{"title":"Hailu Mergia","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"b-hailu-mergia-dahlak-band-b-br-i-wede-harer-guzo-i","title":"Hailu Mergia \u0026 Dahlak Band - Wede Harer Guzo","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFormat \/ \u003cstrong\u003eLP Vinyl\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eReleased \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eCatalog \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e751937436218\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eHailu Mergia \u0026amp; Dahlak Band\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eAwesome Tapes From Africa\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eGenre \/ \u003cstrong\u003eWorld\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31485055172669,"sku":"WOR-M-751937436218","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/products\/2461d96624b26e0072d42dc294c8f71f.jpg?v=1578153419"},{"product_id":"hailu-mergia-and-the-walias-tche-belew-146046","title":"Hailu Mergia And The Walias - Tche Belew","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-md-10\" id=\"aec-main\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-product-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\" id=\"aec-product-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-desc-review collapse\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe acclaimed and highly sought-after LP by Hailu Mergia and the Walias, Tche Belew, an album of instrumentals released in 1977, is perhaps the most seminal recording released in the aftermath of the 1974 revolution. The story of the Walias band is a critical chapter in Ethiopian popular music, taking place during a period of music industry flux and political complexity in the country. Hailu Mergia, a keyboardist and arranger diligently working the nightclub scene in Addis Ababa, formed the Walias in the early 1970's with a core group of musicians assembled from prior working bands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e10\/14\/2014\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAWTP-55609\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e656605560915\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eHailu Mergia And The Walias\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLabel \/\u003cstrong\u003e Awesome Tapes from\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre \/ \u003cb\u003eWorld\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":33026701688893,"sku":"WOR-M-656605560915","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/2784780.jpg?v=1684338756"},{"product_id":"hailu-mergia-the-walias-tezeta","title":"Hailu Mergia \u0026 The Walias Band - Tezeta","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom their genesis as members of the Venus club in-house band in the early 70s, Hailu Mergia and the Walias Band were at the forefront of the musical revolution during an era where modern instruments and foreign styles superseded the traditional fare to become the staple sound of Ethiopia. No one would argue that the Walias were the trailblazing powerhouse of modern Ethiopian music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThey were the first band to form independently without affiliation to a theatre house, a club or a hotel; unprecedented and risky as they had to raise all funding for expenses by themselves including buying equipment. They were the first to release full instrumental albums, considered to be commercially unviable at the time. They opened their own recording studio, with band members Melake Gebre and Mahmoud Aman doubling as technical buffs during sessions. They were also the first independent band to tour abroad. In short, they were the pioneers every band tried to emulate; some more successfully than others. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOdds are, any Ethiopian over the age of 35 who had access to TV or radio by the early 90s, will instantly recognize the sound of Walias. What is not a given is, how many would actually identify the band itself. Barely a day went by without hearing the Walias either in the background on radio or as an accompaniment to various programs on TV. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis \"Tezeta\" album, the band's second recording, released in 1975, is one of those that have been impossible to find for nearly three decades. Sourced by Awesome Tapes From Africa and expertly remastered by Jessica Thompson, it's unique and funky renditions of standards and popular songs of the day are so quintessentially Walias, flavorful and evocative. Hailu's melodic organ, unashamedly front and center in every track, makes even the complex pieces accessible. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProfoundly engaging; it's an immersive trip down memory lane for those of us getting reacquainted with it, while also an enthralling and gratifying experience for fresh ears.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat \/ \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLP\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased \/ \u003cb\u003e06\/04\/2021\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAWTP-41\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e843563134993\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtist \/ \u003cb\u003eHailu Mergia \u0026amp; The Walias Band\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLabel \/ \u003cb\u003eAwesome Tapes from Africa\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre \/ \u003cstrong\u003eJazz\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39327759532093,"sku":"JAZ-M-843563134993","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/products\/843563134993.jpg?v=1622480439"},{"product_id":"hailu-mergia-pioneer-works-swing-live","title":"Hailu Mergia - Pioneer Works Swing (Live)","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-main\" class=\"col-md-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-product-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-product-description\" class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-desc-review collapse\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's been a little over ten years since Hailu Mergia re-emerged on the international music scene. Following the first in a series of his classic recordings reissued in collaboration with Awesome Tapes From Africa, Mergia assembled a band and began performing live again after many years driving a cab in Washington, DC. His first show back appeared on the front page of the New York Times along with a stellar review and he took off from there performing his flavor of Ethiopian jazz all over the world in the years since, including Radio City Music Hall and Montreal Jazz Festival.Finally, we have a recorded document of the keyboard player's powerful DC-based trio—which practices each weekend in his basement—featuring Kenneth Joseph on drums and Alemseged Kebede on bass. Beautifully captured at one of their fiery live shows at the venerable Brooklyn non-profit cultural center Pioneer Works on July 1, 2016, the concert was recorded by PW staff and mixed by Ted Young with mastering by ATFA's expert audio extraction collaborator Jessica Thompson. The performance clarifies what many people across the globe already know: in his fifth decade of music-making Hailu Mergia continues to push the boundaries of his remarkable abilities.Mergia and his veteran band energetically and playfully unpeel layer after layer of harmonic and rhythmic interest out of a spectrum of Ethiopian repertoire. Modern jazz demands constant reinvention and improvisation, night after night creating new works out of known modes and classic standards. This band is unstoppable when it comes to turning age-old melodies (like \"Tizita\" or \"Anchihoye Lene\") upside down and inside out until they emerge as molten new works, often spontaneously. Mergia's original compositions (like \"Yegle Nesh\") shine brighter than ever here as well. Moving from keyboard to organ to accordion to melodica, he deftly switches instruments—often during the same song. Mergia at 77 years old seems to be working harder than musicians half his age. \"Pioneer Works Swing (Live)\" brings into focus the kind of onstage group improvisation and deadly solo passages that reach for places Mergia and the band have never gone, on festival and club stages across four continents.Now that Mergia has released two new recordings along with four classic reissues, he is eager to let everyone hear what he's been doing on the road since he re-took the global stage for his victory laps. So much more than an old act from yesteryear, Mergia balances his legendary Ethiopian recordings with good old-fashioned sweat-soaked live concert triumphs such as the one we have here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased \/ \u003cb\u003e11\/03\/2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003eATFA-049LP\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e843563164822\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eHailu Mergia\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eAwesome Tapes From Africa\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre \/ \u003cb\u003eWorld\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40826434060349,"sku":"WOR-M-843563164822","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/ATFA049.jpg?v=1698541408"},{"product_id":"hailu-mergia-pioneer-works-swing-live-green-red-yellow-vinyl-confirm-color","title":"Hailu Mergia - Pioneer Works Swing (Live) [Green, Red \u0026 Yellow Vinyl]","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-main\" class=\"col-md-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-product-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"aec-product-description\" class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"aec-desc-review collapse\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's been a little over ten years since Hailu Mergia re-emerged on the international music scene. Following the first in a series of his classic recordings reissued in collaboration with Awesome Tapes From Africa, Mergia assembled a band and began performing live again after many years driving a cab in Washington, DC. His first show back appeared on the front page of the New York Times along with a stellar review and he took off from there performing his flavor of Ethiopian jazz all over the world in the years since, including Radio City Music Hall and Montreal Jazz Festival.Finally, we have a recorded document of the keyboard player's powerful DC-based trio—which practices each weekend in his basement—featuring Kenneth Joseph on drums and Alemseged Kebede on bass. Beautifully captured at one of their fiery live shows at the venerable Brooklyn non-profit cultural center Pioneer Works on July 1, 2016, the concert was recorded by PW staff and mixed by Ted Young with mastering by ATFA's expert audio extraction collaborator Jessica Thompson. The performance clarifies what many people across the globe already know: in his fifth decade of music-making Hailu Mergia continues to push the boundaries of his remarkable abilities.Mergia and his veteran band energetically and playfully unpeel layer after layer of harmonic and rhythmic interest out of a spectrum of Ethiopian repertoire. Modern jazz demands constant reinvention and improvisation, night after night creating new works out of known modes and classic standards. This band is unstoppable when it comes to turning age-old melodies (like \"Tizita\" or \"Anchihoye Lene\") upside down and inside out until they emerge as molten new works, often spontaneously. Mergia's original compositions (like \"Yegle Nesh\") shine brighter than ever here as well. Moving from keyboard to organ to accordion to melodica, he deftly switches instruments—often during the same song. Mergia at 77 years old seems to be working harder than musicians half his age. \"Pioneer Works Swing (Live)\" brings into focus the kind of onstage group improvisation and deadly solo passages that reach for places Mergia and the band have never gone, on festival and club stages across four continents.Now that Mergia has released two new recordings along with four classic reissues, he is eager to let everyone hear what he's been doing on the road since he re-took the global stage for his victory laps. So much more than an old act from yesteryear, Mergia balances his legendary Ethiopian recordings with good old-fashioned sweat-soaked live concert triumphs such as the one we have here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased \/ \u003cb\u003e11\/03\/2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003eATFA-049LPC1\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e843563164891\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eHailu Mergia\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003eAwesome Tapes From Africa\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre \/ \u003cb\u003eWorld\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40826435469373,"sku":"WOR-M-843563164891","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/ATFA049_84eb5763-b7a8-49d1-94cc-befefce0f704.jpg?v=1698541633"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.plaidroomrecords.com\/collections\/artist-hailu-mergia.oembed","provider":"Plaid Room Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}