{"product_id":"hailu-mergia-and-the-walias-band-tezeta-vinyl-re-issue-lp","title":"HAILU MERGIA AND THE WALIAS BAND - TEZETA VINYL RE-ISSUE (LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRelease Date: 4th June 2021\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"TextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e“From their genesis as members of the Venus club in-house band in the early 70s, Hailu\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eMergia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eWalias\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBand were at the forefront of the musical revolution during an era where modern instruments and foreign styles superseded the traditional fare to become the staple sound of Ethiopia. No one would argue that the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eWalias\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewere the trailblazing powerhouse of modern Ethiopian music. They were the first band to form independently without affiliation to a theatre house, a club or a hotel; unprecedented and risky as they had to raise all funding for expenses by themselves including buying equipment. They were the first to release full instrumental albums, considered to be commercially unviable at the time. They opened their own recording studio, with band members\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eMelake\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eGebre and Mahmoud Aman doubling as technical buffs during sessions. They were also the first independent band to tour abroad. In short, they were the pioneers every band tried to emulate; some more successfully than others. Odds are, any Ethiopian over the age of 35 who had access to TV or radio by the early 90s, will instantly recognize the sound of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eWalias\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e. What is not a given is, how many would actually identify the band itself. Barely a day went by without hearing the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eWalias\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eeither in the background on radio or as an accompaniment to various programs on TV. This\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eTezeta\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ealbum, the band’s second recording, released in 1975, is one of those that have been impossible to find for nearly three decades. Sourced by Awesome Tapes\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eFrom\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eAfrica and expertly remastered by Jessica Thompson, its unique and funky renditions of standards and popular songs of the day are so quintessentially\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eWalias\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eflavorful\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand evocative. Hailu's melodic organ, unashamedly front and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003ecenter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ein every track, makes even the complex pieces accessible. Profoundly engaging; it's an immersive trip down memory lane for those of us getting reacquainted with it, while also an enthralling and gratifying experience for fresh ears. Virtually unknown recording outside Ethiopia. Documents\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eMergia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u0026amp;\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eWalias\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elegendary early period. Follow-up to reissue of hugely popular seminal Ethiopian instrumentals LP\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003eTche\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBelew (ATFA012) Cassette-only, released in 1975 on the band’s in-house label to fund their record store. Beautifully-rendered instrumentals of classic Ethiopian standards.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-ccp-props='{\"201341983\":0,\"335559739\":160,\"335559740\":240}' class=\"EOP SCXW81030969 BCX0\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VENUS VINYL","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":39927315333303,"sku":"VEV-04128","price":20.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0003\/6395\/4238\/products\/HailuMergiaandtheWaliasBand_Tezeta.jpg?v=1622415258","url":"https:\/\/venusvinyl.com\/products\/hailu-mergia-and-the-walias-band-tezeta-vinyl-re-issue-lp","provider":"VENUS VINYL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}