Runco's Weekly Music - Mulatu Astatke

Sorry the email was delayed this week... it's been a busy weekend -- but I'm bout to go see Styx perform live at Alcatraz in about an hour -- so that should be interesting... I might do a concert review next week -- we'll see...

Guest writers still to come:
Steve Curtis
Zak Koeske
Will Haggerty
Neal Sussman
Paul PJ Cheng
Cihan Kadipasaoglu
Craig Cramer
Jeremy Cohen
Pat Santavicca

Cihan -- thank you very much for this write-up and for this music... outstanding suggestion...

I've always been a huge fan of Bill Murray, and considered many of his movies some of the most impressive that I've seen. With undertones of deep philosophical issues, as well as constant dark (or maybe light) humor with regards to issues concerning life, his movies have struck me as unique, meaningful, and always entertaining. Though most people know him best from Ghostbusters or Caddyshack, when I think of him, I find myself thinking of films such as The Razor's Edge, The Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic, and one of his latest movies: Broken Flowers.

In it, he plays a wealthy yet extremely lonely ex-playboy living in a sort of self inherited exile. More importantly, for this email, his next door neighbor is a wannabe Sherlock Holmes, who happens to hail from Ethiopia. It is from this man that I came across the artist: Mulatu Astatqe.

His music is constant throughout the movie, and is unlike any I've heard before. Funky bass lines and rhythmic beats, reminiscent of a sort of tribal music lay the frame work for a unique set of jazz horns that sound so sweet and yet so utterly new.

He is considered to be the father of Ethio jazz, and as one review describes him:

"Mulatu Astatke stands as the exceptional musical innovator of the Ethiopian groove. Having immersed himself in Caribbean music, funk, jazz and Latin grooves during his lengthy stint abroad, Mulatu returned to his native land to give rise to a brand new sound.

An album of instrumentals, Ethiopiques Volume 4 is a case study in the inventive blending of influences that comprised the Ethiopian groove. Strains of funk and reggae timings permeate the thick and chunky bass lines, which are pushed prominently forward in the mix.

Multiple saxophones swirl with the hypnotic, snake-charming sounds of the East, while at the same time resonating with jazzy tones reminiscent of John Coltrane and Lester Young. Guitar is a main ingredient here, growling with funky distorted wah-pedaled fuzz riffs that sound like they were lifted straight out of an early '70s black-exploitation flick.
Drums and percussion combine the punchy funk of James Brown and the Meters with the heavy Latin rhythms of Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo.

Fusing all of these elements together, Mulatu unleashes a potent brew of afro-jazz grooves that pull you in and leave you in a mystical trance-like state.
Even when the record stops, these mood-inspiring sounds linger on like a drug. Tropical in its roots, funky and intoxicating in its impact, Mulatu Astatke's distinct brand of Ethiopian music features some of the most soulful hip-grinding instrumentals ever recorded in Mother Africa."



The album is called Ethipiques Vl. 4 :Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale:

Out of the two songs I'd like to share with you, one is more of an upbeat, quick tempo groove, probably the most well known: Yekermo Sew

It's got a sweet and simple beat and you can just kind of go with it.
It's the first song I heard of the man, and really got me into it, after I got over the strangeness of his sound.

And the other is by far and away my favorite of the album, a slower, deeper melody that makes me think of rainy days and Sunday afternoons: Tezeta.

Both are incredible, and I recommend this album to anyone looking for a new sound in music, especially jazz.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Runco's
• weekly
• music
• Mulatu
• Astatke
• Yekermo
• Sew
• Tezeta

[Nykoladze]

Awesome! I heard it the first time in the movie Broken Flowers

[znatizeljac]

prfect!...:)

[skydragon38]

this music just makes me feel good :)

[werdlex36]

Horace Silver-Song for my father

It's almost the same song

[roryphelan]

man that first song is a doozy. Or perhaps it is just too cool that I want to live up to it. and pretend it is the kind of music I listen to. how about that. Fela Kuti rocks.

[tesfalidett]

You are mistaken. The first song is called Yekermosew, and the second Tizita both ethipian.

[tesfalidett]

the second song is called Tizita ( memories)

[bebefrappe]

u have the answer below... broken flowers by jim jarmusch.

[nomorefriday]

yes. looks like him. has the same hair style Duke Ellington favored in those years

[farkasodeco]

It`s amazing how Jhony Godfriedman, on the midle-left, works his stuff thru the night! Pittsburg is the reason for jeazzin...

[ronpi4286]

what is the name of the second song?-Did anyone try to find the second song on i tunes?