Earlier this year, the phenomenal Ethiopian-born and now Tel-Aviv-based artist Gili Yalo unveiled "Sew Lesew", the first precursor to his brand new four-track EP "Made in Amharica", now out on Dead Sea Recordings. The spellbinding track, accompanied by an equally enticing companion video, promotes the basic principle of being a 'mensch' (a decent human being), "its lyrics reflecting the issue of immigration and refugees, of borders, discrimination and newcomers." Like most of his music, "Sew Lesew" emodies his own personal story, seeing as Gili Yalo himself arrived in Israel as part of what is today known as 'Operation Moses', "the covert evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from Sudan during a famine in 1984."
Building on the success of his 2018-released, self-titled debut LP, Yalo toured the world, gathering well-deserved critical and popular acclaim and wowing audiences with his undeniable on-stage presence. His travels eventually brought him to the United States of America, where he teamed up with Niles City Sound (the Grammy-nominated team behind Leon Bridges' "Coming Home" LP, i.e. Josh Block, Austin Jenkins and Chris Vivion) to record his new EP "Made in Amharica" in their high-end, vintage-equipped recording studios in Forth Worth, Dallas.
"Made in Amharica" is a play on words: Amharic being the language of the Ethiopian people and 'Amharica' being the place this project became a reality. Singing in both English and Amharic, Gili Yalo brings together two distinct worlds, combining a modern approach to his Ethiopian roots with influences from funk, jazz, rock and a whole lotta soul. You can stream/buy the full release over on Bandcamp or listen in the SoundCloud player above.