Sidney Solomon’s singles to release this weekend
-Album’s release scheduled for October

By Alemayehu Seife Selassie

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Five years after the release of his single Babylon is falling, Sydney Solomon has finished the whole album Ethiopia is calling that is due to be released in October. Two songs from the album Chicka [mud] and Shashemene HulGize [Shashemene all the time] are going to hit radio stations over the weekend.

Living in Ethiopia for five years, Sidney now says that he came to the country as a baby and has grown up over the years. “a little Amharigna has come into my rhymes and ‘Chicka’ is about life here [Ethiopia] in the rainy season and how the people live here. The song is about the beauty and the necessity of Chicka”, he said.
“Chicka is a humorous song which lets people dance with it and appreciate the natural beauty of Ethiopia”, Sydney said. “It helps us get through the discomfort Chika offers us on our way to work. And Shashemene HulGize… Shashemen has been here before I came to live here, and now I live here so I am appreciative to Haile Selassie for Shashemene because of the importance it represents for Rastafarians.”

Shasheene HulGize is a catchy song that is promotional to Ethiopia and it speaks of the lakes of the southern region going all the way to Kenya.
The two songs are teasers for Sindey’s upcoming album that will hit streets in October this year. The whole album “Ethiopia is Calling” is a reflection of the artist’s life here in Ethiopia.

The artist states that he has added Mamaye [my beloved mother] over his previous theme Ethiopia is calling. And the main reason behind that is the significance of the millennium. “Since I have been here five years ago, I have been talking about the Diasporas coming to Ethiopia and that is the theme today, yesterday, and forever more.”
The whole album of Sydney will include 12 songs and one bonus track. The CD will also include two bonus videos of the singles. “Currently we are trying to decide where to have the CD release party. Most people are trying to convince me to have it at glamorous places. But I want to have it released in a cultural place. It is about Ethiopia is calling it is about natural beauty”, explains Sidney.
The song that has brought Sidney popularity Babylon is falling, will also be included in the coming album.

Sidney has been doing featuring for many Ethiopian artists and his recent featuring include those for Tsehaye Yohanes’s song Sakilign. Getu Omahire, Samvod, The Messengers and others. In his recent album azmaris [traditional singers] from different places and National Theatre orchestra artists have featured Sidney. And the song that was originally due to be produced by Abegazu Shiota has been produced by the US Jazz artist K-Alyn. True Warrior is another artist that has done a raga featuring for Sidney’s Shashemene HulGize. Ebony Josephine, Girum Mezur and Sami have also done featuring for Sidney.

August 24, 2007