Tag: Ethiopiques

TRACK | Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou – The Story of the Wind

5/5 golden merles

In our time of interregnum and on a day in particular upon which our nation further disgraces itself — beholden as it is to a coalition of the corrupt and a cadre of geriatric oligarchs, theocrats, conservatives, regressives, and the other assorted dregs of civilization — here is a piece from someone still living once held in a fascist prison.

With much beautiful elaboration, this is a beacon of an instrumental, a melodic gift guided in staggering nuance and mannerisms. The cultured style is rich work of formidable detailing. Intriguing and memorable in its immediately accessibly direct form, it nevertheless contains such subtlety and distinction within its variances. Until you hear it, with all its salient graces, you don’t quite realize how much you have settled for in substitution.

For more excellence from Ethiopia check out the earlier post on Getatchew Mekurya and/or listen to Guebrou’s full Éthiopiques 21: Piano Solo here.

TRACK | Getatchew Mekurya – Akale Wube

5/5 golden merles

Here is a slight departure from the guitar-driven lo-fi, but the hiss of the tape remains, the synth-organ still chirps it’s guttural encouragements, and the hooks are everywhere present.

Akale Wube is an all time great track, for me, not only of Ethiopia, and not only of the saxophone, both of which I am not very familiar. But of the thing called music, generally. It wails.

Generally in art I am wary of outright abstraction, and view it with suspicion, as a salve to established, unjust hierarchies, and through it’s broad interpretation offering undue comfort to the enemy.

But not in this instance. At least for four minutes and eleven seconds I take Getatchew’s (lack of) word for it.