16th
Ethiopian music: out with the old
My ears have been enjoying the ‘golden era’ of Ethiopian jazz, soul and funk from the Ethiopiques CD series (Buda Musique records) for a good 3 or 4 years now and, when asked which country I’d like to volunteer in, in some ways it was one of the reasons I chose Ethiopia. I was genuinely excited about what I might find. Rightly or wrongly, I imagined walking through Addis Ababa hearing these old, atmospheric songs drifting from taxis, bars and cafes and maybe even seeing some stripped down public performances, as in Cuba. I knew nothing of the history of the music from the 60’s or 70’s or what happened afterwards, and therefore presumed that the organic sound of that era would still be championed today. I had high hopes, especially knowing that some of the most appreciated figures, e.g. Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Amhed and Getatchew Mekurya, were riding a resurgent wave of interest in the West and performing in front of big crowds.
After a year of being in Ethiopia, I’m sad to say that I’ve only seen a band of musicians play on two occasions, and both in Addis Ababa – once in a jazz venue and the other I didn’t see, but heard it from hotel window literally 5 or 6 hours after arriving at the airport. I was too tired to lift my head from the pillow. When I did manage to raise myself and go to watch, the keyboardists had taken over – but more on that later. I have seen quite a lot of traditional music performances though: azmaris (lyrical minstrels who play a one-stringed instrument called a masenko) in Bahir Dar and Lalibela; full traditional performances including singers, percussion, krars (like a small harp), masenkos, and guitar in Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar; and the drums, singing and clapping of different tribes around Arba Minch in the south and the Omo Valley. All of which were brilliant, made extra special by their settings and contexts. To hear the Hamer people’s slow choral clapping in the Omo desert at night while they performed the Evangaddi (night dance) was unbelievable, and to be the target of a mocking azmari in Lalibela as he weaves together sarcastic stories about your nationality, hairstyle or girlfriend, is pure entertainment. I will never forget these unique musical experiences.
But where are the bands? Guitars, drums, brass and crooners are nowhere to be seen.
The truth is that there are probably no fewer bands now than there were before. As I’m aware, the individuals responsible for the majority of the ‘golden era’ material were relatively small in number, often belonging to select institutional bands such as The Imperial Body, Army, Police and Municipal bands, The Roha Band or Ibex – often playing with more than one at the same time. The peak of ‘swinging Addis’ was between 1960 and 1974 and ended with the fall of Haile Selassie. Nearly twenty years of Stalinist-style military dictatorship brought an end to musical endeavours and cultural expression, killing the momentum kick started by the Austrian musical director, Franz Zelwecker, and Syrian-born (with Armenian origins) Nerses Nalbandian, who were highly influential in brining swing to Ethiopia. This period of suppression under the Derge regime left the movement suspended in time, relegating it to the history books. Not until the mid-90s did Ethiopians have the freedom to perform music – folk, traditional or modern – in public again, by which time new instruments and recording techniques had become available. As far as I am aware, the triumphant ‘democratic’ government no longer funds institutional bands, and if they do I can’t imagine they play jazz and funk. As you can imagine, without financial support, jazz band instruments are difficult to buy, to maintain and transport in such a poor country. I have seen only one drum kit in Nekemte since I’ve been here and that was for sale Nekemte’s first music shop, which opened last year. The Yamaha drums are always there, set up badly in the window. I don’t expect anyone to buy them before I leave the country in July and I believe I am the only person to have played them in the shop. Something the shop will sell several of however, are keyboards, synthesizers and pa systems.
