Ethiopiques 28: Great Oromo Music

The latest from Buda Musique is a vital instalment from the seemingly limitless supply of Ethiopian music from yesteryear. Ali Birra sings in the Oromo language, spoken in a region in the east of the country. Perhaps it's due to the region’s greater proximity to the Middle East, but the overall feel of the music here is more meditative and less strident than the likes of Alèmayèhu Eshèté or Tilahoun Gessesse.

The opener – Birra’s best known track, Awash’ – sets the tone for the whole album, which is effectively a straight reissue of an LP Birra recorded for Ali Tango’s Kaifa label. It was the only album entirely sung in Oromo from Ethiopia’s musical golden age. A drone-like organ underpins Birra’s melancholic vocal over an off-kilter rhythm, as he waxes lyrical about love and life. ‘Waa Silleen Indararuu’ is a more straightforward funk groove, with Birra dipping in and out of heavy drums and subtle guitar playing. By contrast, the frenetic ‘Si Jaalallee’ positively drips with blues-based psychedelia – all that we have come to love about the Ethiopiques series. Yet it contains pointers to other traditions that enrich our overall understanding of the creativity of this region. Wonderful stuff.