Mulatu of Ethiopia cover

Mulatu of Ethiopia

Released

Mulatu Astatke is by all accounts the father of Ethio-Jazz, and Mulatu of Ethiopia is the album on which his signature style first came together. While his first albums consisted in pleasant but conventional Latin jazz, the 1972 Mulatu of Ethiopia (reissued in 2017 by Strut) is based on traditional Ethiopian harmonies and scales, but with western and Latin instruments (like the conga drums and trademark vibraphone) replacing traditional azmari ones. Astatke also organically blended different styles, with Blaxploitation-esque funk,  Afro Cuban rhythms,  eerie atmospheres, shrieking sax and the delicate washint flute combining to create a sound unlike any other, and one that has become the foundation of contemporary Ethiopian popular music

Megan Iacobini de Fazio

Suggestions
Dost 1 cover

Dost 1

Derya Yildirim, Grup Şimşek
Targ cover

Targ

Bargou 08
Selda cover

Selda

Selda Bağcan
Sunny Side Up cover

Sunny Side Up

Various Artists
Ethiopia Super Krar cover

Ethiopia Super Krar

Krar Collective
Ofo the Black Company cover

Ofo the Black Company

Ofo & The Black Company
Nem Kaldi cover

Nem Kaldi

Derya Yildirim, Grup Şimşek
Sunburst cover

Sunburst

Eddie Henderson