Concert Review : EMF V

Good French Jazz, Bad Ethiopian Reggae
Reviewed By: Will Connors

Last weekend was the closing of the Ethiopian Music Festival, and two very different concerts were held in Addis Ababa to mark the occasion.

On Friday night a free concert at the expat hangout The Coffee House featured the visiting French jazz band Les Tigres des Platanes. In front of an enthusiastic crowd, the quartet pumped out their own eclectic versions of Duke Ellington, Mulatu Astatke, and Medeski, Martin and Wood tunes.

The leader, a saxophonist, greeted the audience with a simple, "Hello, good evening – we are French!" This seemed to please everyone immeasurably, even the Ethiopians in attendance, who laughed and cheered heartily. Then the music began.

There was the saxophonist, who led his band mates through a series of original interpretations of classics both old and new. The drummer, head shaved, chewed continuously on a toothpick as he bobbed up and down while competently supplying the beats. Tucked into a corner was the trumpeter, who seemed to get ahead of himself and attempt solos beyond his reach. Standing stolidly by the wall was the bass tuba player. His steady play carried the band, which became evident when he took a break and left the other three to fend for themselves.

Through two energetic sets, Les Tigres des Platanes supplied a fervent, up-tempo show that revealed the group to be both musically skilled and adept at crowd maintenance.

The next night the Alliance Ethio-Française hosted a concert featuring Jonny Raga, the up-and-coming Ethiopian reggae artist. Les Tigres des Platanes performed again as the opening act, playing a much shorter and less lively set.

The Alliance performance space was set outside below rows of stone benches, and the night was cold with rain threatening. This proved to be a bad omen. When the band finally took the stage an hour late, the speakers crackled and hissed, causing many to cover their ears.

Three back-up singers ambled up to their microphones, and the sound was no better as they began to sing. When Raga took the stage, the crowd cheered feebly, clearly put off by the technical problems with the sound system.

Unlike the Coffee House, and most good performance spots for that matter, the Alliance stage was set away from the audience, creating a divide that inhibited many from approaching the musicians and dancing. For the majority of the show, the only ones reacting positively were toddlers brought along by parents.

Not five minutes after the performance began, all of the speakers on the right side of the stage shorted out. This created a distorted and uneven sound for some, and no sound at all for others.

The sound inconsistencies weren't the only problems with the show. Two of the back-up singers acted as if they had better places to be, and the third was so nervous that I became uncomfortable just looking at him. He had the deer-in-the-headlights look dead on, and I don't think he changed positions once.

Jonny Raga (Yohannes Bekle) is short - very short. Even the smallish back-up singers, including one woman, towered over him. It did not help that the seats looked down on the stage. From the back rows, he looked comical, especially when he jumped around in an effort to hype the placid audience. From up close, the appearance of the singer was only slightly better. This would not have bogged down a more seasoned performer of small stature, e.g. Paul Simon, but Raga's height inevitably skewed the performance.

What music could be heard was not terrible, and two songs that have been getting some airplay on Addis radio were actually pretty catchy. Raga has a good voice; he hit a wide range of notes and sang capably in a number of styles. His band was sloppy, though, especially the rhythm guitarist, whose solos sounded more like cheesy 80s rock than modern reggae.

The set was only about six songs long; far too short a set for the headliners and culminating performers of a music festival. After closing the set with one of their two hits, they played an encore of…the exact same song. I'd never seen a band close their set and perform an encore three minutes later with the same song.

Raga and his band have a lot of work to do on their stage presence and performance skills before they become successful outside Addis.

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Shuk and Tuss

A friend tells me that Raga is always at a local gym, not working out as much as working the crowd. He walks among the gym members and chats them up, often acting surprised and incensed when someone doesn't know who he is. A word of advice to Mr. Yohannes: acting indignant when people don't recognize you is not the best way to win over fans, and from the looks of your latest performance, you're going to need as many fans as you can get.

A tale of two Festivals

cont.....

Ethiopian Music Festival V

The Ethiopian Music Festival (EMF) started a week early but before I go on, here is a brief history of EMF.

It was first started in 2001 by Alliance éthio-française in collaboration with the French Ethiopian-music guru Francis Falceto. Mr. Falceto is known for bringing Ethiopian music to the world with his Ethiopiques music series. I won’t be the only one to say Ethiopiques is one of the most spectacular music collections ever to surface in the music world. It is the perfect chronicle for the golden era of Ethiopian music. For those who don’t know the ‘Golden Era’, it was a brief period from the mid 60s and early 70s when the funkiest sounds were emanating form the streets of Addis. The era saw the birth and tragic dwindling of Ethio Jazz, a style that combined traditional Ethiopian music with everything else that was hip at the time.

Ever since its inception, the essence of EMF has been kept to honoring musicians from the golden era. The tribute festivals are comprised of exhibitions, symposiums, workshops, and concerts by local and foreign artists. Unfortunately, all those years I was not in the country to attend any of them. As a result I missed Mulatu Astatke and E/O orchestra at the 2004 EMF (Ethiopiques Vol. 20) play one of the most amazing Ethio Jazz concerts since the golden days.

Personally I love music festivals; I have no problems with doing my daily chores, sleeping, showering while wearing a wrist band like a mental patient on the loose. Festivals like EMF not only spice up the routine Addis life, it might also wake the dormant music scene. Music festivals at a time like this might seem hypocritical to some. The fact is music is self expression and more than ever now is the time we need to let our angst out in creative ways.

This year’s EMF honoree is Mahamoud Ahmed, the King of Tizita and the most documented artist by Mr. Falceto (Ethiopiques Vol. 6, 7 & 19). Mahamoud is not only known for his music; he is an inspiration for any starving artist. He started his career as a Listero (shoe shine boy) and made his way in to a club as dish washer until he got discovered. Ever since then, he has won the hearts of the Ethiopian music audience with anthem songs like Alawekshlinem (You Never Knew), Abet (???) and Ended Yeresashal (How Could You Forget) and has attained a cult status abroad.

The festival kicked off with an art exhibition at the Alliance Ethio Française head quarters. The festival drew mostly the international community, perhaps due to the choice of venues. Then again, lots of well-to-do Ethiopians spend their free time inside their cars sippin’ overpriced macchiato.

For those who ventured beyond caffeine and lactose, here is what the 2006 Ethiopian Music Festival had to offer.

EMF photo stream on flickr

Idan Raichel's Project / January 11, 2005 @ the Hilton

Bang Bang… ta da da da

Who said being in the Israeli army is only about demolishing houses, shooting rubber and sometimes live bullets at intifada kids in the West Bank. The influx of non-Israeli Jews in to the army, like the Ethiopian Felasha, has created a cultural mélange which Idan Rachel managed to create something positive out of.

More on his musical journey can be found on their website. I can’t say much about a show that I did not attend but word has it, this group is was exceptional.

Azmari Night / January 12, 2005 @ alliance

For your inner Dirty

If you heard the third track on Ethiopiques Vol 2 and thought the scratchy voiced woman moaning and screaming has sexual context, you are not a delusional sex maniac. That is azmari music at its purest, or shall I say, filthiest.

What makes Azmari music different is the improvisation and uses of sem’na werk (wax and gold) .lyrics are made on the spot directed at a member of the audience. Depending on how far you reach down your pocket, it’s possible to be crowned a king on the spot or go home with your tail between your legs

Alliance has been hosting a mild Azmari night every Thursday for a while now. If you want easily accessible azmari music, Alliance is a nice place but if you want to indulge yourself on the real thing, I suggest exploring the small shacks of Kazanchis, the unofficial red light district of the Addis.

Big Five / January 13, 2005 @ The Hilton

wishful wishing

The night brought the five big names from the traditional and Modern Ethiopian music. Once again, I can’t say much because I wasn’t therem I wish I was. Amongst the modern performers were Mahamoud himself and 200? EMF honoree Getachew Mekuria (king of saxophone with a regal swagger) plus three other alumni of the golden era backed by Afro Sound Band. Seen it or not, my highlight definitely would be the traditional line up. Yirga Dubale is one of my all time favorites as well as Habtemichael Demisse and Rahel Yohannes. Wishing them good health and long life, I say to my self…perhaps next time.

Women voices / January 17, 2005 @ the Hilton

Ketefa goes to the Hilton

Ketefa Def: a type of music that is half-assedly put together for fast marketing. It made-up of synthesizers and lousy lyrics sung by horrible musicians.

My first concert of the 2006 EMF and almost a disappointment. These women of voices were a stereotype unto them selves. The music was easily recognizable form the radio and local bars. Sure it’s upbeat, nationalistic and might even get you to shoulder shimmy but it’s not festival material. If I had known this was going to be Ketefa evening, I wouldn’t have gone. Fortunately, for once they left their synthesizers back at their ketefa bet and were backed by Afro Sound Band. Forget the music but their outfit deserves a rant. It’s too bad my Yilunta kept me from taking close up pictures; someone in there would actually think I am taking them for my personal pleasure.

Zenash Tsegaye walked in with a toit toit red dress with tinsels hanging from it looking like some thing out of a Philip K. Dick fiction. It left absolutely nada for my wandering imagination. After two songs she left the stage for Tigist Afwork, who seems to take pride of her god given generously proportioned behind. For a second, I thought she had forgotten her skirt, until I looked beyond the stage monitors and realized those skin tight things flare up at the bottom suggesting pants. And man…when she wiggled her hips and thrust her chest, it was like wrecking-balls working on a concrete bunker.

Tigist Afwork (8x zoom)

Endelibe Mandefro to my relief came in a traditional outfit and she also lived up to her music. Everything about her including her voice was authentic. She invited Mahamoud up for a steamy session of Eskista (shoulder shimmy) which he happily accepted.

As the saying goes “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings” and that’s just what I thought when Zuriash Abeyu walked in. With a voluptuous body like that, who wouldn’t? Unfortunately, the myth applies only for opera and not for Ketefa. Zenash returned to the stage with an Arabic song with a lot of Ya Habibi; the ayatollah would condemn blasphemy.

We quietly exited before the wrecking ball returned.

Tigre des Platanes / January 20-, 2005 @ the Coffee House

Ethio Jazz on Khat

Its one thing that non-Ethiopians are putting together Ethiopian music cds, organizing music festivals to honor Ethiopian musicians but seeing this French quartet recreate some of the music from the golden era was an envious-joy.

They opened the night with Mulatu Astake’s (Ethiopiques Vol 4) Yekatit and throughout the night treated the audience with more Mulatu, Getachew Mekuria, Teshome Mitiku. In between the Ethio jazz they played other exotic tunes from Sudan (?) and included songs by Duke Ellington, Fela Kuti, and The Skatalites.

Even if they lacked the string section that gave the funky sound to the authentic Ethio jazz, Tigre des Platanes had their own style going with a triple horn section and percussionist. It was very fascinating to see a tuba play the bass lines, not to mention their use of melodica and kazoos for their improvisational parts.

The regular saxophone player from Coffee House joined in halfway through the second set intensifying the horn section and morphing Fela’s Zombie to Zombie on E. He left after a well harmonized performance of Yekermo Sew.

The fact that Tigre des Platanes did not play any original material did not compromise the energetic show they put on in the confined quarters of the Coffee House

Jonny Ragga with Tigre des Platanes @ Aliance January 21, 2005

Habeshawiwiwiwiwiwiwiwiwiwiwiwiwiwi….

Beside a low key album release party/show at Club Illusion, this is Jonny Ragga’s first public concert since he released his remarkable debut album, Kulfun Sitchine (Gimmie the Key). This doesn’t imply Jonny is fresh to the live scene and he ain’t no stranger for EMF either. Back in the days, he was a crowd pleaser at the Exhibition Center with his covers of reggae/ragga songs and he first appeared at the EMF in 2002 as part of a reggae concert. With his unique singing style, great production and lyrics that range from adoration of places and the opposite sex to heavy social criticism, Gimmie the Key is an instant classic, what was left was a live show of the same caliber.

Tigre des Platanes opened with the same set as the previous night. I am not sure if the energy dissipated into the brisk evening sky or if it was the incompetence of the sound man, they didn’t have the same vibe.

As they have been doing through out the 2006 festival, Afro Sound backed Jonny proving their boundless musicianship. The band kicked things off with instrumental snippets from the new album until the architect himself usurped the stage with the title song. The rest of the set contained both new and unreleased material and went on to reminisce his old days with a cover of Bob Marley’s Upsetter day classic Soul Rebel/Run for Cover and shared Sean Paul’s lust for scrumptious women. The first set ended with Ethiopia, which at the end had a nice interplay between guitarist Girum and bassist Sanje Gudden

The rest of the band could learn a bit about relaxing from Sanje who was strumming the fattest deepest bass out of that stubby thing while grooving along to the beats. The two guys on keyboard seemed mortified with the sounds their instruments were making and guitarist Girum was lost in Fender heaven. Johnny’s obsession with getting everything right resulted a few unpleasant moments of stopping and starting in the middle of a song. It’s nothing that can’t be solved with more time together. Last but not least, honorable mention to the three back up singers who kept the stage alive.

Jonny handed the mic over to a new blood called Haile Roots for the intermission. I am assuming he is a sophomore at JR’s new promotion company. Haile had lots to say and lots of energy, definitely some one to look out for in the future.

JR returned for a short second set, which the band was ill-prepared for and ended playing Habeshawit twice. After haggling with the Alliance security, he returned for a much demanded encore only to play Habeshawit for the third time. ugh!

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Final Note

Ethiopian Music Festival is a good start for a country that’s been devoid of any musical ambitions for a while. Assuming that the festival is not strictly profit oriented, it has better future in showcasing nameless artists with real talent unlike similar projects with money on their mind. While paying homage to the past is good, more emphasis is should be put to encouraging those who dare to stand out as artists and not commodities. The range of music covered should also extend to remote tribes who we owe most of the modern music to.

The choice of venues encompassed the cozy coffee house to the mini-amphitheater is fabulous with one exception. The Addis Ababa Hilton ball room. To my knowledge, non of these great musicians we honor started their career at the Hilton and while the places that hosted Mahamoud and the rest during their hay days - the National and Hager Fikir theaters - are still standing, a five star hotel shouldn’t be a priority.

Finally, on behalf of those who enjoyed the festival, my appreciation to The Artists, Alliance Staff and Mr. Falceto who made it happen.

A tale of two Festivals

Blood Thicker than Holywater?

Last week was marked by two festivals each with a different theme, both musically exhilarating and one marked by terror. Here is the story.

TIMKET (January 16 - 18)

Among the followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Timket (Ephipany) is celebrated on January 17^th to mark the baptism of Jesus Christ. Like Meskel, it is the most colorful holiday in the Ethiopian calendar but unlike Meskel it is lasts for three consecutive days making it more of a festival.

Day 1- Jan 16^th , Ketera: All tabots leave their respective church to spend the night outdoors, most preferably near water. The tabots and the priests who carry them are draped with colorful fabrics and people escort their neighborhood church’s tabot to its designated spot. A mass is held in the evening and the church members and other orthodox Christian followers spend the night around the tabot singing spiritual songs.

Day 2 – Jan 17^th, Timket: Early in the morning, prayers are held around the water. The water then gets blessed by a high priest who later sprinkles (hosing down is more common this days) the mass with the (now) holy water. The pool of holy water is opened to the public for a few hours of cleansing sins and splashing around. All tabots, except for Kidus Michael, start their gracefully-slow procession back to their churches. Each tabot is followed by their congregation dressed in white traditional outfit singing, chanting and dancing.

Day 3: Jan 18^th, Kidus Michael (St. Mike) Day. The Kidus Michael tabots that stayed an extra night out return to their churches. The fact there are at least half a dozen Michael Churches in Addis make the day as crowded as the actual Timket day.

My favorite part of the Timket festival is the Music. The hymns of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church are a delight even for a non-believer who is musically inclined. The sullen voices of the priests together with intermittent Ka’chels and drum emanate a dreamy atmosphere impossible to resist. Other more upbeat church songs are also sung and chanted amongst the followers. One not related to the church but is a common musical accompaniment to the Festival is the Harmonica Dance. The dance involves an amateur harmonica player blowing repetitive rhythms while the others clap and dance in a circle.

There is more to this year’s festival. The fact people are agile and they have no other way to let out their angst makes occasions like this the perfect opportunity to speak out. Recall the Great Ethiopian run - the 10 kilometer inner city marathon turned to a non-EPRDF-Authorized peaceful protest. similarly, this year’s Timket had more musical additions; the words of the regular festive songs were changed to anti-operation songs that fiercely criticized the regime and it’s cadres. Clashes between the public and the police were reported throughout the three days resulting in loss of life and scores of injuries.

Meskel square has a nice coverage of the festival plus a photo set from heaven. Reports and reactions on the incidents can be found here, here and here.

to be cont……