Ethiopia

Éthiopie
Musiques des Hauts-Plateaux
Playasound 65219

Contents:

  1. Khadija (voice)
  2. Hagerie (instrumental)
  3. Dinkara (voice)
  4. Foodhir (washint)
  5. Liif (voice)
  6. Neger (instrumental)
  7. Didhig (voice)
  8. Piece pour krar (krar solo)
  9. Rixa (voice)
  10. Fikrie Yenie Neh (instrumental)
  11. Kebeoda (voice)
  12. Piece pour masengo (masengo solo)
  13. Barri (voice)
  14. Syematibela (instrumental)
  15. Sokota (voice)
  16. Piece pour washint (washint solo)
  17. Gocasho (voice)
  18. Fikir (instrumental)

Playing time: 53'15"

Production date: 1999 by Jean-Pierre Tzaud

This citation is accompanied by virtually no documentary information, making it very difficult to place in any context. However, it is of high musical merit and cannot be ignored.

The stated contents are music of the Amhara people on the Ethiopian Central Plateau. Short instrument descriptions are given: krar = small bowl lyre, masenqo = short one-string spike fiddle, washint = four-hole end-blown bamboo flute, kabaro = two-skin tapered drum. No performer information whatsoever is mentioned; track information given above is exactly as on the CD, in full detail.

It does not seem unlikely that this is a reissue of an older recording, but no such information is provided. All in all, the almost complete lack of information accompanying it serves to give the very musically appealing tracks on this anthology the character of sphinxes.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To Ethiopia list.

T. M. McComb