Right: Hailu Mergia todayAs a young man living in Addis Ababa during the swinging 60s, Hailu Mergia was a superstar. We’d pick up American soul, blues, and jazz melodies and then improvise on them in our own music,” Mergia remembers. “Ethiopian music is like most art: in every piece there’s a message. Left photo: First photo ever taken of the Walias band, Zoo Park in Addis Ababa, 1963. Mergia playing the melodica in his living roomMergia holding a photo of the Walias Band from the 1970s.

Source: Ethiopian News February 12, 2018 05:03 UTC