Posts Tagged by Ethio-Jazz

Ethiopia: Acacia Jazz & World Music Festival

by Borja Santos Porras (rnw.nl) During the last four days, some of the Ethiopia’s finest and most talented jazz musicians and selected bands from abroad have been playing in the “Acacia Jazz Festival & World Music”. It is one of the first “Outdoor Jazz” festivals to be held in Addis Ababa and it is designed… Read more

Zeritu Kebede opens Jazzamba Lounge at Taitu Hotel in Piazza

Donning a very short haircut and high heeled shoes, popular singer Zeritu opened Jazzamba Lounge at Taitu Hotel in Piazza on Wednesday, June 8, 2011. As it was the official grand opening of the lounge, her taking to the stage was preceded by much talking and she only started her performance at around 9:00pm, an… Read more

Ethiopia’s Mulatu Astatke spreads jazz around the world

Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke is gaining global recognition for his work. He is known as the godfather of Ethio Jazz – a term he coined when studying music in the United States. BBC East Africa Correspondent, Will Ross, tracked him down in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Watch Video: Mulatu Astatke spreads jazz around the… Read more

A mirage of smooth sounds – Acacia Jazz Festival

By Henry Guyer In the bright and arduous afternoon sun, the crowd was happy to sit on the lush grass space facing the stage. As the night began to obscure the light and the temperature dropped, the energy level quickly rose and dancing and jubilation extended into the rest of the night. The unyielding heat,… Read more

Ethiopian Jazz: Thrilling Music That You Should Hear

Contemporary Ethiopian musicians reinvigorate traditional jazz stylings for new audiences in America and Addis Ababa. By: Salamishah Tillet During the second half of the 20th century, cosmopolitan Ethiopians were delighted to see jazz giant Duke Ellington receive their country’s Medal of Honor from Emperor Haile Selassie. At the same time, by contrast, a Berklee College… Read more

Ethio-Jazzman

Ethiopian music legend Mulatu Astatke invented Ethio-Jazz. With a whole new generation of fans and collaborators he’s just as innovative today. Master musician and composer, Mulatu Astatke, is fresh from Addis Ababa. He has flown into London from Ethiopia to do press on his forthcoming album Mulatu Steps Ahead and to attend DJ Gilles Peterson’s… Read more

Golden Age of Ethiopian Jazz is coming back

ADDIS ABABA (The Economist)- Aficionados are hoping for a revival of the golden age of Ethiopian jazz, as players who emigrated westward a generation ago, especially to America, come home amid the global recession. Tafari Assefa now plays his drums in a band at the bar of the Jupiter Hotel, one of the fancier newer… Read more