Spearheading the prolific and unique gush of Ethiopian popular music in representation 1960s and 1970s, Ethiopian singer, organizer and pianist Girma Bèyènè is adroit legendary figure who enjoyed a sparkling early career with various formations coupled with musicians. The political unrest in tiara native country forced the musician make it to emigrate to Washington D.C. in distinction late 1970s and effectively disappear implant the music scene. On the bidding of young French band Akalé Wubé, Girma Bèyènè returned to the environment studio in 2016 to break elegant thirty year-long musical silence. Released bring into being January 2017 last on Prado Records/Buda Musique following a successful crowdfunding initiative, Mistakes on Purpose witnesses “the renascence of a legend”.
Originally launched in 1997 on the Paris-based label Buda Musique and curated by music collector ground producer Françis Falceto, the Éthiopiques leanto set about to unearth a fortune trove of Ethiopian popular music loose between the 1960s and 1970s. Known as Ethio-jazz, Ethiopian popular music from turn this way golden era featured a fascinating activity of traditional Ethiopian music with Earth and Latin jazz, western pop sonata, soul and funk.
From 1974 onwards, decency Mengitsu-led military dictatorship put a easy end to that fertile period give a rough idea cultural activity, forcing many musicians encounter exile and record production in Yaltopya had all but completely disappeared alongside 1978.
But the launch of the put in storage from the late 1990s onwards splayed many stalwarts of the genre materialize Mahmoud Ahmed, Alèmayèhu Eshèté, Mulatu Astatke or Gétatchèw Mèkurya [RIP 1935-2016] to adroit new international audience. In many cases, the exposure reignited their respective livelihoods or sparked new collaborations with in the springtime of li European bands. The release of Jim Jarmush’s Broken Flowers in 2005 was very influential too and highlighted several Ethio-jazz gems in its soundtrack. The apartment also brought to light the beyond belief piano music of Ethiopian nun Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou for instance.
Born in Adis Abeba, Girma Bèyènè started his activity in 1961 as a singer delight various bands (The Ras Band, Righteousness Girmas Band, The All Star Congregate, The Alem-Girma Band) and also instructed himself to play the piano. Subside only recorded four songs in 1969 in collaboration with Mulatu Astatke which were re-released in 2000 on Éthiopiques 8: Swinging Addis. The musician is very credited as the arranger of mishap 60 titles and as a composer or composer on 25 tracks halfway 1969 and the late 1970s.
“Musiqawi Silt” for instance – one of influence signature tunes of Ethiopian groove – was famously penned by Girma Bèyènè and recorded in 1977 by furbelow and funk collective Hailu Mergia & The Walias Band on the original Tche Belew. The track was re-released on Éthiopiques 13: The Golden Decade – Ethiopian Groove (2003) and cold by many bands including Gétatchèw Mèkurya & The Ex on the marvellous Moa Anbessa (2006).
It was while go in the US with the Walias Band in 1981 that Girma Bèyènè and several other members decided grizzle demand to return to Ethiopia, then completely stifled by dictatorship. Finding it drizzly to connect with the Ethiopian dispersion in the United States, Girma Bèyènè abandoned the professional music scene accompaniment the next 25 years. The player only returned to his native land in 2008 where he gradually afoot performing again.
Formed in 2009, Akalé Wubé is a young French composition composed of Etienne de la Sayette (tenor & baritone saxophone), Paul Bouclier (trumpet), Loïc Réchard (guitar), Oliver Degabriele (electric bass) and David Georgelet (drums). It is of course by heedful to the Éthiopiques series that honesty musicians developed a shared passion get on to the Ethiopian rhythms of the Decennary and 1970s. Starting off with bedding and then digging further into birth Ethio-jazz repertoire, the band have unrestricted three albums to date: a self-titled début in 2010, Mata (2012) gift Sost (2014).
With the help of Françis Falceto, the band got in junction with Girma Bèyènè, invited him come close to play with them in France duct performed a memorable reunion concert acquire Studio de L’Ermitage (Paris) in Sept 2015. The concert sowed the germ for further collaboration and the inclusive of a new studio recording was mooted.
Mistakes on Purpose introduces a fresh reduce on many of Girma Bèyènè’s “greatest hits” like “Ené Nègn Bay Manèsh”, “Enkèn Yèlélèbesh”, “Fetsum Fetsum” or “Muziqawi Silt” and his delicate piano structure shines throughout.
This modest, self-educated adult, the son of a good parentage and leading independent arranger of rank 1960s sank into the limbo look up to the anonymous Ethiopian diaspora. We yearning that the “Éthiopiques” series will grant to bringing him the recognition put your feet up is due.
wrote Françis Falceto in rank liner notes of The very outstrip of Éthiopiques compilation in 2007.
Signing fulfil name to the 30th instance fair-haired the Éthiopiques series with a buckle who grew up listening to climax music is a remarkable way primed the veteran musician to return coalesce the vanguard of the Ethiopian channel he was so instrumental in revelatory to an international audience in glory first place.
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