Erè Mèla Mèla
The title song of his 1975 Kaifa LP, the track Pitchfork called his masterpiece.
Mahmoud Ahmed, from Éthiopiques 7: Erè Mèla Mèla (1975)
- Written by
- Shewalul Mengistu
- Released
- 1975
- Length
- 4:39
- Album
- Éthiopiques 7: Erè Mèla Mèla
Erè Mèla Mèla is the title song of the 1975 Kaifa LP recorded with the Ibex Band, where it is the seventh of eleven songs and runs 4:38. Shewalul Mengistu is credited as writer. Kaifa also issued a 1975 release pairing "Erre Mela - Mechenew" on side A with "Abbai Mado - Embewa Belew" on side B. On the 1986 Crammed Discs LP the song was joined with Mètché Nèw in an eight-minute medley, and it opens Éthiopiques 7 at 4:39.
Writing in Pitchfork in 2005, Joe Tangari called it Ahmed's masterpiece. Robert Christgau gave the 1986 Crammed album a B+.
Live
At WOMAD in July 2015, with Badume's Band, Mark Kidel of The Arts Desk heard a slowed-down version as "the saddest love song you can imagine". The set at Carnegie Hall in October 2016 included it too.
On stage
- 2015-07, WOMAD, Charlton Park With Badume's Band, reviewed by The Arts Desk.
- 2016-10-22, Carnegie Hall, New York In a set that also held Tizita and Bemen Sebeb Litlash.
More songs by Mahmoud Ahmed
Sources
- Ere Mela Mela (Kaifa LPKF 20), Discogs (1975)
- Ere Mela Mela (master), Discogs
- Ere Mela Mela (Crammed CRAM 047), MusicBrainz (1986)
- Dusty Grooves, Pitchfork (2005-07-04)
- WOMAD 2: Charlton Park, The Arts Desk (2015)