Mulatu of Ethiopia

Mulatu recorded the album in New York City. Per OkayAfrica he worked at a downtown Manhattan studio with Gil Snapper and young jazz and Latin session players after three to four weeks of rehearsal. Tangari of Pitchfork wrote that the players included members of Mongo Santamaria's band. Snapper wrote the liner notes. Of the title track Mulatu said he named it simply because it was his composition.

Erin MacLeod of Pitchfork reviewed the 2017 Strut reissue and called the seven tracks, which run under thirty minutes, an excellent introduction. She pointed to wah-wah on Munaye, rolling saxophone on Chifara, floating flute on Mascaram Setaba, Afro-Cuban rhythms on Mulatu and Kasalefkut-Hulu, and washint flutes on Kulunmanqueleshi. Mascaram Setaba, as heard in Broken Flowers, first appeared here.

Strut issued the reissue on 19 May 2017 with the original seven tracks and their mono mixes. The limited three-LP set adds outtakes, three takes each of Mascaram Setaba and Kulunmanqueleshi, two of Kasalefkut-Hulu and an extra Munaye. On the Mascaram Setaba tape Mulatu can be heard telling the bassist exactly what he wants.