BIOGRAPHY

Gigi, born in Chagni, northwestern Ethiopia, learned traditional songs from an Ethiopian Orthodox priest at home. After spending a few years in Kenya, she moved to San Francisco around 1998. Though she initially recorded two albums for the Ethiopian diaspora, her self-titled 2001 album, Gigi, brought her international attention. Palm Pictures owner Chris Blackwell, known for popularizing reggae, and producer Bill Laswell (who later became her husband) teamed up with American jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter to create a unique fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds. The album was critically acclaimed worldwide but sparked controversy in Ethiopia for diverging from popular music norms. Laswell followed up with Illuminated Audio, a remix of Gigi in an ambient dub style.

In 2003, Gigi released Zion Roots with Abyssinia Infinite, returning to an acoustic sound with traditional instruments like the krar and tabla. Her voice also appeared in the Hollywood film Beyond Borders (2003), about Ethiopia’s 1984–85 famine. Gigi continued her career with the 2006 album Gold and Wax on Palm Pictures and appeared on Buckethead's track "Running From the Light" in Enter the Chicken (2005). In 2010, she recorded Mesgana Ethiopia with Material. Her 2001 song "Guramayle" featured in the 2006 documentary God Grew Tired of Us, playing during the opening and closing credits.