The Walker Art Center and the Cedar present Ethiopian Legend Hailu Mergia with special guests Yonathan's Cultural Show
“Seventy-one and flourishing, the keyboard maestro has radically updated an oeuvre that already sounded like the future, and in doing so, he makes it sound contemporary.” —Pitchfork
Hailu Mergia and his band dominated Ethiopia’s nightclub scene, against a backdrop of civil war and revolution in the 1970s. Blending earthy funk with intoxicating Ethio-jazz, they embarked on an early ’80s US tour after which Mergia stayed, fading into obscurity but continuing to compose. Now the global music legend is back for a series of performances spotlighting his unique fusion of lush pentatonic scales, Ethiopian rhythms, and American jazz. His inspiring late-life encore includes songs from his acclaimed new album, Lala Belu.
The evening opens with the Ethio-jazz/funk of Minnesota’s own Yonathan’s Cultural Show. The show takes place on Friday, October 26 at 8pm at the The Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave. S, Minneapolis.
Copresented with The Cedar.
ABOUT HAILU MERGIA
Ethiopian artist Hailu Mergia is an accordionist and keyboardist based in Washington, D.C. After leaving the successful Walias Band in Ethiopia, Mergia studied music at Howard University in the United States. Mergia used a piano, synthesizer and accordion in recording his first album, His Classical Instrument, in 1985.
After several years traveling and performing globally, Mergia’s 2018 album Lala Belu builds on his career resurgence, widely acclaimed by The New York Times, Pitchfork and The Wire.
ABOUT YONATHON’S CULTURAL SHOW
“I grew up in Ethiopia and I’ve been in Minnesota for 16 years now. I’m inspired by a lot of soul music from around the world, Ethiopian music, Minneapolis funk and other African cultures. “Yonathan’s Cultural Show” is something I do to share my view of the cultures that I understand. The instrumentation will be, bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet and guitar. We’ll be playing my originals that are more Ethiopian (and other African) focused for this show.” —Yonathan Bekure
ABOUT THE CEDAR
The Cedar Cultural Center is an eclectic nonprofit music venue located in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis with a mission to promote intercultural understanding and appreciation through the presentation of global music and dance. Over its 30-year history, The Cedar has established itself as a premiere US venue, presenting 200+ shows a year that highlight international artists, local emerging talent, and nationally renowned voices. thecedar.org