Chapter 1
Orphans, emperors, and the birth of a beat
Chapter 2
The mathematical magic of the Amharic modes
Chapter 3
Nightlife in the golden era of swinging Addis
Chapter 4
The global rediscovery and modern legacy
Ch 3 · Nightlife in the golden era of swinging Addis
choko Swinging Addis Nightlife
Down at the Ghion Hotel tonight (swinging Addis!) Horns are blowing, we're doing it right (doing it right!)
Fun Fact
Taxi driver star: Keyboardist Hailu Mergia spent years driving a taxi in Washington, D.C., before his music was rediscovered.
choko A powerhouse instrumental group set the standard for live Ethio-jazz backing tracks.
Glossary
ethio-jazz (noun)
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.
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.
Quiz
What is the title of the Walias Band's famous 1977 instrumental track that became a global Ethio-jazz hit?
BETA
choko Drag traditional instruments into the band to discover how Ethiopia created its own jazz sound.
Quiz
In what year was Emperor Haile Selassie overthrown, marking the end of Swinging Addis?
Quiz
What format was used to distribute almost all Ethio-jazz music during its 1970s boom?
Quiz
What government policy under the Derg regime directly killed the Addis Ababa nightlife?
Quiz
Which luxury hotel in Addis Ababa became the premier venue for the Walias Band in the early 1970s?