Tilaye Gebre is one of Ethiopia’s most soulful saxophone giants, with a musical legacy that’s hard to surpass. A founding member of the Equators, later renamed the Dahlak Band, he was a key figure in Ethiopia’s vibrant hotel music scene and a sought-after musician and arranger for artists like Aster Aweke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilahun Gessesse, and Muluken Melesse.

In the quiet storm of Ethiopian music in the mid- to late-1970s, Tilaye Gebre was something of the eye at the center. Even though much of the music from that period has been ridiculously hard to excavate from history, chances are that if you pick up any gem recorded in Addis Ababa during those times, it features Tilaye on saxophone and his arrangements.

In Africa’s second most populous country, having such a tight-knit musical scene surrounding the recording industry, it seems as if the movers and shakers were largely in each other’s phone books. Given the wealth of Ethiopian musical treasures unearthed in the last few decades, it’s easy to imagine Ethiopia as a society littered with musical institutions, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, only a select

few talented musicians were given the opportunity to study music full-time. One institution that stood out, however, was the Haile Selassie First Theatre (Ethiopian National Theatre) in Addis Ababa, where Tilaye was one of 120 pupils attending. A feature on national radio mentioned the new music school being inaugurated, and Tilaye — in fifth grade — jumped at the idea of choosing music as his vocation.

A founding member of the renowned Equators, and later the Dahlak Band, Tilaye was also a central figure in Ethiopia’s vibrant hotel music scene, where creativity and innovation flourished. He later joined the legendary Walias Band, with whom he toured extensively across the United States. It was during one of these tours that Tilaye made the pivotal decision to remain in the U.S. and further develop his musical craft. His artistry has since taken him around the world, with performances in major cities across Europe, Canada, and the Virgin Islands. Along the way, he has collaborated with some of the greatest Ethiopian vocalists of all time — including Tilahun Gessesse, Mahmoud Ahmed, Aster Aweke, Muluken Melesse, and others — bringing the sound of Ethiopia to global audiences. Notably, with the legendary Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilaye graced iconic stages such as Berklee College of Music in Oakland, Millennium Park in Chicago, Wolf Trap in Virginia, and the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City.

With the Dahlak Band, Tilaye had managed to secure a musical residency at the legendary Ghion Hotel, where they honed their skills and developed their musical expression to unparalleled levels. From the late sixties onwards, Dahlak Band lit up Addis Ababa with a mixture of James Brown and Wilson Pickett tunes, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, and the sound of the disco era — mixed with modern Ethiopian styles — serving up majestic concoctions with full-range instrumentation, featuring trumpet, keyboard, saxophone, bass, drums, and guitar. Through their hotel sessions, Tilaye developed further as an arranger, arranging fellow band member Muluken Melesse’s first solo album, Muluken Melesse with the Dahlak Band (Kaifa Records – LPKF 39), recorded during the turbulent years of 1975–1976, following the fall of Haile Selassie. Everything was in flux in this transitional period, but a constant was how Tilaye stood in the spotlight. On that record, there’s a loose vibe to the soundscape that lets Tilaye’s skills shine, while all the other musical contributions coalesce into a slowly cooking atmosphere where the groove at times fluctuates into psychedelic territory, making the music stand out from most contemporaries.

Most of their recorded output came from one-take live cassette recordings at the Ghion, or from music shops at that time — one microphone at the front, hit record: no EQ, no reverb, just some delay. Some of the Dahlak Band’s releases featured Tilaye as frontman, such as Tilaye’s Saxophone with the Dahlak Band from the late 1970s — typical of a rare groove on the Ethiopian scene — with excursions into reggae territory, including the band’s characteristic sound featuring Tilaye Gebre (tenor and alto saxophone), Dawit Yifru (organ), David Kassa (electric guitar), Shimelis Beyene (trumpet), Moges Habte (tenor saxophone), Abera Feyissa (bass guitar), Tesfaye Tessema (drums), and Muluken Melesse (cowbell). The Dahlak Band’s output was so prodigious that they simply couldn’t be pigeonholed.

No saxophonist in Ethiopia influenced the sound of popular music more than Tilaye in the 1970s, yet his recordings have been hard to come by for ages, which has meant that newcomers to the scene have gems to uncover in retrospect. Arguably, Tilaye shifted gears when he relocated to the U.S. to such an extent that his musicianship became even more renowned, accompanying the greatest of his contemporaries internationally. Tilaye is one of Ethiopia’s all-time greats, with a musical legacy — both as musician and arranger — that’s hard to surpass. It’s a wonder to be able to enjoy a recording like this half a century later.

Ethiopian Rare Groove

'First reissue of a late 70's Ethiopian classic...this is him at his best' - MOJO 5/5 BOXED REVIEW

​'A rediscovered gem from the 1970s, Tilaye Gebre’s Saxophone With the Dahlak Band (Muzikawi) features the Ethiopian psych-jazz saxophonist at the height of his powers, anchoring everything from reggae rhythm to organ-driven funk and slow swing in the husky tone of his saxophone. ​' THE GUARDIAN - Global Albums Of The Month

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/06/fabiano-do-nascimento-vittor-santos-orquestra-vila-review-imaginative-mood-music-from-a-virtuoso

‘Legendary Ethiopian musician whose seminal early work is hard to find. Perfect listening for disciples of exotic lounge music’ - 4/5 Record Collector

‘Right from the sun-bleached opener “Ālibek’agnimi (አልበቃኝም),” Tilaye’s play is rich, soulful, and capable of conjuring great depth and verve.’ - BANDCAMP ‘Album Of The Day’.

‘It is also extraordinary. Otherworldly, even…as if the music is performed upon a cloud. Spellbinding stuff.’ The Arts Desk

A1. Ālibek’agnimi
A2. Ānichī keto gidi yeleshimi
A3. Tizita
B1. Ts’igērēda
B2. Ālichalikumi
C1. Eyut sitinafik’egni
C2. Feqresh yemench weha
D1. Ye’āyinē tesifa
D2. Tizi ālegni yet’initu