Hailu Mergia Vinyl Records

Hailu Mergia is an Ethiopian keyboardist, composer and accordion player who has been an influential musician in the Ethiopian jazz scene since the 1970s. He is best known for his 1985 album Tche Belew, which was released on the Ethiopian label Kaifa Records and is considered a classic of Ethiopian jazz.

Mergia’s most acclaimed album is Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instrument, a combination of traditional Ethiopian music and Western classical music, which was reissued by the American label Awesome Tapes from Africa in 2013. Other standout albums include Shemonmuanaye, released on Kaifa Records in 1976, and Wede Harer Guzo, released on the French label Buda Musique in 2002.

Mergia is known for his unique style of playing, which blends traditional Ethiopian music with jazz and funk. He is also renowned for his accordion playing, which has become an integral part of the Ethiopian jazz sound.

An interesting fact about Hailu Mergia is that he was the keyboardist in the Walias Band, the most popular Ethiopian band of the 1970s and 1980s. He was also a part of the Super Rail Band, a popular West African band from Mali.