TLAHOUN GESSESSE - Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol. 4 - LP - Vinyl

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.