Dub Colossus

In 1990 he formed Transglobal Underground with Tim Whelan and Hammid Man-Tu, and produced, wrote, and played on six albums before leaving in 1997 to form Temple of Sound with Neil Sparkes.

Dubulah first travelled to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa in 2006 to collaborate with musicians and explore traditional Azmari styles, 60s Ethiopian pop, Ethiojazz, and 70s Jamaican dub reggae. Once there, he came across some amazingly talented artists — including vocalists Tsedenia Gebremarkos, a fine, soulful performer and highly successful African pop star in her own right, and Sintayehu “Mimi” Zenebe, who runs a nightclub in Addis and has been described as ‘Ethiopia’s Edith Piaf’. He met the extraordinary young pianist Samuel Yirga, veteran saxophonist and jazz exponent Feleke Hailu, and Teremage Woretaw, a traditional Azmari folk singer and player of the one-stringed messenqo violin. Dub Colossus was born.

This may have started out as a studio-based project, but Dub Colossus have proved that they are also a rousing live band, known to transport audiences to the pounding dancehalls of Addis Ababa with their intriguing and exuberant mix of traditional Ethiopian sounds, sturdy reggae rhythms and a modern dub twist.