Ali Birra - Jaalala Biyyaa [2005] [ethiopia]

Ali Birra - Jaalaluma teeti - Live (Oromo Music 2013)

Ali Birra was born in Dire Dhawa.

In his early years, Ali used to do small on-sreet business so as to support himself as a means of livelihood. When he was 13, he joined Afran Qallo cultural group which was then oprerating unofficially to promote the Oromo music and culture. 

The first song that he sung on stage was called "Birra dha Bari'e" so that the people nicknamed him "Ali Birra", meaning "Ali the Spring". The Haile Selasie regime banned the group in 1965 and arrested some of its members. Ali escaped arrest and moved to Finfinne (the current Addis Ababa).

Born on May 26, 1948, Ali Mohammed Musa grew up in Dire Dawa, Eastern Oromia, at a time when, according to Oromo historian Mohammed Hassan, “writing, teaching, preaching and broadcasting in the Oromo language was banned in Ethiopia.” It was also an era where speaking Afan Oromo was ridiculed, and Oromos were still called by derogatory names like Galla and Qottu.

At fourteen, Ali joined a group of youngsters from his neighborhood to form the Hiriyaa Jaalala band. Shortly thereafter, he received an unexpected invitation from the Afran Qallo Band, the first modern Afan Oromo band, to perform before a live audience during the 1963 celebration of Eid al-Fitr. This event forever altered the trajectory of Ali’s life. In his first public musical act, Ali sang “Birraa dhaa Barihe” roughly translated as ‘the break of dawn’ from which he received the much-adored last name: Birra. Though the Afran Qallo Band struggled under the repressive Abyssinian regime which eventually disbanded them, the exposure was irreversibly uplifting and lit an indistinguishable spark in Ali’s heart.

In a forthcoming book, A Fifty Year Journey for the Love of Music and His People, Oromo scholar Mohammed Hassan describes Ali as “a great gift to the Oromo people and to the world of music.”Birra’s extraordinary voice elevated Oromo music to the world stage, raised Oromo national consciousness, and created a space for connection to “home” for those forced into exile. A fluent speaker of Swedish, Arabic, Amharic, Oromo, Harari, English, and Somali languages, Birra is a rare talent who sings in six different world languages – a feat no other Ethiopian singer has achieved.

Widely held as the greatest and most successful singer in Oromo history, Birra is – as sociologist Gammachu Magarsa writes – “an embodiment of our national aspiration for freedom, equality and unity.” During his 50 year musical career, Birra produced more than 260 first-rate songs. He began staring at Haile Selassie’s Imperial Body Guard Orchestra and played countless times at local nightclubs around Addis Ababa. Finding more opportunities abroad, Ali left Ethiopia and has since performed concerts across six continents.

In many ways, Birra did not escape the hardships endured by ordinary Oromos under successive oppressive Abyssinian regimes in Ethiopia. A year into his new life as a singer, Birra was detained for allegedly ridiculing emperor Haile Selassie during a short visit to Djibouti in 1964. As his wife Lily Marcos-Birra noted in a book chapter she had written about his life, Ali was later forced out of the Imperial Orchestra for refusing to vow for the despot emperor and referring to him as a “human being.”

While Birra broke no official law, in those days, singing in Afan Oromo itself was still considered a political act and an illegal one at that. Yet, Birra always fought back through his music. As his singing style matured, Birra’s lyrics became more political addressing such landmark political events as feudal landlordism, the introduction of socialism, an artificial division in the Oromo camp after the 1974 revolution, Oromo emancipation, exile, and dispossession of the peasantry.

Today, for the vast majority of the Oromo Diaspora, Birra’s tender and nostalgic tunes serve as an emotional link to a distant homeland and loved ones left behind. Ali’s music inspires people to dance, reminiscence, and feel a sense of belonging. His beautifully haunting voice, often recorded only with a guitar, laments Oromos ongoing quest for freedom and dignity; with the same voice, he sings Bareedni Uuma – natural beauty.

In recognition of his unmistakable influence and talent, Birra has received over 30 awards from Oromo communities around the world – most for Lifetime Achievement. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of music degree from Jimma University, the first by any Oromo as Dr. Hassan observes in the book.

As with all things “Oromo,” Oromo music still does not get the recognition it deserves in Ethiopia. During his career, Ali has performed alongside Amharic music legends such as Bizunesh Bekele, Tilahun Gessesse, and Mahmoud Ahmed. However, while they are nationally celebrated, the promoters of Ethiopian music are yet to embrace an Oromo singer, even one as accomplished as Ali Birra. Despite the systemic hurdles Ali had to overcome to find his voice, without a doubt, he is among Africa’s musical greats like Femi Kuti of Nigeria, South Africa’s Mariam Makeba, DRC’s Kanda Bongo Man, and Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour, to name but few.

Ali has inspired a long list of talented Oromo musicians but as Addis Rumble’s Andreas Hansen observed last year, “none of them have carved out a sound as unique as the one that characterizes many of Ali’s recordings from the 60’s and 70’s: the one of a guitar tuned as an oud.” Ali, who studied Music Theory at Santa Monica College in California, told Hansen, “I believe in small incremental changes to my music while staying faithful to its origins. I have tried to use new technological means while respecting the past.”

In addition to the gift of his music, Birra also supports local schools and children in disadvantaged communities in Oromia through Birra Children’s Education Fund, a non-profit he created in 2011. After his retirement from music, Birra and his wife Lily are committed to developing innovative and sustainable solutions to improve access to quality education in Ethiopia.

On the evening of the Fourth of July 2013, Oromo communities from around the world will gather in Minneapolis, Minnesota to pay homage to a man idolized by an entire generation of Oromo. Ali Birra’s Golden Jubilee will feature a star-studded concert, tributes by those who have known and worked with him, and the release of a short biographical book with contextual analysis of his songs. He is also expected to mark the milestone by unveiling what would be his final album.

01 - Ali Birra - Bareedu Oromoo (7:18)

02 - Ali Birra - Jaalala Biyyaa (5:22)

03 - Ali Birra - Dirre (6:22)

04 - Ali Birra - Keeysummaa (5:37)

05 - Ali Birra - Jaalalatti Hintabatin (5:42)

06 - Ali Birra - Fijjaa Baha (4:58)

07 - Ali Birra - Assabalahoo (7:58)

08 - Ali Birra - Aniis Biyyaan Qaba (5:39)

09 - Ali Birra - Isiniitubeeka (6:01)

10 - Ali Birra - Abdii (5:28)

Fessehaye Negusse - Wedding songs [2000] - [eritrea]

01 - Fessehaye Negusse - Asheney Bele (7:34)
02 - Fessehaye Negusse - Anbesa Mesiekaley (6:03)
03 - Fessehaye Negusse - Awlo (9:02)
04 - Fessehaye Negusse - Embilta (4:23)
05 - Fessehaye Negusse - Hsab Lebey Semirately (6:15)
06 - Fessehaye Negusse - Eselle Eselle (7:41)
07 - Fessehaye Negusse - Enkua Te'alele (7:46)
08 - Fessehaye Negusse - Endahemenye (6:04)
09 - Fessehaye Negusse - Zeabeye Ab Maywesen (4:48)

Melkamu Tebeje - Alguaguam [ethiopia]

Melkamu Tebeje - Lebe Berha New

Melkamu Tebeje are one of Ethiopia’s history-making singers who have been able to contribute, in his own unique ways, to the Ethiopian cultural and artistic renaissance.

He was born in Sidamo region in Ethiopia in 1946. Melkamu has written and produced over 200 songs over the course of 30 years. He is famous for a song called "Awassa, Langano" 

01 - Melkamu Tebeje - Are mela metu (3:20)

02 - Melkamu Tebeje - Anchi temari (3:10)

03 - Melkamu Tebeje - Alguaguam (4:23)

04 - Melkamu Tebeje - Cheb cheb (5:59)

05 - Melkamu Tebeje - Kertual menadede (3:49)

06 - Melkamu Tebeje - Dehna hugni (7:20)

07 - Melkamu Tebeje - Lebe bereha new (3:36)

08 - Melkamu Tebeje - Sentun asalefen (4:03)

09 - Melkamu Tebeje - Wa sew mehon (4:07)

10 - Melkamu Tebeje - Wub ethiopiawit (2:52)

11 - Melkamu Tebeje - Yeleben adarash (3:43)

12 - Melkamu Tebeje - Tabot yemesel (7:41)

Marshet Damtew - Ante Yene [ethiopia]

01 - Marshet Damtew - Ethiopia (5:29)

02 - Marshet Damtew - Ante Yene (7:14)

03 - Marshet Damtew - Ketesmaman (5:03)

04 - Marshet Damtew - Yeafaru Wotat (5:11)

05 - Marshet Damtew - Astawusegn (4:33)

06 - Marshet Damtew - Demo (5:01)

07 - Marshet Damtew - Fikir Neh (5:10)

08 - Marshet Damtew - Meli (5:45)

08 - Marshet Damtew - Bigebah (5:30)

09 - Marshet Damtew - Enes Ferahu (5:14)

10 - Marshet Damtew - Gud Alfera Bileh (4:54)

11 - Marshet Damtew - Ante Yene (Studio Mix) (5:32)

Michael Lemma Demessew - Des Bilagnalech [2014] [ethiopia]

Michael Lemma Demissew ''ደስ ብላኛለች''

01 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Des Bilagnalech (3:22)

02 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Libe Sira Feto (4:12)

03 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Yene Hasab (4:53)

04 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Mekeyershin Salawk (2:49)

05 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Ende Anchi Alayehum (4:04)

06 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Anchi Konjo (3:09)

07 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Fikrie Dresh (4:36)

08 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Adrashash Tefabgne (3:16)

09 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Kelib Enwaded (4:06)

10 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Astawsalehu (4:28)

11 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Keandu Biet Andu Biet (2:44)

12 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Tizita (5:27)

13 - Michael Lemma Demissew - Min Bedelkuat (3:35)

Genet Masresha - Lib Wulek [ethiopia]

Genet Masresha - Ambassel

Genet Masresha - Lib Wulek (5:59)

Genet Masresha - Gojam (6:17)

Genet Masresha - Awdamet (4:54)

Genet Masresha - Dera (6:04)

Genet Masresha - Wollo (4:52)

Genet Masresha - Gonder (5:09)

Genet Masresha - Minjar (5:42)

Genet Masresha - Ande Bellen (4:34)

Genet Masresha - Gudseragn (4:26)

Genet Masresha - Wushet (5:01)

Genet Masresha - Alem (4:24)

Genet Masresha - Anbassel (6:10)

Mesfin Abebe - Wubetua [ethiopia]

Mesfin Abebe

01 - Mesfin Abebe - Woy Gerum (4:34)
02 - Mesfin Abebe - Tesfa (4:47)
03 - Mesfin Abebe - Balshiw Bicha (5:56)
04 - Mesfin Abebe - Maleda (4:40)
05 - Mesfin Abebe - Kal Kidan (4:31)
06 - Mesfin Abebe - Wa Belual Amora (3:32)
07 - Mesfin Abebe - Yedesta Ken (5:43)
08 - Mesfin Abebe - Bel Bel (Wollo) (4:41)
09 - Mesfin Abebe - Fikir Eda New (5:14)
10 - Mesfin Abebe - Ergibea (4:46)
11 - Mesfin Abebe - Nafkote (6:31)
12 - Mesfin Abebe - Soderea (4:08)
13 - Mesfin Abebe - Eruk Ager (5:59)

Haussein Shiekh & Radio Mogadisco Swahili Singers - Baijun Ballad s- Somali Songs in Swahili [1970] [somalia]

Haussein Shiekh & Radio Mogadisco Swahili Singers 


01 - Pumbao, Fun, Or Enjoyment (7:30)
02 - Furaha, Happiness (6:16)
03 - Kikombe Cha Zari, The Decorated Cup (4:31)
05 - Gungo, Wedding Invitation (2:19)
06 - Bembea Mtoto (5:39)
07 - Safaridi, Martin Bird (3:20)
08 - Sini Mwana, I Have No Son (4:30)
09 - Kasikazi Vuma, Oh, Wind Of The Southwest Mountain (3:34)
10 - Randa, Farmers' Chant (4:27)

Yemane Barya - The Legend [2cd] [2003] [eritrea]

Yemane Barya - track 1

Yemane Barya: The Eritrean Griot

by Asennai Musye

How do you write about passion, love, revolution, flawless poignancy, inexhaustible hope and painful yearning for freedom? How do you capture the heartbeats of millions and channel it through your soul and into the world? How do you become both timeliness and timelessness itself? As for the answers to these questions, I simply don’t know. The challenge I faced the moment I began writing this article, however, has more to do with this question: how do you write about the person who captured all of these complex elements during his short stay on this earth?

How do you write about Yemane Barya, the prolific Eritrean griot?

Addressing these questions will only create a series of articles I won’t dare venture into at the moment. Neither will I navigate this piece to capture all that is Yemane. I will, instead, bow out of the challenge and resort to writing not about the phenomenon but about some of the elements of the phenomenon we have come to know and love as Yemane Barya.

Love, depth, poignancy, inexhaustible hope, painful yearning for freedom are some of the most common residents of his soul. As gracious of a host he was to these residents, he was never hesitant to put these very residents to work. With the sighs of anguish of millions of Eritreans as his tank of oxygen, Yemane dove into the oceanic depths of his own soul to search for the words and the melodies that would capture it all. When he emerged, he shared his discovery not with a triumphant voice that boasts of his talent but of the strong, beautiful and painful familiarity he accrued from his journey inward. The familiarity about the reality looming outside and around. What one hears when Yemane oozes out of the speakers is the sound of sincere nativity that is birthed when the struggle of the human spirit impregnates a sincere voice.

        During an interview in the early 1990s, when a journalist asked him where he gets his heartfelt lyricism from, Yemane replied, “The source of my lyricism is based on the conversations I have with people. It’s from the depth of these conversations that I get and arrange it all. I could write something complex but if the common man cannot understand what you are saying, then it is almost as if you haven’t written it at all”. His understanding of the human nature, namely, the desire to be felt and spoken to directly, helped shape the heartfelt messages he conveyed through his music.

“Yemane eloquently captures tragedy. He has a voice that reflects the oppression and wrongdoings unleashed on the masses,” once remarked the legendary musician Berekhet Mengisteab who characterized Yemane’s passing as a loss of unimaginable proportions. Yes, Yemane was the people and the people are Yemane.

On January 21st, 1949, the revolution that dared to be broadcasted arrived as a bundle of joy to Mr. Gebremichael Bisirat and Mrs. Azeb Gebrehiwet. Yes, this date marked the birth of the Eritrean griot whose revolutionary and defiant music would force him to flee his beloved Asmara 26 years later. Yemane’s interest in poetry began to bubble into the surface when he was in 7th grade at Camboni School. Soon after, his interests expanded into music and theatre. As time progressed, Yemane found himself gravitating into the world of performing arts; to the dismay and relentless opposition of his parents. Completely overtaken by the passion that gave him the power to defy his parents insistence that he should solely focus on his studies at Kidisti Mariam, Yemane would eventually drop out of school when he was only in the 9th grade. Although Yemane was an excellent student, he simply could not resist his true calling. With his heartfelt approach to his passion for music and his knack for moving lyricism, Yemane soon began to grip the imagination of the youth in Asmera.

Yemane’s passion was growing against the backdrop of hectic political unrest in an Eritrea that was gripped by the feudalist system of Emperor Haile Selassie. Any vocal opposition against the regime’s annexation of Eritrea resulted in dire consequences and any Eritrean voice was closely monitored and heavily censored. It seemed inevitable then that the combination of youthful vigor and strong commitment to the rights of Eritreans would soon bring trouble to Yemane. The very first song Yemane wrote, entitled “Lula” landed him in prison. The song’s content -about a man whose soul mate was snatched by a cruel intruder- was considered to be a veiled political message addressing the annexation of Eritrea by Ethiopia. Here is a translated verse from the song “Lula”:

Harmoniously and in love/she once lived with me A certain someone has taken her/and trouble has befallen me He forcefully invaded her sending his subjects She was once with me but now he has taken her to his country How dare he snatch her away from me How cruel he is/to poke my eyes out like this

The practice of veiling a political message as a romantic song was and has been a common practice by some Eritrean singers. I believe this practice speaks for both the love many Eritreans have for their country and the level of danger they are willing to take to speak on behalf of the oppressed and the voiceless. Inevitably, fearing the consequences of the revolution they carried out with their musical talents, many singers have left their beloved nation and people for a life in exile.

The Eritrean judge, who was deeply concerned about the possibility that Yemane could face death for his lyrics, prolonged the case to buy time. Fortunately for Yemane and, in retrospect, for the people of Eritrea, his case was dismissed when Haile Selassie’s regime was unseated by Derg. Taking advantage of this chaotic time of transition, Yemane Barya did what he always wanted to do but couldn’t (for fear of endangering the lives of the people who bailed him out when he was jailed); and joined the Eritrean revolution. In 1975, Yemane joined the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) and underwent 3 months of military training. During his time, since there was no electricity in the base, Yemane was performing without a microphone. He later left for Sudan and then to Saudi Arabia; where he continued his revolution through his wonderful deeds and music.

Yemane’s inexhaustible kindness, generosity and love for his people is not something that is merely to be pointed out with simple references to his powerful music. He was a man who walked his talk. While in Sudan, he aided hundreds of Eritrean refugees cross over into Saudi, Europe, the US etc. where they were able to make better lives for themselves. “His generosity knew no boundaries!” says his mother Mrs. Azeb Gebrehiwet, recalling the time when she visited him in Sudan. “He had a sack full of sugar outside his door and a tea kettle with some cups. All who came to his house didn’t have to be asked if they would like some tea, they felt so much at home that they would simply go ahead and make tea as much as they please.” Concerned that her son’s generosity was bordering foolishness during such a difficult time when sugar was as scarce and as expensive of a commodity as everything else was , his mother thoughtfully advised Yemane’s wife to at least put the sugar inside the house. His wife replied matter of factly, “Aye adey! He will simply buy another sack and put it out there again.” Yemane was not a man of wealth, but he shared the little he had with his people. There are several Eritreans who would recount about how Yemane personally helped them get to where they are now. Yemane knew all it took to help his fellow men was nothing more than the will to do so.

Even after independence, Yemane never ceased to be the man who stood for the voiceless and the poor. His sister, Ms. Asefash G/Michael recalls the time when Yemane, disturbed by the economic hardships the poor faced, asked, “When will this people see a better time?”. Curious, she inquired why he asked such a question. He replied, “How great it would be if the poor and the wealthy could exchange places only for one day! Each would see and understand the other’s reality. It breaks my heart when the poor and the wealthy pass away without tasting each other’s poverty and wealth.”

While the Sudanese, recognizing the extent of his love for his people, affectionately called him “The Ambassador”, Abo dikha or “The Father of the poor ones” was the title his fellow countrymen gave him. After the Eritrean independence afforded him the opportunity to finally return to his beloved Eritrea, Yemane continued his philanthropic deeds by engaging in countless shows to fundraise for the Eritrean tegadeltis who lost their limbs during the revolution. Off the stage, he was the father figure for many mentally challenged youth who were treated as outcasts by many members of the society. When this powerful griot and champion of love finally left his earthly existence in 1997, the heavy grief felt by the thousands who came to bid him farewell was further accented by the heart shuttering cries of the poor and forgotten who called Yemane, their father.

On the same day of his death, Yemane Barya was slated to start recording a compilation album with some other notable artists. In addition to planning the remixing of his music in various languages, he was also preparing to tour abroad. It is painful to lose someone as inspirational and talented as Yemane was, but the lives of revolutionaries are hardly lengthy. I suspect there’s a lesson in this fact that just may be as powerful as the lesson in the purpose they serve. When he departed, the man who lent the veins of his heart to Eritrea so that she can strum on them as if they were the strings of kirar was only forty eight years old. Yemane was a half-century old revolution that lives on even today.

I was playing the legend’s tunes as I began to write this piece. Although appreciative of the acoustic clarity affording me the opportunity to appreciate the sounds of the artist who inspires me beyond description, there was something constraining and unholy about putting Yemane’s music in my plastic, artificial and distanced ipod. It almost felt as if I was defiling his timeless and pure voice, and I somehow drifted into the past when I used to listen to Yemane’s purposely unmarked tapes.

During the Derg’s era, it was dangerous to get caught with his tape in hand. However, something in his music and his words awoke a certain rebellion spirit, no matter how timid, quiet and tamed. His tapes were dubbed and passed among my friends so many times that the string would often break. I knew that my mother would go crazy if she found out what happened to those tapes, so I used to glue those strings back up using her nail polish. It was quite amusing to witness her become puzzled about how fast the beat went from a single tempo to derb, skipping all of the noticeable substance in between. Anyway, I was lucky enough to appreciate Yemane Barya’s music the way I did and the way I still do. I could hear what he is saying and what he meant because it is sang in the language I know very well. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but ask myself a question I already knew the answer to: why do the young Eritreans in the Diaspora whose Tigrigna vocabulary doesn’t go past the basics, love Yemane Barya’s music? The answer is obvious, he speaks to and with their souls. No translation is needed. His voice tells it all and wordlessly they nod back saying, we get you Yemane.

May our powerful griot rest in peace. May we recognize, nurture and love our future griots; the griots who speak for the voiceless, for the downtrodden, for those deprived of justice and their God given rights!

Legends are destined, not made. Purpose is sought after, not relayed.

Rest in peace Yemane Barya.

   cd  1   

01 - Yemane Barya - Elamana (7:39)

02 - Yemane Barya - Dekesmara (6:20)

03 - Yemane Barya - Meriruna Sidet (7:18)

04 - Yemane Barya - Bukhriie Ayney (6:33)

05 - Yemane Barya - Melekhti Harbegna (13:45)

06 - Yemane Barya - Ketekelyu Emababa (8:16)

07 - Yemane Barya - Men Kewdadera (22:05)

   cd  2   

01 - Yemane Barya - Girma Zasela (5:44)

02 - Yemane Barya - Wegiha (6:50)

03 - Yemane Barya - Hadish Miraf (7:43)

04 - Yemane Barya - Tsnaat (8:03)

05 - Yemane Barya - Ztsenheyu sdet (6:51)

06 - Yemane Barya - Damika werhi (8:14)

07 - Yemane Barya - Ethiopia (6:33)

08 - Yemane Barya - Ekieloye (6:20)

Elias Tebabel - Tidar [1999] - [ethiopia]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

       The legendary Elias Tebabel was born and raised in Gondar, Ethiopia, and currently residing in Washington DC, USA.

01. Elias Tebabel - Tidar (5:59)

02. Elias Tebabel - Tewdage (7:25)

03. Elias Tebabel - Mamaye (6:35)

04. Elias Tebabel - Ye Gondar Lij (4:16)

05. Elias Tebabel - Degenga (6:46)

06. Elias Tebabel - Kanchi Wodiya (6:07)

07. Elias Tebabel - Borena (4:31)

08. Elias Tebabel - Behager Yelem Keld (6:43)

09. Elias Tebabel - Ye Habesha Set (6:15)

10. Elias Tebabel - Ze Neged Konjo (5:53)

Abraham Gebremedhin - self-titled [2013] [ethiopia]

Abraham Gebremedhin - Kokob Semay 

       Abraham Gebremedhin traces back his roots to Tigray, northern region of Ethiopia. His first album brought him so much recognition not only among Ethiopians but also among Tigrigna speaking Eritreans. 

His most popular work include "Megbey" and "Zebib", among others.

01 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Zebib (5:56)

02 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Yibasacho aloku (6:46)

03 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Wezbi (6:35)

04 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Tedebesi (5:14)

05 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Mesanytey (6:17)

06 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Megbey (5:20)

07 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Lebewa (5:06)

08 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Kokeb Maedo (5:17)

09 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Kms bel (5:37)

10 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Hanqewta (5:29)

11 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Habeney (5:41)

12 - Abraham Gebremedhin - Gual Hagerey (5:21)

Girma Yifrashewa - Love & Peace [2014] [ethiopia]

The best Ethiopian pianist Girma Yifrashewa

Girma Yifrashewa extended biography and additional info > find here !

01 - Girma Yifrashewa - The Shepherd with the Flute (6:48)

02 - Girma Yifrashewa - Chewata (8:44)

03 - Girma Yifrashewa - Elilta (6:47)

04 - Girma Yifrashewa - Sememen (9:21)

05 - Girma Yifrashewa - Ambassel (8:55)

"a rare and fascinating example of aesthetic adaptation and convergence" - The New York Times

"Gorgeous solo piano studies from Ethiopia... along with a meditative take on jazz that recalls George Winston" - Uncut Magazine

"On his first US release, Love & Peace (Unseen Worlds), Yifrashewa comes off as a fluid hybrid of Erik Satie, Vince Guaraldi, and Matthew Shipp at his most restrained. The performances are tonally rich and subdued, with Yifrashewa's folksy melodies given alternating emphasis—grandiloquent and hushed." - Chicago Reader

"The newest release on Unseen Worlds is a breathtaking collection of solo piano pieces by Ethiopian composer Girma Yifrashewa, who crafts a unique blend of hauntingly melodic works that recall Erik Satie, Keith Jarrett, and Debussy, but filtered through the Ethiopian pentatonic scale, tipping its hat toward the worlds of both jazz and classical music simultaneously. Easily one of the year's most engrossing classical/ambient works, this is vital music by an incredibly gifted composer and musician. Absolute highest recommendation." - Other Music

"A thoroughly engaging set of five solo piano settings ... Adding to the recording's appeal, each of the pieces conveys a satisfying sense of completeness, and to his credit, Yifrashewa consistently opts for emotional directness" - Textura