Filed under: Eritrea
Those of you who have followed this blog know of my affinity for the music of Eritrea. My first single from that country was by Ato Atowebrhan Seghid. I could tell there was someting different about it that distinguished it from the music of Ethiopia. But when I received my second record from that country – the Mulugeta Tlahun & Negash Tekie single on Emporio Musicale – I was hooked. That record blew my mind. Still my favorite record in my collection. So much so that I play it every time I DJ.
For my 500the post, I wanted to spotlight the labels that were specifically from Eritrea. So, there are no tracks from the singles released by Amha, Kaifa or Phillips. Many of those songs have been complied on Buda Musique‘s Éthiopiques series – specially “Volume 05 – Tigrigna Music“. I decided focus on the smaller labels that only released one to ten singles: Asteh, Axum, Bereket, Cinelux, Dejene, Emporio Musicale, Fikre/Fikkre, Harambee Asmara, Kothari, Tesfa, Yared and Yetba – plus the Ghirmay Kidane with Orchestra I single on Esso’s record imprint.
There are a few tracks that are deliberately absent. Axum A 004 was by Muluken Melesse who was Ethiopian. Same for Dejene DJ-0010 – which was recorded by Alèmayèhu Eshèté.
The sound quality of these audio files vary quite wildly. Some I’ve transferred from vinyl, but most are files that were either given to me or I have found – some from eBay auction listings, YouTube grabs, and where ever else I could find these songs. I have done my best to try to clean these up as much as possible. If you have any of the missing tracks, better audio transfers, better cover scans, or any information on these records or ones I may have missed – please contact me.
For more information on Eritrean music, be sure to check out Eritrean Anthology. Many of the images used for this post were from Funk Fidelity’s Modern Ethiopian Music Discographies webpage.
Filed under: India
As far as I know, this two song single is the only record released by Mathura Kumar Das playing instrumental Bollywood covers on the clavioline. But if you go on YouTube you will find dozens of videos of songs recorded by him – all with the same record cover as the one posted above. My guess is that there is a cassette only release and the person who uploaded the songs to YouTube used the photo of the single. But that’s just a guess. There are also a few live clips that look like they were recorded somewhat recently.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number MSP 103 on Mayur of India. Released 1981.
Filed under: Kyrgyzstan
♬ Атама
After almost 20 years… A record from Kyrgyzstan!
Arashan / Арашан recorded this lone four song single in 1983, and it was released the following year by the Soviet label Мелодия. The only information I have been able to find is that the band leader was Abdykadyr Sabyrakunov / Абдыкадыр Сабыракунов and that some of the members were also in the band Nariste / Наристе.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number С62 20869 001on Мелодия of the former USSR. Released 1984.
Filed under: Madagascar
Les Requins were from Diego Suarez, Madagascar. They recorded six singles for the Discomad label.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
If you would like to hear the flip side of this single, you can find it on the Radiodiffusion Internasionaal Instagram account HERE.
Catalog number 466 503 on Discomad of Madagascar. No release date listed.
Filed under: Thailand
♬ Kill 1 Pig / ฆ่าหมูตาย 1 ตัว
Many years ago, I bought this single for the A side: Soreng Santi / สรวง สันติ – ”Dub Fai Kui Gun” / ”ดับไฟคุยกัน”. For some reason, I never bothered to listen to the other side until about a year or so ago. Needless to say, I was surprised to hear Led Zeppelin’s “Living Loving Maid”. And then I translated the title… How hasn’t this song been included in one of the 100 or so Thai compilations out there?
As for Rayrai Na Koratch / เรไร ณ โคราช… I have not been able to find anything. If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number MK 08 on Mon Muangnue / มนต์ เมืองเหนือ. No Release date listed.
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Since this posting, I have been contacted by the ever helpful Peter Doolan of Monrakplengthai. Here’s what he had to say:
Rerai Na Khorat (“of Khorat”) was, unsurprisingly, from Khorat (Nakhon Ratchasima) in Thailand’s northeast. she was a breakout star in Chai Muangsing‘s group, her specialty being female “answer-songs” to hits by male artists. She is now in her early 70s, and still lives in Khorat, where she runs a restaurant. She still occasionally gets back on-stage, such as last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Chai’s band.
Filed under: Iran
Abbas Mehrpouya / عباس مهرپویا was born in Tehran, Iran on July 27, 1927
Long before Grey Past released the “Raks Raks Raks” compilation or Finders Keepers released the “Pomegranates” compilation, my first introduction to Persian music was a CD-R I got from a guy in the Netherlands. The record cover above was used as the cover for that disc. Since that time, many Irani compilations and re-issues have been released – most notably is Mehpouya’s “Sitar” album.
This song is unique since it starts with Johann Sebastian Bach‘s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor“.
Unlike most of the artists I have covered, there is plenty of information about Abbas Mehrpouya available. There is a Wikipedia page, but it is in Farsi. There is also a website – also in Farsi and the text cannot be converted in an online translator. There is an excellent article about the man on The Persian Mag website in English with some amazing pictures from his travels around the world – and an outtake from the photo session for the record cover above.
Catalog number SARE-1027 Ahang Rooz of Iran. Released 1973.
Filed under: Macau
The Thunders / Os Trovōes were from the former Portuguese territory of Macau. They recorded four singles – this one being their first.
There is a very extensive post on the history of the band that you can find HERE.
Catalog number CHK-1037 on Columbia of Hong Kong. Released 1968.
Filed under: Ethiopia
♬ Fikrishin Kelkiyiw / ፍቅርሽን ከልክዪው
Tamrat Ferengi was born in the Welega Province of Ethiopia in 1951. He started as trumpet player in the Soul Ekos Band but went on to release two singles on the Kaifa label as a singer. He recorded in Amharic and Oromo. On this single, he is accompanied by the Sensation Band.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number KF 41 on Kaifa Records of Ethiopia. Released 1977.
Filed under: Trinidad & Tobago
♬ The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Group Solo were from the Woodbrook district of Port of Spain – the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago. The band was led by organist Robert Bailey – who would go on to be a founding member of Osibisa.
The band recorded four singles for the Atman label and two for a label called Michelle. Besides this Ennio Morricone cover, they also covered “You Only Live Twice“, “Spooky“, and Booker T. & The M.G.’s “Hip Hug-Her“.
Catalog number ATM-58 on Atman Records of Trinidad & Tobago. No release date listed
Filed under: Lebanon
Alain Abadie was from Beirut, Lebanon.
He recorded three singles between 1973 and 1974 – this one being his last. He also had a small role in the French slapstick comedy “Les Quatre Charlots Mousquetaires”. He died in Israel in 2019. And that is all I have been able to find on him.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number RF 234 on Société Libanaise du Disque of Beirut, Lebanon. Released 1974.
