NTS Guide to: The Midnight Synthesizer

In the early 1980s, a handful of Ethiopian musicians began experimenting with electronic instruments. Instead of the usual brass ensembles that were ubiquitous in the countries hotels, Teodros Makonnen, Wesenyeleh Mebreku, Dawit Senbetta, and more recorded music with early drum machines, synthesizers, and electric organs. This experimentation was a risk during the communist Derg regime, where censorship was widespread and resources were scarce. To avoid detection, many artists would play and record from midnight to dawn. Their experiments would have a lasting influence on the style of later Ethiopian music. This episode is inspired by "The Midnight Synthesizer" by Abraham Tekle. Featuring instrumental recordings drawn from cassette transfers and upcoming restored reissues from the Ethiopian archive, label and publisher Muzikawi.