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Abyssinia Infinite
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Dirty Linen, Abyssinia Infinite >>
Just to set things straight right off, Rastas have generally viewed Ethiopia (Abyssinia) as Zion, or the biblical "Promised Land," so the album title doesn't allude to reggae. The album is actually the second collaboration between singer Ejigayehu "Gigi" Shibabaw and producer Bill Laswell, who brings out the best in the singer with the help of percussionist Karsh Kale, Ethiopian tenor saxophonist Moges Gelaw, and other stellar musicians. The album leads off with "Bati Bati," a gorgeous invocation that sets the mood.
Other tracks have more intense, fiery arrangements. As usual, Gigi's singing is exquisite and the arrangements encompass the spirit of Ethiopia's past, present, and future. Five songs are originals, while five others are traditional. Some of the latter are sung in a very old language called Amheric, which makes them that much more universal. The thrills are in the nuances: the marvelous voice that sometimes resorts to gentle ululations, an accordion in the distance, handclaps, a cascade of notes on the ancient stringed kirar (King David's harp in the Bible), and other such details. 06/01/04
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