The Ibex Band (ET) must surely be one of the most influential bands in Ethiopian music history. The musical driving force alone – guitarist Selam ‘Selamino’ Seyoum Woldemarian (often described as the Ethiopian Jimi Hendrix) and bassist Giovanni Rico – contributed to around 200 albums (!) and recorded around 2,500 songs (!) in the 1970s and 1980s. However, most of these were ‘simply’ lost over time. Incidentally, both musicians formed the musical backbone for Ethiopian icons such as Mulatu Astatke (who will still be performing at AB in 2025 as part of his farewell tour), singer Mahmoud Ahmed, Aster Aweke, Girma Beyene (often described as ‘an Ethiopian gem’) and Tilahun Gessesse.

Fortunately, in 2025, the Swedish label Muzikawi re-released their 1976 classic *Stereo Instrumental Music*. Their mission – “We create and share the finest of Ethiopian music with the world.” – certainly came to fruition, with wonderful repercussions. Music magazine Uncut praised them with a full-page 8/10 review, and The Quietus described the album as “a unique document of the vibrant Ethiopian music scene of the 1970s”. Spurred on by the glowing reviews, the itch to perform returned, and the Ibex Band decided to hit the road once more.

For anyone wanting a wonderful deep dive into the extraordinary story of the Ibex Band, long live internet radio station NTS, which dedicated a two-part series to them: An Ibex Band Special | NTS