
Information
About the Concert
You can call this a comeback: The legendary Ethiopian keyboarder Hailu Mergia hadn't performed in public since almost 20 years and blew everyone away on his first ever full scale European tour at the end of last year. Though having never met them before he hit it right away with his excellent Berlin-based All-Aussie rhythm section, Mike Majkowski on double bass and drummer extraordinaire Tony Buck of The Necks fame.
Hailu Mergia spends six days a week driving a cab to and from Dulles Airport in the US' capitol Washington - he’s been driving a taxi for more than 10 years. Little of his customers are aware of the fact that the cabbie once was Ethiopia's most popular keyboard player and leader of the legendary Walias Band (which, at times, also featured Mulatu Astatke). The Walias Band's much sought-after LP 'Tche Belew' goes for thousands of dollars on Ebay and features the original version of the monstrous Muziqawi Silt - arguably the best known Ethiopian tune worldwide.
In the early 1980es, some Walias Band members used an US-tour to escape the dictatorial Mengistu-regime; Mergia has been living in the DC area ever since then. In 2013 Awesome Tapes From Africa re-issued a lesser known solo album, 'Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instrument': The 1985 recording is a fantastic effort featuring a host of old school synths, ghostly accordions and a lovely bit of cheap drum computers.
After the mindblowing show at Monarch in December we are stoked to have Hailu & Co. back!
Before and after the concert Berlin's SpatzHabibi DJ team will play a special selection of Celestial Afro Rhythms, Asian Funk, Cumbia and Turkish Delights!
Upcoming concert
Concerts
Speedy Ortiz | Rabbit Rabbit Tour Tour |…
- Mar 07, 2024
- 20:00
- 23.00€
Concerts
CULK | Generation Maximum Tour | Urban Spree…
- Feb 07, 2024
- 20:00
- 20.20€
Concerts
Crime & the City Solution + Joshua Murphy
- Dec 19, 2023
- 20:00
- 19.45€
Concerts
LEFTOVERS - Berlin - Urban Spree
- Dec 16, 2023
- 20:00
- 19.80€
Concerts
Of The Wand And The Moon + Kollaps \\ Urban…
- Dec 15, 2023
- 20:00
- 25.00€
Concerts
Sextile - Berlin - Urban Spree
- Dec 14, 2023
- 20:00
- 24.20€
Concerts
TCM RECORDS FESTIVAL feat.: ✶ TAUSEND AUGEN…
- Dec 02, 2023
- 18:00
- 22.00€
Concerts
Psychberg Affairs and Pop Monitors presents:…
- Nov 30, 2023
- 20:00
- 16.00€
Concerts
ÅRABROT w/ JAYE JAYLE & KARIN PARK ◥◣ Urban…
- Nov 25, 2023
- 20:00
- 18.90€
Concerts
Jessy Lanza • Berlin
- Nov 24, 2023
- 20:00
- 28.00€
Concerts
RVG - Urban Spree, Berlin
- Nov 22, 2023
- 20:00
- 19.80€
Concerts
High Command (USA) + Inhuman Nature (UK)
- Nov 20, 2023
- 20:00
- 15.00€
Concerts
Agent Side Grinder \\ Urban Spree, Berlin
- Nov 19, 2023
- 20:00
- 20.00€
Concerts
BLACK MIRRORS | Berlin, Urban Spree
- Nov 18, 2023
- 20:00
- 20.00€
Concerts
Yazmin Lacey \\ Berlin
- Nov 16, 2023
- 20:00
- 20.80€
Concerts
DIB PRES: PURIFICATION (US) + WITCHTHROAT…
- Nov 14, 2023
- 20:00
- 19.99€
Concerts
Grey Scale w/ Public Memory • Urban Spree…
- Nov 12, 2023
- 20:00
- 17.00€
Concerts
SIGH w/ LASTER ◥◣ Urban Spree, Berlin
- Nov 11, 2023
- 20:00
- 21.00€
Concerts
LOST 4 LIFE Tour
- Nov 10, 2023
- 20:00
- 26.87€
Concerts
MONG TONG + MAYA ONGAKU \\ Urban Spree -…
- Nov 05, 2023
- 20:00
- 19.70€
Concerts
Sunken (DK) + Ante-Inferno (UK) + Abduction…
- Nov 02, 2023
- 20:00
- 17.50€
Concerts
Deeper, support: Patio - Urban Spree, Berlin
- Oct 31, 2023
- 20:00
- 17.00€
Concerts
USU pres.: Yawning Man + Sekret Act - Urban…
- Oct 30, 2023
- 20:00
- 19.75€
Concerts
Kulku + Axl Otl at Urban Spree
- Oct 29, 2023
- 20:00
- 13.96€
Concerts
Heavy Psych Sounds Fest Berlin 2023 \\ Lido…
- Oct 28, 2023
- 18:00
- 30.70€
Concerts
Jo Quail ◥◣ Urban Spree, Berlin
- Oct 26, 2023
- 20:00
- 21.00€
Concerts
Plattenbau + Kal Marks | Urban Spree, Berlin…
- Oct 25, 2023
- 20:00
- 16.09€
Concerts
STORMO + AMOR \\ Urban Spree, Berlin
- Oct 24, 2023
- 20:00
- 12.00€
Concerts
NNHMN + She Can't Afford Mascara \\ Urban…
- Oct 21, 2023
- 20:00
- 15.00€
Concerts
RIVIERA FEST at Urban Spree
- Oct 20, 2023
- 20:00
- 15.00€
Concerts
Svalbard • Berlin • Urban Spree
- Oct 16, 2023
- 20:00
- 22.70€
Concerts
Disaster Fatigue \\ zeug live at Urban Spree
- Oct 13, 2023
- 20:00
- 13.00€
Concerts
-CANCELLED- DAWN RAY´D w/ ISKANDR \\ Urban…
- Oct 09, 2023
- 20:00
- 20.00€
Concerts
Violent Magic Orchestra + Kentaro Hayashi…
- Oct 08, 2023
- 20:00
- 18.00€
Concerts
MAGGOT HEART (+PEB) ⋆ RECORD RELEASE ⋆ Urban…
- Oct 07, 2023
- 20:00
- 20.80€
Concerts
Odonis Odonis + Choke Chain \\ Urban Spree,…
- Oct 06, 2023
- 20:00
- 17.00€
Concerts
USU pres: Ken Mode + Fange - Urban Spree…
- Oct 05, 2023
- 20:00
- 19.50€
Concerts
USU pres.: Gavial + Gaffa Ghandi + Tim Holehouse…
- Oct 02, 2023
- 20:00
- 10.50€
Concerts
Friisk + Udånde + Hæresis
- Oct 01, 2023
- 19:00
- 15.60€
Concerts
-SOLD OUT- Die Selektion Album Release Party…
- Sep 30, 2023
- 22:00
- 19.70€
Concerts
Machineries Of Joy: Transhuman Rebirth /…
- Sep 29, 2023
- 22:00
- 20.00€
Concerts
WHORES. (US) + VENUS TWINS \\ Urban Spree…
- Sep 27, 2023
- 20:00
- 21.90€
Concerts
Tramhaus + Bandit Bandit · "11:11" Tour 2023
- Sep 24, 2023
- 20:00
- 19.90€
Concerts
Swamp Conspiracy pres.: Death Crusade + Pikodeath…
- Sep 23, 2023
- 20:00
- 18.00€
Concerts
Trespasser (SWE) + Iffernet (FRA) + Gleichmacher…
- Sep 21, 2023
- 20:00
- 17.00€
Concerts
SterniNacht #3: Urbannino + Berlin Manson…
- Sep 20, 2023
- 20:00
- 16.00€
Concerts
Goldkimono \\ Urban Spree - Berlin
- Sep 19, 2023
- 20:00
- 23.00€
Concerts
-CANCELLED- Jim Bob (Carter USM / UK) |…
- Sep 18, 2023
- 20:00
- 18.40€
Concerts
Kindcrime pres. Cage Of Flesh
- Sep 16, 2023
- 21:00
- 15.00€
Concerts
Tschaika 21\16 + Splinter \\ Doppel Release…
- Sep 15, 2023
- 20:00
- 21.90€