LA-based jazz-funk musician Dexter Story is gearing up to release a brand new single on 30th September via Soundway Records. ‘Wejene Aola’ sees him teaming up with master saxophonist and band-leader Kamasi Washington for a fierce, Ethio-Funk version of the 70’s Talahun Gessesse song. Story often draws on East African music in his own work, and this instrumental version of the Gessesse track, the song is his tribute to the oppressed Oromo people of Southern Ethiopia.
Story says of the track: “My instrumental cover of ‘Wejene Aola’ featuring saxophonist/ composer/ bandleader Kamasi Washington is a dedication to Oromo culture and to the legendary Ethiopian vocalist Tilahun Gessesse. The original translation of this undeniable funk track by Tilahun is about a man waiting on his lover and missing her badly, and I think Kamasi’s gritty interpretation is one for the books.” Listen below.
The single’s B-side is a lost cut from Story’s Womdem album that didn’t quite make the cut when it was first pressed on to vinyl. ‘Eastern Prayer’ is set to be a typically funky number and also features the vocal talents of Nia Andrews.
