Hamelmal Abate, born in Harar, Ethiopia, is the queen of Ethiopian music. Her incredible voice and timeless arrangements appeal to traditional and modern tastes alike, which is why her live shows play to sold out crowds around the world.
The Feedel Band’s sound can best be described as an east African jazz, a merging of 1960s R&B and funk with traditional Ethiopian songs and instruments, the band features artists and music from the hugely popular Éthiopiques series on the Buda CD label that has helped turn Ethiopian music from the 60s and 70s into a hipster obsession.
The band consists of many of Ethiopia's greatest artists who create original songs inspired by the Golden Age of Ethiopian popular music in the late 1960s and 70s— a time that had Addis Ababa littered with groups playing brass-heavy concoctions influenced by American soul and jazz. The band’s pentatonic melodies are repurposed with mutated instrumentation like 60s and 70s-era Ethiopian grooves played on congas, electric guitar, bass, saxophone, krar, mesenko, piano, organ, trombone and drums.
Feedel Band - Araya's Mood
The members of Feedel Band are all acclaimed
musicians in their own right Feedel’s sax player Moges Habte
can be heard performing the funky James Brown Bandinfluenced
cut “Muziqawi Silt” on Éthiopiques’ Volume
13 with his ’70s group the Walias Band. Their bass
player Alemseged Kebede's groovy bass lines could be
found in many of Aster Aweke and Tilahune Gessesse's
music. Also in the band is Araya Woldemichael who is
the founder of the band, composer, Keyboardist and a
producer. They will be joined by Mikias Abebayehu on
drums/congas, Kaleb Temesgen on electric guitar, Kenneth
Joseph on drums, Omar Little on trumpet, Minale Bezu
on krar (stringed lyre)/vocal, Setegn Atenaw on
mesenko/vocal, Feleke Hailu on alto sax, Thomas
Young, Fasil Bezabeh and Almaz Getahun on traditional
No more significant than the term "jazz" but funny and percussive, "Ompa Bompa" becomes the name of the formation after being the title of a piece. Inaugurated around the compositions of the pianist, Ompa Bompa was born in June 2001 with five musicians who, through this training, will exploit their taste for exploration and creation. This repertoire gives rise to a first disc: "Clap Mental" (2003).
In 2004, Ompa Bompa revisits the music of Duke Ellington and creates the "Duke, Jungle" repertoire, on the occasion of "Jazz en scène" (federation of jazz scenes and improvised music). ". Two new instruments (trumpet and alto saxophone) add to the copper section. This repertoire marked an important shift in the style and play of the group.
"To Our Dearly Beloved" was created in 2009. The compositions of this repertoire offer the listener a personal and original reading of the famous novel by Toni Morrison "Beloved". This project gave rise to many performances and a record (2011) which you can purchase on this site (cf homepage).
The band has performed in several festivals (Rhino Jazz Festival, Charlie Jazz Festival, Les Jazzeries d'Hiver in Saint Etienne, Alphonse in Madness in Prissé, Festival du Haut Livradois, Jazz au Sommet, Jazz in Vienna, Jazz en Scène ...), theater productions (The Peristyle of Lyon Opera, Cavajazz in Viviers, Presles Inns, Médiathèque de Firminy, Jazz Club de Savoie, Le Périscope in Lyon, Moulin à Jazz in Vitrolles, Pax in Saint Etienne, Le Puy de la Lune in Clermont-Ferrand, the Hot Club of Lyon) or cultural seasons (Miramas, Saint-Victor on the Loire, Horme, Saint Quentin Fallavier ...)
Hamelmal Abate was born in Harar and grew up in eastern Ethiopia a city called Asebe Teferi. She is a strong woman who established herself as the reigning queen of Ethiopian music.
Her incredible voice and timeless arrangements appeal to traditional and modern tastes alike, which is why her live shows play to sold out crowds allover the world.
Ethiomystic is a fusion of traditional and contemporary jazz, reggae and rock that makes you want to listen to it again and again. I tried to offer simplicity using just a few instruments. Yet, there’s a layered approach, with rhythm, melody, and harmonies that unlocks a unique, refined sound. - Paulos Tadesse
Instrumental music situated at the crossroads of many of influences- traditional song, afro-beat, reggae, jazz and funk.
