Teshome Wolde

Born in Shoa province in 1955, Teshome Wolde began his musical career in the Addis City Hall Theatre in the early years of the Mengistu dictatorship. A soul singer in the style of Mahmoud Ahmed, Wolde first found success in the mid-70s with a series of acclaimed performances at the City Hall Theatre in Addis Ababa.

In 1981 he released his first cassette in Ethiopia and he has subsequently released eight more for the local market. He has performed throughout Ethiopia and in neighbouring countries including Djibouti and Saudi Arabia. He has also toured in Europe and the USA.

His debut CD, The Ethiopian Soul Review, was recorded at a concert at the Rocket Hall in London in 1994, with backing supplied by the Ethio Stars. Released four years later it features a mixture of high-energy dance tunes and soulful ballads and resembles an intense North African version of the Memphis Soul Reviews of the 60s.