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Getatchew Mekurya

Mekurya was born on 14 March 1935, in Yifat, Ethiopia. He began his musical studies on traditional Ethiopian instruments such as the krar and the masenqo, and later moved on to the saxophone and clarinet. Upon reaching adolescence, he began his professional career in 1949 as a part of the Municipality Band in Addis Ababa. In 1955 he joined the house band at Addis' Haile Selassie Theatre, and in 1965 joined the famous Police Orchestra. He was also one of the first musicians to record an instrumental version of shellela, a genre of traditional Ethiopian vocal music sung by warriors before going into battle. Mekurya took the shellela tradition seriously, often appearing onstage in a warrior's animal-skin tunic and lion's mane headdress. He continued to refine his instrumental shellela style, recording an entire album in 1970, Negus of Ethiopian Sax, released on Philips Ethiopia during the heyday of the Ethiojazz movement. Mekurya continued to work alongside many of the biggest orchestras in the Ethiopian capital, accompanying renowned singers Alemayehu Eshete, Hirut Beqele, and Ayalew Mesfin.

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Getatchew Mekurya: Negus Of Ethiopian Sax

Read "Getatchew Mekurya: Negus Of Ethiopian Sax" reviewed by Chris May


Getatchew Mekurya Ethiopiques 14: Negus Of Ethiopian Sax Buda Musique 2003

Buda Musique's mind-expanding Ethiopiques series--23 discs strong and counting--is a treasure trove of strange and wonderful music, none more so than that contained on Negus Of Ethiopian Sax, which is devoted to tenor saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya and his shellela music. Unless you've already had the good fortune to encounter Ethiopiques, it's probably safe to say you won't have heard anything like ...

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Matthew Ottignon
saxophone, tenor

Music

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