Orphans, emperors, and the birth of a beat
The mathematical magic of the Amharic modes
Nightlife in the golden era of swinging Addis
The global rediscovery and modern legacy
Which military junta overthrew the Ethiopian government in 1974, ending the golden era?
What format was used to distribute almost all Ethio-jazz music during its 1970s boom?
choko Drag traditional instruments into the band to discover how Ethiopia created its own jazz sound.
choko A powerhouse instrumental group set the standard for live Ethio-jazz backing tracks.
Which luxury hotel in Addis Ababa became the premier venue for the Walias Band in the early 1970s?
choko Swinging Addis Nightlife
Down at the Ghion Hotel tonight (swinging Addis!) Horns are blowing, we're doing it right (doing it right!)
What government policy under the Derg regime directly killed the Addis Ababa nightlife?
In what year was Emperor Haile Selassie overthrown, marking the end of Swinging Addis?
Taxi driver star: Keyboardist Hailu Mergia spent years driving a taxi in Washington, D.C., before his music was rediscovered.
What is the title of the Walias Band's famous 1977 instrumental track that became a global Ethio-jazz hit?
A music genre that fuses traditional Ethiopian modal scales with Western jazz, funk, and soul. Mulatu Astatke pioneered the genre in Addis Ababa's thriving 1960s nightclub scene after studying in Boston.