When the Ethiopian Walias Band toured North America in 1981, most members of the band saw an opportunity to immediately apply for political asylum. Keyboardist Hailu Mergia was one of them. He joined the Ethiopian community in Washington DC and stayed alive as a taxi driver between gigs. The renewed interest in 1970s Ethiopian jazz gave him a lot of work. Lala Belu is Mergia's first album in 15
… years and stands out for its boundless energy and boundless adventurousness. The energy comes largely from drummer Tony Buck and bassist Mike Majkowski who are responsible for cool funky grooves and fantastic rhythm work. Mergia's playing is occasionally reminiscent of 's jazz funk. The use of the pentatonic scales of Ethio jazz often gives his sound a hypnotic, mysterious, and sometimes haunting character. His use of instruments such as accordion and melodica less conventional in jazz greatly enhance the adventurous character of his music. (AD)more
