Lala Belu

Mergia recorded this largely alone in his car between taxi shifts in DC — accordion, keyboards, and sequenced rhythms building something that sounds both archaic and strangely modern. The grooves are deeply infectious and the melodic language is unmistakably Ethiopian even when the production leans into contemporary textures. Came out on Awesome Tapes from Africa and landed quietly despite how immediately appealing it is on first listen.

Filed underEthiopian jazzaccordiongrooveAwesome Tapes from Africa