Tche Belew - Hailu Mergia & The Walias Band

The Walias Band were the house band at the Addis Ababa Hilton, and this 1977 album, led by keyboardist Hailu Mergia, is instrumental Ethiopian funk at its tightest. Organ and horns carry the melodies over a crisp rhythm section, so the tunes stay front and centre without a singer. Musicawi Silt is the track that made the album a sought-after record among collectors.