Editorial Reviews

The Buda Musique label of France had released more than 20 volumes in its Ethiopiques series over the span of a decade by the time this two-disc compilation arrived from the British Manteca label. That sheer abundance of available music makes The Very Best of Ethiopiques something of a lifesaver for those who just want to dabble or simply feel lost navigating the murky waters of rare Ethiopian music and only care to hear a concentrated sampler of highlights. Compiled by Francis Falceto, Ethiopiques is a remarkable ongoing project that assembles recordings of singers and musicians from the East African nation, largely from the '60s and '70s. Although much of this music, which often treads the line between modern and traditional, was popular locally, its exposure to the West was as good as nonexistent until Buda began digging deep into the back catalogs of labels like Amha and Kaifa and making sense of it all for voracious world music fans. The names of the artists whose music is presented on this sizzling, essential compilation will probably not be familiar to those who haven't already investigated the series: singers such as Mahmoud Ahmed, Tlahoun Gèssèssè, Mulatu Astatké, and Alèmayèhu Eshèté, who is often compared to James Brown for reasons that become apparent upon hearing him here, are hardly household names even among cognoscenti of African music. But the Ethiopian music, which draws heavily from then-contemporary American genres such as funk and soul, cross-pollinating them with indigenous sounds, is all well worth hearing. One could invest in the entire series or in individual volumes that pique interest, but for the uninitiated, this wonderfully curated set is definitely the first place to head. Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide

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