Name: Mulatu of Ethiopia
Brand: Mulatu Astatke

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

STRUT129LP

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

{"time": 1669306171688, "blocks": [], "version": "2.25.0"}

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-01-13

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

0730003312915

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Total Cap

1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

STRUT129LPC

White

Extended format: Yes

2024-05-17

4062548080780

White LP

Artist

Mulatu Astatke

Genre GB

African

Label GB

Strut

Mulatu Astatke is arguably one of the most influential and legendary musicians from Ethiopia. He studied music abroad in London, Boston, and New York during the 1960s, then returned home to Ethiopia where he blended Ethiopian traditional music with Latin-jazz to create a unique hybrid called "Ethio-jazz". As a composer and multi-instrumentalist, Astatke played the vibraphone, keyboards, organs, congas, and bongos. His focus on instrumentation introduced a new dimension to Ethiopian music. With several LPs recorded in New York City and releases on Amha Records in Addis Ababa, Astatke's work gained renewed attention through compilations on Ethiopiques (Buda Musique) and Soundway label. Notably featured in Jim Jarmush's film Broken Flowers, Astatke continues his musical journey collaborating with renowned artists.

Strut is a British independent label founded by Quinton Scott. From 1999 to 2003, Strut was at the forefront of unearthing forgotten dance music gems, covering a wide range of genres from hard funk and underground disco to Nigerian Afrobeat and old skool hip hop. Their releases not only featured killer dancefloor tracks but also provided a comprehensive context for the music, delving into the stories behind the tunes, the clubs, and the scene of that time. With meticulous attention to detail, Strut's albums were mastered from original tapes whenever possible and included extensive sleeve notes written by respected journalists, rare photographs, and memorabilia.

In January 2008, Strut was reactivated and became part of the *K7 label group. Since then, their releases have been primarily based in Europe unless there is an exclusive retailer in another territory.

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Newest Listed Items

Strut present the first official reissue of a landmark album in the field of African music, Mulatu Astatke’s Mulatu Of Ethiopia from 1972. Recorded in New York, the album arrived at a time when Astatke had begun to master the delicate fusion of styles needed to create Ethio jazz. “I left the UK for America and studied at Berklee College in Boston. I learnt the technical aspects of jazz and gained a beautiful understanding of many different types of music. That’s where I got my tools. Berklee really shook me up.” Journeying regularly to the Big Apple to play and watch live shows at the Cheetah, the Palladium and the Village Gate, Astatke met producer Gil Snapper on the circuit. “Gil was a nice and very interesting guy. He produced music and worked with all kinds of musicians.” The meeting would lead to a series of albums on Snapper’s Worthy label. The first, ‘Afro Latin Soul’, documented Astatke’s new-found directions. “Mulatu has created a new sound,” enthused Snapper on the album jacket. “He has taken the ancient five-tone scales of Asia and Africa and woven them into something unique and exciting; a mixture of three cultures, Ethiopian, Puerto Rican and American.” A second volume of ‘Afro Latin Soul’ followed before Astatke began to hone his sound further, infusing funk and cultural influences into the mix. Returning to a downtown Manhattan studio with Snapper and working with some of the city’s top young jazz and latin session players, Mulatu Of Ethiopia began to take shape. “We rehearsed for 3-4 weeks,” remembers Astatke. “it took them a while to get the right feeling in the music.” The resultant album represented the first fully formed document of Astatke’s trademark Ethio jazz sound. It features Kulunmanqueleshi, Dewel, and Kasalefku-Hulu, tracks that Mulatu would return to regularly on singles and in live shows, the Ethio-Latin workout Chifara and the self-titled groover Mulatu (“I wanted tomake a track for... myself!”). All formats feature a new interview with Mulatu Astatke and rare photos.

Mulatu of Ethiopia

Music GB

Discover Mulatu of Ethiopia by Mulatu Astatke on Strut. First official reissue of the landmark 1972 album. Available in CD and multiple LP formats.