Anbessa Orchestra is a 7-piece band based in Brooklyn NY that draws its inspiration from the diverse musical culture of Ethiopia, combining these unique sounds with the more western sounds of Funk, Jazz, R&B and Rock. The band has been a prominent figure on the NY scene and has played alongside legendary Ethiopian keyboardist/composer Hailu Mergia. The band has also been featured on the “Beyond Addis Vol.2” compilation featuring new music inspired by Ethiopia. “No one does Ethio-Jazz quite like Anbessa Orchestra ” – Popmatters.com About Gili Yalo From his base in Tel Aviv, Gili Yalo is launching a solo career in a new project that combines Ethiopian roots with soul, funk, psychedelic, and jazz music. Yalo, who has collaborated with top music producers Beno Hendler (Balkan Beat Box) and Uri Brauner Kinrot (Boom Pam), incorporates sounds from traditional Ethiopian music into a contemporary music production. The result is an exceptional, rich, vivid melody accompanied by Gili’s unique voice with lyrics in both English and Amharic. The music embodies his own personal story, which inspired the rhythm and flow of the whole project. And what a story he has to tell: Operation Moses was the covert evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from Sudan during a famine in 1984. These Ethiopian Jews fled from their native land on foot to refugee camps in Sudan. Together with his family, Gili Yalo made this perilous trip, walked through the desert towards the “Promised Land” and sang to his beloved ones. Yalo reveals a fresh perspective to Ethiopian culture by using his personal musical influences such as James Brown and Mulatu Astatke to blend the sounds of funk and soul with Ethio-jazz music. The album, like Africa itself, is a rich patchwork of color and rhythm. The sound is influenced by ’70s blues, soul, and funk music, with Ethiopian music at the core of the project. Also features Keren Dun. ABOUT THIS GATHERING: The beautiful backyard of Beit Ahavah at Florence Congregational Church (130 Pine Street, Florence) is centrally located and provides us with generous and ample space to listen to music, enjoy each other’s company, and also continue following state guidelines regarding social distancing. MASK POLICY UPDATE: Many people are ready to shed their masks. Others may have not yet been vaccinated, may have underlying vulnerabilities, or may be protecting loved ones who do. We’d like everyone to feel welcome and comfortable at our events. To that end, we will be dividing the lawn into a masked and unmasked section. Please select the section where you feel most comfortable. In addition: Wearing a mask is mandatory if you aren’t fully vaccinated yet, despite the outdoor setting. By default, this applies to all children under 12. Vaccinated or not — we ask that everyone wear a mask when entering the event, walking around, or waiting in line to use the restroom. IN CASE OF RAIN: If rain is forecasted, we will move the event indoors to the Sanctuary and everyone will be required to wear masks for the duration of the show. 6PM BYO picnic. Music at 7PM. Major funding for this event provided by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation Community Grant. Special thanks to Downright Productions for sponsoring this event with sound and light.