Tlahoun Gèssèssè 'Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol. 4'

A set of vocal recordings by Tlahoun Gessesse, one of the most important singers during the golden age of Ethiopian Music, caught here on a set of sides that sadly saw that period coming to an end. These tracks are mostly from the early 19 70s, a time that saw great political changes in Ethiopia — and tremendous censorship and restrictions on cultural production. Gessesse's vocals during this time are perhaps even more melancholy and heartfelt than before, and he's working here on a number of sides with the legendary Mulatu, with arrangements that have a angular, almost modernist edge.