Yeketelale

From Dub Colossus through to the Imperial Tiger Orchestra, British and European bands have understandably been fascinated by Ethiopian music – especially since Francis Falceto released his extraordinary Éthiopiques series. Ukandanz are another such fusion band, and with a Falceto connection. The story goes like this: French guitarist Damien Cluzel was working in Ethiopia with a circus when he met Falceto, who was staying in the next hotel room. Falceto then introduced him to Asnake Gebreyes, a remarkable singer who had worked with the legendary Police Orchestra back in the late 70s when he was just 16, before he began his solo career. Cluzel and Gebreyes both appeared on Jump to Addis (Éthiopiques Vol 15, 2003), which matched Addis singers against Western musicians, and Gebreyes later became the singer with Cluzel's band Ukandanz.

This is their third album and it's dominated by Gebreyes' remarkable vocal work, from the controlled, fluid embellishments on ‘Gesse’ or the lengthy ‘Fetsum Deng Ledj Nesh’ to a slower ballad, ‘Enken Yelelebesh’ or the exuberant finale of ‘Ashkaru’, where he echoes his hero Tilahun Gessesse, the ‘Ethiopian James Brown’. He's backed by good guitar and saxophone work, but the often lumbering synth bass lines and thumping percussion are less impressive.