Belo Belo

Yet again, the resources and insight of Francis Falceto have helped create a sturdy musical bridge between Africa and the West. The founder of the Éthiopiques collection plucked Eténèsh Wassié out of the rich Azmari Bet scene in Addis Ababa a decade ago and helped her to cross over into the European festival scene, where she toured between 2000 and 2005. Falceto was seduced by Wassié’s audacious vocal improvisations and iconoclastic explorations of classic Azmari songs. The veteran producer then suggested she collaborate with the experimental quartet from Toulouse, Le Tigre des Platanes. Of this exchange was born a collaboration between the vocalist from Gonder and self-taught bass player Mathieu Sourisseau. A year after the duo was born, Buda Musique releases an album which re-explores popular Ethiopian poems. It is likely to appall traditionalists and fascinate aficionados of avant-garde jazz and rock. Wassie does not hesitate to stretch and bully around some of Ethiopia’s most popular poems in ways reminiscent of Meshell Ndegeocello’s unclassifiable works. She is at her most compelling in ‘Gonder C’est Bon’, which beautifully celebrates the qualities of her home region. There are the haunting versions of ‘Burtukan’, ‘Ambassel’ and ‘Zélésségna’, where Wassié’s swirling voice thrillingly envelops the brooding bass of an instrumentalist who is equally influenced by Charles Mingus, Sonic Youth and Tom Waits. But there are also interpretations of Ethiopian standards like ‘Ende Matew’ and ‘Ayloga’ that could make even the most open-minded listeners wilt, with sustained tirades that are anything but poetic.

Nevertheless, what lingers from this intriguing UFO in the world music sky is Wassié’s beguiling and eerie voice. And a feeling that Ethiopian music has taken a decisive step in crashing out of its long-isolated world and plunged into some very avant-garde stratospheres.