Biography
Since assuming leadership of the Abyssinians in 1996, Abiy Solomon has introduced contemporary touches to Ethiopia’s longstanding musical traditions. He has set aside the horn arrangements common to Ethiopian pop in favor of prominent electric guitar lines while absorbing elements of Zairean soukous. His compositions also depart from the Ethiopian pentatonic scale, instead employing the seven-tone Western scale as their foundation. During a late-'90s interview Solomon remarked, "We're really working hard to make the sound richer than before and to change the arrangements of traditional Ethiopian songs to make them a bit more modern."
Albums