Mulatu Astatke, inventor and sole exemplar of Ethio-Jazz, has enjoyed a groundbreaking career that spans 5 decades, three continents, and a dizzying variety of musical genres. This spring, we are incredibly proud to have Astatke perform at London’s Barbican, the very heart of the Capital’s Arts & Culture scene.
With touches of deliciously funky wah wah synths, rolling saxophones, ethereal flutes, and the relentless drive of Afro-Cuban rhythms, Astatke’s unique tracks perfectly reflect what Ethio-Jazz was designed to do - get feet moving and bodies grooving.
At Barbican, this scholar of music and living legend who has collaborated with the likes of psyche-jazz collective The Heliocentrics, and whose work has been sampled by heavyweights Quantic, Damian Marley, The Gaslamp Killer and more, will set the stage ablaze with his searingly innovative music that intertwines funk and jazz elements with traditional Ethiopian folk melodies and echoes of Coptic Church music.
“Mulatu Astatke’s exuberant blend of the best in African and western-themed improvisation is a finely balanced craft” - The Guardian
“He weaves his highly individual magic in an infectious and mysterious style.” -
BBC Music
