Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band Wede Harer Guzo

On June 17, Awesome Tapes From Africa releases Wede Harer Guzo, a smokey excursion through Ethiopian songbook classics by Hailu Mergia and legendary Dahlak Band. This 1978 cassette-only release has never been available on vinyl until now.

The house band at the fancy Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa, Dahlak Band were known for a soulful approach and attracted a slightly younger audience than Mergia’s main group the Walias, who were house band at the Hilton. The vocal arrangements alone make this recording a must for Ethiopian music fans, never heard anything like it. "Wede Harer Guzo" ("Journey to Harer,” which is a town in Eastern Ethiopia) was recorded during a period of military-imposed curfews when clubs had to stay jamming until sunrise because people weren’t allowed on the streets at night.

This recording was painstakingly excavated and remastered by Jessica Thompson at Coast Mastering. Hailu’s tape was not in good condition and no others could be located