Debo Band is not about Afro-funk revival, recreating some mythical gilded age of Ethiopian pop. Taking cues from vintage and contemporary artists unsung in the West, they unleash rolling grooves, serpentine melody lines, and urgently joyful vocals….
That’s from the PR pitch for the nine-city U.S. tour that Debo Band kicks off in their home city of Boston on July 27. While Debo Band may not be an “Afro-funk revival” band, they tear it up like a blast from the ’70s heyday of Ethiopian funk with a difference. They’re adding as much as they’re reviving, bringing in a bit of klezmer, avant-garde jazz and rock that highlights their origin in Boston and the diverse backgrounds and musical tastes of the bandmembers.
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE
- INTERVIEW OF DANNY MEKONNEN — first week in August
- CONCERT REVIEW — Debo band will be hitting my home turf on August 6 when the play at Sweet’s Ballroom in Oakland and I’ll be there to see if the live show is as hot as their EP FLAMINgoh (Pink Bird Dawn), four tracks from their 2010 African tour.
POP CULTURE TRANSGRESSIONS 