Ethiopiques, Vol. 3: Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music

Description

The third installment of Buda’s Ethiopiques series is one of the best, an unlikely occurrence as most of this material was released in 1975–a year after the fall of Emperor Haile Sallassie and the rise of a repressive military regime that quickly brought to an end the Golden Age of music. From trance-heavy tracks to James Brown-style funk and ska-like rhythms, this collection has it all!

In six years (1969-1975) Amha Records issued approx 250 titles. Eight of the songs on this ‘Ethiopiques 3’ are accompanied by bands affiliated with the police. Indeed, until the very end of the sixties, Ethiopia had no independent modern bands. Musical life was dominated by the institutional bands attached to either the Imperial Body Gaurd, the Police, the Army, the Ciry of Addis Ababa, Agher feqer Mahber or the Haile Sellasie I Theatre. Each of these institutions, however, developed several firmly demilitarised and even reolutely modern branches. All vied to strike it bif, trying to score one of the major hits of the year with the general public.
Featuring Mahmoud Ahmed, Alèmayèhu Eshète, Hirut Bèqèlè, Tlahoun Gèssèssè, Tadèlè Bèqèlè, Teéfèri Fèllèqè, Muluqèn Mèllèssè, le Polic Orchestra, l’Ibex Band, le Police String Orchestra.

Price: $12.99