The Walias Band was one of Ethiopian music's pioneers: they were the first independent band not financially tied to a hotel, club or theater; they released the country's first fully instrumental albums on their own label; they owned their own equipment, recording studio and record store. And Walias music was so ubiquitous on Ethiopian media in the late 1970s that some people just knew them as "that music from TV."
The band broke up after they toured the USA in 1981, as four of their members including leader Hailu Mergia and saxophonist Moges Habte went into exile in the large Washington DC Ethiopian diaspora community. Hailu and Moges both still live in suburban Maryland, and they remain active in music. This week on Global A Go-Go, you'll hear the Walias Band from back in the day, including a new reissue of one of those early instrumental albums, and you'll also hear what Hailu and Moges are up to these days.
Also this week (Monday June 21, 3:00-5:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards on the wrir.org archive player, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site): new Anatolian rock from Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek, new cumbia from Frente Cumbiero and Mitchum Yacoub, new rumba from Okute and not-at-all new South African township soul and bump jive circa 1975.
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go
Artist | Country | Song | Recording | Label | Year
Oliver Lake | USA | Separation | Matador Of 1st & 1st | Passin' Thru | 1997
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros | England UK | Global A Go-Go | Global A Go-Go | Hellcat | 2001
Umut Adan | Turkey | Ana Baba Baci Gardas | Bahar | Riverboat | 2019
Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek | Turkey-Germany-France-England UK | Hop Cerkez | Dost 1 | Bongo Joe / Catapulte | 2021
Alpay | Turkey | Akca Kizlar | Karakaoglan - Single | Diskotur | 1971
Derdiyoklar Ikilisi | Turkey-Germany | Ata Sozleri | Disko Folk | Turkuola | 1980
Roberto Lopez Afro-Colombian Jazz Orchestra | Colombia-Canada | El Pescador | Azul | Curura Musique | 2012
Frente Cumbiero | Colombia | La Era Del GigaHertz | Cera Perdidia | La Roma | 2021
Mitchum Yacoub | USA | Cumbia Divina | Cumbia Divina - Single | All-Town Sound | 2021
Los De Abajo | Mexico | Los Lunaticos (El Manicomio Esta En Manos De Los Locos) | LDA V The Lunatics | Real World | 2005
Deep Rumba | USA-Puerto Rico USA-Cuba-Panama | Sunshine Of Your Love | This Night Becomes A Rumba | American Clave | 1998
Ned Sublette | USA-Cuba | Not Fade Away (feat Los Munequitos De Matanzas) | Cowboy Rumba | Palm Pictures | 1999
Okute | Cuba | Caridad | Okute | Chulo | 2021
Sintesis | Cuba | Asokere (Eleggua) | Trilogia Ancestros Vol. III | Unicornio Producciones Abdala | 2003
Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex | Ethiopia-Netherlands | Sethed Seketelat | Moa Anbessa | Terp | 2006
Hailu Mergia & The Walias Band | Ethiopia | Nefas New Zemedie | Tezeta | Awesome Tapes From Africa | 1975
Hailu Mergia & The Walias | Ethiopia | Musicawi Silt | Tche Belew | Awesome Tapes From Africa | 1977
Alemayehu Borobor | Ethiopia | Yeshebelewa | Tez Aleng Hagere / Yeshebelewa - Single | Kaifa | 1973
Hailu Mergia | Ethiopia-USA | Gum Gum | Lala Belu | Awesome Tapes From Africa | 2018
Feedel Band | Ethiopia-USA | Araya's Mood | Ethiopian Ocean | self-released | 2014
The Beaters | South Africa | Harari | Harari | Matsuli | 1975
The Movers | South Africa | Jacaranda No. 2 | Jacaranda Phatha Phatha | City Slang | 1975
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