The Addis Jazz Festival (AJF) is the flagship event for Muzikawi, Ethiopia’s top music and event production company. The festival, the only one of its kind in East Africa, features established musicians as well as up-and-coming performers and fresh work from local and international artists. The inaugural event took place in 2019 with the goals of introducing jazz music to Addis Ababa, promoting Ethio Jazz, and giving international jazz musicians networking opportunities and platforms. A few of the well-known figures in the world of jazz who have performed at the festival include Hailu Mergia, Alemayehu Eshete, Samuel Yirga, Kibrom Birhane, and Kaÿn Lab. This year the festival is set to take place between May 24-26 at African Jazz Village and will highlight Africa Day.
24 – 26 MAY, 2024 • ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
24 – 26 MAY, 2024
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
Jorga Mesfin
Jorga Mesfin, the founder of Ethio Jazz Wudasse, is an Ethiopian saxophonist who has made a significant impact on both Ethiopian and world music scenes with works such as Teza, Wudasse, and The Nile Project. He is a self-taught musician whose influences span the spirit and innovation of jazz and the ancient and diverse sounds found in Ethiopian music.
Jorga composed the score for Haile Gerima’s epic movie Teza, for which he won the award for Best Music Selection at the twenty-second Carthage Film Festival and the Best Composer Award at the fifth Dubai International Film Festival. Jorga will release his meditative Ethio Jazz album, first released in 2007 as “The Kind Ones,” now reissued as “The Kindest One,” which will be highlighted on the first day of the Addis Jazz Festival.
Mathew Tembo
Mathew Tembo is an award-winning Afropop musician hailing from Zambia in Southern Africa. He is an important ambassador of Zambian music culture both in Zambia where he is originally from and abroad. Tembo has toured and recorded all over the world. While touring in Europe, he produced hits including “Nela” and “Kumalya Ndimu”, both from his second album “Save My Soul,” a reggae album that he recorded in the Netherlands in 2001. He was awarded best Afro-fusion for the song “Nandunge” from the album, Anthem, his first album to feature Zambia’s indigenous musical instruments, at the 2008 Born and Bred Awards in Zambia.
He is scheduled to graduate with a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, USA in the Spring of 2024. Tembo is currently promoting his latest album Mtendere (Peace).
Yaho Traditional Band
Yaho cultural group previously established as Ethiocolor was founded by six members. The group now consists of ten members, five musicians, two dancers and two singers. They present their work in Amharic, Afaan Oromo, Tigrigna, Guragigna, Somali, Harari etc.
Back when it was known as Ethiocolor, the group had released a self-titled album that it made in collaboration with Muzikawi. The group has toured in Sweden, Norway, Spain etc and has worked with notable cultural music singers like Gizachew Teshome, Tokota Mena (Wolaytigna music singer), hawa (Somaligna music singer who has played at Hager Fikir theatre for several years). The band members have worked together for nine years and perform with Dr. Mulatu Astatke every Friday at African Jazz Village.
Dawit Yifru
Dawit Yifru is one of the most well-known composers in Ethiopian jazz history, with a career spanning more than thirty years. His musical influence was so great that many people attribute him with creating the entire modern Ethiopian music genre and launching the careers of some of the top singers in the country, including Muluken Melesse, Neway Debebe, and Kenedy Mengesha. He has recently released his instrumental album on vinyl and digital streaming platforms. Daiwt Yifru is currently the chairman of the board and a member of the Ethiopian Musicians Association and continues to motivate new generations of Ethiopian musicians with his commitment to his art and love of music.
Girma Beyene
Girma Beyene, one of the arrangers who made the Ethiopian music of the Golden Era different from the music of today. He was a lyricist, a music writer, an arranger, a vocalist, an accomplished pianist and finally a bandleader. To most, if any name comes to mind with the word arranger, it is probably that of Mulatu Astatke. Yet, according to Ethiopiques Series producer Francis Falceto*, in the heyday of vinyl records, Girma Beyene is credited to having arranged close to 65 titles. Girma left a handful of recordings as a vocalist, but it was as an arranger and pianist that he is fondly remembered today.
Selmor Mtukudzi
Selmor Mtukudzi is a top class musician from Zimbabwe. Her musical journey started at the age of 10 when her father, the late Zimbabwean superstar Oliver Mtukudzi took her for her first studio recording for the movie soundtrack, I Am The Future. She has won numerous awards in her home country and abroad in the United States of America and nominations in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Selmor has made 8 albums so far. Her 4th album “Expressions”, released in 2013 became an instant hit with the track “Nguva Yangu” being nominated for the NAMA Awards and the ZIMA Awards and winning the Africa Entertainment Award USA and Zimbabwe Chamber of Commerce WECA Award. Her 5th album which was released in 2015 and titled “I Am Woman” with the track “Zvidikidiki ” winning NAMA Award, Africa Entertainment Award USA and also nominated for the ZIMA and ZIWA.
Afrigo Band
Afrigo Band is an Ugandan musical group that was formed in 1975 by the legendary musician and composer Moses Matovu with seven other members, including Charles Sskyanzi, Jeff Sewava, Paddy Nsubuga, Paulo Serumagga, Fre Luyombya, Anthony Kyeyune, and Geoffrey Kizito. The band’s music is a fusion of traditional Ugandan rhythms, Congolese soukous, and other East African and Western musical elements. Afrigo Band quickly gained popularity and became known for their electrifying performances, tight harmonies, and infectious rhythms. The band has released numerous albums over the years, including their debut album, ‘’Doctor Kaweesa,’’ in 1978, which became an instant hit. Over the years, the band has gone through several lineup changes and has produced some of Uganda’s most iconic musicians, including Joanita Kawalya, Rachael Magoola, and Moses Matovu himself. Afrigo Band has performed all over the world and collaborated with several international artists. Afrigo Band remains one of the most successful musical groups in East Africa.
Mehari Brothers
Mehari Brothers was established in 2006 by Henok Mehari, a graduate of Yared Music School and the band’s pianist and lead singer, along with fellow Yared Music School graduate and guitarist, Robel Mehari, Lwam Mehari on bass guitar, and Halal Mehari on drums. The group has since expanded to include Tesfamariam Elias on keyboards, Zerihun Belete and Letarik Tilahun on saxophone, Yared Taddese on drums, and Million Adinew on conga. Since its establishment, the band has performed with prominent artists such as Mohammed Ahmed, Tewodros Tadesse, Dawit Melese, Zeritu Kebede, Alemayehu Eshete, Teddy Afro, Johnny Ragga, Michael Belayneh, and many more, and has toured extensively around the globe.
The band’s pianist and singer, Henok Mehari, along with his brothers, has produced three previous albums. Their album titled ‘790’ was one of the most successful albums of 2016. As a result, Henok was invited by Coke Studio to Nairobi, Kenya, for a one-week video and audio recording session in July 2016.
Yohana Sahle
Addis Ababa-based singer and songwriter Yohana Sahle can be added to the list of Ethiopia’s currently emerging renaissance of its golden 1970s. She completed her studies at Mekane Eyesus School of Jazz Music in 2018 and has since been performing all across Addis Ababa.
Yohana’s emotive, deeply textured voice is equally at ease with jazz instrumentation as it is acapella: she has mastered the art of using her voice as a melodic and nuanced instrument, a testament to the hard work she has put into her music career.
Currently, she is most known for her breathtaking rendition of Ethiopian classics such as ‘Tizita’ by the legendary Mahmoud Ahmed. She is also working on the release of her debut album, which was conceptualised and recorded during an extended stay in the south of France.
Roha Band
Roha Band was formed by Dawit Yifru, Giovanni Rico, Selam Seyoum, Fekade Amdemeskel, Tekle Tesfazigie and Levon Fondachi. It is a very popular Ethiopian band that dominated the music of the 1970s and 1980s and performed a mix of modern and traditional music. The band has produced over 250 recordings with various Ethiopian singers including Aster Aweke, Tilahun Gesesse, Mahmoud Ahmed, and Alemayehu Eshete. Over the past years, they have become a major influence on Ethiopian music.
From 1980 to 1990, The ROHA Band traveled extensively, throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the USA as well as to some parts of Africa. Mulatu Astatke joined the ROHA Band at the Paris and Spain summer shows in 1987. Their album Roha Band Tour 1990 was recorded during their first North American tour and this album introduces singers Neway Debebe, Hamelmal Abate, and Berhane Haile.
Day 1
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Day 3
For all general inquiries, please email info@addisjazzfestival.com