The otherworldly compositions of an Ethiopian nun(newyorker.com)
newyorker.com
The otherworldly compositions of an Ethiopian nun
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/04/17/jerusalem-emahoy-tsegue-maryam-guebrou-music-review
18 comments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89thiopiques
Do yourself the favor and give the entire Ethiopiques collection a listen.
Cannot recommend this enough. I was intrigued at first while watching the movie "Broken Flowers" where this music was subliminal yet haunting (and perhaps the most memorable thing out of that movie!). "Yegelle Tezeta" (Mulatu Astatke from Éthiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale - the entire album is awesome).
Also, "If you like this, then you might also like" Ali Farka Touré / Toumani Diabaté (From a different African country). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toumani_Diabat%C3%A9
Also, "If you like this, then you might also like" Ali Farka Touré / Toumani Diabaté (From a different African country). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toumani_Diabat%C3%A9
"Broken flowers" was such a wonderful film. I recollect very little of it, but what I'll always remember is Mulatu Astatke and "Dengue Fever" (the band), very, very impressive.
"Yegelle Tezeta" is an absolute masterpiece, up there with the very greatest of them.
"Yegelle Tezeta" is an absolute masterpiece, up there with the very greatest of them.
I discovered this song [1] from Ethiopiques Vol. 10 some time ago when I was in a rough spot and it helped me, so I also highly recommend the Ethiopiques collection.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1A5NTzSN08
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1A5NTzSN08
Listening to Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou on Spotify, sounds to me like an old honky tonk solo piano recording from before world war 2. Lots of pentatonic melodies. I'd rather listen to Ethopian orthodox choral music: https://youtu.be/F051ninkSWg
Listen to this instead if you want to hear something different from Africa. This recording from 1968 of drummers from Burundi, was later a huge inspiration for Adam & The Ants in the 1980'ies: https://open.spotify.com/track/3Q6un8mTsYxGU9rN1OSje9?si=285...
Here is the backstory https://medium.com/loopandreplay/burundi-beat-the-ants-annab...
Listen to this instead if you want to hear something different from Africa. This recording from 1968 of drummers from Burundi, was later a huge inspiration for Adam & The Ants in the 1980'ies: https://open.spotify.com/track/3Q6un8mTsYxGU9rN1OSje9?si=285...
Here is the backstory https://medium.com/loopandreplay/burundi-beat-the-ants-annab...
What hits me about it is how similar the sense of rhythm is to that of liturgical chant. Things happen at the "right" time, it's not arbitrary, but it's not a priori precise either. Phrases can be as long as they "need to" be and other parts of the music change to accommodate them. It's not fixed to any sort of rhythmical grid and would be extremely difficult to annotate accurately & usefully, but it still has an order in time. Hard to describe but I recognize the feel of it from chant.
On the surface it sounds like jazz but jazz has a very different feel to it rhythmically. Phrases expand and contract but through the mechanism of swing. The speed and swing might change but you can always feel the underlying pulse.
On the surface it sounds like jazz but jazz has a very different feel to it rhythmically. Phrases expand and contract but through the mechanism of swing. The speed and swing might change but you can always feel the underlying pulse.
> Listening to Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou on Spotify, sounds to me like an old honky tonk solo piano recording from before world war 2. Lots of pentatonic melodies.
I think that's partly what's so good about it. It's harmonically simple and a little noodly, but has a lot of atmosphere and feeling in it.
I think that's partly what's so good about it. It's harmonically simple and a little noodly, but has a lot of atmosphere and feeling in it.
I wouldn't call it noodly.. If her composition was a bit more complex, it would be close to Debussy level probably. She's maybe like minimalist Debussy :) Check her "Ballad of the Spirits" and "The Song of the Sea".
The album referenced by the article can be heard here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKU7iz9RYV0&list=PLoD646hYS2...
When I first saw this, I thought it said "The Otherworldly Composition of an Ethiopian Nun", which sounds demonic. Where are my glasses...
I also read it that way, but thought the article would be about her character, not musical compositions. Regardless, Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou was a remarkable person with tragic circumstances in life.
Yup, sounds like a Rob Zombie song.
it does say that?
Not quite: "compositions" in the title is plural, which makes a significant difference.
her music is so effortless, seemingly weightless, like a butterfly flapping its wings in an early spring garden... a meandering presence of delicate ornamentation. you can feel the human spirit and presence of these songs. seemingly simple but also complex. slow and fast at the same time.
very well said. without saying much at all :)
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