Mulatu Astatke: Grandmaster of Ethio-jazz

What Fela Kuti was to Afrobeat, Bob Marley to reggae, and The Beatles to modern pop music — that’s what Mulatu Astatke is to Ethio-jazz. Simply put: the founder and pioneer of this unique blend of traditional Ethiopian music and (modern) jazz.

Looking back on the truly impressive career of pianist, organist, vibraphonist, percussionist, composer, and arranger Mulatu Astatke, one can only bow deeply in respect for this now 81-year-old musician.

Astatke was originally supposed to devote his life to aeronautical engineering, but music got in the way. He went on to become the first African student to graduate from the renowned Berklee College of Music.

He has shared the stage with legends like Duke Ellington and Alice Coltrane. His music still inspires countless musicians today, and his songs are frequently sampled by artists such as Nas and Damian Marley. Astatke gained wider international recognition in the late 1990s when Ethio-jazz reissues appeared in the acclaimed compilation series Éthiopiques, and when his music was featured in the soundtrack of Jim Jarmusch’s 2005 film Broken Flowers.

In 2025, his farewell tour will begin, along with the release of Mulatu Plays Mulatu, a retrospective of his legendary career. “I wanted to spread Ethio-jazz worldwide, and I succeeded,” he says — a legacy that will undoubtedly live on.

Don’t miss this unique farewell concert!