- The Guardian, Friday 21 November 2008
- Dub Colossus
- A Town Called Addis
- Real World
- £10.99
- 2008
What would Emperor Haile Selassie have made of this? The former Ethiopian leader may be regarded as a deity by Rastafarians but he was never too wild about reggae, let alone dub - the echoing, bass-heavy mixing technique that has its origins in Jamaican recording studios in the 70s. But he was a fan of brass ensembles and jazz, and the final years of his rule, in the 60s and early 70s, were a golden era for Ethiopian music. This intriguing album brings those Jamaican and African styles together, with help from the British producer and multi-instrumentalist Dubulah, aka Nick Page from Temple of Sound. Recorded in Ethiopia and England, it starts with the exuberant dub reggae of Asmari Dub, with a confident, rolling bass line overlaid with brass and stirring vocals from Sintayehu Zenebe, the "Ethiopian Edith Piaf". Elsewhere, Dubulah's bass, guitar, keyboards and programming are matched against the traditional kraar harp, the cool saxophone work of Ethiopian composer Feleke Hailu, or the bluesy vocals and messengo fiddle playing of Teremage Woretaw. From the gently stomping reggae of Ophir Dub to the widescreen soundscape of Yeka Sub City Rockers, it's an exhilarating fusion.
