Ethio-jazz

Description

Ethio-jazz is a unique blend of traditional Ethiopian music with jazz, funk, soul, and Latin rhythms. It often features complex time signatures, pentatonic scales, and a distinctive use of brass and woodwind instruments.

History

Ethio-jazz emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, primarily in Addis Ababa. It was pioneered by Ethiopian musicians like Mulatu Astatke, who studied music abroad and returned to Ethiopia to blend Western jazz with traditional Ethiopian sounds. This genre gained international recognition and has influenced many contemporary artists.