Hailu Mergia

About Hailu Mergia

Hailu Mergia is an Ethiopian keyboardist and accordionist who led the Walias Band through the golden age of Addis Ababa nightlife in the 1970s. Their instrumental groove Musicawi Silt became a standard of the era. After emigrating to Washington, D.C., where he drove a taxi for years, he was rediscovered by the label Awesome Tapes From Africa, sparking a remarkable late-career revival with acclaimed new albums and world tours.