Ethiopiques, Vol. 7: Ere Mela Mela

There isn't a weak track on this CD, which is a reissue of recordings done in '75 and '78. In the same way that one can hear the echoes of North African music in Spanish flamenco, one can hear a common ancestry between the music on this CD and American jazz...if you're comfortable with 1969 Miles Davis, the dissonance and intricacy of this music (especially tracks 9 + 10, which combine to make a single 9'14 minute composition), won't seem foreign at all.
It's hard to pick a favorite track, but the voluptuous melody of # 11, "Fetsum deng ledj nesh" ("You are Sublime"), make it a front runner.

The booklet insert, in English and French, is excellent, with translations of the songs, photos, and a history of the music and political chaos that affected it at the time.
This CD is 61'25 in total time, and is dynamic, potent music...if you like jazz, or exotic "world music", you might find it to be, as described in the liner notes, a "jewel of African soul".


The King of Ehtiopian Music   March 29, 2002
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

In general, there is a rolling, hynoptic quality to Ethiopian music. When those qualities are joined by the voice of Mahmoud Ahmed, the mix is irresistable. The influence of soul/funk is clear. It is also clear that this music contains the roots of African American music as well.

There is a dark blue, almost scary feel to this stuff, like that of some the best early blues. Western ears may need to adjust to the dissonant horns. But there is much pay off. There is a richness here and seeming simplicity that can only come from a ancient culture. That the music seems so contemparary at the same time makes it all the more amazing.