Mulatu Astatke, credited as the father of Ethio-jazz, discussed his career and cultural advocacy during an interview following his performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall in June, which he indicated may be his final UK performance.
Astatke, now 82, developed his signature sound by layering Ethiopian pentatonic scales and traditional instruments—including the krar, masenqo, and kebero—with Western jazz, funk, and Afro-Latin rhythms. He initially studied aeronautical engineering at boarding school in Wales before transitioning to music, later attending Trinity College of Music in London and Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he was the institution’s first African student. Throughout the late 1960s, he recorded albums with the Ethiopian Quintet in New York while simultaneously developing his sound in Addis Ababa, beginning work with Amha Records in 1969. His reputation grew sufficiently that Duke Ellington sought him out during a state-sponsored tour of Ethiopia in 1973.
Astatke’s most vocal concern centers on what he perceives as inadequate recognition of African musical influence on Western styles. He cited examples including the diminished scales used by Charlie Parker, which he noted also appear in traditional music of Ethiopia’s Derashe tribe, as well as musical connections between Ethiopian and Japanese scales. He expressed frustration with educational systems that emphasize European composers while neglecting African origins of musical concepts.
During the 1990s, Astatke visited indigenous Ethiopian communities including the Derashe and the Nilotic Anuak people of Gambella, collaborating with traditional musicians and crediting these encounters with shaping his development as a musician. He opened the African Jazz Village in Addis Ababa in 2013, now operated by his son, which continues to feature international and local performers. His most recent album, Mulatu Plays Mulatu, was released through Strut Records and features new arrangements of his classic compositions with his UK band. He is planning a future project incorporating both bush musicians and Addis Ababa-based performers.
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