The jazz side of life in Ethiopia; what Meleket Band: brings into the scene
By Tibebeselassie Tigabu
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- Jazz is now a hip thing in Addis with the mushrooming of various jazz clubs as well as jazz bands in the capital.
Five or six years ago one would find it hard pressed to see jazz catching up with Addis’ music scene with only one or two places where one can actually listen to jazz music. Most of the clubs were dominated with music played by DJs but now the trend is changing towards live music where bands have become a familiar fixture within Addis’ nightlife.
When we trace Ethiopian music history it was around the 1950s and 1960s where the big band era started growing roots with band members ranging form 15 to 20 people playing a plethora of instruments featuring vocalists.
 For quite sometime the bands were ignored but again now the trend revived where contemporary musicians started playing the early 50’s and 60’s songs such as those of Girma Beyene, Teshome Mitiku, Tilahun Gessese and Alemayehu Eshetu fusing these iconic songs with Jazz.
As many contemporary musicians reveals many musicians sacrificed to revive the big band scenario and to legitimatize jazz music in Ethiopia. Many saw jazz as a a joke where other consider it as only being full of percussions.
Jazz lovers give their tributes to Coffee house, African Jazz village club which were the places where jazz fans could enjoy such music in addition inspiration work has been done by notable musicians such as Girum Mezmur who have blended jazz with Ethiopian music to bring jazz into the mainstream.
Many musicians followed the footstep that came before them and also the sound of clubs. Now in the contemporary trend there are bands like Wudassie, Jazzmari, and clubs like Alize, Harlem Jazz, Fahrenheit, African Jazz Village and Bole rock which give different zest of music to the people.
Within the band movement in Addis, a new Jazz band ‘Meleket’ is also attracting crowds to Jazz music.
The band was started by a trio a year ago; music teachers; Girum Gizaw [lead Guitar], Abiy Woldemariam [Piano] and Yonas Yimam [Drums] over a year ago.
 They started performing at Bole rock on Fridays, but it was very frustrating at first starting from a scratch with a new band where people don’t recognize them and also the place not having a record of no jazz band playing history.
Then a crowd started showing up where they got encouraged and added up a new member Yonas Gorfe [who plays the conga drums], Mebbratu Shewa [Bass], Girum Gebremeskel[Tenor sax], Cleo Atkins [Tenor Sax] and Aklilu woldeyohannes [Tenor sax].
Every Friday starting from 8 pm for three hours the band plays popular Ethiopian music of legendary singers like Tilahun Gessese, Alemayehu Eshete fusing it with Jazz and their own Jazz arrangements.
Many jazz singers who come here in Ethiopia for different occasions also jam with the band crew.
“We want to create a place as a jam session where many artistes can come and jump into the music. Starting from its foundation many jazz musicians from abroad and also fresh graduates from different music schools perform with us. Any artist can come and jam with us”, reveals Girum Gizaw the founder of the band
They were able to perform with different artists like Munit Mesfin and Jorga Mesfin [composer of the soundtrack for the critically acclaimed film Teza , directed by Haile Gerima] were part of Meleket’s crew at its start.
 Fame started coming on their way where they were chosen as to perform in commemorating the Jazz musician legend’s Duke Ellington 110th birthday in April 29, 2009 organized by the US Embassy of in association with the Italian cultural institute.
Even if they were able to make it in a short time they faced frustrating moments which they still come across from time to time.
“We are using music as an art form we don’t see it as something commercial and we are paying the price for our path, we are not getting a dime out of it and the other thing is sustaining a band is a difficult thing. So there were disappointing times which tempt you to quit the whole thing”, says Girum
Previously Girum has been in a band called Blue note where they were able to perform with Woyna [Ethiopian singer which was nominated for a Grammy Award] but one of the crew went abroad so it was difficult to survive so they went on their own.
The contemporary trend where jazz music draws legions of fans has also made their path smoother, “Many people sacrificed jazz to be like this so that’s why we were able to get popular in short time”, tells Girum.
Fusing Ethiopian music with some other countries rhythms is unacceptable for some people where they believe the originality will be lost through the phase but Girum doesn’t accept this arguing: “you can do things in different directions, we chose the other direction where we play fusing Ethiopian music with Jazz and sounds good”.
The band also plays its own arrangements, telling stories through their music like Dream song, Ambassel, Ethiopia, Mebre’s Blues, tom tom, Europe, After one year, Debub and song for Yonas.
With their own arrangements they have plans to release an album and also to do a big concert
“I met an amazing vocalist this week and we are arranging to work together but I didn’t know about her for a long time. Here people don’t know their abilities or what they can do so it creates a chance to get to know each other”, comments Girum•