lp
2012/1963
new
Aka half of 'Ethiopiques Vol. 21'. Solo piano played in long, sweeping arpeggios that tinkle & waft up & up, basically turning the instrument into a giant harp. Gebru is a nun who lives in Jerusalem. The child of an Ethiopian politician, she mostly grew up outside of Ethiopia due to attending school in Switzerland & spending most of WWII in Italy. After the emperor vetoed her going to England to study in 1948, she joined a monestary & has spent several hours a day playing piano instead. Tracklisting: The Homeless Wanderer, The Last Tears of the Deceased, A Young Girl's Complaint, The Mad Man's Laughter, Presentiment.
http://weirdorecords.com/zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=11768
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
New LP - Tsege Mariam Gebru - Spielt Eigene Kompositionen - MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT!The Mississippi Records folks tell the tale below:
"A most unusual & stunning album. Tsege Mariam Gebru is an Ethiopian nun who has dedicated her life to helping others. She has been composing & playing music on the piano since the 1960's. Her music is a unique mix of Western classcial music in the vein of Erik Satie, Ethiopian music & Religious Christian meditation music. On this reissue of her first LP, originally released in Germany in a very small pressing, we find Tsege Mariam Gebru playing her own compositions solo on piano. She plays with restrained grace & purity. The record invites repeated listening well & is filled with spiritual warmth. We are very proud to present this LP - the first in a series of records we will be releasing with music culled from the monumental Ethiopiques CD series. Old school "tip on" cover."
WOW! This record is absolutely beautiful. We've long awaited some vinyl treatments of the astounding Ethiopiques CD series and it seems our wait was not in vain as this is the first installment of an ongoing series. Tsege Mariam Gebru's solo piano work is simply sublime; haunting and meticulous, the above description of Erik Satie, Ethiopian music and Religious Christian meditation music is spot on. This true roots music and while a combination of multiple styles of music are at work here, this is deep, know-it-yer-bones blues played by a cosmic soul. "Spielt Eigene Kompositionen" is music that is perfect for late nights that turn into early mornings. Supremely Recommended.
https://shop.permanentrecordschicago.com/lp-tsege-mariam-gebru-spielt-eigene-kompositionen/dp/74052
