The Ghion Hotel’s Ballroom in Addis Ababa hosted the fifth Addis Jazz Festival from 6 to 8 February. The 2026 theme captured the event’s ambition in a single phrase: “The Ethio-Jazz Legends Meet Contemporary Mastery.” Over 3,000 attendees filled the venue each day across three sold-out nights. The Addis Jazz Festival 2026 confirmed something the city has always known but the wider world is still fully absorbing. Ethio-jazz belongs on every global stage. But it lives and breathes in Addis Ababa.
A Genre Born From Resilience
Ethio-jazz originated in the 1950s with Armenian-Ethiopian musician Nerses Nalbandian at the National Theatre. Mulatu Astatke revolutionised it in the late 1950s and 1960s. He studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston as the school’s first African student. There he fused Ethiopian pentatonic scales with jazz improvisation, Latin rhythms and funk. The genre flowered through the early 1970s during the era known as Swinging Addis. Clubs buzzed with live music. Records sold across borders.
Then the Derg military junta seized power in 1974 and crushed social life. Record production collapsed under censorship. Musicians could not sing freely. Some encoded resistance in instrumental arrangements. Others left the country entirely. The golden era went silent for nearly two decades. In 1991, democracy returned. In 1997, French label Buda Musique began the Éthiopiques reissue series. That collection brought Mulatu’s work and the broader Ethio-jazz catalogue to a new global audience. The rest is history that continues to unfold.
Legends and New Voices on Stage
The 2026 lineup bridged five decades of Ethiopian music. Dawit Yifru performed alongside Girma Beyene. Yifru co-founded legendary ensembles like Roha Band and Dahlak Band in the 1970s and 80s. His arrangements accompanied Ethiopia’s greatest vocalists, including Muluken Melesse, Mahmoud Ahmed and Neway Debebe. In 2023, his self-titled instrumental album from 1978 received a remaster and reissue through the Ethiopian label Muzikawi. The first pressing sold out quickly. Beyene, a masterful arranger and pianist, rose to prominence in the 1960s. His work earns celebration globally through the Éthiopiques compilation series.
Selam Seyoum and Giovanni Rico of the Ibex Band brought the genre’s formative sound to the stage. Their intricate guitar lines and deep bass grooves have anchored some of Ethiopia’s most celebrated recordings. They backed legends like Mahmoud Ahmed and Aster Aweke. Jorga Mesfin, Ethiopia’s current Ethio-jazz torchbearer, carried a standout set. A protégé of Mulatu Astatke, Mesfin’s career includes a residency at Astatke’s African Jazz Village in Addis Ababa and the acclaimed score for Haile Gerima’s film Teza. Samuel Yirga made his fifth festival appearance. This year he joined an international cross-cultural collaboration for the first time.
Zerubabel Mola, Addis Legesse and Mergitu Workineh shared the bill with European jazz collaborators. The organisers described the result as exchange rather than nostalgia — an active reimagining of Ethio-jazz for a global audience. The festival’s guiding phrase captures the spirit: “Jazz was never meant to be boxed in. Neither was Addis.”
More Than Music
The festival has grown into a full cultural platform. Pop-up markets and immersive installations sat alongside performances. Organisers designed the event to spark conversation about Ethiopia’s creative economy, placing artists and industry leaders at the centre of those discussions. Food, visual art and design elements wove through the programme. Addis Ababa presented itself not just as a historical reference point but as a living, evolving centre of musical innovation.
The Admas Band also reflected on their own unique journey during the festival. Although their album was recorded decades ago as a one-off session, it gained cult status after years of obscurity. According to member Abegaz Kibrework, the album eventually inspired a new wave of younger musicians like Girum Mezmur. Clearly, that dialogue between generations defines the Addis Jazz Festival at its core. While it honours the original architects, it simultaneously amplifies the modern innovators.
Moreover, the international dimension of the festival strengthens with each passing edition. Because European jazz collaborators joined local musicians on stage, the sound continues to evolve. While festivals in London and New York feature Ethio-jazz with increasing frequency, the Addis Jazz Festival insists that the genre’s heartbeat remains at home. Finally, for the city of Addis Ababa, the festival represents a significant economic opportunity. Since over 3,000 daily attendees generate revenue for local businesses, creative tourism has become a strategic priority. Ultimately, events like this demonstrate how culture and commerce can reinforce each other when the execution is professional and authentic.
