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CD Review
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Entertainment Weekly, CD Review >>
Blame it on the new xenophobia, but lately “world music” has an unfortunately low profile in the U.S. This haunting German import is a new project by Ethiopian export Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw, whose 2001 CD Gigi—and its dub remix follow-up Illuminated Audio—contained some exceptionally forward-thinking international music. While they colored the hypnotic grooves of Ethiopian pop with unusual jazz voicings and electronics, this is a folksy, nearly unplugged affair, with Shibabaw’s thrilling soul-queen phrases (sung mostly in Amharic) propelled by hand claps, hand drums, flute, sax and kirar, a small traditional harp. But with cohort Bill Laswell coproducing, even rootsy arrangements have an otherworldly glow. MY ADDIA ABABA The 15 volume Ethiopiques series is a consistently dazzling (and often very funky) history of Ethiopian pop. A- 11/21/03
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