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Abyssinia Infinite featuring Ejigayehu "Gigi" Shibabaw
Zion Roots
$17.99
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"Bati Bati, a traditional Ethiopian song once recorded by Aster Aweke, provides a gentle enough welcome. Ejigayehu 'Gigi' Shibabaw shows a warm and agile contralto, with characteristic Ethiopian changes of tone and fluttering leaps of pitch, beside sweet saxophone, harp and modest keyboard interventions. This hardly hints at the fireworks to follow. Shortly into the second track, the rhythm gets a little more intense, in come harmony voices, and a dry-bone harp picks up on a riff reminiscent of Eric Clapton on Cat's Squirrel. Suddenly Gigi breathes deeply and moves up a few gears: the hair begins to rise and the eyes start to glisten, and you're off on a roller coaster ride through rarely-visited states of mind, thrill following thrill in regular succession.
Though quite sparsely furnished, this music is deep and powerful - a state-of-the-art marriage of ancient (handclaps, flute, harp) and modern technology that aims to transcend both. Much credit goes to producer Bill Laswell. Apparently this is their second album together - I would like to hear their first - and it seems to mark some kind of high water mark for the well-travelled master of conjuration and trance. In Gigi Shibabaw he has found a singer with the range and resources to bring out the best in him. The musicians used - Tony Cedras on accordeon, Aiyb Dieng on percussion, plus several Ethiopian masters - bring intelligence, concision and a sense of adventure.to the project. And it is a project, proud to revive the 'c' word - Zion Roots declares itself shamelessly as a 'concept' album. Much of this derives (as set out in the fascinating sleeve notes) from the fundamental civilising influences of Ethiopia throughout history. Interesting to see that Gigi treats her music and material from the standpoint of an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian: a few missionaries like her and our C of E churches might burst. Simply, a great singer. Just one word of caution: there is no reggae on the album at all. - Rick Sanders, fRoots |
The record label says:
Two years ago, the Ethiopian singer Ejigayehu "Gigi" Shibabaw released an album destined to become an international bestseller. The hypnotic modulation of her voice caught the imagination of audiences and critics alike: "A voice that wafts around you like the intoxicating perfume of a plant” (New York Times). Now Gigi has joined forces with producer Bill Laswell (renowned for his work with Peter Gabriel, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Manu Dibango) to realise a longstanding dream, exclusively for Network: "Abyssinia Infinite". A project that melds the music of her homeland with West African and East African elements. The supreme sensuality of her soprano voice has an emotional depth that cannot fail to touch anyone who hears it. On the album, she is accompanied by outstanding masters of traditional instruments such as the kirar harp and the washint flute as well as other top musicians from the international music scene, including the magical Senegalese percussionist Aiyb Dieng, the virtuoso tabla player Karsh Kale, the guitarrist/accordionist Tony Cedras (known for his work on Paul Simon's Graceland project) and the Ethiopian saxophonist Moges Habte.
This unique album presents the harmonious sounds of the Ethiopian musical cosmos - a musical culture stretching back to biblical times. This is Ethiopian soul at its very finest.
On the musical map of the world, the music of Ethiopia is virtually uncharted.
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