Orchestra Ethiopia - Ethiopiques 23

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 20 / 2 / 2008

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Review

The ancient nation of Ethiopia has just celebrated its New Year 2001. The Kopt Calendar explains why, and the wealth of music performed and recorded there during their 'golden seventies' (-1976) is well documented. Yet surprises keep cropping up on the Buda Musique label in Paris. 'Volume 23' in Buda's Ethiopiques Series features many unreleased tracks from Orchestra Ethiopia which will serve as the appetiser for the re-issue of their official albums at a later stage. Orchestra Ethiopia was a truly Ethiopian affair. The orchestra showed no bearings of jazz or soul influences; just indigenous, bluesy ballads, compositions and trance-like jigs. Using vocals and acoustic instruments only, the orchesta blended a sound of its own. Contrary to the quite plaintative singing that usually accompanies a violin or similar instrument , the orchestra's singers sound firm, outspoken and sometimes happy when the tireless 'violin' player finds another uptempo melody. Pure, ethnic and unelectrified funk in a sense, the orchestra's music borrows from Asian music as well as from its local East African culture. In the absence of a bass player, the orchestra did however produce an amazing sound, partly due to typical (brass and flute) instruments such as the tchetchazey and the washent. Now, with the tracks on this album just being mere outtakes and leftovers, gosh, what would the orchestra's original LPs have sounded like?

Track Listing:-

1 Tezeta
2 Tennesh mèkèdda
3 Mamiténna Kèbbèdè
4 Hodé
5 Kèto ayqèrem Motu
6 Datchèna koba
7 Mèdinanna Zèlèsègna
8 Shègitu
9 Yèhetsanu lèqso
10 Hèlawsho
11 Lèqedamé atbiya
12 Besetchet
13 Lalé guma
14 Wolayta Krar
15 Dèrbabé
16 Aba Balano Shanka
17 Sènbèt
18 Goraw
19 Shèb robé
20 Od
21 Sham kèfèna
22 Téraraw
23 Semesh Man Nèw?