Afropop Worldwide

Ethio-rock act Jano Band has just dropped two new singles, “Darign” and “Yinegal.” We recently featured Jano Band in our guide to the Addis Ababa music scene, when Obama landed in the Ethiopian capital. Jano Band’s sound is an epic blending of melodic power metal riffs with the rolling grooves that give Ethiopian music its distinctive flavor. The band was put together by Addis Gessesse, former manager of Ethiopian superstar Teddy Afro, and their 2012 debut album was produced by Bootsy Collins/Buckethead collaborator Bill Laswell, so they have deep industry ties that are backed up by the tremendous energy they bring forth on these two new tracks. “Darign” opens with some rocking masenqo (Ethiopian fiddle) playing, but the rest of the song belongs the emotively forceful voice of singer Hallelujah Tekletsadik. “Yinegal” has an anthemic flair to it, with distorted synths and high-charged melodies colliding to create a sound that takes everything great about the ‘80s, subtracts the cheesy distractions, and adds glorious singing in Amharic.