LABEL: Heavenly Sweetness
CAT NO: HS097VL
BARCODE: 3700409812507
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Alegntaye (04:39)
2. Kulun Mankwalesh (70) (02:59)
3. Aykedashem Lebe (04:58)
4. Beyet New Mengedu (04:01)
5. Ene Negn Wey Antchi (04:33)
Side B
1. Yene Mastawesha (05:02)
2. Tezalegn Yetentu (03:42)
3. Tchuheten Betsemu (03:33)
4. Lantchi Biye (03:07)
5. Kulun Mankwalesh (73) (4:39)
TLAHOUN GESSESSE
– Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol. 4
LP – Black Vinyl
A stunning set of vocal recordings by Tlahoun Gessesse – one of the most important singers during the golden age of Ethiopian music – caught here on a set of sides that sadly saw that period coming to an end! The tracks on the set are mostly from the early 70s, a time that saw great political changes in Ethiopia – and tremendous censorship and restrictions on cultural production.
Gessesse’s vocals during this time are perhaps even more melancholy and heartfelt than before, and he’s working here on a number of sides with the legendary Mulatu – with arrangements that have a angular, almost modernist edge. Despite the language barriers that keep us from understanding what Gessesse’s singing about, there’s an incredibly evocative quality to the work that transcends time and place.
See below for tracklisting…