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NYC Concert Featuring Ethiopian, Sudanese, and North African Music

Above: Debo Band will stage a show at 92y Tribeca in NYC on
May 28, 2011. (Photograph courtesy of Amael Tesfaye, 2011)

Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam

Updated: Saturday, May 28, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The Ethio-jazz group Debo Band will return to NYC to perform at a special concert featuring Ethiopian, Sudanese, and North African music. The event is set to take place at the 92Y Tribeca tonight.

Led by Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen and fronted by charismatic vocalist Bruck Tesfaye, Debo’s performances bring together the best of the last forty years of Ethiopian music, with a reverence for the vintage sounds of the 1970s and a commitment to discovering contemporary gems, as well as developing new compositions.

At today’s show in New York, Debo will be joined by Nettle — a band that was founded by DJ/Rupture when he lived in Barcelona. Nettle will release their second album in Fall 2011 entitled El Resplandor: The Shining In Dubai, a soundtrack to an imagined remake of The Shining, set in an abandoned luxury hotel in Dubai.

The other musical ensemble set to share the stage with Debo is Alsarah & The Nubatones. The band came together out of a collective love for Nubian music and a genuine belief that Soul transcends all cultural and linguistic barriers. Inspired by the pentatonic scale they blend a selection of Nubian ‘songs of return’ from the 1970s with original material and traditional music of central Sudan. Their set is a musical journey through the diaspora viewed through an urban lens.

“We’ve never done a show quite like this,” says Debo bandleader Danny Mekonnen, speaking about his team’s NYC gig. “We’re really interested in seeing how these different bands will compliment each other.”

Debo is also scheduled to make an appearance at The Lincoln Center Out of Doors this Summer, which is the same concert that featured Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, and Getachew Mekuria in 2008.

“Very exciting time for us,” says Danny.

If You Go:
Saturday, May 28
8pm Doors, 9pm Show
$16 cover. All ages.
92YTribeca
200 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013
212.601.1000
www.92y.org/92ytribeca/

Video: Debo Band – “Lantchi Biye” Live: SXSW 2011 Showcasing Artist

Events, Featured

NYC Concert Featuring Ethiopian, Sudanese, and North African Music

Above: Debo Band will stage a show at 92y Tribeca in NYC on
May 28, 2011. (Photograph courtesy of Amael Tesfaye, 2011)

Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam

Published: Wednesday, May 11, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The Ethio-jazz group Debo Band will return to NYC later this month to perform at a special concert featuring Ethiopian, Sudanese, and North African music. The event is set to take place at the 92Y Tribeca on May 28th, 2011.

Led by Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen and fronted by charismatic vocalist Bruck Tesfaye, Debo’s performances bring together the best of the last forty years of Ethiopian music, with a reverence for the vintage sounds of the 1970s and a commitment to discovering contemporary gems, as well as developing new compositions.

At the upcoming show in New York, Debo will be joined by Nettle — a band that was founded by DJ/Rupture when he lived in Barcelona. Nettle will release their second album in Fall 2011 entitled El Resplandor: The Shining In Dubai, a soundtrack to an imagined remake of The Shining, set in an abandoned luxury hotel in Dubai.

The other musical ensemble set to share the stage with Debo is Alsarah & The Nubatones. The band came together out of a collective love for Nubian music and a genuine belief that Soul transcends all cultural and linguistic barriers. Inspired by the pentatonic scale they blend a selection of Nubian ‘songs of return’ from the 1970s with original material and traditional music of central Sudan. Their set is a musical journey through the diaspora viewed through an urban lens.

“We’ve never done a show quite like this,” says Debo bandleader Danny Mekonnen, speaking about his team’s NYC gig. “We’re really interested in seeing how these different bands will compliment each other.”

Debo is also scheduled to make an appearance at The Lincoln Center Out of Doors this Summer, which is the same concert that featured Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, and Getachew Mekuria in 2008.

“Very exciting time for us,” says Danny.

If You Go:
Saturday, May 28
8pm Doors, 9pm Show
$16 cover. All ages.
92YTribeca
200 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013
212.601.1000
www.92y.org/92ytribeca/

Video: Debo Band – “Lantchi Biye” Live: SXSW 2011 Showcasing Artist

Art, Featured, News

Debo Band Wins BMA’s International Music Act of the Year

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Above: From left, alto saxophonist Abye Osman, Debo Band
founder Danny Mekonnen, and vocalist Bruck Tesfaye. (Photo
credit: H. Asrat)

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, January 6, 2010

New York (Tadias) – The Ethio groove ensemble known as Debo Band, whose signature music explores the unique sounds that filled the dance floors of “Swinging Addis” in the ‘60s and ‘70s, has won the Boston Music Awards’ under the category of “International Music Act of the Year.”

The Boston Music Awards, having recently celebrated its 22nd year, is the most prestigious annual music event in Boston. The BMA website points out that the program pays “tribute to the region’s finest musicians.”

For jazz saxophonist Danny Mekonnen, a PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology at Harvard University and founder of Debo Band, the coveted recognition has garnered excitement.

“It was a huge surprise for us. We really didn’t expect the recognition because there were several great local bands in the category, ‘International Music Act of the Year,’” Danny said. “But somehow we got the attention of the judges (who are Boston-area promoters and music critics) and were also able to garner votes from our fans. I think it will mean more widespread attention for our band throughout Boston, which we’ve already seen at our last few concerts. They have been well attended even in blizzard-like weather!”

The group surfaced from Boston’s underground after playing in major festivals in 2009, including making an appearance at the Ethiopian Music Festival in Addis Ababa. Danny told Tadias Magazine that the band is gearing up to make a return trip to Africa in 2010.

“Yes, we’ve been given the incredible opportunity to bring Ethiopian music for the first time to East Africa’s largest music festival: “Sauti za Busara” on the island of Zanzibar, February 11th-16th, 2010,” he said. “For our performance at the festival we’ll be joined by four brilliant musicians and dancers from Fendika, an azmari bet in the Kazanchis area of Addis Ababa: Selamnesh Zemene (vocalist), Melaku Belay (dancer), Zenash Tsegaye (dancer), and Asrat Ayalew (drummer). Your readers may know Melaku, who was the dancer at the incredible Getachew Mekuria/The Ex concert at the Lincoln Center in August 2008.”

The Debo Band is currently raising funds to cover travel expenses for 15 musicians to attend the Sauti za Busara festival.

Danny also shares one more bit of good news: “My wife and I have a beautiful newborn girl. Life has been very hectic these days, but we feel blessed.”

We congratulate Danny and look forward to Debo Band’s first album.

—
Learn more at: deboband.com.

Video: Help Debo Band Return to Africa

Tadias TV Interview with Danny Mekonnen