Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - [1985] - [ethiopia]

              Hailu Mergia was born in Debre Birhan, Showa Province, Ethiopia in 1938 (1946 in the European calendar) to parents Tewabech Ezineh and Mergia Lulessa, who were of Amhara and Oromo ancestry, respectively. His mother took him to Aynemisa, close to Addis, where he grew up from age 3 until he was 10 when they moved to the capital Addis Ababa.

                Hailu went to Shimelis Habte high school but dropped out before graduating. In 1952 (1960 in European calendar), he joined the army music department as a boy scout to support his mother. Mergia stayed in the army almost two years, learning how to read and write music.

                After Hailu left the army, he started singing in small bars as a freelance musician. He joined various pick-up bands, touring across the Ethiopian provinces as a singer and accordion player for almost a year. After the group broke up, he started performing in nightclubs like Addis Ababa, Patrice Lumumba, Asegedech Alamrew, Sombrero, Zula Club and others. At Zula Club he and his mates formed Walias Band and did something no other band in Ethiopian nightclub history had done: they started buying their own musical instruments. Until then the club owners were supplying the instruments and had the power to fire musicians at will.

Zula Band 

             For the first time ever Walias Band signed a contract with the owner of Venus Club as a group thereby protecting themselves from club owners. Mergia and Walias Band went on to do gigs at hotels like Wabi Shebele and the Hilton.

             After playing almost eight years at the Hilton Hotel, Mergia and Walias Band came to the United States and toured widely in 1982-1983. Afterwards, some of of the band stayed in America while others went back to Addis. That was a heartbreaking time for the band. They considered themselves a family, and they knew they had broken new ground in the history of Addis nightclub musicians. They had helped make the Ashantis Band from Kenya famous in Addis.

         They were the first private band who played for state dinners at the palace for the Derg government (twice). And, they were the first private band to tour the USA. After the break-up of Walias Band, Mergia settled in the States and formed Zula Band with Moges Habte and Tamiru Ayele, playing in different restaurants and touring in the States and Europe.

             At that time, Mergia made a one-man band recording with accordion for the first time, mixing in Rhodes electric piano, Moog synthesizer and a rhythm machine. That was 1985. This recording was inspired by the early memories of his first instrument, the accordion. After the break-up of Zula Band in 1992, he quit performing and ran Soukous Club for seven years with his partners Moges and Tamiru.

          Hailu Mergia weaves Moog DX7 synthesizer, Rhodes electric piano and rhythm machine into the rich harmonic layering of his accordion, creating hauntingly psychedelic, elegantly arranged instrumentals. These tunes draw from famous traditional and modern Ethiopian songs, as Hailu brilliantly matches lush Amhara, Tigrinya and Oromo melodies with otherworldly flavors soaked in jazz and blues, synthesizing a futuristic landscape. He balances Ethiopian music's signature melodic shape with beautiful analog synth touches, floating upon clouds of hypnotically minimal rhythm tracks.

       Nowadays he's making his living as a self-employed taxi driver at Dulles International Airport while continuing to record his music and practice as often as possible. 

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 01 - Akal Aynish (7:46)

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 02 - Kotume (7:00)

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 03 - Ere Min Yishalegnal (6:54)

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 04 - Ayaskefam (7:15)

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 05 - Alamnim (8:39)

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 06 - Wusheten New (5:58)

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 07 - Hallo Hallo (6:33)

Hailu Mergia and Zula Band - 08 - Engidaye Nesh (7:44)

Hirut Bekele - Gelawa [feat.Tadele Bekele] [ethiopia]

           Step by step, piece by piece, bit by bit ... and the big puzzle of ethiopian oldies is slowly but steadily completing.

          Here is the almost unavailable Hirut Bekele's CD Gelawa. I got it from one of my ethiopian friends. 

Hirut Bekele - Endiaw Zim

          At the conclusion of her music career, the one thing that remained as intact as it has always been is that Artist Hirut Bekele is still the love of her fans and millions of admirers around the world, even myself now I can openly say that, I don’t think if I will ever love any artist as much as I have loved this stunningly gifted vocalist, who is simply as remarkable as a lone “ጽጌረዳ” in the garden.

              You can trace the journey of Hirut Bekele in the music field all the way down to five decades or more and still find her as one of the most dynamically famous artist of all time and surprisingly her songs remained as fresh as they were back in the days, and it appears that, nothing has ever changed since then, except she is no longer in the crowd.

          Off course, like most Ethiopian public figures of her time, even Hirut Bekele herself has taken a long road to fame which was full of unexpected setbacks and missteps along the way but manged to be counted among the greatest contributors in Ethiopian history,

           Plus the countless unforgettable songs that she left behind in the care of her fans across the continent, will forever keep her in the heart of millions.

May God bless the remaining journey of the legendary vocalist.

                                                                                       

          by Eduardo Byrono

Hirut Bekele - 01 - Endiaw Zim (6:12)

Hirut Bekele - 02 - Ere Endet Neh (5:22)

Hirut Bekele - 03 - Shebelaye (6:33)

Hirut Bekele - 04 - Tadele Gelawa (6:06)

Hirut Bekele - 05 - Lib Asataw (4:18)

Hirut Bekele - 06 - Essu Lij Yene Newu (4:21)

Hirut Bekele - 07 - Libe Abro (5:23)

Hirut Bekele - 08 - Anten Bemalete (4:03)

Hirut Bekele - 09 - Demam Konjo (5:25)

Hirut Bekele - 10 - Atiubegn (5:37)

Hirut Bekele - 11 - Endemin Aleh (7:14)

Hailu Mergia & The Walias Band - Unknown instrumental album [poor cassette rip] [ethiopia]

      Awesome Tapes From Africa   are to reissue a third album by cult Ethiopian jazz pianist and synth pioneer Hailu Mergia. Writing on Facebook, the label say that Wede Harer Guzo was recorded with the Dahlak Band in 1978 in Addis Ababa, in the wake of Mergia’s 1978 success Tche Belew. Album is goiing to be released on June 17th 2016.

Read more here :

     As a prelude to this long-awaited lost treasure, I am posting one of Hailu Mergia's "lost tapes", unknown instrumental album with Walias Band. 

Walias Band - rare ethiopian groove

          Walias Band (sometimes spelled Wallias Band; Amharic: ዋሊያስ ባንድ?) were an Ethiopian Jazz and funk band active from the early 1970s until the early 1990s. Formed by members of the Venus Band, Walias backed up many prominent singers with a hard polyrhythmic funk sound influenced by western artists like King Curtis, Junior Walker and Maceo Parker. In 1977 they recorded one of the few albums of Ethiopian instrumental music in collaboration with vibraphonist Mulatu Astatke, whose role as a bandleader and composer was also a major influence on Ethiopian popular music.

             In 1981 Walias became the first modern Ethiopian band to travel to the United States, playing on a tour with singer Mahmoud Ahmed primarily to audiences of Ethiopian refugees. Four members—Girma Bèyènè, Mogès Habté, Mèlakè Gèbrè and Hailu Mergia—stayed in the U.S. and formed a new group called Zula Band in favor of returning to live in Ethiopia under its dictatorship. Mergia took work in Washington DC driving a taxi cab and released solo cassette tapes of traditional Ethiopian music played on analog synthesizer, electric piano and accordion. The remaining members—Yohannes Tèkola and Tèmarè Harègou—continued to play together under the Derg dictatorship for another decade.

              In the late 1990s Walias Band found a wider audience in the west when the French label Buda Records reissued much of the group's music on the Ethiopiques series of compact discs. Their instrumental, "Musicawi Silt", became a popular dance number and has been covered by a number of artists.

        The Walias Band's name derives from the walia ibex, an endangered species of the Capra genus native to the mountains of Ethiopia. They share no members with the similarly named Ibex Band who also backed up Mahmoud Ahmed during the same epoch.

         Vocalists that Walias worked with included Getachew Kassa, Mahmoud Ahmed, Woubishet Fisseha, Alemayehu Borobor, Seyoum Gebreyes, Netsanet Mellessè and Tilahun Gessesse.

Members : 

Girma Beyene - Piano, electric piano, arranger

Hailu Mergia - Organ, Moog synthesizer

Mahmoud Aman - Guitar

Alemseged Kebede - Bass

Temare Haragy - Drums, percussion

Yohanese Tekola - Trumpet

Moges Habte - Tenor saxophone

Tracklist : 

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 01 - Nanu Nanu Neyi (5:58)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 02 - Turun Feri (5:55)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 03 - Kemekem (6:38)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 04 - Tiz Alechign Zare (5:55)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 05 - Yekereme Fikir (6:28)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 06 - Monaliza (6:22)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 07 - Nafkote (Aynoche Terabu) (5:49)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 08 - Emo Yedigere (4:28)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 09 - Munaye (7:59)

Hailu Mergia & Walias Band - 10 - Alem Zemene (6:20)

Yeshi Demelash - Qene [2012] [ethiopia]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D    

Yeshi Demelash - Ela (2018)

       Yeshi Demelash has been called “arguably the most talented contemporary female Ethiopian jazz singer.”

             Musicians like Theodros Tadesse, Aster Aweke, and Gigi inspired Yeshi in her teens which later led her join Yared, Addis Ababa University school of music in 2004, where she majored in flute and minored in piano. 

          Apart from her music work Yeshi has also worked on a movie, worked as a radio host and as a music teacher. But she is highly known for her strong and constructive criticisims have let her establish a reputation in the field. 

        In 2012 Yeshi has released album titled "Qene" an ode to Ethiopia’s ancient literary and oral traditions, which has taken more than a year to prepare. Her new album has taken the Ethiopian music industry by storm with her pop and jazz amharic fusion styled musics.

Now Yeshi’s voice has captured the attention of New York-based producer Bill Laswell — the person behind the records of Jano and Gigi — and he is currently remixing one of her songs entitled Fano. 

Yeshi plans to work on a new album with Laswell when she begin her first American tour.

01. Yeshi Demelash - Fano (3:25)
02. Yeshi Demelash - Qene (4:56)
03. Yeshi Demelash - Tekusena Berad (4:02)
04. Yeshi Demelash - Melkamena Kefu (4:09)
05. Yeshi Demelash - Na (3:26)
06. Yeshi Demelash - Geday Neh (4:17)
07. Yeshi Demelash - Habesha (4:13)
08. Yeshi Demelash - Kokob (3:46)
09. Yeshi Demelash - Dekmete (5:08)
10. Yeshi Demelash - Zare (4:14)
11. Yeshi Demelash - Hager (5:00)
12. Yeshi Demelash - Sakena Chewata (4:50)

Anemut Kinde - Tizeta (Best of Ethiopian Traditional Instrument) [2001] [ethiopia]

            The washint is an end-blown wooden flute originally used by the Amhara people in Ethiopia. The washint is common in the highlands. Traditionally, Amharic musicians would pass on their oral history through song accompanied by the washint as well as the krar, a six stringed lyre, and the masenqo, a one string fiddle.

Anemut Kinde - Washint

         The washint can be constructed using wood, bamboo, or other cane. Varieties exists in different lengths and relative fingerhole placement, and a performer might use several different flutes over the course of a performance to accommodate different song types. It generally has four finger-holes, which allows the player to create a pentatonic scale.

         The washint is widely used traditional musical instrument. It is typically played by Ethiopian shepherds while herding cattle. The bamboo flute usually has four to six holes. Ethiopian youth learn to play this instrument at a very early age. 

           Yohannes Afework, a member of the famous Orchestra Ethiopia of the 1960s, and Animut Kinde are among the most popular players of this instrument.

Anemut Kinde - 01. Balageru (6:03)

Anemut Kinde - 02. Kesemayu Belay (6:48)

Anemut Kinde - 03. Ayine Hulgeze (4:44)

Anemut Kinde - 04. Yetosa Terara (6:49)

Anemut Kinde - 05. Ehehe (6:54)

Anemut Kinde - 06. Tew Erese Gebere (4:56)

Anemut Kinde - 07. Meniew Teleyechgne (6:28)

Anemut Kinde - 08. Welo Gerageru (6:48)

Anemut Kinde - 09. Belew (4:41)

Anemut Kinde - 10. Alteweyayenem (4:07)

Anemut Kinde - 11. Etete Beredegne (5:21)

Anemut Kinde - 12. Amesgnoshale (4:30)

Daniel WoldeGabriel - Adona [2005] [ethiopia]

Daniel WoldeGabriel - Befikirish Meyaze

Daniel Woldegabriel - 01 - Kiber Temesigen  (5:06)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 02 - Hodie Baba  (4:12)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 03 - Bati  (8:44)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 04 - Demam  (6:02)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 05 - Ethiopia  (4:26)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 06 - Adona  (4:37)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 07 - Bawetaw Baweridew  (3:43)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 08 - Meroleyo  (6:16)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 09 - Wahoye  (5:04)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 10 - Atibelam Enguday  (4:54)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 11 - Minjar  (5:18)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 12 - Kenenisa  (5:40)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 13 - Belay Zeleke  (4:19)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 14 - Konjo  (7:50)

Daniel Woldegabriel - 15 - Wedehuala Hedesh  (3:06)