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Dub colossuss in a town called Addis
This project brings together an extraordinary but
little known African musical heritage, a labour of
love recording in a makeshift studio in down-town
Addis Ababa and then a journey back to Real World
to capture for the first time ever in the UK some
of Ethiopia's finest performers.
This project is the vision of Dub Colossus -
Dubulah - aka Nick Page. Composer, guitarist, bass
player and programmer Nick started his music
career with Michael Riley (Steel Pulse) and in
1990 formed Transglobal Underground with Tim and
Hammi, produced-wrote-played six albums before
leaving in 1997 to form Temple of Sound with Neil
Sparkes.
Ethiopian music is the hidden gem of Africa. At
the end of the Sixties and the early Seventies,
Ethiopia was in the dying years of the imperial
decline of Haile Selassie and the early years of a
brutally repressive junta led by Mengistu. Within
the confines of this stifling and constrictive
environment there flowered some astonishing music.
At times showing Fela Kuti's influences, in the
big band sax flavour and other times a different
take on regional music, this is a music that is
accessible to all and has been championed by the
likes of Robert Plant, Brian Eno and Elvis
Costello. The style of contemporary Ethiopia music
captured by Dub Colossus ranges from dreamy blues,
hypnotic grooves, jazz piano and driving funk
brass.
"A Town Called Addis" was inspired by meeting ,
writing and working with singers and musicians in
Addis Ababa in August 2006,and is a collaboration
between Dub Colossus (Nick Page) and these amazing
musicians covering Azmari and traditional styles
as well as the popular singing styles of the 60s
and 70s. It seeks to combine the golden years of
ethiopique beats (popular again thanks to the
release of the critically acclaimed 'Ethiopique'
compliation ) and ethiojazz with the dub reggae
styles of early 70s reggae groups like the
Abyssinians, Mighty Diamonds and so on. along with
a hint of Sun Ra..." (Dub Colossus/aka Nick Page)
The first sessions took place in a breeze block
hut under corrugated iron roof bombarded by the
sounds of the rainy season high up on the mountain
plateau where Addis is built. "...the sound of
children playing, dogs barking and women washing
all permeate the sessions and help the flavour of
the record, albeit as ambient smoke.....Although a
howling cat chasing a rat under the roof destroyed
one vocal take completely...!"
We brought these unique urban field recordings
home to Real World to complete the picture. In
March 2008 we invited a group of outstanding
performers from Addis to travel to the UK. Some of
these artists are unknown talents who have never
traveled outside of their country before now,
while others such as singer Sintayehu 'Mimi'
Zenebe (Addis Ababa night club owner and know as
the Ethiopian Edith Piaf ) and master saxophonist
Feleke Hailu (a classical composer, lecturer and
head of music at the Yared Music School and part
of a dynastic tradition that stretches back far
beyond the classic hits his father arranged for
Mahmoud Ahmad in the late 1960s) have a huge
reputation. They are joined by Teremag Weretow
who, with his plaintive voice, playing his
messenqo ( one-string fiddle) is a youthful
carrier of an ancient tradition; extraordinary
pianist Samuel Yirga is an exciting new discovery
- a young prodigy of classical and Ethiojazz and
finally the glamourous star Tsedenia Gebremarkos,
winner of a Kora award as the best female singer
in East Africa in 2004,
From the most primitive recording context to one
of the best in the world, this project is an audio
journey - and discovery of one of the most
alluring, funky and seductive genres of African
music
Tags : Africanmusic AddisAbaba Ethiopia TsedeniaGebremarkos MulatuAstatqe in London Barbican Dub colossuss town called Addis Ethiopian Jazz Fusion HIV/AIDS Tsedenia met Brad Pitt |
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Affichage : 2426
Durée : 204 s |
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