Éthiopiques, Vol. 7: Erè Mèla Mèla - Mahmoud Ahmed
Album
The voice entry. Mahmoud Ahmed went from working at a nightclub to singing with the Imperial Bodyguard Band, and these 1975 recordings with the Ibex Band catch him at his best. His agile, ornamented singing turns each melody into something pleading and restless, over funky bass and short horn bursts. The title track, Erè Mèla Mèla, is the one to start with.