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Alemayehu Eshete, born in June 1941 in Jimma, Ethiopia, was a renowned Ethiopian singer often referred to as the "Ethiopian Elvis." He was the son of Andarge Eshete, one of the few official taxi drivers in Addis Ababa, and Belaynesh Yusuf, who hailed from the Wollo province. After his parents separated when he was just six months old, Alemayehu spent his early years with his mother in Dessie, Wollo province. At the age of three, he returned to Addis Ababa to attend the Christian Training Institute, where his singing talent was first recognized through hymns. Eshete's professional career began in the early 1960s when he was discovered by Colonel Redda Demeke, leading to his first hit "Seul" in 1961. By the end of the 1960s, he had become a prominent figure in the Swinging Addis scene, playing a crucial role in pioneering Ethiopian pop music on vinyl with his songs being among the first released by the influential Amha label. Alongside Girma Beyene, he co-founded the Alem-Girma Band and released a significant number of records throughout the 1970s, primarily on the Philips and Amha labels. Eshete continued to produce music into the 1980s and 1990s, gaining a broader audience when his work was featured in the Ethiopiques series. He toured Europe and the U.S. during
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