Day 26 of our 2020 charity Advent Calendar, in aid of You Make It & Project Protect.
A key figure in the electronic music scene in his home of Addis Ababa, producer and DJ Ethiopian Records pays tribute to the traditional sounds of his home, approaching them with contemporary techniques crafting his own textural palette of sonics that he calls Ethiopiyawi electronic.
Written around 13 years ago, his track for us today uses samples of the Masinqo, a traditional Ethiopian lute, laced between ambient textures and crisp electronica.
“It is a track I did a really long while ago back in 2007/2008, so it is one from the vault. I chopped up Masinqo samples and built the track around that.”
This year we’ve chosen to split profits from the release between two charities, both of whom are doing important work within their respective fields.
The first charity is London-based organisation You Make It, a creative programme that offers young women access to tools, networks and experiences — group learning, 1-1 mentoring, work experience, start-up support and 1-1 pastoral support — giving them the confidence to transform their lives through personal empowerment.
The second is Nigeria-based initiative Project Protect, a subdivision of Burna Boy’s charitable NGO The Reach, launched to help provide financial, medical and legal resources for EndSars protestors during and after the protests.
Check the below playlist for all tracks in our Calendar.
Artwork across the series by Mark Grieg.
