Gigi Shibabaw was raised amid a family of ten in the Ethiopian countryside, surrounded by music. Her early determination to become a singer put her at odds with her father, but she never wavered, leaving home for Nairobi before returning to Addis Ababa--the Ethiopian capital--as a singer and songwriter of instant note. Opportunities quickly emerged for her, and at the age of 24, she landed in San Francisco, where she began releasing music for the Ethiopian expatriate community, and attracted the attention of Chris Blackwell. Three years later, she's getting world music's most royal treatment with a high-concept release on one of the genre's most ambitious labels.
Happily, the resulting music is worthy of this star-is-born tale. On the pumping opener, 'Gud Fella,' Gigi's voice is clear and strong as she declares anxious infatuation with a dangerous man. Impossible and inappropriate love is the overriding theme in these thirteen very different tracks. Some, like 'Gud Fella,' put a classy sheen on what is essentially dance pop. Elsewhere, more traditional elements emerge strongly, as on 'Bale Washintu,' with its quickly tripping ? rhythm and rich flute melodies. The jazz players here mostly blend, adding subtle richness. Shorter's contributions are particularly satisfying, his tenor sax commenting wryly on 'Mengedegna' ('Always on the Road')--Gigi sings, "In love with a hawk, I'm a hawk myself."--and echoing Coletrane's 'A Love Supreme,' on the set's slow, blissful closer, 'Adwa.' With a single bold stroke, Gigi stands as the most important new African singer on the scene today.
-- Contributed by Banning Eyre, Afropop.org
Ethiopian singer Ejigayehu "Gigi" Shibabaw returns with the much anticipated Gold & Wax, an organic blend of African songs mixed with elements of Jamaica, India and America.
After five years, Ethiopian singer Gigi returns with her much anticipated album, Gold & Wax, an organic blend of African songs mixed with elements of Jamaica, India and America.
Featuring a stellar roster, bassist Bill Laswell has assembled an eclectic array of musical talent for Gold & Wax. India's great sarangi player/vocalist Ustad Sultan Khan, tabla player/drummer Karsh Kale, funk keyboard maestro Bernie Worrell, African multi-instrumentalists Abesgasu Shiota, Moges Habte, Aiyb Dieng and Assaye Zegeye; digital futurists MIDIval PunditZ and Skizz Fernando, and avant-guitarist Buckethead all contribute to this incredible album.
From the opening strains of "Semena-Wrock," a jazz-inspired, kit drum-led, up-tempo number, Gigi returns to old form. Surrounded by punchy saxophones and Laswell's signature low-end, Gigi's golden voice remains the driving force of the next 66 minutes. Backed by a tasteful landscape of drum 'n bass and resonant guitar echoes, the second track, "Anten" proves much more aligned with her work with Tabla Beat Science. The light textures of "Jerusalem," organ-led dynamics of "Salam," and the only English language song here, "Utopia," call for a spaciousness allowing the listener to invest time and emotion.
With the release of the long awaited Gold & Wax, Gigi is ensuring her place as an ambassador of ancient sound with modern sensibilities.
The most highly anticipated release of Ethiopian music in years is just out, and it was worth the wait. As advertised, Gigi's voice has both the fluttering, traditional authenticity and power of Ethiopia's most celebrated diva, Aster Aweke, and also the vibratoless pure tones and international accessibility of Afropop stars like Oumou Sangare. Under Bill Laswell's production, and with such eminent guest artists as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, David Gilmore, Henry Threadgill and Tony Cedras, Gigi's international debut is a genre-bending Afropop landmark.
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