Compilation Ernesto Chahoud presents Taitu: Soul-fuelled Stompers from 1970s Ethiopia is a trip through the unique Ethio sound that bands were forging at the time.
Ernesto Chahoud’s ‘Taitu’ represents the sound of the dancefloors of 1970s Addis Ababa. Among the musical gems featured are 7”s by some of the heavyweights of the scene including the godfather of Ethio jazz Mulatu Astatke and Alemayehu Eshete, the vocalist dubbed the ‘Ethiopian Elvis’, alongside tracks by more obscure artists such as Merawi Yohannis and Birkineh Wurga. Listen to the excerpts below.
“For ‘Taitu’, Chahoud has selected 24 of his essential Ethio-Soul 7”s, that never leave his DJ box, and together they capture this opportune moment in Ethiopian music history that saw bands experiment with an armful of influences: gliding through R&B, rock & roll, jazz, funk, soul and boogaloo. What came out was a distinctly Ethiopian interpretation: pentatonic scales, horn-driven melodies and soul-shattering vocals sung in Amharic.”
Read next: Ethiopian Hit Parade Vol. 1: from ’70s Ethiopia to the modern world
