Any discussion in reference to the "Golden Era" of Ethiopian Music has to include the amazing bands and musicians backing the performers. Here I'll attempt to discuss the history of these bands and where possible giving a short bio of the musicians.
PART I
The attempted coup in December of 1960 was the beginning of the end for the Imperial Bodyguard Orchestra. Most of its members resigned their positions and joined other major orchestras such as the Police, Army and the Haile Selassie I Theatre. These major orchestras slowly gave way to smaller bands. Some of the These bands first cropped up in the major hotels. Named after the hotels that employed them, these band such as The Ras, The Ghion and The Shebelle Bands later became very popular as the hotels became the place to be on Friday nights. Part I will concentrate on the Ras Band.
The Ras Band
The first Ras Band was formed in 1960. It was led by Tefera Mekonnen (piano), Getachew Welde-Selassie and later Wodajeneh Felfelu (saxophone), Zewdu Legesse and later Assefa Bayisa (trumpet), Tilahun Yimer (bass), Bahru Tedla (drums), Bahta Gebrehiwot (Amharic and Tigrigna Vocals), Girma Beyene (English Vocals) and Gebreab Teferi (MC and lyricist).
"Friday nights at the Ras Hotel was an amazing experience," says Bahta Gebrehiwot. In an interview to Addis Live Radio, Bahta vividly describes that it was the hotel's rule that patrons be dressed impeccably. Single guests were a rarity. Guests who were deemed under dressed were given a tie. What was not tolerated then, but you see quite often now, is same-sex dance partners. It was with the Ras Band that Bahta recorded most of his works, including Anchim Endelela, Degmo Endemin Alesh, Siqay Zeqealyu, Yetilacha Werie, Kalatashew Akal, Ya Ya and Wede Harar Guzo. Bahta wrote the lyrics and music to all of the Tigrigna songs he recorded. With the exception of maybe one or two songs all of the Amharic songs were written by Gebreab Teferi and the music written and arranged by the piano man, Tefera Mekonnen. One song Bahta wrote that Girma Beyene made famous was Yebeqagnal. It was while he was at the Ras Band that Bahta Gebrehiwot went to night class and became an accountant. When he left the music scene in 1972, he worked as an accountant for the Ghion Hotel and Film Corporation until his retirement. He was so disillusioned by the state of Ethiopian music that he left the music scene. In January 2004, Bahta performed Anchim Endelela, for the first time in many years, with a Boston based jazz band called the Either Orchestra (The CD was released as Eithiopiques 20 in 2005).
Continue reading ‘Bandochu (The Bands) From Ras to Abyssinia (1961-1991)-PART I’
