Mulatu Astatke

Mulatu Astatke

Mulatu Astatke is an Ethiopian musician and arranger known for his role in developing Ethio-jazz. He is born in Jimma and receives formal musical training in London, New York City and Boston, where he shapes a blend of jazz and Latin music with traditional Ethiopian sounds.

As a bandleader, he performs on vibraphone and conga drums, and also uses other percussion instruments, keyboards and organs. He introduces both the vibraphone and conga drums to Ethiopian popular music. His work is mainly instrumental, and he appears on all three known instrumental albums released during the Ethiopian Golden Age of Music in the 1970s.