traditional Ethiopian song and 21st Century groove. The rhymes and chimes of the band deliver the musical strength and beauty of Africa through the vocal prism of Hip-Hop and freedom of Jazz.

01 - The Black Jesus Experience - Arada (3:49)

02 - The Black Jesus Experience - Guraginya (4:18)

03 - The Black Jesus Experience - Don't Cry For The Fallen (4:41)

04 - The Black Jesus Experience - Yeluinta (5:05)

05 - The Black Jesus Experience - Lonnie's Lament-Dawitt Abatachew (5:15)

06 - The Black Jesus Experience - Let's Call Her (2:46)

07 - The Black Jesus Experience - Bohemia (5:38)

        Black Jesus Experience (BJX) is an 8 piece band playing an irresistibly danceable blend of traditional Ethiopian song and 21st Century groove. As diverse as the 5 continents the members of 'BJX' hail from, their music reflects the multicultural vibrancy of the band's hometown, Melbourne, Australia. 

       When not touring BJX run a weekly session at cultural hub The Horn where BJX create new songs live on stage. The comfort BJX has with this practice lies in the improvising traditions of that feed BJX including Hip Hop, Jazz, Azmari and Rutu Pa'u. 

        The music is also fed quite literally before each performance by the ritual of a group meal prepared by singer Enushu and MD Peter Harper in the Ethiopian tradition, "those who eat from the same plate will not betray each other". This inspires and reinforces bonds musical, social and spiritual, bonds BJX invite their audiences to join. 

      Enushu began entertaining her local community as a child in Addis Ababa. Forced to leave Ethiopia, Enushu migrated to Australia bringing hauntingly beautiful compositions inspired by her remarkable life story and the unique vocal traditions of Ethiopia. Enushu is joined on vocals by poetic giant and lyrical miracle The Monk, Zimbabwe born and Outback bred. 

     Highlights for BJX include two tours of "the Motherland" Ethiopia, performing with Ethiojazz legend Mulatu Astatke in Europe and Australia (an association which won BJX and Mulatu "The Age Best Tour" award) Glastonbury and other great festivals. 

    The rhymes and chimes of Black Jesus Experience deliver the power and beauty of Africa through the vocal prism of Hip-Hop and freedom of Funk.

members  :

Enushu Taye

Peter Harper

Ian Dixon

Liam Monkhouse

Chris Frangou

Matt Head

Zac Lister

v.a. - State of Eritrea - Natasha Stallard Transmissions 004 [2013] [eritrea]

       "Last August, I spent a week or so in Eritrea during the country's annual cultural festival. I was alone and documented a lot—buidings, food, the names of internet cafés, among other things. Hunting for music, I spent a lot of time in a small music shop opposite the Asmara post office. I was looking for RnB, but fell in love with the cover artwork of the EPLF (Eritrean People’s Liberation Front) cassette tapes instead. Recorded in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the songs were sung, performed, recorded and distributed among the various EPLF contingents during their 21 year struggle against the Ethiopian occupation and its infamous Derg, before winning independence in 1991.

       The silky voiced Tefono and female freedom fighter Abrehet Ankere were among the most popular singers as well as the much-loved Wedi Tikul,. The songs are still listened to today—mostly on cassette tape—and even the saddest lyrics move along happily with a popcorn kind of rhythm."

—NJ Stallard

tracklist :

01 - Kede'At Deki Hager — Fihira

02 — Ayresanayon 77 — Tefono

03 — Wahiz Gu'zo — Zemach

04 — Ab Bebeynu Ewan (Fechew version) — Wedi Tukul

05 — Sahil ilen tebegisen — Nighsti Nigo

06 — Keyih Nebri — Tefono

07 — Halaw Wesen — Gual Ankere

08 — Afriqawit Vietnam — Tefono

09 — Zimtse Yimtsa Werari — Fihira

42:45     72 mb

Arat Kilo - 12 Days in Addis [2013] [fra+ethiopia]

Arat Kilo - Babur feat. Socalled

       Ethiopian jazz is a major branch of African music that comes from the bars of Addis Ababa and draws its influence from jazz and traditional Ethiopian music, azmari, Latin sounds and Anglo-American funk. Choosing to adapt this music in a contemporary and more urban style, Arat Kilo draws inspiration from rock music and the hypnotic sounds of dub.

  Their show alternates compositions and standard Ethiopian arrangements (a beautiful meeting was held at RFI’s studio with Mulatu Astatké, the father of Ethiopian jazz) 

       Born of a meeting to the Musiqueyras’s festival in July 2008, Arat Kilo is an elecric quintet which revisits the Ethiopian jazz and grooves of the seventies: between modern grooves, compositions and Ethiopian standards.

01 - Arat Kilo - Ankober Hotel (3:42)

02 - Arat Kilo - Lonmewo Lalie (feat. Mimi) (3:24)

03 - Arat Kilo - Sugal Yelem (feat. Mimi) (4:15)

04 - Arat Kilo - Belu Inji (feat. Nardos Tesfaw & Fendika Crew) [Live] (4:00)

05 - Arat Kilo - Babur, Pt. 1 (S.Mos Remix) (3:00)

06 - Arat Kilo - Enie Konjo (Robert le Magnifique Remix) (3:10)

members are :

Fabien Girard - guitar, balafon
Michael Havard - saxophones, flute
Aristide Goncalves - trumpet, keyboards
Samuel Hirsch - bass, kalimba
Arnold Turpin - drums, melodica

Gérald Bonnegrace - congas, bongos

Tsehay Amare - Selam Wogenoche [ethiopia]

Tsehay Amare

01 - Tsehay Amare - Wollo (12:48)

02 - Tsehay Amare - Satenaw (7:03)

03 - Tsehay Amare - Bati (6:24)

04 - Tsehay Amare - Endeyerusalem (5:59)

05 - Tsehay Amare - Ambassel (5:00)

06 - Tsehay Amare - Selam (7:19)

07 - Tsehay Amare - Gubiliye (7:10)

08 - Tsehay Amare - Gella (5:38)

09 - Tsehay Amare - Wogene (8:26)

Yemane Barya Mix - Kolot Me Africa [2012] [eritrea]

Yemane Barya Mix

Yemane Barya Mix - Kolot Me Africa (37:34)

Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Live at Diksmuide [2006] [bootleg]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

      The meeting of the mythical Dutch punk-rock band The Ex and the legendary Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria has given rise to a CD (Terp Records) as well as many performances to enthusiastic audiences in various venues and festivals, among them the concert in Diksmuide.  

      Most compositions come from the Ehtiopian repertoire. While The Ex do not speak Amharic and Getatchew understands only a few words of English, communication flows between them, in the sensitive way they find musical solutions, the energy they put in and the instant pleasure of playing together.

Getatchew Mekuria (Mekurya) – Biography


Gétatchèw Mèkuria is an Ethiopian jazz saxophonist.

       Mèkuria began his musical studies on traditional Ethiopian instruments such as the krar and the messengo, and later moved on to the saxophone and the clarinet. Upon reaching adolescence, he began his career in 1949 as a part of the Municipality Band in Addis Ababa.

       In 1965 he joined the famous Police Orchestra. He was also one of the first musicians to play an instrumental version of the Ethiopian war chant “Shellela.” 

      With the album Negus of Ethiopian Sax (since re-released as part of the Ethiopiques CD series), Mekuria became known as internationally as one of the most important proponents of Ethio-jazz.

    He has had a long career working alongside many of the biggest orchestras in the Ethiopian capital. He has also accompanied Alemayehu Eshete, Hirut Beqele and Ayalew Mesfin. He still lives in Addis, and shows up regularly at the Sunset Bar at the Sheraton.

     In 1974, he became a professor of police orchestras (?) in Addis, where he still lives.

     The album "Negus of Ethiopian Sax" caught the ears of Dutch avant-garde/punk band The Ex who invited the septuagenarian sax player to perform at their 25th anniversary show in Amsterdam. In turn, Mekuria asked The Ex to be the backup band for his 2006 album, Moa Anbessa. The Ex and Mekuria toured The Netherlands, Belgium and France together in 2006 and 2007.

01. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Muziqawi Silt (5:24)

02. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Ethiopia Hagere (7:01)

03. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Sethed Seketelat (5:05)

04. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Ambassèl (5:06)

05. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Belomy Benna (6:16)

06. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Che Belew Shellela (4:41)

07. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Aynamaye Nesh (5:08)

08. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Aynotche terabu/Shemonmwanaye (8:08)

09. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Eoleyo (6:51)

10. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Aha Begena (6:57)

11. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - Tezalegn Yetentu (11:17)

12. Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex Orchestra - (Getatchew Mekuria solo encore) (4:35)

The Ex – Biography

      After their start in 1979 The Ex developed over the years into a melting-pot of divergent musical styles: noise, rock, jazz, improvisation, and ethnic music have been interweaved under one unique umbrella: ‘Ex-music’. Discordant, highly rhythmic guitars, the rolling, almost African drumming style, and the furious delivery of the often sarcastic lyrics give the music of The Ex its special character.

      So far, in almost 28 years, The Ex played 1,270 concerts all over Europe, Northern America and Africa, and made over 20 CD-albums. Never pigeon-holed into one of pop music’s corny corners, The Ex is continuously in development, and always open for new ideas and collaborations with people of all kinds, people who’s spirit inspires and appeals to the group. The main principle remained; to make music with heart and soul, out of reach of commercial trends or expectations. The consequent independent approach of the group and the manner in which they organize their concerts and release and distribute their records themselves, set a significant example for the alternative music circuit.