Afropentatonism

This record brings together two musicians from different sides of the African continent whose musical cultures have one major thing in common: the pentatonic scale. The five-note scale is at the basis of both Ethiopian and Nigerien music, and Girum Mezmur — who has been a major force in Addis Ababa live music scene for close to three decades and plays with the likes of Mahmoud Ahmed and Angelique Kidjo — and Alhousseini Anivolla — part of the Tinariwen movement and founding member of Etran Finatawa and Anewal — explore their similarities and differences on Afropentatonism. They are joined by four other musicians, including the late Ayele Mamo, a legendary mandolin player, and it’s interesting to see how traditional Ethiopian instruments like the krar and the masinqo lend themselves perfectly to the repetitive, hypnotic desert grooves of Tamashek music.