Hailu Mergia: the spearhead of Ethiopia’s musical revolution
For much of its history, Ethiopia required its bands, musicians, and artists to be “government-approved”. Although longtime Emperor Haile Selassie kickstarted a cultural revolution throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the kind that (somewhat ironically) inspired Rastafarian reggae musicians like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh throughout the 1970s, he was still restrictive with the culture that emanated from the country during his rule.
By the time Selassie was overthrown and the military junta, the Derg was placed in charge of the government, emigration from Ethiopia became almost impossible. Homegrown acts were starting to come of age, with Western influences filtering into the country’s more traditionally-minded musical styles. Walias Band was the most cutting-edge of all Ethiopian groups, incorporating elements of jazz, funk, soul, and R&B into their sound at a time when singing non-traditional songs could be a punishable offence.
Formed in the capital city of Addis Ababa, Walias Band took over a residency at the city’s Hilton Hotel. Since a military-imposed curfew made it perilous for citizens to take to the streets after 11pm, Walias Band found a solution: they would simply play all throughout the night until the early morning hours. In the process, they stumbled on an improvisational groove-heavy style that allowed them to stretch songs out to massive lengths.
Although pianist Girma Beyene was the band’s leader and principal arranger, keyboardist Hailu Mergia gave them a distinction among their peers. A keen experimental mind when it came to synthesiser technology, Mergia was one of the first Ethiopian musicians to use Moog synthesisers while becoming a master organist. “As soon as the organ came along I learned to play it,” Mergia later told journalist April Clare Welsh. “I had no choice, because I was playing in clubs and none of them had pianos. It’s just always been very comfortable for me to play the keyboard, and everyone loved the sound of the organ!”
Mergia was the band member who pushed for the group to emphasise funk instrumentals over original pop-adjacent songs. “When you sing or write lyrics you have to support the government, and if you don’t do that then you have a problem,” Mergia explained. “Golden age music always had a different message. Songs could be about love, politics, our country – any kind of experience – and the lyrics, composition and arranger would all be different. For example, if I composed a melody, the lyric composer would be different.”
As Ethiopia experienced a “golden age” of music toward the end of the 1970s, the restrictions of the military-run government gradually began to lift. In 1981, Walias Band was given a unique opportunity to tour the United States with singer Mahmoud Ahmed. Instead of returning to the military dictatorship, Mergia and three other members of Walias Band opted to defect to the US. Mergias settled just outside of Washington D.C., where he drove a taxi cab in order to make money.
It wouldn’t be until 1985 that Mergia recorded what would become his magnum opus, Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instruments. At that time, Mergia had picked up the accordion as his primary instrument, infusing it with his organ and synthesiser work to create a new take on Ethiopian funk and jazz. Now considered a classic of world music, Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instruments managed to give Mergia success in his home country. But Mergia was stranded in the US, where he received little recognition for his talents.
As Ethiopia continued to change, Mergia was allowed to return to the country on a number of different occasions. “When I go back people don’t always recognise me, but as soon as they realise who I am they usually show me respect,” he says, “And that makes me happy.” Mainly on the back of Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instruments, Mergia has become a beloved pillar of modern Ethiopian music and even has a small following in the US after the album was re-released by the Awesome Tapes From Africa label in 2013. Mergia even returned to recording music toward the end of the 2010s, releasing two albums of his own since 2018.
Check out Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instruments down below.
