Hailu Mergia & the Walias: Tezeta [AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA]

Why you'll love it

This Awesome Tapes From Africa reissue brings a cassette-era rarity from Addis Ababa's golden age to vinyl, with an insert of liner notes and a download card. It's organ-led Ethiopian groove at its warmest, from the band that ran the Addis Hilton's nightclub stage for a decade.

This edition

• Insert with liner notes
• Printed inner sleeve
• Download card included
• Lyrics included

About the album

Most house bands play other people's hits. The Walias Band played the Addis Ababa Hilton for ten years, bought their own instruments, ran their own label and record shop, and recorded Tezeta right there in the hotel's nightclub in 1975, with Hailu Mergia's organ out front. It came out on cassette through the band's own label, sold from their own shop.

The music reworks classic Ethiopian melodies and folk tunes into something jazzy and modern, with Rhodes piano, wah-wah guitar and a rhythm section that knows exactly when to strut. The title track is a slow, smoky take on the beloved tezeta mode, "Zengadyw Derekou" rides a funky backbeat, "Atmetalegnem Woi" has a nimble bass line, and "Nefas New Zemedie" swaggers in a minor key.

The Walias' instrumental sound became the soundtrack of Ethiopian TV and radio for years, and Mergia later settled in Washington D.C., where he spent years behind the wheel of a taxi before Awesome Tapes brought his records back. He's been touring the world ever since, which is a far better use of a keyboard player than the airport run.

Also at Kops: more Hailu Mergia on vinyl · browse World

Tracklist

Listen

On Awesome Tapes From Africa (cat# ATFA041), a reissue of the 1975 album.