Desdes, by Awalom Gebremariam

Desdes

by Awalom Gebremariam

supported by

Tell Ya Fucking Story Walking… thumbnail

Tell Ya Fucking Story Walking… I could dance in a dissociative state around the world many times listening to this. What beautiful beautiful music this is. 🕺🏻💃🏻🥰🤙🏻

more...

	/

Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Eritrean singer and multi-instrumentalist with a complete cassette of lively jams.

Includes unlimited streaming of Desdes via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 3 days

Purchasable with gift card

$22 USD or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Includes unlimited streaming of Desdes via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 3 days

Purchasable with gift card

$10 USD or more
Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$6 USD or more
I love the variety of stringed instruments you can find across the world...here are three records celebrating ancient tools of the folk music trade: Sourakata Koite's kora (Senegal), Asnakech Worku's krar (Ethiopia) and Awalom Gebremariam's mesenqo (Eritrea)

Includes unlimited streaming of Desdes via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 3 days

Purchasable with gift card

$55 USD or more

1.	Desdes 06:46	buy track
2.	Tehhelo 05:22	buy track
3.	Teumat Chena 06:16	buy track
4.	Aadu 07:15	buy track
5.	Eritrea 07:09	buy track
6.	Salel 07:44	buy track
7.	Segamaye 05:30	buy track
8.	Malegaanya 05:19	buy track
9.	Gwaal Haagaraye 06:52	buy track
10.	Showite Sigem 09:08	buy track

about

At the age of 28, Awalom Gebremariam arrived in the United States, following a years-long journey from Eritrea. He’d made it to a refugee camp in Ethiopia several years ago and eventually attained asylum status for passage to America. But before he left his hometown, Eritrea’s highland capital Asmara, he made his first and only recording so far, Desdes.

In 2006, Awalom began to teach himself two of Eritrea’s most recognizable and important folk instruments, the wata and the krar. Although they have roots in traditional music, they are heard in most Eritrean folk and pop recordings. 2006 was also the year the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s biggest musical inspiration, Abraham Aferewerki, passed away. Although the younger musician says his musical influences aren’t pinned to specific people as much as by the spirit of Eritrean music itself, Aferewerki was such a pillar that his work and death are poignant for many people. (When pressed, Awalom says he also looks up to legendary Eritrean singer Yemane Barya and Bob Marley.) Much of the music he heard growing up was intertwined with Eritrea’s difficult and contentious split from Ethiopia. An enormous proportion of popular songs’ lyrical content from the the era of Ethiopian annexation in the 1950’s until now are filled with imagery and metaphors connoting freedom, national pride and the country’s lengthy struggle for independence.

Awalom completed Desdes in 2007, not long before he departed Eritrea. Because Awalom left after the recording he never received any money for cassette and CD sales. But he also didn’t get to find out how much of an impact the songs have had locally.

His songs appear to focus on love, but Awalom isn’t speaking about romantic love per se. Love of country and pride in the struggle for independence are what helps makes songs like these popular among listeners locally and in the large worldwide Eritrean diaspora. While we don’t have many details about the popularity of the tape in Asmara, the strength of Awalom’s sentiment was enough to carry the recording across many miles and into Awesome Tapes From Africa’s cassette deck.

In 2012, during a trip to Switzerland to help promote a film about biking in Eritrea, ATFA was given a copy of Desdes by fixed-gear bicycle athlete Patrick Seabase, the documentary’s protagonist. Seabase gave a copy to ATFA founder Brian Shimkovitz as a gift and it later appeared on the ATFA blog.

A few years later Shimkovitz was contacted by some agencies in North Carolina, where Awalom had settled. Through a translator very one decided to work together on a reissue of his recording. It took many months to source a clean master but now the album is ready and Awalom’s goals are clear. He spent years waiting for the chance to escape economic and political turmoil at home. Now 29 and living in North Carolina, he works in a restaurant and plans to bring his music to Eritrean communities across North America as well as newer listeners with whom his powerful sounds and remarkable journey will deeply resonate.

credits

released April 15, 2016

license

about

Awalom Gebremariam Eritrea

contact / help

Contact Awalom Gebremariam

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Awalom Gebremariam, you may also like:

Wede Harer Guzo
by Hailu Mergia

supported by 48 fans who also own “Desdes”

such a lovely energy in these songs ray <:‑|
go to album
Asnakech
by Asnakech Worku

supported by 47 fans who also own “Desdes”

Casts a very ancient spell, as bright and timeless as the afternoon light. Mushroom Head
go to album
La Grande Cantatrice Malienne Vol 3
by Nahawa Doumbia

supported by 45 fans who also own “Desdes”

Im so grateful living in an age to be able to experience such music not readably available previously til now. This Lady is Angelic, the rhythm just does it for me. Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful. Makes me happy. :) Tell Ya Fucking Story Walking…
go to album
Music Yared
by Chikchika

East African musicians Anbessa Gebrehiwot and Haftu Reda collaborated with producer Dale Gorfinkel to create this experimental record. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 11, 2020
go to album
Maisha
by The Zawose Queens

featured on Bandcamp Radio Mar 26, 2024
go to album
Afar Ways
by Yanna Momina

featured on Bandcamp Radio Sep 20, 2022
go to album
Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instrument: Shemonmuanaye
by Hailu Mergia

supported by 43 fans who also own “Desdes”

Hard to chose a standout track as the whole album is a masterpiece. it very much reminded me of late Augustus Pablo digital productions, ''Blowing with the Wind'' seems like a follow up or close cousin though Mergia's work came five years earlier. Markus Bader
go to album