Mulatu Astatke - Afro Latin Soul Vols 1 & 2

Strut

£25.18

CATALOGUE NO. STRUT156LP
FORMAT - LP
RELEASE DATE 15th May 2020
Genres - International

Track Listing
Afro Latin Soul Vol. 1
A1. I Faram Gami I Faram
A2. Mascaram Setaba
A3. Shagu
A4. One For Buzayhew
A5. Alone In The Crowd
B1. Almaz
B2. Mulatu’S Hideaway
B3. Askum
B4. A Kiss Before Dawn
B5. Playboy Cha Cha

Afro Latin Soul Vol. 2
A1. The Panther (Boogaloo)
A2. Konjit (Pretty)
A3. Soul Power
A4. Lover’S Mambo
A5. Love Mood For Two
B1. Jijiger
B2. Girl From Addis Ababa
B3. Karayu
B4. Raina

Strut continue their essential work with the “Godfather Of Ethio Jazz”, Mulatu Astatke, with the first official reissues of his early classics ‘Afro Latin Soul’ Volumes 1 and 2 from 1966, recorded as The Ethiopian Quintet.

Arriving after Astatke’s life-changing years studying at Berklee College in Boston, the albums were the first experiments in his pioneering sound, fusing Ethiopian cultural music with Afro Latin and jazz forms. “I have always felt a deep connection between Latin and African music,” he explains. “I travelled to Cuba and listened to their musicians; the tempo, rhythm and feeling was very similar to different African forms. In the mid-‘60s, I formed a band called The Ethiopian Quintet in New York comprising Ethiopian, Latin and Afro-American musicians - the band included trumpeter and pianist Rudy Houston who later played with Yambu and Felix Torres who played with La Sonora Poncena.”

Supported by Worthy Records’ Gil Snapper who offered to record the quintet, Astatke began to experiment during two separate sessions: “We created a different feel and different arrangements. On the first recording, I played an adaptation of an ancient Ethiopian warrior song, ‘I Faram Gami I Faram’ - the lyrics were translated so that the singer could sing it in Spanish. Some compositions were important steps for me: ‘Mascaram Setaba’ (‘Summer Is Coming’) ‘Shagu’ and ‘Almaz’. With the second album, a personal favourite is ‘Girl From Addis Ababa’ which worked very nicely as a fusion of Ethiopian modes and R&B rhythms.”

Astatke would start to perfect his Ethio jazz sound on his later album for Worthy in 1972, ‘Mulatu Of Ethiopia’ (STRUT129) but the two volumes of ‘Afro Latin Soul’ stand as important recordings documenting his early career. “It was a very interesting time to be in New York during the mid-‘60s. I was there at the same time as Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and Fela Kuti and we each tried to play our part in putting Africa on the map of contemporary jazz.”

‘Afro Latin Soul’ Volumes 1 and 2 come in their full original artwork and are painstakingly remastered by The Carvery. All formats feature personal liner notes by Mulatu Astatke.

- first official reissue of landmark Mulatu Astatke albums from 1966
- early Ethio jazz / Afro Latin experiments from the early days of Astatke’s career
- fully remastered by The Carvery
- package includes new liner notes by Mulatu Astatke
- essential addition to Strut’s Mulatu Astatke official reissue series