Say anything, mewithoutyou, teen suicide, and museum mouth is at 9. Atmospheric does not even begin to describe this enchanting sound. Formed by members of the venus band, walias backed up many prominent singers with a hard polyrhythmic funk sound influenced by western artists like king curtis, junior walker and maceo parker. He was interested in the variety of genres and artists he found, distributed largely on cassette tapes at markets, but that he had not come across outside west africa.
Jun 03, 2019 goodmans good mix concert picks of the week march 9 goodmans good mix concert picks of the week march 2 dmv creatives come together to celebrate and surprise one of their own we will get by. Hailu mergia performs in brooklyn the new york times. Keep up to date with tour dates, album release and much more. This is hailu mergia s comeback album, and a fabulous one it is.
Then weve got intricate ethiopian accordion rhythms from hailu mergia, a piece full of anguish and beauty from the manchester band money. Nov 06, 2018 while elizabeths book about the project comes out with the vinyl release on feb 8, the montreal album is available digitally right now. Invisibilialatin for invisible thingsfuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently. Live at theater gutersloh intuition 20 3 todd marcus, on these streets a baltimore story stricker street 20 3 monika herzig, sheroes whaling city sound 19. A longtime freelance writer and illustrator, andis work has appeared in numerous places, including the new york times, the washington post, time magazine, ms. Yene mircha album art work of course, in his many years of relative obscurity mergia continued to noodle away at his keyboard, honing.
An african funk pioneer gets a second chance on a global stage hailu mergia, an ethiopian piano luminary, has been working as a washington cabby, but now hes releasing lala belu, his. Recorded at world cafe live in philadelphia on 3232018. I sing the body electric, which opened at the dell pryor. Npr s jazz night in america will record philadelphia. Vic spencer and chris crack who tf is chris spencer 45. Raised workingclass catholic on the northwest side of milwaukee, he took a semester in ireland, and immediately began cutting classes to busk on grafton street in dublin and hitchhike through the country, finding whatever gigs he could. Before last year, keyboardist hailu mergia may have more closely identified as a cab driver than the exleader of one of ethiopias most popular bands. Luciana souza, the book of longing sunnyside 20 3 martial solal, my one and only love.
Yeah, this is a record by hailu mergia, and he comes from a sort of ethiopian jazz tradition. Hailu mergia, a onetime star of ethiopian music now driving a cab in washington, led an earthy evening of funk at babys all right in williamsburg on. Call me american portland resident who escaped wartorn. You can throw it on quietly in the background while youre working. April 5, 2018 a record shop discovery led to the rebirth of hailus career, which includes his latest album called lala belu. After i drop my customer, i grab my keyboard from the trunk and sit in the car and. Capping several successful years traveling the world performing to audiences big and small, hailu mergia released his first new album in over 15 years, lala belu, on march 9, 2018. Like many record collections, ours has come together from various places. Relive your high school days listening to wow, i can get sexual too in person.
Hailu mergia has a smooth organ style this is both haunting and mesmerizing. Discover new and emerging artists, watch videos and live stream rare instudio performances and concerts, all curated by public radios best music radio stations. Bassist mike majkowski and drummer tony buck, of australias the necks, push the album toward its most traditional jazz conceit just before mergia a keyboardist, synthesizer player and accordionist of the. Hailu mergia, a keyboard player and ethiopian music star who lives in the u. Pieces of the d is an high energy homage to detroit, and she continued to push the boundaries of the genre by producing her first conceptual art installation, nanoc. The writers acknowledge they have blind spots, most notably in foreign jazz. World cafe a record shop discovery led to the rebirth of hailu s career, which includes his latest album called lala belu. Mergia, hailu hailu mergia and his classical instrument. Ethiopian keyboard and accordion maestro, hailu mergia, has enjoyed a welldeserved renaissance with the reissues of his classic albums on brian shimkovitz label awesome tapes from africa. Yene mirchawhich translates to my choice in amharicmarks the first album from hailu mergia since his 2018 comeback album lala belu. He hasnt played a gig since the 90s but with this new reissue on awesome tapes from africa, it is said that he is reconsidering his music career, and his beloved accordion. Its called yene mircha and it arrives march 27 via awesome tapes from africa.
Gary giddins, for the record, is an excellent writer, and you should check out his book visions of jazz. Read wisdom from country iconoclast terry allen, new age dreamer laraaji, soul survivor bettye lavette, jazz statesman gary bartz, and ethiojazz treasure hailu mergia by. The book also comes with downloads of 77 tracks with comprehensive breakdowns of each, which are. Hailu mergia was a talented keyboard player and showed a particular flair on the organ. The show takes a weekly look at modern pop music outside the mainstream. Lala belu has been a long time coming and builds on mergia s remarkable career resurgence over the past few years. Awesome tapes from africa off the back of three successful reissues under shimkovitz and touring with indiefolk band beirut, lala belu is mergia s first record in 15 years. The project charts an informal oral history of the city, focusing on stories that have been largely left out of the official narrative, like the history of jazz and the achievements of montreals black. April 5, 2018 a record shop discovery led to the rebirth of hailus career, which includes his latest album. Lala belu has been a long time coming and builds on mergia s remarkable career. The legendary ethiopian musician hasnt been heard from in recent decades other than some of his recordings from the 1970s and 1980s being reissued, and word has it that he has been working as a taxi driver in the usa. Shemonmuanay awesome tapes from africa informative yet silly notes to the contrary, this ethiopian oneoff, recorded in washington in 1985, isnt lush, futuristic, or, please god, psychedelic. Philipp jester w hen ethiopias walias band toured north america in 1981, most of the group jumped ship, eager to escape the red. Hailu mergia, a keyboardist and arranger diligently working the nightclub scene in addis ababa, formed the walias in the early 1970s with a core group of musicians assembled from prior working bands.
World cafe hailu mergia, a keyboard player and ethiopian music star who lives in the u. Peter mulvey has been a songwriter, roaddog, raconteur and almostpoet since before he can remember. Today, hailu mergia is a cab driver, spending six days a week shuttling passengers to and from dulles airport and around the washington dc area. Shop for vinyl, cds and more from hailu mergia at the discogs marketplace. The fusion of traditional music, jazz, and funk is perfect. Floating points is at u street music hall with hailu mergia. Capping several successful years traveling the world performing to audiences big and small, hailu mergia released his first new album in over 15 years, lala. Think vintage blue note jazz merged with that magical, hypnotic sound as heard on many of the those great ethiopiques albums. Though ive heard some late70s cassettes that have blown. Mind you this was recorded in a country that was going thru a major political strife when socialism had taken a stronghold of almost every aspect of ethiopian society so hailu had to tip toe thru very treacherous social waters in order to get his art across to his listeners.
Or, crank it at night it will make you want to dance. What a fabulous musical discovery this cd is, the reissue of an album originally released in ethiopia in 1977. Though ive heard some late70s cassettes that have blown my mind, i do believe that there were only three. Though ive heard some late70s cassettes that have blown my. Mergia got his start as part of walias band in the early 70s, playing epic all. By the 1980s, mulatus music was largely forgotten outside of his homeland. How a book of new orleans brothels inspired don vappies latest album. They played mergia s funk and soulinformed tunes, while cutting 45rpm singles with various vocalists. Shemonmuanay was first released in 1985 on kaifa records and features eleven delights blending the coy, winking melodies and phrasing of ethiopian folk music. Just off the radar, hosted by joe silva, is best described as modern pop eclectica. Sometimes a story comes full circle in the most unexpected way. Yene mircha album art work of course, in his many years of relative obscurity mergia continued to noodle away at his keyboard, honing his talent for skewed, earworming arrangements.
After hearing it, shimkovitz found keyboardist hailu mergias phone number on the internet, called him up. Mergia s car is a good place to hear his new music because its where he writes it. Digitally remastered edition of this 1971 cult release from the pastor, musician and motivational speaker. Grimes, hailu mergia, money, many rooms courtesy of the artists hide caption. Her techno solo theater performance, the missing project.
Shmu subscribe to best of npr newsletter clockwise from upper left. Hailu mergia hari meru meru recorded live for world cafe. Apr 10, 2020 unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Hailu mergia performs hari meru meru for a world cafe session with host, talia schlanger. The site was created as a way for shimkovitz to share music he had come across while on a fulbright scholarship in ghana. Hailu mergia his classical instrument shemonmuanaye, hailu mergia view product x. Sep 27, 2015 jessica care moore lives for the stage and her audience. Specifically, angie schmitt of one of my favorite websites, streetsblog, talking about the dark proliferation of the local news trope of guyforcedtowalkmilestogettoworkgetsafreecar. Ethiopian keyboardist hailu mergias long musical path has included a few interesting detours. A record shop discovery led to the rebirth of hailus career, which includes his latest album called lala belu.
This album is a great intro to the world of ethiopian music from the 60s and 70s. Hailu mergia and the walias tche belew releases discogs. Adams morgan movie nights byt brightest young things. Hailu mergia releases first new album in 15 years the wire. Hailu mergia on world cafe a record shop discovery led to the rebirth of hailu s career, which includes his latest album called lala belu. The label wing of brian shimkowitzs rightly titled awesome tapes from africa have remastered hailu mergia s visionary, switchedon solo recordings of traditional ethiopian songs played on analog synth, electric piano and accordion. Listen to this music and let it take you to a different place.
April 5, 2018 a record shop discovery led to the rebirth of hailu s career, which includes his latest album called lala belu. Secret chiefs 3 musicawi silt as safina on book m 2001. After the band split up in 1983, mergia moved to the united states and began studying music at howard university, during which time he discovered an accordion and. In a nostalgic effort to bring back the vintage accordion sound of his youth, hailu gave ethiopian music a sonic makeover. Walias band were an ethiopian jazz and funk band active from the early 1970s until the early. The selfreleased like a ship without a sail saw jesse jackson jr. The break toward the end of tizita, the lead track on hailu mergia s lala belu, brilliantly encapsulates a career that stretches back decades to ethiopias capital, addis ababa. A hybrid of ethiopian traditional music intermixed with jazz and funk. Ethiojazz legend hailu mergia has announced a new album. This new release features mergia with tony buck on drums and mike majkowski on bass, both of which backed the artist on tour throughout europe and. Living in hifi is a podcast about records, released every monday.
M 1 remy ma 2 yoyo ma 1 baaba maal 7 baaba maal et dande lenol 1 baaba maal and mansour seck 1 aurlus mabele and loketo 1 willie mabon 1 mabulu 1 kirsty maccoll 3 shane macgowan and the popes 2 mary macgregor 1 macha 1 machine 1 machines of loving grace 1. Maaza mengistes latest novel, the shadow king, has been released. Official facebook page of mulatu astatke also known as the father of ethiojazz. Ethiopian keyboard and accordion luminary, based in washington, dc. An african funk pioneer gets a second chance on a global. Hailu mergia performs hari meru meru live for a world cafe session with host, talia schlanger.
Mulatu remained to play vibes for hailu mergia and the walias bands 1977 album tche belew which included musicawi silt before the wallas also left ethiopia to tour internationally. This episode features a clip from this past weekends great episode of wnycs on the media about american car culture. In 2011, shimkovitz transitioned the site from just a blog with posted recordings of collected. Hailed by npr s world cafe as a songwriter capable of being both wry and brooding, rice has always contained multitudes. A whos who of pickathon 2018 pickathon 2018 portland mercury.