Legendary Ethiopian composer Mulatu Astatke recently returned to Addis Ababa for a rare performance that celebrated both his career and the enduring influence of Ethio-jazz. The 82-year-old musician, widely regarded as the genre’s founder, performed with his band Steps Ahead during the CRAFT Addis creative conference. The concert featured classics including “Yekermo Sew” and highlighted the genre’s fusion of Ethiopian pentatonic scales with jazz, funk, and Latin rhythms that shaped his signature sound. Band members found inventive ways to honor Ethiopian instruments within a jazz framework, thrilling an audience that ranged from die-hard enthusiasts to teenagers. The performance reflected the continued cultural relevance of Astatke’s music decades after he introduced Ethio-jazz internationally. Beyond performance, he continues advocating for deeper study of Ethiopia’s indigenous instruments and musical traditions as foundations for future artistic innovation.
Okay Africa
