- Thursday 14 December - 2023
- 20 years old
- 250
- 180
Events
Dawit Yifru [ET] + Daniel Lemma (DJ set)
Oceanen x Clandestino Festival presenterar:
Dawit Yifru [ET]
For fifty years, Dawit Yifru has played a central role in Ethiopia's musical life. As a virtuoso keyboardist with the likes of Hailu Mergia and Mulatu Astatke, and as a composer and arranger in many different constellations. First with Dahlak, one of the hottest bands on the Addis Ababa hotel scene in the 1970s. It was a time of violence and mass exodus, which contributed to Dahlak's split in 1979.
Instead, Dawit Yifru formed the supergroup Roha. The band can be heard on no less than 250 albums, backing up iconic singers such as Aster Aweke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilahun Gessesse and many others. With constant new hits, Roha came to reshape the Ethiopian sound, not least through the creation of the chickchica genre, where pop met traditional dance rhythms.
At the same time, Roha was responsible for much of the expansive cassette market, with editions of up to 100,000 copies. Most were recorded in the group's own studio, live in mono on a single channel - a method that placed enormous demands on the musicians' skills. Roha also toured internationally and continued well into the 90s before going their separate ways.
Since then, Dawit Yifru has worked both under his own name and with a new group, Four Star.
On a newly released album called simply Dawit Yifru, a selection of his 70s repertoire has been collected. Organ tones, saxophone voices and violin can be heard in an enchantingly beautiful mix of chickchika, rumba and waltz that paints a picture of an innovative composer and musician in the right place at the right time.
Joining Dawit Yifru on Oceanen's stage is a large live band including a brass section.
Daniel Lemma (DJ set)
For the occassion, we have invited none other than Daniel Lemma as guest DJ and curator. After a string of acclaimed albums in various genres since Morning Train (2001), he has returned from many trips to Ethiopia where he held a release party for his new album Addis (Dextra 2023). In a genuine genre-bending collaboration with some of the city's top jazz musicians and traditional musicians from the Fendika Cultural Center, a story emerges of memories of the city, intense taxi rides in Ketama and sworn mountain roses. It is also in this world of shimmering contrasts that his record collection and ever-renewed artistry have emerged.
________
Accessibility
The Cultural Center Oceanen is a Q-marked culturally historical building, which is challenging when it comes to accessibility. We do our best to have as many people as possible visit us. When visiting us with mobility aids the best-suited entrance is through the stage. This entrance is accessed via Gathenhielmska trädgården. The entrance is locked, please email us the day before your visit or the latest Friday at 16:00 if you are visiting us during the weekend. We have a wheelchair-accessible bathroom. Please note that flashing lights may occur during concerts and events. For questions regarding accessibility email Mia Herman at mia@oceanen.com.
