Soul Ethiopia

Soul Ethiopia is a fascinating relic of 1970s musical deception, presenting a high-octane blend of Afro-funk and Nigerian Highlife under the guise of an Ethiopian collective that never actually existed. While the album is essentially a repackaged bootleg of the Ikenga Super Stars of Africa, the music remains undeniably top-tier, characterized by driving, polyrhythmic percussion and raw, hypnotic horn arrangements. The title track is a standout of Latin-infused cool, though it likely originated from a Puerto Rican soul group rather than the Addis Ababa scene implied by its label. Despite its fraudulent origins, the record serves as a gritty, "dusty-fingered" essential for collectors chasing the intersection of psychedelic groove and colonial-era resistance themes