Mulatu Astatke (born on December 19, 1943; surname sometimes spelled Astatqé on French-language releases, and ??? ????? in his native Amharic) is an Ethiopian musician and arranger best known as the father of Ethio-jazz.Born in the western Ethiopian city of Jimma, Mulatu was musically trained in London, New York City, and Boston where he combined his jazz and Latin music interests with traditional Ethiopian music. Astatke led his band while playing vibraphone and conga drums—instruments that he introduced into Ethiopian popular music—as well as other percussion instruments, keyboards and organ. His albums focus primarily on instrumental music, and Astatke appears on all three known albums of instrumentals that were released during Ethiopia's Golden ’70s.
Contributed musical arrangements to "We Shall Survive," an all-star album of Ethiopian pop music, funded by the US and Ethiopian governments, to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. [June 2005]
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
I Am Bolt
2016
Documentary writer: "As We Enter"
Mojave
2015
performer: "I Faram Gami I Faram" / writer: "I Faram Gami I Faram"
$1.6 Million
