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Roha Band — Instrumental Music
Instrumental titans, backing band to so many stars of Ethiopian popular music, Roha Band made this seminal tape in the early 1980s I think. Even if you’ve heard tons of Ethiopian music from the “golden age” and beyond, check this out. Very surprising expansion on the well-deserved impression that music-making in Addis has been powerful and brilliant over the years (and still is).
Over the decades, Roha Band has backed every great Ethiopian singer you can think of, more or less.
Thanks to Guillaume for this!
Side A
Side B
16 Comments
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super great thanks
Thanks Brian! Loved the tape with Aster Aweke too. You’re a real awesome guy, introducing random folks like me to all this great music.
Fantastic release! Thanks a million. I would love to know the track names if anyone can translate?
Tracks 3 & 4 are something like Resist Nature and Jonah Scheme, respectively. Done using Amharic keyboard http://www.lexilogos.com/keyboard/amharic.htm and Google Translate https://translate.google.com/
melikami ‘idili!መልካም ዕድልመልካ
Actually most of this songs are instrumental cover version of other Amharic songs! I have so many childhood memories to this songs.
Thank you for sharing. Would you be interested in sharing more on which songs from your childhood they remind you of? Currently looking into researching and archiving music from the Horn more conciously and looking for people who’d like to share their memories.
Best, J
Wow ! Track #6 is my fav !!
unbelievable ….researching old ethiopian releases is like exploring entire new universe … always pop up new, excellent things. thanks a lot for this rarity!
still you get more research you may get more.pls oldes muluken melesse music is it possible to order the casset.
wondirad
wonderfu!
[…] 26 Roha Band — Instrumental Music (awesometapes.com) […]
[…] Le label de Brian Shimkovitz a toujours su se montrer généreux. Sur leur site, on peut en effet télécharger un grand nombre de vieilles raretés dénichées en Afrique, dont cette fantastique cassette d’instrumentales de Roha Band. […]
This is definitely from the second half of the 1980s. I remember.
so they’re like the Ethiopian Booker T and the MGs…
I listened several times to this tape and for sure it sticks to you. Only know Addis Ababa airport as I flew several times with Ethiopian airways to get to Zim. But every time ,even visiting the airport is a treat. Love the culture, the food and the music. If I make one day enough money to visit the country I think I will sleep in the clubs, just to enjoy the music.
But a booker T with big plus.