A-B-A-B-A : from hear to here (album)

A-B-A-B-A : from hear to here features recordings of a series of experimental live performances which took place in Berlin in July 2014. Blending structures of listening, playing and translating, the CD documents the concert and poetry night realised together with Palais Wittgenstein in Roter Salon at the Volksbühne Berlin. Spanning Amharic, English and German, the album a-b-a-b-a : from hear to here includes poems, performances, translations and sounds by the following poets, musicians and translators:

Eric Ellingsen (poet/writer, Berlin/US), Mihret Kebede (poet, Addis Ababa), Robert Lippok (musician, Berlin), Abebaw Melaku (poet, Addis Ababa), Jorga Mesfin (musician, Addis Ababa), Rike Scheffler (poet, Berlin), Misrak Terefe (poet, Addis Ababa), Uljana Wolf (poet/translator, Berlin).

Tracks
1. I’m in
performed by Eric Ellingsen, Mihret Kebede, Abebaw Melaku, and Misrak Terefe

2. All Here’s / አሜን Amen – A Blessing
poem written and performed by Eric Ellingsen / blessing performed by Mihret Kebede, accompanied by Abebaw Melaku and Misrak Terefe

3. Ethio Jazz introduction
by Jorga Mesfin (saxophone)

4. ፊደል Alphabet / False Friends and Babeltrack
performed by Mihret Kebede, Abebaw Melaku, Jorga Mesfin (piano), andMisrak Terefe / performed by Uljana Wolf

5. እኔ ነኝ It’s Me
poem written and performed by Abebaw Melaku, accompanied by Mihret Kebede, Robert Lippok (live electronics), Jorga Mesfin (piano), and Misrak Terefe

6. አምባሰል Ambassel
saxophone solo performed by Jorga Mesfin

7. False Friends introduction
by Uljana Wolf

8. False Friends
poem written and performed by Uljana Wolf

9. አቃጅ / The Planner
poem by Mihret Kebede, translated by Uljana Wolf; performed by Mihret Kebede and Uljana Wolf

10. የሀገሬ ባሎች / Husbands of My Dear Country
poem by Mihret Kebede, translated by Eric Ellingsen, Jorga Mesfin, and Uljana Wolf; performed by Mihret Kebede and Uljana Wolf, accompanied by Jorga Mesfin (piano)

11. Murmur
poem written and performed by Eric Ellingsen, accompanied by Robert Lippok (live electronics) and Jorga Mesfin (piano)

12. አድዋ Adwa
poem written and performed by Abebaw Melaku, accompanied Mihret Kebede, Robert Lippok (live electronics), Jorga Mesfin (saxophone), and Misrak Terefe

13. እንቁጣጣሽ / Enkutatash
poem by Misrak Terefe, translated by Rike Scheffler; performed by Misrak Terefe and Rike Scheffler, accompanied by Mihret Kebede, Abebaw Melaku, and Jorga Mesfin (piano)

14. angenommen aber
poem written and performed by Rike Scheffler, accompanied by Robert Lippok (live electronics)

15. Honey, I’m home
poem written and performed by Rike Scheffler, accompanied by Misrak Terefe

16. Jan Meda
by Robert Lippok (live electronics) and Jorga Mesfin (saxophone)

17. Twisted
poem written and performed by Eric Ellingsen, accompanied by Robert Lippok (live electronics)

18. እስከማዕዜኑ / Up to the End
poem by Abebaw Melaku, translated by Eric Ellingsen and Jorga Mesfin; performed by Abebaw Melaku and Eric Ellingsen, accompanied by Mihret Kebede, Jorga Mesfin (saxophone), and Misrak Terefe

19. Heart
poem by Eric Ellingsen, performed by Eric Ellingsen, Mihret Kebede, Robert Lippok, Abebaw Melaku, Jorga Mesfin, Rike Scheffler, Misrak Terefe, and Uljana Wolf

Album: a-b-a-b-a : from hear to here; CD: 19 tracks, 70 min; Recorded and mixed by Robert Lippok; Mastered by Bo Kondren at Calyx Mastering Berlin; Manufactured by Gusstaff Records; Graphic design by Basics09; Produced by Christina Werner & Robert Lippok & Institut für Raumexperimente, UdK Berlin; 2015

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A-B-A-B-A : from hear to here is part of Acting Archives, a project by the Institut für Raumexperimente, Berlin University of the Arts and the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Ababa University, supported by Studio Olafur Eliasson, and funded by the TURN Fund of the German Federal Cultural Foundation.