Born in Shashemene but originating from Bahir Dar, Eritbu (Solomon) Agegnehu’s heritage is of the rich tradition of Azmari. He began singing and playing masinqo under the tutorage of his father Agegnehu Askenaw, a well-known and accomplished Azmari. Eritbu moved to Addis Ababa at the age of 19 in pursuit of his musical dreams, creating a name for himself as an Azmari, performer and artist.
Eritbu "Solomon" Agegnehu - Wayne Wayne
His first album release was 2011’s "Zagol", which included the singles "Borena" and "Yeawi Lig". This was followed soon afterward by “Woyne Woyne”, which was and still is a big hit throughout Ethiopia. The following year he released the fusion single and accompanying video clip “Seyba Seyba” with bassist and producer Cassawarrior and later released “Wondome Hoy”, in which he sings of the respect deserved to women.
One of Eritbu’s driving ambitions is to return live instrumentation to the ears of the Ethiopian people, as well as to engage in fresh collaborations with international artists.
His performance history includes shows at Selam Festival, tours with Black Jesus Experience, a support show with Gigi, as well as collaborations with Badume Band, Magabo and Meklit Handro.
His latest album release “Besentu?” is further evidence of Eritbu’s development in character, technique and sound.
Ejigayehu Shibabaw, known by her stage name Gigi, is one of the most successful contemporary Ethiopian singers worldwide. She has brought the music of Ethiopia to wider recognition and developed it in combination with a wide variety of other genres often in collaboration with her husband Bill Laswell, a bassist and producer.
Gigi was born and raised in Chagni in northwestern Ethiopia. She has described learning traditional songs from an Ethiopian Orthodox priest in the family home. She lived in Kenya for a few years before moving to San Francisco in about 1998.
Gigi recorded two albums for the expatriate Ethiopian community, but it was her 2001 album, titled simply Gigi, that brought her widespread attention. She had been noticed by Palm Pictures owner Chris Blackwell, who had years earlier introduced reggae to the mainstream through his former label, Island Records. Blackwell and Gigi's producer (and later, husband) Bill Laswell, decided to use American jazz musicians (including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, and others) to accompany Gigi on the album.
The result was a fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds. The album was a critical success internationally and generated controversy in her home country for such a radical break with Ethiopian popular music. This release was soon followed by Illuminated Audio, an ambient dub style remix of the album by Laswell.
2003 saw the release of Zion Roots, under the band name Abyssinia Infinite. Bill Laswell played guitar and keyboard (instead of his usual bass), and several of Gigi's family members contributed vocals. The album was a return to a mainly acoustic sound for Gigi, incorporating instruments such as the krar and the tabla. The track "Gole" is in Agaw, the language of Gigi's father's village.
Gigi is married to her producer Bill Laswell, and they have a son, Aman, who has accompanied his parents with vocals. Her younger sister, singer Tigist Shibabaw, died under unknown circumstances in 2008.
Gigi - Gud Fella
Gigi - Vocals Bill Laswell - Producer, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards Abonesh Adenew, Dawit Melesse, Hebest Tirunehe, Imani Uzuri, Mizanekristos Yohannes, Tigist Shibabaw - Backing Vocals Thomas Gobena - Bass Hamid Drake, Mikias Abebayehu - Drums, Percussion Karsh Kale - Drums, Tabla, Keyboards Mark Taylor - French Horn David Gilmore, Nicky Skopelitis, Zakki Jewad - Guitar Abegasu Shiota, Amina Claudine Myers, Dereje Mekonnen, Herbie Hancock - Keyboards Abdou M'Boup, Aiyb Dieng, Melaku Gelaw, Setegne Satenaw - Percussion Henry Threadgill, Pharoah Sanders, Wayne Shorter - Saxophone Art Baron - Trombone- Accordion
Ethio Cali is a Los Angeles-based Ethio-Jazz ensemble, led by trumpeter, arranger, and composer Todd Simon. The ensemble’s sublime sound is inspired by the golden age of Ethiopian music of the 1960’s and 70’s, filtered through a lens that is uniquely Los Angeles. Acknowledging the diverse musical foundations of Ethio-Jazz, the ensemble also draws inspiration from the rhythmic and melodic textures across Africa, Central/Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ethio Cali – Live At The Blue Whale is an album composed of songs selected from various performances at The Blue Whale jazz venue located in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The recordings on this cassette are lo-fi in nature. They were recorded on a portable Webcore tape recorder by our friend, supporter, and avid field recorder, Moises Garcia. During each of our shows Moises would set up his recorder in various locations and record each of our sets. Sometimes he would hang the microphone from the ceiling and other times he would tape it to a wall. All of this happened unbeknownst to the members of Ethio Cali.
Months later, we heard these recordings during a casual late night hang in Highland Park. We were all taken aback by what we heard. The hiss, hums, and wobbly quality of the recordings had a vintage and endearing appeal that we couldn’t deny. We decided to share these recordings in hopes that you’ll appreciate some of the special and candid moments we’ve shared together on stage during this past year. We thank you for taking the time to listen.
Side A: 1) Green Tej 2) Ambasselita 3) Mela Mela feat. Dereb The Ambassador Side B: 1) A Mother's Love feat. MdCL 2) Fitsum Dink Lij Nesh 3) Ambassel (Fast)
Music Of Ethiopia - A 01 - Dinbush Gellan [a Love Song] (2:23) Music Of Ethiopia - A 02 - Harrari Festival (1:58) Music Of Ethiopia - A 03 - Yefikir Kaitema [an Amhara Symphony] (3:42) Music Of Ethiopia - A 04 - Hiliawsho (1:52) Music Of Ethiopia - A 05 - Ahay Lominai [a Love Song from Eritrea] (2:03) Music Of Ethiopia - A 06 - Denai Belew Belew (2:54) Music Of Ethiopia - A 07 - Bare Konda [a Concert] (1:19)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 01 - Demamai [a Gojam Love Song] (1:23)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 02 - Addis Ababa Yejanhoy (1:10)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 03 - Tinitina [Tigre Song-Dance] (2:11)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 04 - Gamai (1:19)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 05 - Yambulo [Song-Dance of the Wollamos] (1:15)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 06 - Wollamo Shilela [a Song of Patriotism] (1:09)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 07 - Hileliawsho (1:00)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 08 - Lembo (1:11)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 09 - Imimha [a Chant for Eskista] (0:41)
Music Of Ethiopia - B 09 - Aderegna [a Solo in Falsetto] (1:38)
