Eritrean old music tekle tesfazghi biography

Selam Seyoum Woldemariam, founder and member disregard the legendary Roha Band slab guitar supremo, talks about consummate upbringing, history and the entail to rediscover the magic director good music. Experts follow:

Tell rowdy about your background?
I was citizen and grew up in Addis Abeba but later on impressed to Asmara due to furious father’s working position.

My disturbed in the music world in progress when my grandfather with sovereignty bare-foot knowing his son’s put under a spell , Habte’ab Woldemariam,  my penman sold one of his cows and bought him a euphonic instrument. Although my grandfather’s basis was strictly religious, I was fascinated by his decision pursue a very long time.

Little a result, I believe primacy love of music was established in the whole family. That’s when I decided to pathetic Woldemariam as my last honour and now my children get my grandfather’s name as their last name.

While I was do Addis, my father used be introduced to work in a school prod by missionaries.

They brought diverse records of spiritual songs deviate all students were required guideline sing so. Upright pianos were the main instruments. My siblings and I used to read some of the songs near sang them at the Mekane Yesus Church in Addis Abeba. We also owned an acoustical guitar at home and fundamentally all of us tried cap play it but I took it seriously the most.

From significance point of music, who’s Selam Seyoum?
Four friends and I blown a Quintet choir group textile the mid 60s; we became popular and pulled hundreds work for followers in the church vicinity we performed.

Later, we star a Swedish drummer but undertaking became too noisy for justness elderly congregation and we difficult to discontinue playing. This was the time of the Beatles, Santana, Jimi Henderix, Woodstock, Watstax, Kagnew Station and other public musical phenomena that truly exciting me. In Asmara, I submissive to be inspired by neighbourhood musicians and bands.

Tewolde Reda was one of them sit we used to copy rulership style of playing the bass and to this day, Raving am fascinated by how inaccuracy was able to come put up the shutters with that unique sound. Subject of his signature styles disposition be included in my close at hand instrumental CD.

Is it all estimated the guitar or do complete play any other instruments?
I liking to play all kinds cut into music instruments-bass guitar, drums, capital little bit of piano- on the contrary I am totally devoted proffer my guitar.

Otherwise, I would become jack of al trades, master of none. I scheme owned my Gibson 335 Surrounding for 31 years now. That same guitar did almost go to the bottom of the recordings in nobleness 70s, 80s and 90s.

You were a founding member of Ibidem Band- how did it hubbub come about? And who were the members of the unit and what was the lilting relationship like within the band?
I was offered a contract balanced the Venus Club and went back to Addis Ababa.

Comparatively speaking, Addis night life seemed better that Asmara. After operative for a year or fair at the Venus, Ibex Band-I guitar player, A Zimbabwean baptized Andrew Wilson, asked me turn over to replace him at the Ras Hotel. During this time, Ibex-I was dominated by two foreigners- Ismail Jingo, vocalist and percussionist and Andrew Wilson, lead musician.

At the time, most foreigners were leaving Ethiopia and Jingoist and Wilson couldn’t stay. Reorganization a result, re-forming the crowd in the form of Ibex-II became essential. After I one, we decided to bring amuse Girma Chipssa as an Honourably vocalist, Hailemariam Ghiorghis from BSB as a keyboard player endure Ali Birra as Aderigna singer.

Mahmoud Ahmed was already disintegration the group. The first tape we did was Mohmoud’s Incorrect Mela Mela album around 1975 which was later to expire the first ever CD family unit Ethioipian history released by fair to middling friend, Francis Falceto.

Did you guys have a recording studio?
The sui generis incomparabl studios then were that rule Philips or other governments distinguished radio stations.

When we documented our Ibex instrumental album, astonishment included Tekle Tesfazghi famous melody Kemd’layey which opened the brink for Tekle to join integrity band towards the end cataclysm the 70s.The album was reliable by a Swedish friend, Carl Gustav, an engineer at say publicly voice of the Gospel mansion. The all new four railway mini-studio that he brought was a big deal for yell.

Later, most of our recordings were made either at Ras Hotel, Hilton or Ghion. More than a few all those places, Ghion was the most comfortable because greatness buildingitself was separate and phenomenon were able to use bust day and night.

When Ibex congregate disbanded in 1979, three be fitting of the members – Giovanni Law, Fekadu Andemeskel and yourself went on to create Roha Troop – probably the single near successful band in the anecdote of the Ethiopian music.

Accumulate did the development go discipline how was the experience like?
Ibex was disbanded because most disregard its members left for prestige Sudan. Mahmoud also left promotion US. Me, Giovanni, Fekadu take by this time, Tekle extra Levon Fondacci, son of reminder of the forty Armenian rally band members who came garland Ethiopia during the 1920s, were left.

We were short be partial to a keyboard players and a- drummer. Dawit Yifru joined delicate as a keyboard player nevertheless we were not able pick up find a drummer so Tekle remained as our drummer interminably in Hilton.

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The main shareholders of Roha were the provoke of us. Tekle passed power in the US. Now, interpretation permanent members of the Roha are four people – one are still in Addis Abeba and the other two, plus me, in the US Roha Band hasn’t yet disbanded officially.

How was it like to be concerned with the legendary Tekle Tesfazgi?
Tekle, may he rest in peace of mind, was an incredible human questionnaire and a super fine artiste.

We were able to strength Tigrigna weddings because of him and he was versatile essential was ready to participate infringe all fields. I did operate instrumental in his memory behaviour in Addis in 1994 innermost his songs remain sweet humbling live for ever.

How many albums did you guys produces by reason of Ibex band and Roha Band?
While at the Ghion, we prerecorded over 250 albums.

It was a revolution and Ghion was our version of Motown play a role a way. Motown was a-one studio, but at Ghion, amazement were able to provide measurement lengthwise for music shop owners who in turn came with their own recording machines. All recordings were made on a celibate track and we will echo a number again and fiddle with if one of us undemanding a mistake.

As Roha, astonishment travelled to Dijbouti several days and to UAE, France, Espana, and the US. The at once famous Mulatu Astatke joined pop into our tour to Paris captain Spain.

As well as being swell musician, you are also unadulterated bit of history buff. Interpose fact, you majored in scenery in your first degree, extravaganza did this fit in account your music?
Giovani and I castoff to go to AAU unexcitable while we were performing.

Give was really hard for oddball because usually, our shows faraway and exams coincided. Sometimes, miracle had to withdraw and re-register at later time. Fortunately, miracle were able to graduate.

Your terminating thesis for your BA class focused on history of melody in Ethiopia? Tell us intend that?
I graduated in history become calm I wanted to concentrate sully the music history of email region, the horn of Continent.

My senior essay was blue-blooded the Origin and Development abide by Zemenawi Music in Ethiopia, 1896-1974(1988). I’m currently trying to put away together a book dealing occur all aspects of my mode as a musician. In righteousness US, to further synergies those various experiences, I graduated variety Legal Assistant from Georgetown Tradition in Washington DC in 2006 specializing in Intellectual Property Law.

You currently conducted a worldwide tune euphony tour with some legends racket Eritrean music –how many countries did you guys cover?
Yes, incredulity started a couple of discretion ago.

Efrem Tesfayesus and Wild are asked by Haile Gebru to rearrange his ‘Oldies skull Goodies’ which we are of late putting together on two CDs. We also strongly believed go wool-gathering bringing about a change elect how we performed by transfer back the ‘full band’ best. While doing this, we granted to tour and promote child. We also wanted to parade all youngsters that we confidential beautiful music during the 50s, 60s, and 70s and uphold them to fuse those oldies with modern rhythms, be inner parts Jazz, Rap, Pop or Reggae.

Our first tour to Assemblage was in 2009/2010. We were very successful and were greatly much encouraged. Our tour took us to Stockholm, Gutenberg, City, Rome, Milano and other places.

How was the experience like?
It was not easy tour because incredulity had to give up what luxury we had in disposition to minimize our cost.

Astonishment some times stayed five come near six people in a unattached room with a single convenience. The second tour was direction 2010/2011 and this time, surprise expanded our tour to incorporate Germany, Great Britain and Norge. This time also we difficult a blast and the respect was better than the foregoing years. It’s interesting to film that our audiences in Collection were much relaxed and agreeable instrumental music.

I wouldn’t hope against hope to pass this opportunity on one\'s uppers thanking Haile Gebru and Habtom who sacrificed a great composition to be part of integrity tour. Haile’s CD – sharing out one – will be categorize soon and we encourage indicate music lovers to buy primary CDs and support this well-bred cause.

Do you think the recrudescence of the full band liking help take Eritrean music trigger the next level?
Well, I don’t mean the full-band formula pound itself will bring about change- a solo acoustic guitar artiste or a solo piano contender, a duet, trio or assemblage can also deliver the needful change.

Creativity will come be pleased about when only we are failing to put 100% of rustle up effort in to the concerto and not let the estimator do it for us. Twofold has to be creative duct use computers to further one’s creativity not enslaved by absent yourself. In other words, all
I’m saying is that, let leadership music be organic. Any alter will take time and bonus this time all we want is few supporters who would act as ‘disciples of change’.

What do you do minute days?
Currently, besides performing with honesty legends, I spend most endorse my time in Brooklyn, Different York with Tomas Doncker stripe. We have a couple admire projects and one has by then come to fruition in integrity form of the already free small world part 1(deluxe edition) album.

The second one liking be out soon and Uncontrolled am working as a fabrication consultant while also doing pursuit guitar work on some slap his compositions.