Gigi

1	Gud Fella 5:35
2	Mengedegna 5:33
3	Tew Ante Sew 4:20
4	Abay 5:18
5	Bale Washintu 5:35
6	Guramayle 4:27
7	Sew Argeń 5:16
8	Aynama 5:05
9	Kahn 3:47
10	Zomaye 4:00
11	Abet Wudet 4:07
12	Nafekeń 5:23
13	Adwa 5:02

Barnes & Noble

For a vocalist to stand up to a band including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Pharaoh Sanders, and Nicky Skopelitis -- plus a percussion quartet -- is no mean feat, and Gigi Shibabaw does that and more on her major-label debut, helmed by bass ace Bill Laswell. The breathy vocals of this young Ethiopian singer and poet are way out in front of her all-star crew, ascending and diving through musky East African scales, chanting songs of faith and pride as well as lust. Gigi's magnetism is obvious -- good looks, a powerful voice, and a refreshingly candid (for tradition-bound world music) lyrical bent -- but that and $1.50 are bus fare in the music biz. What sets Gigi apart is the harmony forged between the singer and the producer. Laswell, no stranger to African, Caribbean, and urban music climes, imagines an Ethiopia based partly on the funky Addis of the '70s (as popularized by Mahmoud Ahmed and the Ethiopiques series) and partly on his own Rasta-filtered visions of the homeland of Negus. Tracks like "Gud Fela" and "Abay" make for Afro-pop that is buoyant and majestic, but it's the spiky imperial trumpet blasts of "Zomaye" and the biblically funky "Aynama" -- lyrically, both rife with sexual yearning -- that are most compelling. A posse of Ethiopian musicians ground the music in its native accents, leaving Laswell's ringers (including tablaist Karsh Kale, cornetist Graham Haynes, saxist Henry Threadgill, and accordionist Tony Cedras) to take it higher. Reminiscent of Afro-jazz landmarks such as Randy Weston's Tanjah, Gigi delivers a first-rate introduction for this charismatic artist and forges a partnership guaranteed to bear ever more sensuous fruit. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

There are essentially two schools of thought when it comes to world music: the purists who believe that ancient musical traditions must remain undiluted to survive, and the fusionists who believe that it is the ability of artists to adapt their cultural traditions to modern tastes that will allow them to survive. Though often blasted by traditionalists for his trademark world music collusions, bassist/producer Bill Laswell has done a remarkable job of straddling the lines dividing these two camps, working with world music favorites like the Master Musicians of Jajouka, Simon Shaheen, and Foday Muso Suso to concoct heady stylistic brews that update their respective traditions for 21st century audiences. Laswell's latest discovery is 27-year-old Ejigayehu "Gigi" Shibabaw, a stunning Ethiopian singer whose self-titled debut establishes her as one of Africa's most accomplished young artists. Her mellifluous vocals are backed by an impressive multicultural lineup that includes Laswell on bass; guitarist Nicky Skopelitis; saxophonists Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, and Henry Threadgill; and percussionists Aiyb Dieng and Karsh Kale. But the emphasis here is on Gigi's voice, which moves from soaring melodic passages to a breathy falsetto over songs that combine her native traditions with elements of funk, dub, soul, and West African and Indian sounds. From the exuberant buoyancy of "Gud Fella" to the syncopated urgency of "Aynama" to the beautifully soulful balladry of "Adwa," this is the rare debut that sounds like a fully formed artist, ready and eager for her time in the international music spotlight. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide