Mulatu Astatke

The father of Ethio-jazz - the talented multi-instrumentalist Mulatu Astatke - might well be approaching his eighties but he never thinks about stopping. Proof of this can be found at Gent Jazz. This year, the Ethiopian is celebrating his sixtieth year as a professional musician and his career is worth a mention, to say the very least. As a teenager, Astatke was sent to London to study engineering but, once he had settled in, the confident Astatke decided to switch to musical studies at London's Trinity College. Once he graduated, he took a further step and left for America. He was the first Ethiopian student at the renowned Berkeley College, where he graduated in vibraphone and percussion. He was inspired by Latin jazz and recorded his first two albums in New York.

At the beginning of the seventies, he crystallised all his expertise and influences in Ethio-jazz, his very own genre. The mix? Ethiopian instruments and rhythms, Latin-American influences - he introduced the conga to Ethiopia - and classic jazz with a nod to the legendary Duke Ellington. The combinations of various traditions led to an innovative sound. Although Astatke was certainly not unknown, his career was given new impetus at the end of the nineties/beginning of the noughties. His music was rediscovered by fans and reissued by European labels, well-known hip-hop artists such as Nas, Kanye West, Madlib and Damian Marley used samples for their own hits and his music was used by cult director Jim Jarmusch in 'Broken Flowers’. Mulatu Astatke was given another chance to tour around the world and disseminate his unique sound. And he has been doing that ever since, with huge success. "Some of the music is meant to be danced to, some to be listened to. Music is a journey, and should allow you to experience vibrations at numerous different frequencies,” said the master himself. Come and listen, come and dance. You can do it all at Gent Jazz!

Line-up:

- Mulatu Astatke - vibraphone, wurlitzer, percussion
- James Arben - MD, sax, flute
- Byron Wallen - trumpet
- Danny Keane - cello
- Alexander Hawkins - piano & keys
- John Edwards - double bass
- Richard Olatunde Baker - percussion
- Jon Scott - drums