Staff Reviews

Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Steps Ahead

Review by Samuel Breen

As the West continues to explore Africa, to embellish its many cultures, Mulatu Steps Ahead acts as a proponent of liberalism and travelled sophistication. More please.»

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following his acclaimed collaboration on strut with the heliocentrics, the father of ethio jazz presents his brand new studio album, 'mulatu steps ahead' for 2010. the album explores new directions in fusions of western jazz with ethiopian modes, moving forward the pioneering sound mulatu developed during the '60s and '70s, showcased on the recent strut compilation 'new york addis london'. this is the first full new album by mulatu astatke himself since the 1980s and takes his ethio jazz sound in new directions, exploring fresh fusions of western jazz and traditional ethiopian instrumentation resulting in a rich new album, perfect for all fans of world music, jazz and the outstanding selling ethiopiques series. it features an a-list line-up of musicians including byron wallen (uk), jack yglesias, james arben and danny keane from the heliocentrics, members of either / orchestra in boston and leading players from addis ababa. it features brand new versions of '60s and '70s mulatu classics 'i faram gami i faram' and 'boogaloo', and continues mulatu's mission to publicise the ancient music of the ethiopian tribes. the track 'assosa' is based on the music of the assosa tribespeople.
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