TO REDEEM YOUR DISCOUNT CODE: Go to The Cedar website, and select your tickets for Hailu Mergia with Yonathan’s Cultural Show. Enter special promo code “JAZZ” and proceed to checkout for $20 tickets. This discount code may only be redeemed on The Cedar website for 1-4 tickets.
Here’s a little snippet about Hailu:
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 critically acclaimed new album, Lala Belu. The evening opens with Ethio-jazz/funk by Minnesota’s own Yohannes Tona Band.
A video of a live performance:
A quote from Pitchfork’s album review of Lala Belu:
“Despite his considerable history, Mergia’s dexterity here is unexpected. 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. This music is pretty and polished.”
