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Mahmoud Ahmed (
Amharic Amharic is an Ethio-Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amhara people, and also serves as a lingua franca for all other metropolitan populati ...
: ማሕሙድ አሕመድ; born 8 May 1941) is an Ethiopian singer. He gained great popularity in Ethiopia in the 1970s and among the Ethiopian diaspora in the 1980s, before rising to international fame with African music fans in Europe and the Americas.


Biography

Born in
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
, Mercato district, Mahmoud was enthralled with the music he heard on Ethiopian radio from an early age. Having poorly learned in school, he worked as a
shoeshiner Shoeshiner or boot polisher is an occupation in which a person cleans and buffs shoes and then applies shoe polish, a waxy paste to give a shiny appearance and a protective coating. They are often known as shoeshine boys because the job was tr ...
before becoming a
handyman A handyman, also known as a fixer, handyperson or handyworker, maintenance worker, maintenance man, repairman, repair worker, or repair technician, is a person who is knowledgeable in skills such as basic carpentry, plumbing, minor electrical w ...
at the Arizona Club, which was the after hours hangout of Emperor
Haile Selassie I Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...
's Imperial Bodyguard Band. One night in 1962 when the band's singer didn't show up, Mahmoud asked to sing a few songs. He soon became part of the band's regular lineup, where he remained until 1974. After cutting his first single with Venus Band "Nafqot New Yegodagn" and "Yasdestal" in 1971, Mahmoud continued to record with several bands for the Amha and Kaifa record labels throughout the 1970s. The overthrow of Emperor Selassie and the suspension of musical nightlife under the military government created shifts in the Ethiopian music industry—the Imperial Body Guard Band were no more, and Mahmoud continued to make hit records and cassettes with many musicians who remained in the country, including the Dahlak Band, and the Ibex Band. He also began to release solo cassettes, accompanying himself on the
krar The ''krar'' (Geʽez: ክራር) is a five-or-six stringed bowl-shaped lyre from Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is tuned to a pentatonic scale. A modern ''krar'' may be Instrument amplifier, amplified, much in the same way as an electric guitar or el ...
, guitar or
mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
. By 1978, censorship laws prevented Mahmoud from releasing his music on vinyl and so he switched to releasing cassettes. In the 1980s, Mahmoud operated his own music store in Addis Ababa's Piazza district while continuing his singing career. With many Ethiopian
refugee A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
s living abroad, Mahmoud became one of the first modern Ethiopian music makers to perform in the United States on a 1980–1981 tour with the
Walias Band Walias Band (sometimes spelled Wallias Band; ) were an Ethiopian jazz and funk band active from the early 1970s until the early 1990s. Formed by members of the Venus Band, Walias backed up many prominent singers with a hard polyrhythmic funk soun ...
,
Getachew Kassa Getachew Kassa (Amharic: ጌታቸው ካሳ; 6 September 1944 – 21 February 2024) was an Ethiopian jazz singer and percussionist. He rose to famous during the 1960s and 1970s, after performing at the country's famous clubs, the Sombrino and ...
, and Webeshet Fisseha. Mahmoud soon began releasing records with the Roha Band and became popular in
diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
communities. In 1986, Mahmoud's music reached a larger western audience when the Belgian label
Crammed Discs Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
released the collection ''Ere Mela Mela'' drawn from two Kaifa LPs Mahmoud had recorded in Addis with the Ibex Band a decade earlier, one being self-titled (ማሕሙድ፡ኣሕመድ). Ethiopia was making headlines in the west because of political repression and
famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...
, and the contrasting tone of Mahmoud's first international release received much acclaim in the burgeoning
world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
community. Mahmoud gained even greater international popularity in the late 1990s after
Buda Musique Buda Musique is a French record label specializing in world music. It was founded in 1987 by Gilles Fruchaux and Dominique Buscall. After Buscall died in 1990, Fruchaux became the sole owner. The label is especially known for its '' Éthiopiques' ...
launched the ''
Éthiopiques ''Éthiopiques'' is a series of compact discs featuring Ethiopian singers and musicians. Many of the CDs compile songs from various singles and albums that Amha Records, Kaifa Records and Philips-Ethiopia released during the 1960s and 1970s in Et ...
'' series on compact disc. This led to new recordings and tours in Europe and the United States with
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
's
Either/Orchestra The Either/Orchestra (E/O) is a jazz group formed by Russ Gershon in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, in 1985. E/O is configured as a "small big band", with three saxes, two trumpets and one or two trombones. E/O's is characterized by a heavier an ...
and Badume Band. Though he has made his home in Addis Ababa and works with a number of NGOs and philanthropic causes, he continues to tour internationally, performing concerts both for world music fans as well as the Ethiopian diaspora. In 1996, Mahmoud released ''Tizita'', a 10 track CD and Cassette of his best works over the years. He later followed up with a Volume 2, which released about two years later. Both were done by a few members of the Roha Band but they were also joined alongside Abegazu Kibrework and Tilaye Gebre. While ''Ere Mela Mela'' made him a household name, Mahmoud is generally known for his
Tizita Tizita (var. Tezeta; ; ) is one of the Pentatonic scales or Qañat of the Amhara ethnic group. Etymology and origin The term ''tizita'' is distinctly Tigrinya, and Amharic, there's no Geez equivalent, as opposed to the term ''nafkot'' which ...
, a genre that reminisces the past with its slow and groovy style of music. The word Tizita translates as memories, which is comparable to the concept of
saudade ''Saudade'' (; plural ''saudades'') is a word in Portuguese and Galician denoting an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet absent someone or something. It derives from the Latin word for solitude. ...
prevalent in Portuguese fado. The song titles on his 1997 album Soul of Addis all speak to similar themes with the words love, lonely, longing and alone are all recurring refrains. Though unknown to many people, Mahmoud is a visual artist who creates art in drawings and illustrations. He illustrates various themes with a pencil, depending on the mood of the period. He was once approached by the Alliance Ethio-Française in Addis Ababa to exhibit his works but he declined. In 2000, Mahmoud released ''Hulum Yisma.'' The album bombarded fans with new melodies and lyrics that many haven’t seen from him in many years. While most songs were arranged by Dawit Yifru, a notable member of the Roha Band, Mahmoud was accompanied by the much newer and younger 3M Band, with notable members such as Elias Melka and Yenesew Tefera. Members of the 3M Band would later collaborate with Mahmoud to record ''Yitbarek'' in 2003, a collection of traditional Ethiopian wedding songs mixed with some of Mahmoud’s older songs. The title track along with ''Musheraye and Hay Loga'' are notable traditional melodies featured in this album. Although he hasn’t had new recording release in years, Mahmoud’s career had remained alive as he has recorded with other notable artists such as Tsehay Yohannes, Gossaye Tesfaye, Tommy T, and other big names. In 2007, Mahmoud won a BBC
World Music Award The World Music Awards was an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event was based in Monte Carlo. Awards were presented to the worl ...
. In 2015 he featured in an episode of
Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain ( ; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author and Travel documentary, travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the huma ...
's Parts Unknown in Ethiopia.


Discography

* ''Almaz'' with Ibex Band (1973 LP; reissued on CD in 1999 as ''
Éthiopiques ''Éthiopiques'' is a series of compact discs featuring Ethiopian singers and musicians. Many of the CDs compile songs from various singles and albums that Amha Records, Kaifa Records and Philips-Ethiopia released during the 1960s and 1970s in Et ...
Volume 6'' by Buda Musique) * ''Alemye'' (1974 LP, reissued on CD in 2005 as ''Éthiopiques Volume 19'' by Buda Musique) * ''Ere Mela Mela'' (1975 LP, rereleased on
Crammed Discs Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
in 1986 with extra tracks, remixed, expanded and reissued on CD in 2000 as ''Etiopiques Volume 7'' by Buda Musique) * ''Soul of Addis'' (1997, Earthworks/Stern's Africa) * ''Slow Collections'' (1998, Sounds of Abyssinia) * ''Live in Paris'' (1998, Long Distance) * ''Yitbarek'' (2003, Yene Production, rereleased by Nahom Records in 2007) * ''Tizita Vol. 1 (The Best of...)'' (2003, AIT Records) * ''Tizita Vol. 2 (The Best of...)'' (2003, AIT Records) * '' The Rough Guide to the Music of Ethiopia'' (2004,
World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" competi ...
) * ''Ethiogroove: Mahmoud Ahmed &
Either/Orchestra The Either/Orchestra (E/O) is a jazz group formed by Russ Gershon in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, in 1985. E/O is configured as a "small big band", with three saxes, two trumpets and one or two trombones. E/O's is characterized by a heavier an ...
'', with Tsedenia G. Markos (2007, EthioSonic DVD) * ''Éthiopiques Live: Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete & Badume's Band'' (2009, Innacor DVD) * ''Éthiopiques 26: Mahmoud Ahmed & Imperial Bodyguard Band, 1972–1974'' (collects music from singles released on the Philips label) * '' The Rough Guide to the Music of Ethiopia'' (2012,
World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" competi ...
)


References


Further reading

* Jonathan Miran, "Mahmoud Ahmed," Dictionary of African Biography, Eds. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Emmanuel K. Akyeampong (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), Volume 4, pp. 43–44.


External links

*
Discography of Mahmoud Ahmed
as provided by
Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Mahmoud 1941 births Living people 20th-century Ethiopian male singers Ethiopian Muslims Amharic-language singers Buda Musique artists Musicians from Addis Ababa