Mahmoud Ahmed

BBC - Awards for World Music 2007 - Mahmoud Ahmed

When Mahmoud Ahmed took the stage at Womad 2005 many looked at this grey bearded (yet regal) figure and wondered if he could still touch the heights of those immaculate recordings he cut from 1971-1975. No worries: as his band locked into one of those rolling, eerie Horn Of Africa-grooves Ahmed opened his mouth and that great, mysterious horn of a voice sailed forth just as it had done all those years ago. Mahmoud Ahmed is both a living legend and something of a mystery in the West. Undeniably Ethiopia's most famous singer of its "golden era", the three albums reissued of his recordings by French label Buda Musique as part of their Ethiopiques series have captured Western listeners in the same way that, say, the reissues of Robert Johnson's Delta blues did a previous generation. Yet where Johnson was long dead Ahmed is alive and in fine voice. Why then hasn't he become a bigger star on the world music circuit? It appears Ahmed is so valued by Ethiopians - both at home and the Diaspora - he's too busy singing for weddings and private events to give much thought to Western audiences. Mahmoud Ahmed was born May 8, 1941, in Addis Ababa. Although no one in his family sang from an early age Mahmoud made no effort to be anything else. Leaving school unqualified, Mahmoud began work as a shoe shine boy. A series of jobs followed until he ended up handy-man at the Arizona Club. One evening Mahmoud persuaded the house band to let him sing and soon he was a member of Haile Selassie's ultra-official Imperial Band, remaining there until the military coup of 1974. Mahmoud cut his first single in 1971 and quickly became a favourite across Ethiopia. During Ethiopia's 17-years of military dictatorship Mahmoud managed to sing in Addis's luxury hotels and even toured the US! Ahmed sings with a dark caress, never hurrying, voice riding a loping Amharic rhythm (essentially a five-note scale involving complex circular rhythm patterns). Indeed, as the Red Sea's most seductive soul singer Mahmoud is the equivalent of many of the US greats. Garth Cartwright via BBC Sports

BBC - Awards for World Music 2007 - Mahmoud Ahmed

WINNER MAHMOUD AHMED (ETHIOPIA) When Mahmoud Ahmed took the stage at Womad 2005 many looked at this grey bearded (yet regal) figure and wondered if he could still touch the heights of those immaculate recordings he cut from 1971-1975. No worries: as his band locked into one of those rolling, eerie Horn Of Africa-grooves Ahmed opened his mouth and that great, mysterious horn of a voice sailed forth just as it had done all those years ago. Mahmoud Ahmed is both a living legend and something of a mystery in the West. Undeniably Ethiopia's most famous singer of its "golden era", the three albums reissued of his recordings by French label Buda Musique as part of their Ethiopiques series have captured Western listeners in the same way that, say, the reissues of Robert Johnson's Delta blues did a previous generation. Yet where Johnson was long dead Ahmed is alive and in fine voice. Why then hasn't he become a bigger star on the world music circuit? It appears Ahmed is so valued by Ethiopians - both at home and the Diaspora - he's too busy singing for weddings and private events to give much thought to Western audiences. Mahmoud Ahmed was born May 8, 1941, in Addis Ababa. Although no one in his family sang from an early age Mahmoud made no effort to be anything else. Leaving school unqualified, Mahmoud began work as a shoe shine boy. A series of jobs followed until he ended up handy-man at the Arizona Club. One evening Mahmoud persuaded the house band to let him sing and soon he was a member of Haile Selassie's ultra-official Imperial Band, remaining there until the military coup of 1974. Mahmoud cut his first single in 1971 and quickly became a favourite across Ethiopia. During Ethiopia's 17-years of military dictatorship Mahmoud managed to sing in Addis's luxury hotels and even toured the US! Ahmed sings with a dark caress, never hurrying, voice riding a loping Amharic rhythm (essentially a five-note scale involving complex circular rhythm patterns). Indeed, as the Red Sea's most seductive soul singer Mahmoud is the equivalent of many of the US greats. Garth Cartwright via BBC Sports

Sines Hosts the Biggest World Music Party in Portugal
Between the 20th and the 28th of July 2007, in Sines and Porto Covo, 33 concerts from five continents in the ninth FMM Sines - Festival Músicas do Mundo.
 
 Winners of BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards, the best African artist of 2006, Mahmoud Ahmed (Ethiopia), the best American group, Gogol Bordello (USA / Ukraine), and the best newcomer, K’Naan (Somalia), are three of the many highlights of the ninth edition of FMM Sines - Festival Músicas do Mundo, organised by Câmara Municipal de Sines (Sines’ City Council) between the 20th and 28th of July 2007.
 
 The most important contemporary British folk group, Bellowhead...
Source : worldmusiccentral.org | 2007-07-03 08:54:18.0

Ethiopia: Mahmoud Ahmed Wins BBC Radio 3 Music Award
The most acclaimed Ethiopian musician, Mahmoud Ahmed, won the 2007 BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in the African category. He will receive the award on May 27 at a ceremony to be held at London's Barbican. This year's award is to be held for the sixth time.
Source : AllAfrica | 2007-04-16 17:21:00.0