There is a long history linking the great Etenesh Wassié to Freddy Morezon's musicians: after the critically acclaimed debut album Le Tigre des Platanes, Zèraf!, the collaboration continued with bassist Mathieu Sourisseau for two more albums, Belo Belo (with Gaspar Claus and Nicolas Lafourest, among others) and Yen Alem (with Julie Laderach).
This new opus, Arada, builds on work begun in 2018 as a trio, but also marks a new beginning! By inviting other musicians from the collective to play on a few tracks, the trio becomes a quartet, with Fabien Duscombs from Le Tigre des Platanes on drums (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8) and Mathieu Werchowski on violin (tracks 1, 3 and 4), and sometimes a quintet (tracks 1 and 3). Live, the quartet sheds new light on the existing repertoire, adding different musical colours: the friction of the strings creates a soundscape from which new melodies emerge that are reminiscent of Ethiopian modes and reveal multiple influences, including rock, jazz, improvised music and world music. The warmth of the double bass and the depth of the acoustic bass complement Etenesh's deep voice, and the bowing technique also evokes the mesenqo — the traditional Ethiopian single-stringed fiddle — which accompanies all traditional songs in which Etenesh excels.
The drums bring groove, pulse and contrast, making the clear, rhythmic music luminous, playful and joyful (as in the single 'Cheguitou'). What can be said about Etenesh's singing? Her technical mastery, majestic cracks and soaring, rocky-energy-filled vocals are unparalleled. She often expresses a magnified rage reminiscent of the great blues singer Bessie Smith or the jazz singer Abbey Lincoln.
Traditional forms such as Tezeta join the realm of blues and African-American jazz.
It is a captivating realm.
