Hailu Mergia Lala Belu

Awesome Tapes From Africa

ioneering Ethio-jazz musician Hailu Mergia returns with his first studio album in over fifteen years. One of Ethiopia’s most popular jazz artists throughout the 1970s and 80s, Mergia has seen a enjoyed a resurgence over the last few years following three reissues. Still based in Washington D.C, the much celebrated keyboardist and accordion player returns with a shimmering new record of funky jazz. Full of energy and improvisational spirit, Lala Belu is quick, sharp and forward-looking. Moving away from the traditions of Ethio-jazz and embracing the future, Mergia launches into a spirited soundscape that encompasses woozing synths, frenetic keys, intoxicating rhythms, rough bass, smoky grooves and jangling melodies. It’s as immersive as it is unpredictable. Mergia’s distinctive, inventive compositions take on a celestial feeling, freeing the pioneering artist’s music from time and space in a fascinating meeting of cultures. Fusing atmospheres from smoke-filled US jazz clubs, Addis Ababa’s heaving, sweaty dancefloors and throbbing disco nightclubs, Lala Belu encompasses a far-reaching, tempo-driven sound that is sure to ignite modern audiences around the world. Still pushing the envelope for global jazz sounds, it is fitting that Hailu Mergia’s return focuses more on the future than the past.

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Tizita, Gum Gum, Lala Belu| 9/10