Bleep

Brian Shimkovitz’ Awesome Tapes From Africa strips two of the standout pieces from the recently reissued 1977 LP from Hailu Mergia & The Walias for a beautiful 7” single. For anyone who missed this release the first (and second) time around, Tche Belew is a stunning work of highly flavoured, smoky Ethiopian jazz / funk instrumentals, which despite not being as well known as his contemporaries Mulutu Astatke or Mahmoud Ahmed, are no less striking. First is the ominous Western-Ethio hybrid of the Ethiopian anthem ‘Musicawi Silt’, where Hailu’s slick organ melodies melt nonchalantly into an exotic percussive backing of effortless drumming and hand clackers. Over on the B-side, find the humid, sun-soaked vibrations of ‘Tche Belew’, an essential piece for any die-hard follower of the legendary Éthiopiques series.