Zelalem (New EP)

Condition: New

Label: RVNG Intl.

Release Date: 3/4/2016

Catalog #: RVNGNL34

"Mikael Seifu’s Zelalem is an ode to – and a fearless break from – the storied lineage of Ethiopian music.  The literal Amharic translation of Zelalem is “eternity,” and through Seifu’s conceptual frame it becomes a “vector of light.” Seifu shines this light on the music of his home country while guiding us through an uncharted “Ethiopiyawi Electronic” – a coinage Seifu uses to describe the music he and his peers are producing in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis-Ababa.  Illuminating the rich sounds of Addis-Ababa’s azmaris, Seifu’s music becomes a “dream brew” in which these traditional musicians collaborate and contribute vocals and lead voicings from folk instruments such as the Masenko and the Krar."