AIYE #60 : Mikael Seifu - Africa In Your Earbuds [ethiopia]

       Mikael Seifu is an Ethiopian electronic music producer & performer. Seifu fuses both the secular Ethiopian music of nomadic folk musicians, known as Azmaris, and the sonics of Tobia with garage & his own dream brew, which he calls “Ethiopian electronic.”

     Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Seifu attended the French school Lycee Guebre-Mariam as a child, and went on to study music production & the music industry at Ramapo College of New Jersey, a small school about 45 minutes outside of Manhattan. Here, Seifu studied under avant-garde composer, trumpeter and inventor of the “Mutantrumpet,” Ben Neill. “He opened me up to another way of thinking about music,” says Seifu.

Mikael Seifu - Yarada Lij

      After his time at Ramapo, Seifu traveled back to Addis Ababa where he currently runs his recording studio, a central hub for the perceptive & open-minded local musicians of Addis Ababa, and continues to cultivate & curate the local electronic & Ethiopian experimental music scene.

His debut EP, Yarada Lij, draws from a long list of musical influences including Ethiopian & African Folk, the Addis Acoustic Project, Ben Neill, Burial, Zion Rebels, Air, Röyksopp, reggae and R.F.

“My music is about vibrations…it does something to me and I want to immediately share that with people. It’s not Eastern, Western, Martian… it’s about that impact. If that impact is not shared, it doesn’t matter.” - Mikael Seifu

       Ethiopian beatsmith Mikael Seifu made his impressive debut this year with the 4-track Yarada Lij EP and loose single “Tuff Ruff” — a striking hybrid of house & UK garage production with secular azmari folk and sacred music traditions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Addis Ababa-based producer, who cites labelmate Endeguena Mulu, Burial, traditional Ethiopian folk, and Scott Storch as his influences, is the torch-bearing artist on the newly formed Washington, D.C. imprint 1432 R.What do you think?

      For his Africa In Your Earbuds mixtape, Mikael Seifu delivers an astounding, hazy journey through reinterpreted Ethiopian folk sounds. The producer mentions, “The last two songs are the only unaltered from the mix. I basically went for it and picked artists of Ethiopia or who are Ethiopian. That being said I used bits and pieces of their works and composed on top of that for the mix. One can say the majority of the mix is technically original stuff with it’s major influence and theme being Ethiopian folk."

https://soundcloud.com/okayafrica/africa-in-your-earbuds-60-mikael-seifu

Mikael Seifu - AIYE #60: Mikael Seifu (19:47)

Samples Used For Mix/Tracklist:

Ethiopian Folk

Tommy T - Oromo Dub(Cushitic Dub)

Gash Abera Molla - Enkutatash & other

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou - The Last Tears of a Deceased

Addis Acoustic Project - Soundcheck at Jazzamba Club

Hailu Mergia - Ambassel

Seifu Yohannes - Yekermo Sew

Zion Rebels ft. Lion Heart Soldiers, Tiger & Black Haze -  Dess Yebelesh

Lema Guebre-Hiwot - Medina Zelessegna

Alexo & Friends -Hulètshih [2013] [ethiopia]

More dub music from Ethiopia.

 Alexo & Friends - 01 - Hulètshih 1 (04:52)  

 Alexo & Friends - 02 - Hulètshih 2 (06:56)  

 Alexo & Friends - 03 - Hulètshih 3 (03:59)  

 Alexo & Friends - 04 - Hulètshih 4 (03:11)  

 Alexo & Friends - 05 - Hulètshih 5 (03:35)  

 Alexo & Friends - 06 - Hulètshih 6 (05:56)   

 Alexo & Friends - 07 - Hulètshih 7 (04:36)

Hulètshih 5 was previously released on "Molécules 5" vol.IV (Sous le manteau, 2009) titled "Wolayta" & on Ethiosonic's "Noise & Chill Out - Ethiopian Groove Worldwide" titled "Tètchawètu!" (Buda Musique, 2011) 

Composed & arranged by Leyekun Zewdu & Alexo 

Words by Helina Feqadu 

Vocals by Sertse Fresebhat 

Washint by Yonas Asrat 

Messenqo & krar by Leyekun Zewdu 

Alexo: bass, kebero, dubmaster 

Recorded in Alliance Ethio-Française of Addis Abeba by Covalesky & Alexo in 2007 

Sound artwork by Alexo & Covalesky 

Amen Dunes - Ethio Covers [2010] [EP] [usa+eth]

     Amen Dunes is the project of Damon McMahon, whose mix of folk, psychedelia, and atmospherics has drawn comparisons to Roky Erickson, Syd Barrett, Chris Knox, Suicide, and Royal Trux.

     

   Ethiopian pop is one of the world's strongest vernaculars, mainly because the guitars always sound wonderful and the singing is quite lovely and trembly. A far more astute analysis of one the country's vast archives is available through Buda Music's Ethiopiques, but Ethio Covers 7" by Amen Dunes is a nice entry point. Damon McMahon covers three unknown songs he found on a tape, layering sheened history and musicality with intelligence and depth. It's quite, quite lovely.

Amen Dunes - Ethio Song II

      The self description of the Ethio Covers 7″ from the Amen Dunes website is that it is a “downer take on three Ethiopian tracks culled from unnamed tapes.” 

      Anyone familiar with music from the Ethiopa knows that the pop music exported from the country is a often jubilant music that simmers with heat and high energy vocal arrangements.  These traits are not long for this world in the hands of McMahon.  He strips most the sun from these tracks and leaves a final product that is more detached than simmering. The three tracks, titled “Ethio Song I,” “Ethio Song II” and “Ethio Song III,” are sweetly meditative songs that do an excellent job of recreating the sweltering setting where McMahon first heard the originals.

      The three tracks are foggy yet sensual, with the ambient nature of the songs allowing for empty spaces where the listener can imprint their own feelings into the song (as good ambient songs are known to do).

     “Ethio” is all reverb guitars and wobbly vocals, creating an eerie ambiance that is somehow both soothing and unsettling. 

      “Ethio II” is more muted and restrained, with a haunted organ riff that dances around a skeletal drum beat and some truly warped vocal styling.  The three song 7″ is wrapped up with “Ethio III,” which splits the difference between the first two, with slightly more life than “Ethio” but more flesh and bone than “Ehthio II.”  

       All three tracks allow the listener to fall into a dream like trance and be swept up into the ether created by McMahon.  The songs still capture the vibrancy of the original Ethiopian tracks, but are surrounded and engulfed by the sonic textures that McMahon is so deft at creating.  The 7″ flies by in a brisk 11 minutes, but the time is well spent and the songs are packed full of life, showing again that the best ideas can really come from the most surprising places, even through the walls of your apartment.

01 - Amen Dunes - Ethio Song (5:03)

02 - Amen Dunes - Ethio Song II (3:31)

03 - Amen Dunes - Ethio Song III (2:26)

Yehunie Belay - Guzara [2007EC] [2014] [ethiopia]

      Yehunie Belay (Amharic: ይሁኔ በላይ, born December 9, 1961) is an Ethiopian singer, musical writer and entrepreneur. 

         At an early age, his exceptional musical talent got first exposure in the local kola Dega Damot regional talent group. It was in this group that Belay expanded his musical repertoire, learning among others, the unique styles of the Shankila ethnic group. In fact, Belay’s artistic talent was discovered at early age before he joined the Gojjam Gish Abay Cultural Group with whom he is famously known for.

       His first album, Yagere Lij Bal Game was a hit, but it was his second back-to-back hit album Ere Ney Gibe Gibe that earned him a spot among Ethiopia’s renowned folk singers. 

     Starting from his debut in 1987, Belay has risen to become a cultural ambassador of Ethiopia and Ethiopians performing to his fans throughout the world. In addition to his two single hit songs titled "Bahir Dar" released in 2013 and "Yegodelegne ale-Bezoro" that was released in 2011, Artist Yehunie has released six albums to his credit.

       Yehunie Belay was born to his Father Mr. Belay Melese, a farmer and a patriot of the people in the western part of the country known as Gojjam, and to his mother Mrs. Tadefalech Eneyew who was house wife raising taking care of three children including Yehunie. He started his early education in what is called Kes Temheret Bet attending from the age of four to seven. Then he joined Fenote Selame Kedamawe Haile Selassie Elementary School and further completed his secondary school in the year 1986 from Damote Comprehensive Secondary high school. Yehunie’s musical talent got its first exposure in the local kola Dega Damot regional talent group. In this group he expanded his musical repertoire, learning the unique signing & dancing styles of the Amhara, Benishangul gomez, Agaw and Oromo ethnicities. Artisit Yehunie’s musical richness at expressing the art of Ethiopia’s ethnicities is clearly displayed on his all- in-one unique song “Yangatom” that has a message of oneness and togetherness of all nations and nationalities. 

        Yehunie’s professional musical career started in the year 1986 when he was recruited into the Gojjam Gish Abay Cultural Group, a professional troupe that was touring Ethiopia throughout the 80's and 90's. It was after his very first televised performance of “Antuyewa” an authentic and original dramatic musical act that the name Yehunie Belay became a household trademark throughout the whole of Ethiopia. His success came as a result of hard work and strong dedication developed by mastering the art of music. To turn out and become as excellent exceptionally talented musician as he is now, Yehunie has to go through a refinement process through different stages beginning from Kebele (local) level, Woreda (district), Aweraja and finally to Kifle Hagre (state) level. 

       His first album “Yagere Lij Bale Game” a sensational hit, followed by his second back to back hit album “Ehe Na Na Hoy ena” and further release of “Ere Ney Gibe Gibe” on his third album release earned Artist Yehunie a spot among the few and the best Ethiopia’s renowned folk singers. His fame extended farther into the Ethiopian Community of the US, Europe and the Middle East. 

      After moving to the US in the early 90’s, Artist Yehunie yet released other hit albums like “alo lulo”, “Kuku Melekote”, “be-be Kefilaw”,“Yeman Nesh Wubetaw (Zegelila)”, Classic Collections and “Zengena”. Recently in the year of 2011, Artist Yehunie has released special Easter single song “Yegodelegne ale” for his fans all over the world. In this self-created and self-inspired sweet song, artist Yehunie sings about the love of his country- Ethiopia, its people, its great culture and way of life. Artist Yehunie Belay is not only a singer and performer but also an executive director of the Ethiopian Yellow pages Inc., a Washington DC based online & yellow pages publication and also Editor in chief of Bawza, an Amharic English newspaper publication. Yehunie seizes every opportunity to devote his time to promote the interests of the Ethiopian community in the US.

Yehunie Belay - Guzara 

01 - Yehunie Belay - Nafkeshigal (6:21)
02 - Yehunie Belay - Guzara (6:28)
03 - Yehunie Belay - Mesganaw Deg New (5:03)
04 - Yehunie Belay - Meshelem (6:19)
05 - Yehunie Belay - Betachin (5:44)
06 - Yehunie Belay - Endanchi Miyamer (6:13)
07 - Yehunie Belay - Siyamir Chewataw (7:00)
08 - Yehunie Belay - Hay Mulo (5:18)
09 - Yehunie Belay - Lisamish (6:23)
10 - Yehunie Belay - Dinye (4:51)

Mister Ott - Live at Bohemian Grove [2012] [aus+eth]

       Mister Ott is the alter ego of Matt Ottignon, Sydney based Kiwi saxophonist. In particular, Matt has a keen interest and involvement with the very unique sounds of Ethiopian music. It’s that unique mixture of traditional music with jazz and soul from the 50's and 60's that is the inspiration for Mister Ott - music that washes away the dust of everyday life and gives the soul room to breathe.

MISTER OTT - Gonder [composed by Matthew Ottignon]

     Live at Venue 505, 15th June 2013

Recorded live on Sep 2nd, 2012, at Sydney's underground Sunday music series at Bohemian Grove. 

This was the band's first performance, and features all covers of Ethiopian music. The band name became Mister Ott some time after the artwork was created for this recording.

released 09 February 2012 

01 - Mister Ott - Akale Wube (Getatchew Mekuria) (5:32)

02 - Mister Ott - Yekermo Set (Mulatu Astatke) (7:27)

03 - Mister Ott - Ye Woyen Haregitu (Alemayehu Eshete) (6:13)

04 - Mister Ott - Chik Chikka (Mulatu Astatke) (7:22)

05 - Mister Ott - Kulun Mankwalesh (Mulatu Astatke) (3:53)

06 - Mister Ott - Yekatit (Mulatu Astatke) (8:40)

07 - Mister Ott - Eywat Sentenafegagn (Getatchew Mekuria) (5:12)

08 - Mister Ott - Muziqawi Silt (Wallias Band) (5:42)

Matt Ottignon - tenor sax, flute 

Ellen Kirkwood - trumpet 

Mick Stuart - guitar 

Luke Dubber - keys 

Eden Ottignon - bass 

Dan Kenedy - drums 

Engineer - Mick Stuart (on his portable recording rig) 

Ethioda - Araray [2013] [fra+ethiopia]

       Ethioda (Montpellier) is a group that revisits the Ethiopian jazz through original compositions, improvisations and electro atmospheres. The Ethio-jazz whose golden age is in the 70s (remember Mahmoud Ahmed and his "Ere Mela Mela") leaves reappear east, funk and reggae sounds.

Ethioda - Araray

"Fly to the rhythms, a round and warm, flights of fancy jazz-electro hair-raising ... sudden urge to move your shoulders? No doubt, this is the call of the highlands of Abyssinia, which sounds in music Ethioda! An invitation to travel through an intoxicating music. "

       Inspired by the famous recordings "Ethiopiques' 70s, of the Montpellier Ethioda decide to put their two cents in a musical style that goes well beyond the regions of Addis Ababa. 

Group compositions and arrangements of traditional songs to the jungle sauce, any excuse is good in these addicts trance to drive the audience into the dance, amid endless crazy solos and grooves!

         It was in September 2013 that the group decided to record his first album "Araray." 

The Ethiopian word "araray" (Amharic) denotes a range of five notes you play for big festive occasions. 

This word alone can evoke the process of Ethioda Group:

take the audience to dance, while offering a very instrumental and improvised music in a festive atmosphere.

        Araray is also the name of one of the group's compositions, where the influence of Ethiopian music crosses syncope Jamaican reggae.

01 - Ethioda - En plein dans le Nil (6:00)

02 - Ethioda - Bati (5:46)

03 - Ethioda - Metche new (6:06)

04 - Ethioda - Gedawo (4:24)

05 - Ethioda - Araray (4:54)

06 - Ethioda - Amlak abet abet (6:16)

07 - Ethioda - Musiqawi Silt (4:34)

musicians : 

Daniel Moreau (piano), 

Baptiste Clerc (guitar), 

Armel Courrée (saxophones), 

Pascal Bouvier (trombone), 

Romain Delorme (bass), 

Julien Grégoire (drums).