Ernesto Chahoud’s ‘Taitu’ is a collection of soul-fuelled stompers straight from the dancefloors of 1970s Addis Ababa. A breathless journey through the unique Ethio sound that bands were forging at the time, the 24-track compilation is the result of the Lebanese DJ and crate digger’s decadelong love affair with the ‘golden age’ of Ethiopian music.
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.
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.
The songs are difficult to box in to one genre but they share a simplicity and rawness, added to by their lo-fi quality – with many recordings made in rudimentary studios with only a couple of mics for the entire band.
From the R&B stomper ‘Honey Baby’ by Alemayehu Eshete to Astatke’s swaggering ethnic-jazz instrumental ‘Emnete’ and the bluesy melancholic vocals of Hirut Bekele on ‘Ewnetegna Feker’, ‘Taitu’ is a window in on the exciting records being made in Ethiopia in the 1970s.
| A1 | –Menelik Wossenatchew | Fikratchin |
| A2 | –Mulatu Astatke | Emnete |
| A3 | –Teshome Meteku* | Hasabe |
| A4 | –Birkineh Wurga | Alkedashim |
| B1 | –Selomon Shibeshi* | Endiet Zenegashiw |
| B2 | –Alemayehu Eshete | Chiro Adarie Negne |
| B3 | –Hirut Bekele | Ewnetegna Feker |
| B4 | –Bezunesh Bekele | Felagote |
| C1 | –Alemayehu Eshete | Mekeyershene Salawke |
| C2 | –Tilahun Gessesse | Aykedashim Libe |
| C3 | –Merawi Yohannis | Teleyeshign |
| C4 | –Hirut Bekele And Alemayehu Eshete | Temelese |
| C5 | –Alemayehu Eshete | Honey Baby |
| D1 | –Seifu Yohannes | Ebo Lala |
| D2 | –Bezunesh Bekele | Aha Gedawo |
| D3 | –Alemayehu Borobor | Yeshebelewa |
| D4 | –Seifu Yohannes | Mela Mela |
| E1 | –Tilahun Gessesse | Sigibgib Joroye |
| E2 | –Alemayehu Eshete | Gizew Honeshyna |
| E3 | –Bahta G. Hiwot* | Tessassategn Eko |
| E4 | –Getatchew Kassa* | Fikrishin Eshaleyu |
| F1 | –Hirut Bekele | Almokerkum Nebere |
| F2 | –Muluken Melesse | Alagegnhwatem |
| F3 | –Menelik Wossenachew* | Tezeta |
| F4 | –Tamrat Molla* | Ene Yewodedquat |
