Ethiopian Urban Modern Music 4

A stunning set of vocal recordings by Tlahoun Gessesse - one of the most important singers during the golden age of Ethiopian music - caught here on a set of sides that sadly saw that period coming to an end! The tracks on the set are mostly from the early 70s, a time that saw great political changes in Ethiopia - and tremendous censorship and restrictions on cultural production. Gessesse's vocals during this time are perhaps even more melancholy and heartfelt than before, and he's working here on a number of sides with the legendary Mulatu - with arrangements that have a angular, almost modernist edge. Despite the language barriers that keep us from understanding what Gessesse's singing about, there's an incredibly evocative quality to the work that transcends time and place.