Ejigayehu Shibabaw, better known as Gigi, is a prominent Ethiopian singer who rose to international stardom through her overwhelming talent and melodious voice. Gigi is one of the few singers from the Horn of Africa and has made her career by working with some of the greatest musicians in the music industry. She is a musical genius whose records would send chills down your spine every other second.
Early Life and Influences
Ejigayehu Shibabaw was born in 1974 in Chagni, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. Gigi was born and raised in the north-west Ethiopia small town called Chagni. She belongs to the prestigious “Shibabaw” family, which bears children who are stars in Ethiopia. Gigi is the fifth child in a family of ten. Ejigayehu Shibabaw was raised by upright parents who led their life by coffee gowing.
Gigi grew up singing in the Ethiopian Church, and it was from a priest that she learned how to sing a song. At the age of 14, Gigi and her family moved to Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Accordingly, her musical horizons broadened as she heard local pop music, American music, a lot of West African music, South African music, hip hop, and anything else she could get on the radio.
She grew up in rural Ethiopia, listening to traditional and church music, before moving to the capital, Addis Ababa, when she was 14. There, her musical horizons broadened, hearing the local pop music "and all kinds of American music we could get on the radio. After that I went to Kenya, and there I was exposed to a lot of different African music, a different kind of beat."
Early Career and Breakthrough
Egigayehu Shibabaw decided to become a singer and songwriter at a very early age. However, it wasn’t easy for her to pursue her dream, as she faced opposition from her tradition-minded parents. This prompted her to depart from Ethiopia and travel to neighboring Kenya, where she established a band and performed for the first time in 1993 at the age of 19 in Nairobi.
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Returning home, she became a singer with the National Theatre before making her debut record, following which she worked with a puppet company, whose touring took her to France. She met the musicians Weres Egziabeher and Fantahun Shewankochew there, and the three of them went on tour together through East and South Africa and some parts of Europe. It was there her real breakthrough occurred, playing a world music festival called Imagineer which resulted in a live recording that made her known in Europe.
In France, Gigi got involved in a French theater production of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Later on, she was invited to perform at a Paris world music festival called Imagineer and recorded a live concert. This marked her rise to stardom in Ethiopia.
International Recognition and Collaboration with Bill Laswell
There, Gigi started recording her first album, titled “One Ethiopia,” which was made for the Ethiopian community. Even though only electronic instruments were used in the recording of the album, GiGi’s sensual and emotional voice was still able to immediately move any listener. Consequently, she signed for Palm Pictures after the founder, Chris Blackwell, was impressed with her album and realized the potential of this beautiful young singer. This was also a crucial step in her career because it introduced her to Bill Laswell and other prolific musicians.
She had been noticed by Palm Pictures owner Chris Blackwell, who had years earlier introduced reggae to the mainstream through his former label, Island Records. Blackwell and Gigi's producer (and later, husband) Bill Laswell, decided to use American jazz musicians (including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders and others) to accompany Gigi on the new album. The result was a fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds.
Ethiopian Music | Relaxing and Soulful Ethio-Jazz X Reggae Roots Fusion 2025
The best American jazz musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Henry Threadgill, David Gilmore, Aiyb Dieng, Nicky Skopelitis, Pharoah Sanders, Art Baron, Hamid Drake, and Bill Laswell, collaborated with Gigi on her debut recording for Palm Pictures. Then, this amazing ensemble of accomplished musicians began to record an album that is now known as “Gigi” and “Guramyale” (mixed). The album combined jazz, funk, African, and Asian musical styles. It is still regarded as the pinnacle of African and Ethiopian music.
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However, for all the electronic feel of the disc, no loops or samples were employed -- everything was played, and as live as possible.
Later Albums and Projects
In 2003 saw the release of Zion Roots, under the band name Abyssinia Infinite. Bill Laswell played guitar and keyboard (instead of his usual bass), and several of Gigi's family members contributed vocals. The album was a return to a mainly acoustic sound for Gigi, incorporating instruments such as the krar and the tabla.
In 2006, Gigi’s third album, “Gold & Wax,” her second CD on Palm Pictures, was released. The music on the album is a natural fusion of African songs with Jamaican, Indian, and American influences. Bassist Bill Laswell put together a diverse group of musical talent for Gold & Wax, boasting a stellar lineup.
This CD features contributions from the legendary Indian vocalist Ustad Sultan Khan, the drummer Karsh Kale, the master of funk keyboards Bernie Worrell, the multi-instrumentalists from Africa Abesgasu Shiota, Moges Habte, Aiyb Dieng, and Assaye Zegeye, the digital futurists MIDIval PunditZ and Skizz Fernando, and the avant-garde guitarist Buckethead. Gigi’s status as the spokesperson for traditional Ethiopian music has been cemented by the release of the album.
In addition to her albums, Gigi has also made an appearance in Buckethead’s Enter the Chicken’s song “Running From the Light” (2005). Additionally, in 2010, she collaborated on the M.O.D.
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In 2010, she recorded Mesgana Ethiopia with Material, released on the M.O.D.
Personal Life and Family
Gigi was married to her producer, Bill Laswel, and they have a son together. Gigi has a younger sister named Sofia Shibabaw, who is a famous gospel singer in Ethiopia.
She lived in Kenya for a few years before moving to San Francisco in about 1998. The New World offered plenty of challenges and she grasped them all eagerly, discovering jazz in Oakland and hitting the road with countrywoman Aweke, "my favorite singer." She made another album, One Ethiopia, before coming to the attention of Palm Pictures honcho Chris Blackwell.
Legacy and Impact
Ejigayehu Shibabaw, or Gigi as she is popularly known, is one of the most successful contemporary Ethiopian singers worldwide. Gigi recorded two albums for the expatriate Ethiopian community, but it was her 2001 album, titled simply Gigi, that brought her widespread attention.
Gigi has been criticised by some conservatives in Ethiopia for breaking out of the traditional role of women in the Ethiopian Church. For instance, the song "Adwa" on her album Gigi is a cry of mourning for soldiers who died in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.
Her 2001 song "Guramayle" appears in the 2006 documentary God Grew Tired of Us.
Discography
The following table lists Gigi's notable albums:
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Gigi | Collaboration with Bill Laswell and jazz musicians |
| 2003 | Zion Roots | Under the band name Abyssinia Infinite |
| 2006 | Gold & Wax | Fusion of African, Jamaican, Indian, and American influences |
| 2010 | Mesgana Ethiopia | Collaboration with Material |
