Rahel Yohannes - unknown album [ethiopia]

        Although Rahel Yohannes is a formidable singer who has performed professionally for more than 20 years, her entrance into the music business was almost by coincidence. As the manager of an Ethiopian restaurant, Rahel would frequently entertain her customers by singing acappella for them. Her patrons began to look forward to her impromptu performances and, one evening, one of these admirers brought the late Ketema Mekonnen – a well-known singer and player of traditional musical instruments – to the restaurant and asked Rahel to join him in a song. She performed the haunting ballad “Tizita” and a couple of years later released her first album. Since then, she has released 9 recordings as a professional singer.

       In addition to being an accomplished entertainer, Rahel is an entrepreneur who has owned and operated various nightclubs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Presently, she entertains ever-growing audiences at the Fasika Restaurant and Nightclub in Addis Ababa.

Rahel Yohannes [ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ] - Yehagir Meketa  [የሀገር መከታ]

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 01 - Romantic Rays [የፍቅር ጮራ] (5:10)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 02 - Yesewi Merecha [የሰው መረቻ] (6:29)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 03 - Tizita [ ትዝታ] (6:58)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 04 - Wedo Zemachi [ወዶ ዘማች] (5:56)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 05 - Yemare Akale [የማረ አካል] (4:52)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 06 - Yeḥageri Fikir [የሐገር ፍቅር] (5:37)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 07 - Yebichayē Nehi [የብቻዬ ነህ] (4:33)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 08 - Yehāgeri Meketa [የሀገር መከታ] (6:34)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 09 - Wileta [ውለታ] (7:33)

Rahel Yohannes ራሔል ዮሐንስሻ - 10 - Yeborena Lij [የቦረና ልጅ] (5:44)

Dub Colossus - Dub Will Tear Us Apart [2010] [ethiopia]

   R   E   U   P   L   O   A   D   

    In 2006 Nick 'Dubulah' Page, British producer, multi-instrumentalist and founding member of Transglobal Underground and Syriana, first travelled to Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. His aim was to collaborate with musicians and explore traditional Azmari styles, 60s Ethiopian pop, Ethiojazz and 70s Jamaican Dub Reggae. He came across some amazingly talented artists – female vocalists Tsedenia Gebremarkos and Sintayehu 'Mimi' Zenebe, Ethiojazz pianist Samuel Yirga, tenor sax player Feleke Hailu and Teremage Woretaw on messenqo (one-string fiddle) and vocals. 

       Dub Colossus was born. The first recordings were exclusively previewed on Society of Sound. Then followed the critically acclaimed debut album 'A Town Called Addis,' (2008) and a series of outstanding live shows.

        Especially for Society of Sound, the band have put together ‘Dub Will Tear Us Apart’, featuring ten brand new tracks fresh from studio sessions in Real World, Edinburgh and Addis Ababa. Highlights include Dub Colossus’ Anglo-Ethiopian version of the reggae classic, “Uptown Top Ranking”, written and originally performed by Jamaican girl duo Althea & Donna, which topped the UK singles chart in 1978. "It had a big effect on me," explains Nick Page, "seeing it on Top Of The Pops… it was a first in many ways." 

       The connection between Ethiopia and Jamaica has been well documented, especially with regards to the lyrical content of a lot of Jamaican Roots Reggae music. Dub Colossus’ dread Abesha version is fronted by Sintayehu and Tsedenia, with UK/Jamaican guest MC JP Higgins. 

      

     Other highlights include "Guragignia", a ferociously funky Ethiopian song which sounds like a blue taxi going at full speed with no brakes during rush hour in Addis Ababa. A live show favourite, it features lead vocals by Sintayehu. "Selemi" is another live favourite, an Ethio-Funk stomper fronted by Tsedenia supported by the keyboards of Samuel Yirga and saxes of Feleke Hailu, that morphs into a southern Ethiopian rhythm of release. In contrast, "Medina" is a Teremage Woretaw traditional solo track, for voice and messenqo. A gospel song performed to mark a period of fasting, Teremage sings in growling wild swoops as he bows his messenqo with an intense energy. 

        Dub Will Tear Us Apart features members of the current live band for the first time: drummer Nick Van Gelder (ex Jamiroquai, Brand New Heavies), bass player Dr Das (ex Asian Dub Foundation), vocalist PJ Higgins (Natacha Atlas, Almamegretta, Kenneth Bager), as well as the wonderful Horns of Negus, who recently worked with Dr John, Dizzee Rascal, The Streets, consisting of Ben Somers (tenor and baritone sax), Robert Dowell (trombone) and Jonathan Radford (trumpet).

01. Dub Colossus - Dub Will Tear Us Apart (6:41)

02. Dub Colossus - Wey Fikir (4:21)

03. Dub Colossus - Yeh Shimbraw Tir Tir (4:21)

04. Dub Colossus - Dub Me Tender (4:23)

05. Dub Colossus - Satta Massagans (inst version) (3:43)

06. Dub Colossus - Kuratu (5:09)

07. Dub Colossus - Uptown Top Ranking (5:03)

08. Dub Colossus - Guragigna (5:13)

09. Dub Colossus - Medina (3:07)

10. Dub Colossus - Selemi (6:42)

Meklit Hadero - On a day like this.. [2010] [usa-ethiopia]

   R E U P L O A D   

Meklit Hadero - Float and Fall

       Meklit Hadero, known simply as "Meklit", is a singer and songwriter based in San Francisco, California. She is known for her soulful performing style, and for combining jazz, folk, and East African influences in her music. Born in Ethiopia, she was raised in the U.S. and attended college at Yale, where she studied political science.

       Shortly after graduation, Meklit moved to San Francisco and became immersed in the city's thriving arts scene. "Meklit is an artistic giant in the early stages," wrote a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle after witnessing an early performance in the city's Mission District. "She sings of fragility, hope and self-empowerment, and exudes all three. What's irresistible, above all, is her cradling, sensuous, gentle sound. She is stunning."

        Named a TED Global Fellow in 2009, Meklit has served as an artist-in-residence at New York University, the De Young Museum, and the Red Poppy Art House. Currently a fellow of the Wildflowers Institute, Meklit has also completed musical commissions for the San Francisco Foundation and for theatrical productions staged by Brava! For Women in the Arts. She is the founder of the Arba Minch Collective, a group of Ethiopian artists in diaspora devoted to nurturing ties to their homeland through collaborations with both traditional and contemporary artists there. 

     As a Senior TED Fellow since 2011 , she co-founded the Nile Project with Egyptian ethno-musicologist Mina Girgis and has since participated in 2 artist residencies (Aswan, 2013 and Uganda in 2014) uniting musicians from 11 countries all along the Nile Basin.

       Meklit has released five records to date. The first was a self-produced and released eight-song EP entitled Eight Songs (2008). The second , her first full-length LP, On a Day Like This... released to wide critical acclaim in 2010 , was recorded at San Francisco's Closer Studios and produced by Eric Moffat and Unsound Recording. Hailed by Filter magazine for "[combining] New York jazz with West Coast folk and African flourishes, all bound together by Hadero's beguiling voice.". It won Meklit feature stories by NPR, PBS, and National Geographic. The San Francisco Chronicle called her " an artistic giant in the making " . She then ventured into a creative collaboration called CopperWire , along with two hip emcees also from the Ethiopian diaspora , Gabriel Teodros and Burntface . Together they created the first hip hop space opera , "Earthbound" which hit #5 in CMJ's hiphop charts . A complete change came with the 2012 release of her extraordinary harmonic duets with Oakland blues and soul crooner Quinn DeVeaux, simply titled Meklit & Quinn. The duo covered terrain as diverse as Arcade Fire (their version of "Tunnels" left many speechless with its simple beauty) , Lou Reed , Neil Young and Stevie Wonder.

       Now she makes yet another quantum leap , in her latest solo album We Are Alive . Produced by sonic genius Eli Crews (best known for his work with tUnE-yArDs) , her inimitable composition talents and unique voice take infinite and inventive flight , from her jazz-standard sounding "A-Train" to the fiery build of "Waiting for Earthquakes" , weaving through a dark and tantalizing version of The Police classic "Bring On the Night" via her funky take on an Ethiopian tune, "Kemekem " (which she subtitles " I Like Your Afro!") , winding up with the grande finale, the declaration "We Are Alive". USA Today says, " Meklit delivers a sound all her own... (We Are Alive) gets even better with every listen ",

  

      The Village Voice comments : "She's a blithe-voiced daughter of Joni who considers music a path to higher ground, with rest stops for the likes of Talking Heads and Lou Reed."

01. Meklit Hadero - Walk Up (5:34)

02. Meklit Hadero - Float And Fall (3:29)

03. Meklit Hadero - Leaving Soon (4:12)

04. Meklit Hadero - You And The Rain (4:30)

05. Meklit Hadero - Feeling Good (4:29)

06. Meklit Hadero - Abbay Mado (5:05)

07. Meklit Hadero - Soleil Soleil (2:33)

08. Meklit Hadero - Call (3:59)

09. Meklit Hadero - Walls (3:40)

10. Meklit Hadero - Under (4:27)

Kegnete Mesele - VII - [Ethiopian Traditional Instrumental Music]

Kegnete Mesele - Le Le Le

Kegnete Mesele - 01 - Ererna Gedamu (8:31)

Kegnete Mesele - 02 - Shegiye Selitu (11:55)

Kegnete Mesele - 03 - Yeshrishri (5:32)

Kegnete Mesele - 04 - Ney Ney yagere lij (6:45)

Kegnete Mesele - 05 - Damay Anchin new (4:52)

Kegnete Mesele - 06 - Yager Fikir tizitaw (7:28)

Kegnete Mesele - 07 - Le Le Le (4:57)

Kegnete Mesele - 08 - Yalew gelel (4:43)

Kegnete Mesele - 09 - Ahay Lalay Lalay (5:46)

Kegnete Mesele - 10 - Weyin Abeba Nesh (7:35)

Kegnete Mesele - VI - [Ethiopian Traditional Instrumental Music]

Bati - Ethiopian Instrumental Music

Kegnete Mesele - 01 - Anchi Lidj (9:59)
Kegnete Mesele - 02 - Ethiopia (10:34)
Kegnete Mesele - 03 - Twar (3:58)
Kegnete Mesele - 04 - Ambassel (6:23)
Kegnete Mesele - 05 - Befekresh Men (11:16)
Kegnete Mesele - 06 - Woye Fikir (10:58)
Kegnete Mesele - 07 - Yehar Shireret (8:49)

no new posts until next friday (november 5)

the author of this blog is on short vacation.

enjoy featured posts.

a lot of new surpises soon!

The Kafa Beanz - Andromeda: The Chronicles Of Blackopia, Volume 1 [2008] [usa+eth]

        The Kafa Beanz is a collective of solo artists who blend their Ethiopian culture and music with hip hop, soul, and alternative musical textures. The name “Kafa Beanz” is a play on words.  If one looks at a map of Ethiopia, there is the Kafa region where coffee is known to originate. Coffee was “discovered” by the Portuguese in Ethiopia in the middle ages.  Coffee is the primary export of Ethiopia to this day and considered the country’s most valuable export. This group of young artists, primarily of Ethiopian origin, wanted to express that the true value of Ethiopia is in the people, thus the name Kafa Beanz. 

        The Kafa Beanz formed in 2007 when a group of accomplished Ethiopian-American musicians, producers and vocalist who have been longtime fans of each other’s respective work decided to join forces. Their first project as a collective is entitled “Andromeda: The Chronicles of Blackopia  Vol. 1.”  The project’s title pays homage to Princess Andromeda who, according to Greek Mythology, was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, the king of Ethiopia.

Gabriel Teodros - "Tizita"

          The Kafa Beanz consists of lead vocalists B Sheba(rapper /singer) and Burntface (rapper/producer) and is rounded out by Wayna (singer/songwriter), Gabriel Teodros (rapper), AP (rapper/singer) and various Special Guest Appearances including Hermela Mulatu (singer), daughter of Ethiopian Jazz Musician Mulatu Astatke.

        The Kafa Beanz is a group of solo artists who share a passion for Africa and a desire to expose their music to the world. Four of the five members are of Ethiopian origin, and the exotic sounds of East Africa are evident in their music.

        Despite having a sonic texture heavily influenced by 60s and 70s era Ethiopian Jazz music, The Kafa Beanz have a universal sound that has often been compared to The Fugees, Black Eyed Peas and Outkast. The Kafa Beanz effortlessly blends soulful vocal harmonies and poignant lyrics over an eclectic mixture of classic hip hop and futuristic world music. 

       Each member is an accomplished artist in their own right with their own respective fan bases. Their collective professional experience and talents make for a powerful and versatile combination that can rock a party crowd or tantalize a jazzy lounge or café. In a time when the traditional music industry paradigm is crashing in on itself, and genres are being disregarded, The Kafa Beanz are poised to be the future of world music.

The Kafa Beanz - 01 - Andromeda (1:45)

Wayna, Burntface - 02 - Let It Go (5:04)

Burntface, AP, B Sheba, Wayna - 03 - IRock (2:53)

Burntface, B Sheba, AP - 04 - AA++ (2:28)

B Sheba, Burntface, AP - 05 - Arada  (4:15)

AP, Wayna - 06 - Rebel (2:58)

B Sheba - 07 - Babylon Blues (4:35)

Burntface, B Sheba - 08 - History (3:05)

Wayna, Burntface - 09 - Love's Fool (3:24)

B Sheba, Hermela Mulatu, Burntface, Gabriel Teodros - 10 - Hope (4:43)

Burntface - 11 - Fly Away (3:45)

Burntface, B Sheba, Malik (30), Texx - 12 - Diaspora (3:41)

Gabriel Teodros, B Sheba - 13 - Tizita (4:07)

Wayna - 14 - Final Transmition (3:44)

Jano Band - Live Performance [2016] [ethiopia]

       Setting the trend for the Jano sound is a new synthesis which injects Ethiopian music into the genre of rock to create hot and harmoniously wild sounding of Ethiopian rock. Behind it is Jano, a band consisting two female vocalists, two male lead vocalists and six musicians who play bass guitar, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboards and a drum. The two things the players have in common is that all of them are in their twenties and all share a single dream – to become the first international rock phenomena from Ethiopia.

         The man behind the making of Jano is Addis Gassesse, a renowned Ethiopian music manager who shuttles between Addis Abeba, New York and Kingston, Jamaica. Now Addis wants to get Jano play at international concerts and compete with any rock band on the world stage.

Jano Band - Darigne

       Jano has a unique way of showing the flare of its members, who, some of them came from different gospel choirs. The fusion of Ethiopian music with Rock is a complete detachment from the long tradition of music norm. But the songs are partly written by the band members themselves and partly by Yilma Gabreab, a popular Ethiopian song writer. The result is the first ever rock band in Ethiopia.

       While some of the band members have been heavily influenced by rock stars such as the Rolling Stones and Metallica, others have been influenced by jazz, pop and reggae. This diverse background of the members can be clearly seen in the unique sound of their music that takes its nuances from an eclectic assortment of styles that, deep down, didn’t abandon an Ethiopian flavor.

Jano Band are:

Kirubel Tesfaye (Band Leader and synthesizer)
Michael Hailu (Musical Director and Lead Guitar)
Dibekulu Tafesse (vocals)
Haleluya Tekletsadik (vocals)
Hewan Gebrewold (vocals)
Hailu Merga (vocals)
Yohannes Mekonen (drums)
Daniel Negash (bass)

Jano Band - 01 - Andnen (ft. Pamfalon) (6:14)

Jano Band - 02 - Darigne (3:35)

Jano Band - 03 - Yinegal (4:09)

Jano Band - 04 - Gude (Live) (6:20)

Jano Band - 05 - Mariye (Live) (6:28)

Jano Band - 06 - Mehed Mehed (Live) (7:09)

Jano Band - 07 - Gara Sir New Bete (Live) (3:50)

Jano Band - 08 - Ayrak (Live) (6:50)

Sunshine Music Band - Unknown Album [ethiopia]

       It's almost impossible to find any piece of information about this legendary ethiopian band in 1980's. 

Sunshine Music Band - 01 - Yene Hasab (5:12)

Sunshine Music Band - 02 - Yefikir Ketema (4:49)

Sunshine Music Band - 03 - Satwodegn Wodijat (5:24)

Sunshine Music Band - 04 - Guragigna (4:55)

Sunshine Music Band - 05 - Zemede (5:04)

Sunshine Music Band - 06 - Shegiye Shegiye (3:36)

Sunshine Music Band - 07 - Yeshi Haregitu (7:23)

Sunshine Music Band - 08 - Oromigna (4:17)

Sunshine Music Band - 09 - Bertukane (6:44)

Sunshine Music Band - 10 - Astawusalehu (3:53)

Sunshine Music Band - 11 - Engedih Jemeregn (6:57)

Sunshine Music Band :


Tadesse Biyadgu - piano, keyboards
Tamere Haregu - drums, keyboards
Aregahegn Werash - vocal,
Girma Tefera 
Ashebir Belay
Birehanu Reta

Mahmoud Ahmed - Selam [ethiopia]

       Mahmoud Ahmed is one of the biggest singers in Ethiopia, known all over the world. One of his greatest gifts as a live performer include his ability to get the shoulder-shaking Eskista dance spread like wildfire! With him on stage, he is one of Ethiopia’s most legendary live bands - Roha Band!

Mahmoud Ahmed - Selam

      Mahmoud Ahmed was born in Addis Ababa’s Mercato district and began his career as shoe shine boy before he became one of his country’s top stars. Already at an early age he was fascinated by the music that was played at home on Ethiopian radio. During the 60s, he got a job at the club, Arizona, the club where Haile Selassie’s legendary Imperial Bodyguard Band played. He soon became part of the band’s regular set, where he stayed until 1974. 

     During the 70th,  Mahmoud recorded a series of songs with the record companies Amha and Kaifa and quickly became a big name within Ethiopian music. In the 1980s he ran his own music store in Addis Ababa while he continued his singing career. 1986 he gained a larger Western audience when the Belgian label Crammed Discs released the collection Ere Mela Mela, and even greater international attention in the late 1990s after Buda Musique launched the Éthiopiques series. This led to new recordings and tours in Europe and the USA with Boston’s Either / Orchestra, and French Badume Band. His undulating, slightly veiled voice, which seems to be able to express every nuance, has retained the charm and properties that are characteristic of Azmaris, traditional bards performing in local pubs in Ethiopia. 

      Mahmoud Ahmed is still one of the most well known and beloved Ethiopian artists in the world.

Mahmoud Ahmed - 01 - Tetesh (5:36)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 02 - Abaye mado (5:20)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 03 - Kelenesh (Gurage) (5:14)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 04 - Erey endale lebay (7:34)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 05 - Selam (4:59)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 06 - Awy legeto (7:07)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 07 - Enbayen lemetereg (5:48)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 08 - Tey neylegn menew (5:20)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 09 - Tizita yakatelew (6:31)
Mahmoud Ahmed - 10 - Dekamenesh temate (5:37)