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ethiopian

Mahmoud Ahmed

Mahmoud Ahmed (born May 8, 1941) is an Ethiopian singer of Gurage ancestry. Born in Addis Ababa, Mahmoud shined shoes in that city before becoming a handyman at the Arizona Club, where he first sang professionally in the early 1960s. He sang for the Imperial Body Guard Band until 1974, and recorded with other bands for the Amha and Kaifa record labels throughout the 1970s. He opened his own music store in Addis Ababa's Piazza district during the 1980s while he continued his singing career.

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Dereb the Ambassador

A new project put together by producer Tony Buchen and Ethiopian singer and masenqo player Dereb Desalegn to faithfully record the music of 1960s-70s Ethiopian soul. Putting together a 9 piece band including a 5 piece horn section of some of the finest horn players in the Antipodes and fresh off a plane from Addis master organ and piano player Danny Seyfu, the set of 11 songs was recorded by Tony using only gear that pre dates 1970. In doing so Tony and Dereb have recreated the feel of the dusty Ethiopian soul records that have started to once again become popular worldwide.

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Dub Colossus

Recorded by a group of adventurous Ethiopians and Nick Page, one half of the British group Temple Of Sound, Dub Colossus is a unique attempt to mix traditional East African music with the most experimental reggae sounds. Recorded first in Addis Ababa, it was completed in a two-week session at the Real World studios in Wiltshire, thanks to the involvement of the B&W Music Club. Their first studio was a shed where electricity and water were intermittent and distractions included the noise of children playing outside...

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Alemayehu Eshete

Alemayehu Eshete (also written Alèmayèhu Eshèté in French) is an Ethiopian singer, often lovingly called the "Ethiopian James Brown", he has been active since the 1960s and he primarily sings in Amharic. Eshete's talent was recognized by colonel Rètta Dèmèqè who invited the young singer to perform with Addis Ababa's famous Police Orchestra. Eshete had his first hit ("Seul") in 1961 before moving on to found the orchestra Alèm-Girma Band with Girma Bèyènè.

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Mulatu Astatqé

Mulatu Astatke (surname also spelled Astatqé; Ethiopic: ሙላቱ አስታጥቄ) is an Ethiopian musician and arranger. He is known as the father of Ethio-jazz. Born in 1943 in the western Ethiopian city of Jimma, Mulatu was musically trained in London, New York City, and Boston, where he was the first African student at Berklee College of Music. He would later combine his jazz and Latin music influences with traditional Ethiopian music.

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