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Sample Track 1:
"Enseralen Gojo" from Bole 2 Harlem Vol 1 (Sounds of the Mushroom)
Sample Track 2:
"Bole 2 Harlem" from Bole 2 Harlem Vol 1 (Sounds of the Mushroom)
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Bole 2 Harlem Vol 1 (Sounds of the Mushroom)
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CD Review
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Reno Gazette-Journal, CD Review >>

Focus On Worldbeat

Bole 2 Harlem

Much is made of Ethiopian music's "golden age" of the '60s and 70s, but rarely do we get a giimpse of young Ethiopian artists making today's global musical trends their own. "Bole 2 Harlem, Vol, 1" (Sounds of the Mushroom, OOO) is one such glimpse. As the name suggests, it's really an Ethiopian-American effort. From its New York side comes its streetwise hip-hop/house music face, but its soul comes from the old country. Fans of older Ethiopian music will instantly recognize the stirring vocal layers and inimitable character (songs are mostly in Amharic), the serpentine boogie and the driving, ancient-sounding rhythms. This disc is all about rhythm. Just check out "Hoye Hoye," a joyously bounding take on a well-known children's song that could easily inspire breakdancing, or "Africaye!," a bit of polyrhythm that turns the flute into fluttering percussion.

-- by Jeff Gifford
Reno Gazette-Journal 12/22/06
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