Ali (Tango) Abdella Kaifa

"A pillar of the Addis Ababa music scene in the 1970s to the 90’s, Ali’s prodigious output was the result of his skill at organization and self-discipline. His label, Kaifa became a successful independent record label in Ethiopia, producing some of the great, most uplifting and most enduring popular music in history. Ali, was born in Jimma, South West of Addis Ababa, to an Ethiopian mother and Yemeni father. He started out assisting his father in the coffee trade in his teen years while still attending school. Ali also played football and encouraged his younger brother Ahmed Muker to play the game.  Ali’s father taught his children the value of family and hard work. When the coffee trade declined, Tango in an effort to carve out a livelihood, became an agent for Sony, distributing radio and television sets. After listening to the captivating sound of Getachew Kassa’s song 'Tizita', Ali was hooked to the sound of local music. He decided to venture into the world of music business, even...