Hailu Mergia (Amharic: ኃይሉ መርጊያ, romanized: ḫayilu merigīya) is an Ethiopian keyboardist, accordionist, composer, and arranger now based in Washington D.C., United States.
Hailu's mastering of the accordion, as well as the keyboard and his talent for "re-purposing folk songs into funkier modern melodies," defined his contribution to popular music in Ethiopia.
In the period, it was harder for working bands in the region to make a living, after Mengistu's Derg government imposed breaks to Addis Ababa's nightlife, but music was still being regularly recorded, and cassettes were the typical release format, given they were easy to duplicate and distribute.
As a side project, Hailu joined the Dhalak Band around this period and recorded the cassette-only Wede Harer Guzo (1978) with them, a jazz-infused album with a dominance of improvisation.
In 2018, his first new record in over two decades, Lala Belu, was released on the same label, with Hailu accompanied by Mike Majkowski and Tony Buck.