Ethio-jazz

Ethiopian jazz, also referred to as Ethio-jazz, is a blend of traditional Ethiopian music with jazz, combining the pentatonic scale-based melodies of Amharic music with the 12-tone scale and

Nerses Nalbandian#

The origin of Ethio-jazz can be traced to the 1950s with Nerses Nalbandian, a musician of Armenian descent whose family (including his uncle Kevork Nalbandian, composer of Ethiopia, Be Happy) migrated to Ethiopia in 1915. Nalbandian became the leader of Ethiopia’s National Opera after his uncle, Kervok Nalbandian, retired. When Emperor Haile Selassie commissioned Nalbandian to compose music for the Ethiopian National Theatre, he created a fusion of traditional Ethiopian music and Western instrumentation. This was considered the basis of the evolution of Ethio-jazz music.

Mulatu Astatke#

Multi-instrumentalist Mulatu Astatke has been considered the father of Ethio-jazz. He was born in 1943 in Jimma and developed an interest in music while studying aeronautical engineering in Wales. There, he successfully combined Ethiopian music with Western jazz and rhythms, conceiving “Ethio-jazz”.

List of musicians#

Alemayehu Eshete
Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam
Teshome Mitiku
Menelik Wossenachew
Kai Williams
Ellie Jaques
Tilahun Gessesse
Kibrom Birhane
Hailu Mergia
Getatchew Mekurya
Girma Beyene
Getachew Kassa
Tewodros Tadesse
Samuel Yirga
Teddy Mak
Henok Temesgen
Teferi Assefa
Esy Tadesse
Doctor Jonovan Cooper
Jorga Mesfin
Fasil Wuhib
Nadav Haber
Tewodro Aklilu
Abegaz Kibrework
Aster Aweke
Letarik Tilahoun
Abiy Woldemariam
Abiy Osman
Dawit Getachew
Dawit Adera
Henok Mehari
Yizzac
Liben Tinos

Genre family: Jazz genres
Region: Ethiopia