Overview

Modern Ethiopian big band orchestra music finds its unlikely origins in the royal adoption of 40 Jerusalem orphans of the Armenian Genocide by Emperor Haile Selassie. Their presence as the first royal imperial band would make way for the composed music of Ethiopia's first national anthem, the popularization of brass instruments, and in later decades, a jazz revolution that sweeps the country before descending into the throes of the communist Derg regime. Told through first-hand accounts with Ethiopian jazz greats such as Alemayehu Eshete, Mulatu Astatke, Girum Mezmur, as well as Sammy Yirga and while following Vahé, the only performing Armenian singer / musician in Addis Ababa, TEZETA opens the musical door to a light of memories of a jazz club, a beloved teacher, and a golden musical era forgotten by many.