Track 5: Teddy Yo’s Album ‘Albaw Mesaraya*’ Called 904.
Every year, I go to the ESFNA Soccer I find one or two albums that are worth buying. Ethiopian music is completely junk these days. They ruined it, and the public at least in Ethiopia doesn’t have good taste.
So they listen and party with Ethiopian disco, led by the Evangadi and Teddy Afro, who happen to be a great talents and performers, not caring about making muziqa that lasts more than 5 years.
I boycotted all Ethiopian current music, except hip-hop and traditional music. This year though I found Teddy Yo’s album. So much better than any one the mainstream music. I actually had heard a few tracks from the album via You Tube. And I am impressed.
Teddy Yo Rocks… I was planning to podcast a few songs I liked but luckily one songs are found via music videos.
Track 2 called Maren Cha Cha based on KebetbaTa Wetat by Seyfu Kebede and the Army Band (bernos theme song as I call it) is actually what impressed me. They sampled the Seyfu Kebede’s classic in a very professional way where they didn’t repeat the chorus again and again like some of the American Ethiopian rappers do.Â
Podcasted Maren Cha Cha by Teddy Yo. Enjoy!
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Published by July 14th, 2009 in Music, Podcast and Social.
Well, how ironic is all this? You wanna indict all Ethiopians in Ethiopia as not having a good taste in music, yet you want to post this garbage?
I haven’t laughed this hard at someone’s obsurd and lunatic analysis of the obvious.
You just have a weird taste in music, if you can enjoy thins, and in the same token think Teddy Afro doesnt make a music that lasts more than 5 years.
Slow down on the Bud Light when you post.
Take care WEIRDO.
Nolawi are you serious…………………..
you gave it way too much credit than it deserves .It is ordinary and sounds yemender yetimket zefen.
Nol,
I am with you on this guy….I enjoy him….he elevates ye arada quanqua, ye mender duriynet to a whole new level….:)….he should be recognized for his uniqueness.
I like teddy Yo..he is good.
But, can’t compare his music to Teddy’s…both are good in their own ways and diffrent styles as well.
wow, hating on teddy afro not cool dude….ethio hiphop needs to die a quick and painful death, along with every half-a$ed regurgitation of western arts and culture in Ethiopia. And yes, this includes our movies also….lol
Nolawi,my first reaction was… ‘com..on he must be kidding..he can not be seriously serious and writ such a post’. It took me long long three more minutes to see where you want to go with this…
Provoking people seems to be your thing,
Oh Teddy yo is hot.. I agree better than the other crap
I like his first video/music way better than this. He shoulda been done back then, it would be a classic but now it’s killing our taste buds for every new song he comes up.
Nolawi said
1. “Ethiopian music is completely junk these days. They ruined it, and the public at least in Ethiopia doesn’t have good taste.”
I agree with you.
2. And then you said “Teddy Yo Rocks… ”
I don’t aggree with Nolawi.
Please seriously this music you posted is one of the junks. It is so anoying…. complete junk. Yes ye dureye were all he says is I spent my money on her bla bla bla…
3.anonymous said:
“Slow down on the Bud Light when you post.Take care WEIRDO.”
Ananymous, Hay no reason to be mean. Don’t make it personal. I think you need to slow down on what ever you are on. maybe katikala?
SelamT,
lol….u accused anonymous of being mean….and then u told him he is on Katikala….right there u r being mean to him…..doing the exact thing u telling him not to do….:)
cheers
I am not trying to provoke… I think yemender singler singing archipelo with masiko than synthesizing sound so much like a computer…
This hip hop is better than teddy afro because the vocals are not synthesized.. Teddy’s music alteast live is disco
disco is nice.. I have danced to the begees… i just can’t put kc and the sunshine band ahead of any real music.. even if its the saturday night pianist at my friday night spot…
when you understand that let me know…
1st of all, Annon #1 – you’re kinda rude, no need to get personal and call anyone weirdo…he’s writing about his opinion so disagree w/out callin him names……oh and Nolawi tew bakeh atkeled on ethio hiphop-geen to each his own aydel..
datdude wrote:
Anjet Aress!!!ene everytime i watch some hip hop abesha video eyaferku neew betaam
has anyone paid attention to the story he is telling? He only took the hiphop genre and put a story in it, what’s wrong with that? i like it. the disco moves are well synchronized too & he didn’t even use english!
He’s so natural, i like the flow and his body language.
i hate ethio hiphop when they actually copy some trashy messages and talk about asses and blings.
I love this one far more tho.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJKKeEYDUBk&feature=related
I dont know about the public in Ethiopia not having taste but I agree with most of what Nolawi wrote.
Teddy yo might not be your cup of tea but you have to admit he is talented. The production value of his videos are good, not cheesey as most other so-called Ethio hip-hop. Editing is good, the hook is catchy, the dancers are good… most importantly he is not dressed or acting like a poor imitation of a gangsta.
helen wrote:
Hook? I don’t listen any catchy hook in here..in fact horrible music..
However it is good and unique try though it sounds like Kibebew Geda style..at lesat entertaining lyric ..
Always some strong sentiments against originalty on Bernos. I saw the music video just now and like it, far from garbage, that’s one original word btw
did you guys listen to the second song its fantastic!
great thanks nolawi
I will never buy this garbage. Please do not encourage this music by buying their CD. Hip Hop and ethiopian music don’t mix
@ ep:
lol ep…I just realized our comedians are better rappers than our rappers. Now if that doesn’t blow your mind……
ep wrote:
Maybe you should take a second listen…
I found the hook catchy… but then again it is a matter of taset, aint it?
datdude wrote:
lol, I didn’t realize it that way but thanks for re-phrasing my statement.
anonx wrote:
I think originality is overrated … this is my quote for people who try to tell crap works are original ..
ep: that may be so. always two sides to a coin. ugly or no ugly, experimentational music is hard to find.
Nolawi, here’s one abesha tearing it up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4CQ8d2CXyI
You know what Educated Ethiopians in the 1930′s and 40s said after the arba lijoch brass bands started to influence modern music…
they said that modern bands…ruined ethiopian music…
they insisted on using masinqo washint senasel and kebero only ….
anyways out of the era was born modern ethiopian music…
60’70 80′s was great… there were some good stuff even in the 90′s..
not with the advent of synthesizers.. music is ruined.. facetto agrees with me
it seems like no one is reading what I am writing.
Nolawi,
Throwing a bunch of factoids completely unrelated with what you’re saying a point does not make!
The Teddy Yo tracks you’ve put up there are not products of “the one-man band”. In fact, to me, they’re not products of a band at all. But, whether a synthesizer was used or not, the production cost of those tracks, which is what the quote is talking about, I’ll bet was as cheap as the one-man synthesizer assisted band.
Synthesizers are not for everyone, but they’re a modern addition to music. On the one hand you deride people who oppose any use of modern instrument (“You know what Educated Ethiopians in the 1930’s and 40s said after the arba lijoch brass bands started to influence modern music…”) and on the other you oppose the use of synthesizers in Ethiopian music ….
Also, in these one keyboard music instrument tracks of Teddy Yo, the lyrics would be dishonest to a majority of Ethiopians.
there is no such thing as good/bad or fake/real music. If you feel it, you feel it. no need to justify your taste.
“Ethiopian music is completely junk these days.” Agreed. Yo’s music included. It looks like your thought process is back peddlin’ just a little bit.
Nolawi. U spoilt lil brat. How dare u say u cnat put our music ahead of any music ? We were the pioneers of disco music, we were part of that movement that revolutnised the music scene of the 70s, we won multiple grammys if that means anything u twat but most of all we gave the world disco for ur parents to boogey with. U probably owe us for providing ur parents the soundtrack for ur conception, u ungrateful bastard. Now apologize to me and my whole band !!!!!!!
@ kc from the sunshine band:
can i get an autograph?
LMAO at daTdude! you must be a disco baby.
KC, you guys are the greatest!
Wow 30 comments in 2 days.
I’ve been following this blog for a minute now and I don’t think this your real opinion on Ethiopian music.
But I think your intention of being provocative about the topic is working and that’s a good thing because we need to talk about Ethiopian music, which btw is equaling garbage. And Teddy Yo is not the SOLUTION, he is the PROBLEM.
aha aha two people have now claimed i post false stuff in hopes of controversy ..
sure i like controversy.. but i trully think teddy yo is the solution…
doesn’t mean i am stupid..? or lying..
gin i am surprised that you guys have earlobes that appreciates synthesized vocals…
u know what u’re onto something here. i just finished listening to his album…some of the composition for his songs is pretty good esp zeraf & guragetong…there are maybe 1 or 2 others that were kinda nice as well…though i thought the content (lyrics & music) of his songs are a bit on the bland side – predictable
also — credit’s due where it’s deserved: dude knows how to spit amharic like none other i’ve seen
also dinich – abo afe quirit yibelilih!! i agree with u 100% – he’s on a different realm from teddy afro this is a whole different level of ARADA! its the real addis streets talkin here lol (albeit narrating the stories of youth on the party scene)
and whoever said this is a regurgitation of western music…closely listen to the composition of guragetong or even the videos — i personally think the song is an ingenious fusion of guragigna beats and reggaeton (like the title alludes to) and zeraf has a nice section that has shilela…
i think in a different song he goes on about the little details of our culture and why we should be proud of it…i thought it was very uniquely delivered… i think THAT song is called ‘selam hugni agere’ don’t remember..i’ll say 4 songs tops have something unique going for them in this album…the others are missing that lil bit of somthn i think…more of the same negeer nachew – i prolly wont go back and listen to them again
i agree with helen – this guy’s taking hiphop and putting HIS story in it..in HIS languageS (i think he uses more than amharic)…and diff beats/themes from ethiopia.
@ Nolawi:
btw RE: to your post about falceto’s comment
i wonder how different things are with using music production software like garageband as opposed to one keyboard with fixed meters minamin – maybe dinich can comment on that…
tsedey wrote:
I agree!
Tpeace,
In professional music nothing replaces a group of real musicians getting together with real guitar, acoustic drums, saxophone etc….to make music.
Music production softwares such as cubase, protools, reason etc….can be used to do a fairly decent job. Most of the music u hear today done by ppl like Elias Melka etc…are done that way….In most cases it is a one man job and hence lacks the creative diversity of a band but there are musicians out there who r really good at it to a point that the average listner doesn’t hear the difference. In fact those sounds are so good it is not uncommon to use computers on stage for live performances these days.
But, the kind of production facetto talks about is the cheapest and the least professional form where you can literally train anyone within 15 minutes to do a song. 90% of the sound that comes out is pre-recorded to the keybaord and all u have to do is press a few buttons. Typically u would see those in habesha restaurants, small pente churches etc….The only good thing u can say about those at least they let ppl have fun and do their thing….because at the end of the day music is all about having a good time…
veryyy interesting…thanks for sharing dinich — i definitely LOVE music that is acoustic, now it makes sense why…
This blog is pretty much turning into a directional tool for other stuff I write. ,
Together with every little thing which seems to be developing inside this specific area, your viewpoints are very radical. However, I am sorry, because I do not subscribe to your whole suggestion, all be it exciting none the less. It would seem to everyone that your opinions are generally not completely justified and in fact you are your self not really thoroughly convinced of your argument. In any event I did enjoy reading through it.
alloy wheels
I get pleasure from, lead to I found exactly what I used to be having a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
there are many bargain priced home-for-sale in our city, i was considering buying one.,