Debo Band

Boston’s own 11 piece Ethio-groove collective was created by Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen as a way of exploring the unique sounds that once filled the dance clubs of “Swinging Addis.” Since 2006, Debo Band has been immersed in the unlikely confluence of traditional East African polyrhythms and pentatonic scales, classic American soul and funk music, and the instrumentation of Eastern European brass bands, producing a unique form of dance music that Ethiopian audiences instantly recognize as the soundtrack of their youth, carried from party to kitchen on the ubiquitous cassette tapes of the time. With a unique instrumentation – including horns, strings, and accordion – that is a nod to the big bands of Haile Selassie’s time, Debo Band is giving new life to these old sounds, and paying it forward to a new generation and a broader audience. Lead vocalist Bruck Tesfaye has the kind of pipes that reverberate with the sound of beloved Ethiopian vocalists like Mahmoud Ahmed and Alemayehu Eshete. An expansive repertoire and spirited performances have earned the band concert opportunities such as opening for legendary Ethiopian greats Tilahun Gessesse and Getatchew Mekuria, and appearances at the 2009 Ethiopian Music(s) Festival in Addis Ababa, and the 2010 Sauti za Busara festival in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Upcoming Shows

Wed, Jul 11 2012

Debo Band + Grupo Fantasma

Thu, Jul 12 2012

Grupo Fantasma + Debo Band

Boston Phoenix
Photos: New Orleans Jazz Festival 2012
Published 5/11/2012 by JEAN HANGARTER
April 27–May 6, 2012

Boston Phoenix
Photos: Boston Music Awards 2010
Published 12/10/2010 by DEREK KOUYOUMIJIAN
Boston Music Awards 2010 | Liberty Hotel | December 5, 2010

Boston Phoenix
MP3 of the Week: Debo Band "Lantchi Biye"
Published 11/18/2010 by Matt Parish
Few Boston bands can look back on as crazy a year as Ethio-pop consort DEBO