GIGI

American dub by way of Ethiopia. First time on vinyl comes this album by Ethiopian singer Ejigayehu Shibabaw aka Gigi - soundwise translated by her husband Bill Laswell giving this album his signature touch

By the time Ejigayehu Shibabaw, a.k.a. Gigi, released her self-titled U.S. debut in 2001, she had already left her native Ethiopia to join forces with bassist and producer Bill Laswell. The album was at once a cry of solidarity for the expatriate Ethiopian community, of which she had become a defining voice, and a shower of sunlight on her homeland for those ignorant of its struggles. It also attracted an unprecedented group of musicians, drawn from Laswell’s Material nexus and other talents. Gigi has aged gracefully in a category all its own, having inspired many to funnel their histories into emotional art.

• 01 Abay
• 02 Tew Ante Sew
• 03 Mengedegna
• 04 Kahn
• 05 Sew Argen
• 06 Nafeken
• 07 Abet Wubet
• 08 Guramayle
• 09 Gud Fella
• 10 Guramayle (Slight Return)