Ethiopian singer Ejigayehu Shibabaw, better known by her stage name Gigi, was born in 1974. She has performed Ethiopian music with a wide range of other genres, frequently working with producer and bassist Bill Laswell, her ex-husband. Gigi grew up in the northwest Ethiopian town of Chagni. In the family home, she has spoken about studying traditional music with an Ethiopian Orthodox priest. She spent a few years living in Kenya before relocating to San Francisco in the vicinity of 1998. Although Gigi made two albums for the Ethiopian minority living abroad, it was her self-titled 2001 album that gained her popularity. Chris Blackwell, the proprietor of Palm Pictures, who had popularized reggae years before, saw her. A combination of modern and traditional sounds was the end outcome. The CD received positive reviews from throughout the world and caused a stir in her native Ethiopia since it represented such a drastic departure from Ethiopian popular music. Illuminated Audio, Laswell’s ambient dub remix of the album, was released shortly after this one. Zion Roots, recorded as Abyssinia Infinite, was released in 2003. Bill Laswell provided keyboard and guitar accompaniment, while numerous members of Gigi’s family sang. With the use of instruments like the krar and tabla, Gigi returned to a primarily acoustic feel on the album.
