Entoto Band
Guitar Globetrotter Recordings (37 mins)
Entoto Band are a Netherlands-based group directed by guitarist Joep Pelt and fronted by Ethiopian singer Helen Mengistu and Eritrean saxophonist and singer Amanyal ‘Million’ Tewelde. Like so many modern Ethio-jazz groups, they are clearly heavily inspired by the classic, timeless Swinging Addis-era sounds, the distinctive pentatonic melody lines and gently loping rhythms. But Entoto Band make those styles their own with thick layers of heavy, dirty funk (powered by Hammond organ and a meaty synth bass) and more subtle references to Cuban music, soul, dub, Afrobeat and even house music, as well as modern Habesha pop.
The use of instrumentation is particularly impressive here. The six-piece group make deft use of multitracking (multiple synth parts at once; Amanyal’s saxophone and synth-aerophone lines becoming a whole horn section) without taking away from any individual’s effort – everyone gets a chance to shine. The rhythm section of synths-drums-percussion is always tight, and always grooves hard, with enough space for the fireworks of whoever is stepping to the plate next.
Entoto Band’s debut record really serves to underline just how epochal original Ethio-jazz scene was, and just how flexible that style can be, that it can still sound so fresh and exciting in so many different contexts while remaining immediately recognisable.