05/12/2025
Muzikawi proudly presents the re-release of Tilaye Gebre’s Tilaye’s Saxophone with the Dahlak Band (የጥላዬ ሳክስ ከዳህላክ ባንድ ጋር), recorded as a one-take live cassette at the legendary Ghion Hotel in the late 1970s—one microphone at the front, hit record: no EQ, no reverb, just some delay—which became the signature recipe for the Dahlak Band’s characteristic Ethiopian rare groove sound.
Tilaye Gebre is one of Ethiopia’s most soulful saxophone giants, with a music legacy that’s hard to surpass. A founding member of the Equators, later renamed the Dahlak Band, he was a key figure in Ethiopia’s vibrant hotel music scene and a sought-after musician and arranger for artists like Aster Aweke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilahun Gessesse, and Muluken Melesse. No saxophonist in Ethiopia influenced the sound of popular music more than Tilaye in the 1970s, yet his recordings — including this one — have been hard to come by for ages, until now.
Out February 6 on 2xLP black vinyl with a gatefold sleeve + digital. Ethiopia: pre-order now via the link in the first comment. Rest of the world: pre-order on Bandcamp — fulfilled by Mr Bongo (UK/US). Distributed by The Pusher Distribution (FR), Southern Record Distributors (UK), and Disk Union (JP).
