"Bole bole bole," chant the minibus drivers en route to the airport in

Addis Ababa. As part of the first track on this debut disc, it

definitely gives you a feel for Ethiopia. Maki Siraj and David

"Ashagre" Schommer mix traditional Ethiopian sounds with all sorts of

other stuff. For those unfamiliar with Amharic tunes, the pentatonic

sounds might seem a little odd, but there's nothing quite like them,

and they do grow on you. "Ensaralen Gojo," is a wonderful nod to the

amazing city of Harar, and Tegist Shibabaw (Ethiopian superstar Gigi's

little sister) lends her vocals to "Amet Bale," a song that, like many

others here, is, as they say in Amharic, "betam torro noh"—very good.

9/10

-Erin Macleod