Ethiopian jazz, also referred to asEthio-jazz, is a blend oftraditional Ethiopian music withjazz, combining thepentatonic scale-based melodies ofAmharic music with the12-tone scale and instrumentation of western music. Over time the genre has gained popularity outside Ethiopia and grown to include elements from other genres such asafrofunk,soul, andLatin rhythms.[1] The genre originated in the 1950s with Armenian refugees such as musicianNerses Nalbandian, who created a fusion of Ethiopian and Western music while working at theNational Theatre.[1] Ethiopian jazz was revolutionized byMulatu Astatke in the late 1950s. Mulatu is considered the father of Ethio-jazz music.
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 ofEthiopia, Be Happy) migrated to Ethiopia in 1915.[2] Nalbandian became the leader of Ethiopia's National Opera after his uncle, Kervok Nalbandian, retired.[3] When EmperorHaile Selassie commissioned Nalbandian to compose music for theEthiopian 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.[3]
Mulatu Astatke is considered the father of Ethio-jazz music
Multi-instrumentalistMulatu Astatke has been considered the father of Ethio-jazz.[4][5] He was born in 1943 inJimma and developed an interest in music while studyingaeronautical engineering in Wales.[3] He went on to pursue a formal education in music atHoly Trinity College inLondon. Mulatu was interested in promoting traditional Ethiopian music to Western audiences. Beginning in 1958, he also studied jazz atBerklee College of Music inBoston. There, he successfully combined Ethiopian music with Western jazz and rhythms, conceiving "Ethio-jazz".[3]
