Bole 2 Harlem, Vol. 1

In the past few years Buda Musique’s revelatory Ethiopiques series has sparked a renewed interest in the music and popular culture of Ethiopia. Like the other beguiling, otherworldly music of that series, Bole 2 Harlem features an infectious fusion of Ethiopian melodies and western pop, but the similarity ends there. While the Ethiopian popular music of the seventies saw serpentine Amharic melodies melding with the improvisational sensibility of American jazz, and the rough hewn rhythms of funk and soul Bole 2 Harlem, the brainchild of American producer David Schommer, features an eclectic band of Ethiopian and American musicians drawing on the propulsive rhythms of Hip-Hop and the syncopated sounds of contemporary Ethiopian Tetchawet. The union of styles produces a refreshingly unfamiliar sound that sees rumbling bass collide with ethereal ululations and near eastern melodies. Though the sound is certainly novel, the exuberant chants of tracks like “Hoya Hoye” and “Hi Loga” are more than mere dance floor fodder. Bole 2 Harlem stands as an engaging fusion of styles that ought to bring pleasure to listeners of all stripes.