Gigi

There are at least 5 artists known as Gigi 1) GIGI is a pop rock band which formed in 1994 in Indonesia. The band consists of Armand Maulana (vocals), Dewa Budjana (guitars), Thomas Ramdhan (guitars), and Gusty Hendy (drums). Former members include Aria Baron, Ronald Fristianto, Opet Alatas, and Budhy Haryono. As of 2008, the band has released 15 studio albums, the latest being "Peace, Love 'n Respect", released in 2007. Their web site is found at: www.gigionline.com 2) GIGI is the recording project of Vancouver-based songwriter Nick Krgovich (P;ano, No Kids) and producer/engineer Colin Stewart. The Debut album, titled Maintenant, was released in early 2010. They can be found at: http://www.myspace.com/gigitheband 3) Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw is a contemporary Ethiopian singer based in New York and maried to producer/bassplayer Bill Laswell. GiGi was born in Ethiopia in 1974. In 1991 she decided to fully concentrate on music. Her family opposed to her plans and GiGi ran away to Kenya. There she formed a band and - at the age of 19 - gave her first concert in Nairobi in 1993. When GiGi returned to Ethiopia in 1996, she joined the Ethiopian National Theatre and met singer/krar player Fantahun Shewankochew and singer/masinqo player Wores Egziabher. The trio joined the theatre troupe ‘Salomon et Saba’, led by Italian director and puppeteer Massimo Schuster and toured East and Southern Africa. The troupe also visited France where GiGi performed at a world music festival. This visit resulted in the recording of a collection of traditional Ethiopian love songs at the ‘Maison des Cultures du Monde’ with Fantahun Shewankochew and Wores Egziabher in 1997. These recordings were released in France as ÉTHIOPIE/Chants d Amour. In 1998 GiGi was granted a United States visa, which enabled her to move to California. She recorded her first album One Ethiopia with producer/arranger/keyboard player and fellow Ethiopian Dereje ‘DJ’ Makonnen, GiGi wrote all ten songs on the album herself . The album was well received by the Ethiopian community and it drew the attention of Chris Blackwell of Palm Pictures who introduced her to one of the most prolific musicians in the world today: Bill Laswell. He invited an impressive group of master musicians - among them Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter - and recorded what was to become GIGI: an album that combines and transcends jazz, funk, dub and various African and Asian musical styles .