The accordian wielding Washington transplant’s first album in fifteen years.
Brian Shimkovitz devotes his time to unearthing and regenerating interest in forgotten artists from the African continent under the alias Awesome Tapes From Africa, a project that has grown from blog to widely acclaimed label over the course of twelve years. Of all of Shimkovitz’s efforts, Ethiopian expat Hailu Mergia, who first featured early in the label’s genealogy, is perhaps the musician to have received the most notably renewed success.
Once at the forefront of the “swinging period” of the 1960s and 70s in Addis Ababa, Mergia channeled funk, jazz and afrobeat through hypnotic pentatonic modes as the leader of the Walias Band, a group that would eventually reach celebrity status in their home country. However in 1981 during a tour of the United States, the band, including Mergia chose to settle in the country rather than return home and their music careers suffered as a result. Working as a taxi driver in the time thereafter, Mergia’s touring schedule quickly disintegrated until Shimkovitz made contact.
Since 2013, Shimkovitz has reissued a number of Mergia’s previous releases and orchestrated international tours for the musician, revitalising his career tenfold in the process. On March 9th, Mergia will release his first studio album in fifteen years which comprises of both original compositions and takes on traditional Ethiopian works. Entitled Lala Belu, the project is available to listen to in its entirety two weeks ahead of the physical release date and it doesn’t disappoint. Tune in below.
Lala Belu releases digitally today and physically on March 9th via Awesome Tapes From Africa.
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
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