Hanna Mekonnen – Ali New Biye

We’re very pleased to announce that Sheba Sound’s first 10″ vinyl release is now in the shops.

Buy it here:

https://shebasound.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-addis

Recorded in country and then mixed in London, this first single features vocalist Hanna Mekonnen and her band, who hail from the Mersa people in the Amhara region in the northern part of Ethiopia.

With a tough bassline, punctuated by hand claps and kebero drums, Hanna’s vocal leads a hypnotic call and response underpinned by washint flute and the emblematic krar.

Side B strips the track down to its basics, as collaborator Nick Manasseh works his dub magic to mesmerising effect.

Ali New Biye is released courtesy of our friends at Paradise Bangkok – it’s the first piece on their new ‘Eastern Connection’ label, exploring the connections between the East African Coast, the Arab Peninsula, South East Asia and all the sounds and cultures traversing the Indian Ocean.

Anyone who caught Christ Menist and Mai Sai spinning on the Paradise Bangkok 2015 spring tour would have heard this being played out, as well as on NTS and Boiler Room.

Limited to 500 copies, don’t sleep, and watch this space for the forthcoming album ‘Out of Addis’ due Autumn 2015.

You can also see the video produced by Solysombra Recordings here:

https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.banes.1/videos/945644765472456/?hc_location=ufi

 

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